Dungeon Club

It is a pleasure to find books that connect with students' interests, so I was delighted with the Dungeon Club series by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma. This graphic novel series initially focuses on main characters Olivia and Jess, two friends who enjoy the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons. When Olivia decides to add the new player Tyler to the game, Jess must adjust to these changes. In the second book, these roles are reversed. Olivia's family assumes she will grow out of the hobby, making her vow to never change.

Dungeons and Dragons is a game where players create and role play as a character in a fantasy world. I enjoyed how the books used these characters to mirror the action of the real world plot and explore the real world characters. For instance, Tyler's character Sunny is a foil for everything he feels he isn't: outgoing, bubbly, and powerful. Dungeons and Dragons helps Tyler come out of his shell and I hope future books explore this further and push him to develop more self-confidence.

Jess's character Corius acts as a representation of Jess's identity. Corius is a lone wolf and the first book effectively shows how both Jess and Corius grow to be part of a larger team. In the second book, Jess realizes they can't vow with Olivia to never change, realizing that they identify with Corius's gender. Eventually they come out as non-binary, although Jess's father suggests they explore the term two-spirit and other Indigenous concepts of gender.

Ultimately, Dungeons and Dragons is a game about collaborative storytelling. I appreciate how these books explore how the stories the characters tell about themselves and within the game help them better understand their identities and grow as people.