Two Graphic Novels Trace Friendship Through Space and Summer Volleyball

Friendship takes shape in two very different settings in these graphic novels: the quiet distance between the moon and Mars, and the often uncomfortable competition of volleyball camp. Katie Kordesh’s Moonie and Junie: Interstellar Pen Pals suits younger readers ready for a longer story, while Audrey Meeker’s Last One Picked, colored by Sarah Davidson, offers older readers a summer tale about sport, confidence and repairing a strained friendship. Both books give their characters room to change through the relationships they build.

A friendship that crosses space

In Moonie and Junie: Interstellar Pen Pals (HarperAlley, 176 pages, grades 2-5), Moonie lives alone on the moon. Her companions are pet rocks, and she gets by on discarded supplies left by astronauts who explored there before her. What she longs for is someone to talk to. A message in a bottle, sent drifting through space, gives her a chance: Junie, an alien girl vacationing with her family on Mars, receives it, and the two begin writing to each other.

Their correspondence gives the story its central pleasure. Moonie is eager to meet her new pen pal; Junie, who has a lot of social anxiety, is reluctant to accept invitations. The difference in their temperaments creates a familiar childhood tension in an unusual setting: one person reaches out, while the other needs more time before a new friendship feels manageable. When Junie’s family plans a visit to the moon, Moonie has a role in bringing that meeting about. Junie arrives unhappy, and Moonie gradually shows her what she finds wonderful about her home.

The reviewer admits to having practical questions about Moonie’s solitude, food and oxygen. Those questions may occur to readers, too, but setting them aside made room to enjoy the book’s two quirky leads and the gradual growth of their bond. The story’s appeal rests less on explaining the logistics of lunar life than on the characters’ exchange: a lonely girl sends a message, and someone far away answers. By the end, their friendship has opened a new possibility. Junie’s parents invite Moonie along for the next leg of their journey, setting up the premise for a second book.

At 176 pages, the book is recommended for graphic novel readers ready to move on from Narwhal and Jelly or Pizza and Taco to something more substantial. Its imaginative setting offers a clear draw, but its emotional center is accessible and grounded: making a friend can take patience, and an invitation doesn’t instantly make someone comfortable. Moonie’s enthusiasm and Junie’s hesitation give young readers two distinct ways of approaching connection.

Teamwork, confidence and a second chance

Last One Picked (Feiwel and Friends, 224 pages, grades 4-7) begins with Annabeth looking forward to a summer of reading her favorite Warrior Princess books and volunteering at the library. Her mother has another plan and signs her up for volleyball camp. The mismatch between Annabeth’s hopes and the summer she gets sets the story in motion, then brings her face to face with Serena, her former best friend.

Serena is the camp’s strongest player, but her skill doesn’t make her an easy teammate. She behaves poorly in part under the pressure of her mother’s constant criticism and coaching. After a disastrous first day, Annabeth has to decide whether to go back. She returns reluctantly, then begins to improve with help from the coaches and other players. As camp continues, she finds enough enjoyment in the sport to decide to try out for the freshman team.

That shift gives Annabeth’s story momentum, while her complicated history with Serena keeps the relationships at its heart. Their expectations are unsettled by what happens at the end of camp, and both girls begin to recognize their own particular strengths. By the close, they appear to be finding their way back toward friendship. The reviewer says the story handles friendship, sportsmanship and body image with a deft touch, and found herself rooting for Serena almost as much as Annabeth. That response points to a strength of the book’s redemption arc: Serena’s behavior matters, but the story also gives readers reason to hope she can change.

Meeker includes an author’s note explaining how her own experiences helped shape the book. That personal context sits alongside the story rather than replacing it, offering readers a glimpse of where the material began. The reviewer describes Last One Picked as a quick read, but its 224 pages make space for several linked concerns: learning a sport, finding confidence, supporting teammates and working through a fractured friendship.

Two routes into growing up

The books approach friendship at different ages and through different challenges. Moonie and Junie have to bridge distance and Junie’s anxiety before they can share an adventure. Annabeth and Serena have to navigate competition, outside pressure and the history between them. Neither story treats a friendship as something that appears fully formed. It grows through small acts of attention, difficult choices and a willingness to see another person in a new way.

For readers choosing between them, the age guidance and tone offer a useful starting point: Moonie and Junie is aimed at grades 2-5 and pairs a spacefaring premise with the excitement of a new pen pal; Last One Picked is for grades 4-7 and brings its social questions to a sports camp. Both leave room for characters to surprise themselves. Moonie’s invitation leads toward a shared journey, while Annabeth’s time at camp changes what she thinks she can do and what might be possible with Serena. Those are promising foundations for young readers who like their graphic novels to mix an engaging premise with friendship that takes work.