As a tween, it can be hard to grasp a sense of your own identity, let alone your future – despite well-meaning adults who tell you you’re something special. This theme is what makes a new graphic novel about Wonder Woman as a girl so relatable for tweens. “Diana: Princess of the Amazons,” written by Newbery
Honor-winning YA fantasy novelist Shannon Hale and her husband, Dean Hale, follows the adventures of 11-year-old Diana, who is the only kid on Themyscira, that island of powerful, self-efficient Amazon women. While she is surrounded by her mother and an island full of aunties, being the only kid with no one to play with makes Diana feel alone. “It seems like I’m either too old or too young for everything,” she says.
With illustrations by Victoria Ying, the book is a fast-paced tale that humanizes Diana before she becomes a wonder. In the traditional origin story, Wonder Woman’s mother, Hippolyta, creates her out of clay. In this graphic novel, Diana, desperate for a friend, and sand and molds a playmate whom she names Mona. In the beginning, Mona and Diana are the best of friends. However, Mona is actually a monster named Circe the Sorceress, who is using Diana to become more powerful.
Diana finds herself trying to impress her new, demanding friend at every turn. After the mayhem settles, Diana realizes that her community has always appreciated her for who she is – and will become.
For more information about the graphic novel ‘Diana,’ visit dccomics.com.
