Tony Weaver Jr.

“Weirdo” (2024)

From rising star Tony Weaver comes a middle-grade graphic novel memoir about a preteen who loves all things geeky but struggles with mental health issues and self-doubt, perfect for fans of Jerry Craft's New Kid. Eleven-year-old Tony Weaver, Jr. loves comic books, anime, and video games, and idolizes the heroic, larger-than-life characters he finds there. But his classmates all think he’s a weirdo. Ostracized and bullied by his peers, Tony struggles with the hurt and depression of not being accepted and hopes that if he can conform to other people’s expectations, those feelings might dissipate. But, try as he might, he is unsuccessful and spirals deeper into the dark thoughts and feelings that plague him. Cut off from his peers and the media he loves, and unaware of how to broach the subject of his feelings and seek help, Tony attempts suicide. In the wake of his unsuccessful attempt, Tony’s family surrounds him with love and support, and his life begins to change for the better. Tony starts seeing a therapist to talk through his feelings and enrolls in a new school whose aim is to foster creativity. As Tony navigates a new school, new friendships, and first crushes, he finds himself growing into the hero he’s always aspired to be. Tony ultimately learns to love himself and discovers that the unique qualities that set him—and set all of us apart, ones that make us all weirdos—are, in fact, our superpowers.