Friends with boys

It's Maggie's first day at Sandford High School. Until this year, she has been home schooled with her three older brothers. Now she's on her own, navigating crowded hallways and classrooms. She soon meets the mohawked-coiffed Alistair and his bubbly sister Lucy, who befriend Maggie and help her come out from under the shadow of her brothers.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Maggie has been stalked by a ghost in a graveyard for the past seven years? And that her mother recently abandoned their family for reasons unknown? As these developments are gradually (and seamlessly) revealed, readers will find themselves pulled more deeply into the tale, searching for answers along with Maggie and her new friends.

Author and comic artist, Faith Erin Hicks, creates a vivid portrait of Maggie's family as well as their community through black, white, and gray shading. Deep character expressions are effectively portrayed, and Hicks' use of alternating panel sizes carries the narrative along swiftly.

Highly recommended for grades 8 - 12.

I liked this book so much after finishing it, I read it again the next day. This is just the kind of graphic novel I like: a small story about people trying to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. Hicks avoids cliches in her characters, making her most-pierced character her most lovably bouncy and giving us people who don't all look like they came out of a Disney movie. This is a great book for anyone who liked Raina Telgemeier's Smile and Drama.