New Releases by Ben Hatke

Zita''s life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of an eye. When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don''t even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita''s quest. Zita the Spacegirl is a fun, captivating tale of friendship and redemption from Flight veteran Ben Hatke. It also has more whimsical, eye-catching, Miyazaki-esque monsters than you can shake a stick at.

Ben Hatke brings back our intrepid space heroine for another delightful sci-fi/fantasy adventure. Zita is determined to find her way home to earth, following the events of the first book. But things are never simple, and certainly never easy, in space. Zita''s exploits from her first adventure have made her an intergalactic megastar! But she''s about to find out that fame doesn''t come without a price. And who can you trust when your true self is being eclipsed by your public persona, and you''ve got a robot doppelganger wreaking havoc . . . while wearing your face? Still, if anyone can find their way through this intractible mess of mistaken identity and alien invaders, it''s the indomitable Zita, in Legends of Zita the Spacegirl. Legends of Zita the Spacegirl is one of Kirkus Reviews'' Best Children''s Books of 2012.

The final adventure! Zita the Spacegirl is back and the odds are stacked high against her. Will everyone''s favorite spacegirl prevail?

Have you ever asked yourself what goes on in comics between the panels and behind the scenes? Between the Panels 2 gives you an inside look at the making of four great new graphic novels: Broxo, by Zack Giallongo; Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke; Bloody Chester, by JT Petty and Hilary Florido, Sumo, by Thien Pham, and Sailor Twain, by Mark Siegel.

When young Zita discovers a device that opens a portal to another place, and her best friend is abducted, she is compelled to set out on a strange journey from star to star in order to get back home.