Awkward/Brave

Awkward
Svetlana Chmakova
Yen/Hachette, 2015 211 pages
Grades 3-8
Graphic Novel

Peppi struggles with fitting into middle school society. She feels like such a nerd. Her saving grace is art club, only they are in danger of losing club status because of the horrible science club. Meanwhile, an embarrassing fall in the school hallway has Peppi making an uncomfortable decision, resulting in insulting fellow nerd Jamie, who was trying to help her. Jamie is part of the dreaded science club. As the year progresses Peppi feels guilty about the way she handled the Jamie situation. To make matters worse, she must be tutored by a student because of a tanking science grade. The tutor is, you guessed it, Jamie. Eventually, Peppi and Jamie become friends and she finds the courage to apologize, finding grace in forgiveness and future redemption when a similar situation develops. Can a female art nerd and male science nerd find friendship within the rigid constraints of middle school culture?

Brave

Sveltana Chmakova

Yen/Hachette, 2017 241 pages

Grades 3-8

Graphic Novel

Fellow Art Club member and friend of Peppi, Jensen, is use to being the target of jokes. Overweight and fearful, he struggles with keeping up with middle school culture, personal confidence, and fitting in with a group. Jensen often retreats into his fantasy world, where he dreams of being an astronaut/superhero, protecting the world from celestial dangers. After constantly being overlooked by the art club, Jensen falls in with the school paper crew. They are doing independent research on bullying and want to interview Jensen. But wait; he doesn't think he is a victim of bullying. It isn't bullying if the teasing is done by your friends, right? Jensen finally comes to the realization that his friends are not very nice to him and eventually finds the courage to speak up for himself. By book's end Jensen's grades are better, has more confidence, and realizes that everyone in middle school struggles with fitting in. He even develops the maturity to solve a conflict between his new newspaper friends and reaches out to one of the bullys, who formally made his life miserable.

Appealing to fans of Raina Telgemeier, Chmakova's realistic graphic novels are wildly popular. Both titles are currently checked out of my library and because of the flood of recent requests, I think I may have to order more copies. Chmakova delves into the social pressures of middle school life and the complexities that has many young people mystified. Awkward deals with finding the courage to embrace your inner-nerd and allowing yourself to be friends with whomever you like, even if it means being teased. Brave deals with bullying and feeling alone in a crowd. Both middle school struggles are common, yet kids that experience them feel as if they are the only ones who ever has those feelings. Chmakova shows the reader that they are not alone and others are going through similar struggles. The leading cause of death in teenagers is currently suicide. This tragic phenomenon is one that is overtaking schools across the country. Our society must work together to combat teen isolation and stories like these can help. Because of the graphic style, the books read quickly and the diverse cast will welcome all genders and races. The comics scan well, are in full color and are not cluttered. Back matter explains the artist's process, which will appeal to budding cartoonists. The messages for both books are a bit on the obvious side, but are appealing to young readers who can relate to these messages and may be grateful that they do not have to read between the lines. The time for subtlety is over. Kids have to learn to be nice to each other and, hopefully, Chmakova's novels will aid in this goal.