Seventh-grader Callie lives out the drama that is middle school itself through her daily routines and passion for romance and theater in this funny and insightful graphic novel.
Raina Telgemeier (Smile) begins with an overture, and the events unfold in eight acts with one intermission. Callie loves all things theater. She covets an oversize volume about Broadway history in Longacre's bookstore. Her best friend, Liz, designs costumes and her friend Matt works the spotlight. Callie has the inevitable offstage crushes. Her first heartthrob is Greg, older brother to Matt. In a moment of weakness, having been jilted by Bonnie Lane, Greg kisses Callie, fortifying her crush. But the next day, Callie learns from Matt that Greg and Bonnie have reunited. And, the worst part is, Bonnie auditions for the school musical, and... she's talented! Luckily, a pair of handsome twins decides to get involved in the production, and quickly enlist Callie's help. Will their interest in her remain platonic?
Telgemeier builds both emotion and suspense through her panel illustrations. When Callie shows one of the twins her favorite Broadway book, the artist depicts the duo dancing on its pages. Later, Callie nervously composes a text to her chosen twin, and an entire page of panel illustrations shows her plummeting mood as her text goes unanswered. Raina carefully choreographs the painful rhythms of middle school. The beauty of Callie's drama is that the show must go on, and we applaud her throughout the ups and downs of her ordeal. Encore! --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness