Joe Latham author page

Joe Latham biography

Joe Latham is a writer–artist whose middle grade fantasy graphic novel series Haru is published by Andrews McMeel Publishing. The story follows a small blue bird named Haru and a young wild boar, Yama, on a season-spanning quest that explores friendship, courage, and growing up.

The series began with Haru: Book 1: Spring, released on March 12, 2024, positioned for ages 8–12 and grades 2–6, with a Lexile measure of GN570L.

Haru Book 2: Summer followed on October 22, 2024; publisher materials list a Lexile level of GN500L for this volume.

The concluding volume, Haru Book 3: Fall, is scheduled for October 28, 2025.

Latham describes his practice as making comics, illustration, and design for print and digital media, a background reflected in the series’ detailed worldbuilding and clear visual storytelling. Across the trilogy, the publisher positions Haru for classroom and independent reading, with multiple formats and guided reading data to support educators and librarians serving middle grade audiences.