JUNIOR HIGH DRAMA

As the title indicates, Memorial
Middle School is chock full of junior high drama.

Kamilla is self-conscious about the
weight that she’s gained over the summer. Though she has a fantastic singing
voice, she has become shy about just going to school, let alone performing in
the new play. When she lands the leading role in the school musical after the
girl who was cast must drop out, Kamilla reluctantly takes it on. Meanwhile,
Lilly is torn between her desire to hang out with the popular mean girls and
her wish to maintain her friendship with her nerdy Dungeons and Dragons–playing
friend, Franny. In yet another plot thread, track enthusiast Allie discovers
she has Type 1 diabetes and must learn how to manage her new diagnosis even as
she tries to hide it from her friends. The collection ends with Lucia, who is
anxious about attending the big party of the year until she meets her first
crush, Adesh, and is forced to confront her social anxiety. With informative
interludes between stories, each vignette provides insight into navigating the
myriad challenges middle schoolers confront every day. Cho successfully
showcases a diverse student body, normalizing a multicultural environment where
all students share the same generational ups and downs. Kamilla is black, Lilly
and Lucia are Latinx, and Allie is white; the secondary cast is diverse in
race, ethnicity, and body type.

An engaging graphic novel that
entertains and educates. (Graphic novel. 8-12)