At the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition that took place late June in Chicago, it was revealed that Amy’s Big Brother, the prequel to Kyle’s Little Sister, would be released under JY, the middle grade imprint of Yen Press, before the end of the year. While JY has covered a wide range of middle grade books, including manga and prose novels, the imprint is most known for original graphic novels, most notably Svetlana Chmakova’s Berrybrook Middle School series. Released in 2021, Kyle’s Little Sister by BonHyung Jeong joined the JY lineup as another adorable original graphic novel featuring relatable childhood dynamics that every sibling experienced growing up. The announcement of this prequel’s publication was met with much excitement from librarians, educators, and other passionate industry professionals.
Amy’s Big Brother
Story & Art by BonHyung Jeong
I’m not her babysitter… Having a little sister isn’t easy—she takes my soda, follows me around, and wants to tag along with me and my friends. Worse, she always gets her way with our parents! Sometimes I wonder if I was adopted just to look after her. (I know, it doesn’t make sense.) Going to middle school means at least she can’t bother me there. I’ll have plenty of time to practice to become MVP of the basketball team and maybe even…get a girlfriend! I finally managed to ask Hannah out on a date. Now how do I make sure Amy doesn’t follow me and ruin the day?!
Creator BonHyung Jeong (Bon) studied cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Kyle’s Little Sister was her debut graphic novel, and she’s excited to bring fans this highly anticipated continuation just in time for the holidays. She hopes to make connections with others through relatable stories.
“Similar to Kyle’s Little Sister, I covered a variety of relationships in Amy’s Big Brother,” says BonHyung Jeong. “Of course, there’s the conflict between siblings, but this time it’s from the perspective of the first child. I’ve also gone deeper into the theme of romance with a couple of my young characters going through their first love! I hope I represented these experiences well in Amy’s Big Brother and that readers find connection with my story.”
Amy’s Big Brother is scheduled to release in December 2023.
Source: Press Release