The Golden Hour

*2021 Kirkus Prize Finalist A Kirkus Best Book of 2021 An SLJ Best Book of 2021* **★ "Exceptionally graceful and delightful" - *Kirkus Reviews*, starred review** **★ "A beautiful story of resilience." *School Library Journal,* starred review** **★ "Meaningful and impactful " - *School Library Connection*, starred review** **From the author of *The Deep & Dark Blue* comes a tender graphic novel, perfect for our time, that gently explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, healing from tragedy, and hope for a better tomorrow.** Struggling with anxiety after witnessing a harrowing instance of gun violence, Manuel Soto copes through photography, using his cell-phone camera to find anchors that keep him grounded. His days are a lonely, latchkey monotony until he's teamed with his classmates, Sebastian and Caysha, for a group project. Sebastian lives on a grass-fed cattle farm outside of town, and Manuel finds solace in the open fields and in the antics of the newborn calf Sebastian is hand-raising. As Manuel aides his new friends in their preparations for the local county fair, he learns to open up, confronts his deepest fears, and even finds first love. **This title will be simultaneously available in paperback.**