We've been doing a lot of pre release reading recently, and so our WHAT'S THE BUZZ feature is getting a workout! Ready to get EXCITED about another upcoming release? FABULOUS because it's definitely ready and waiting in the wings for you. Middle Grade fans, this one is in your court, and technically it will have a larger audience than that due to the format (Graphic Novel!), and content (siblings at odds with each other!). Fair warning, the loss of a parent is an underlying topic here, and how it can affect relationships beyond the one between the departed and themselves, but I think it's handled rather well...showing both the progress towards taking that next step, as well as the hard times that can be had even trying to get there. But I digress, let's get between the pages of today's book of choice...
by
Illustrated by
9781534496545
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 11/07/23
About the book...
Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade (as well as everything else she does). They’ve only got one thing in common: fencing. Oh, and they’re sisters. They never got along super well, but ever since their dad died, it seems like they’re always at each other’s throats.
When GiGi humiliates Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges GiGi to a duel with high sisterly stakes. If GiGi wins, Lucy promises to stay out of GiGi’s way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop teasing Lucy for good. But after their scene in the cafeteria, both girls are on thin ice with the principal and their mom. Lucy stopped practicing fencing after their fencer dad died and will have to get back to fighting form in secret or she’ll be in big trouble. And GiGi must behave perfectly or risk getting kicked off the fencing team.
As the clock ticks down to the girls’ fencing bout, the anticipation grows. Their school is divided into GiGi and Lucy factions, complete with t-shirts declaring kids’ allegiances. Both sisters are determined to triumph. But will winning the duel mean fracturing their family even further?
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I don't indulge in Graphic Novels very often, but when I do, they usually make quite an impression. Such was certainly the case here!
These two siblings used to be close as close could be, tethered together by their love of family. Grant it, when they started growing up and attempting to compete for the attention of their Dad, things got a bit heated, but that's life in a family with siblings. The thing is... their parents loved them both equally, but tragedy struck and a wedge was driven between them all they just can't seem to break free from, nor muster the desire to even try. No, it's much easier to lash out at the ones left behind. It's much easier to blame others for missing things you should be doing. It's much harder to face the truth and admit how painful the loss truly is, how it's tearing you up, and how you just don't know how to get around it. 💔
As angry as these two were, it was hard to see their confrontations as anything other than a cry for help they didn't know how to truly voice. Their mom was just as lost, trying her hardest, but adrift from grief. Losing someone you love is traumatic. It takes time to resurface and what that looks like on the other side of happiness can be completely different than what you started with... and that's okay. It's the getting through it that's important. It has to be felt. It has to be talked about, and allowed into the light. No two people grieve the exact same way... even sisters... but that doesn't mean we can't be there for each other, something these girls eventually figure out by book's end.
Aside from the emotional dynamic of the story, we also get a lot of instruction in regards to fencing! Between the girls' interests, their father's instruction, and the great big duel the story is building to, just try walking away without picking up a few new words, or a better understanding of the sport. Betcha can't! A great read for genre fans, those with siblings, and those who've experienced loss.
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About the author...
Jenny Jiminez
Jessixa Bagley is children’s book author-illustrator with a background in fine art and comics. She has had work featured in publications such as New American Paintings, The Chicago Reader, Nickelodeon Magazine, and Highlights Magazine. Her first picture book, Boats for Papa, received numerous awards and accolades including the 2016 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for picture book text and a 2016 Washington State Book Award. Her picture book Laundry Day received a 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award for writing. Many of her picture books are also Junior Library Guild Selections. In her work, she’s drawn to animals and emotional themes often inspired by her own experiences. Jessixa also teaches and speaks about writing and illustration. She often illustrates for other writers and artistically collaborates with her husband, Aaron Bagley. Jessixa lives in Seattle with her husband and son.
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About the illustrator...
Jenny Jiminez
Aaron Bagley is a human man who draws for a living. He likes to draw what he observes (people, boats, cats) and what he experiences (dreams, feelings, life events). His work has been featured in The Virginia Quarterly Review, The Stranger, The Seattle Weekly, The Seattle Review of Books, and many more. Above all else, Aaron loves collaborating with his wife, Jessixa. Together, they’ve created picture book Vincent Comes Home and middle grade graphic novel Duel.
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Special thanks to Antonella at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the chance to share this title with you and for the copy for review! (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrates its BOOK BIRTHDAY November 7th, 2023, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
