Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Dewey: 741.5971
LCCN: 2023941485
Lexile Code: 0210
Features: Illustrated, Price on Product
Target Age Group: 09 to 12
Physical Info: 0.89" H x 8.00" L x 5.64" W ( 1.07 lbs) 272 pages
BISAC Categories:
Juvenile Fiction | Comics and Graphic Novels | Humorous | Social Themes | Emigration Immigration and Refugees
Series: New Girl
Description: "Lia and her family are waiting to board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family, friends, and Romania -- the only home Lia has ever known. But Lia's heartache is overshadowed by the discomfort of her first period. As if things weren't difficult enough! Now Lia is thrust into a world where everything is different: her home, her language, and even her body. With so many changes happening at once, Lia struggles with schoolwork, has trouble communicating with classmates, and has no idea how to manage her unpleasant periods. Will she ever feel like herself again?"--
Brief description: Cassandra Calin is a cartoonist and humorist best known for her semi-autobiographical webcomic series, Cassandra Comics, in which she talks about her life with curly hair, high expectations, and other daily problems. Originally from Romania, Cassandra immigrated to Canada when she was a child and later earned her BA in graphic design from L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). The New Girl is her long-form graphic novel debut. Learn more about Cassandra and her comics at cassandracalin.com.
Review Quotes:
A New York Times Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2024
A Doug Wright Award Nominee for Best Kids' Book
★ "An enchanting, adorable, immersive story... Calin masterfully weaves variation throughout the panels to show full experiences with incredible details in scenery, facial expressions, and color that flow easily. The book is engrossing and spectacular, and Calin perfectly portrays the awe, excitement, awkwardness, and confusion of middle school... A must-purchase for any and all tweens and teens who are ravenous for lighthearted, absorbing, and authentic coming-of-age realistic graphic fiction." -- School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Calin crafts an empathetic tale of belonging in this graphic novel debut... Vibrant and accessible visually appealing art infuses a comedic and feel-good vibe that deftly juxtaposes emotional and thought-provoking plot beats surrounding immigration and period education. Softly rendered, cherubic-faced characters with varying skin tones populate this dynamic examination of a girl in transition." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The popularity of middle-grade coming-of-age graphic novels is indisputable and The New Girl will be a welcome addition... This will fly off the shelves." -- School Library Journal
"Creative panel work adds depth to the eye-catching visual narrative, which features trendy fashions and uses tropes reminiscent of manga... The middle-school friendship drama rings true, with flawed, endearing characters." -- The Horn Book Magazine
"Calin's illustrations flow effectively and provide humor; her text bubbles also creatively visualize, through color coding for different languages and scribbles to represent French words Lia can't understand, the process of acquiring a new language... Fans of Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, and Svetlana Chmakova will rejoice. Funny, awkward, and exuberant." -- Kirkus Reviews
Praise for The New Girl: First Crush:
A Harvey Award Nominee
A New York Times Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
A Barnes & Noble Best Kids' Book of 2026 (So Far)
★ "The story offers a smorgasbord of emotions... Crushing hard and messing up are part of growing up, and middle grade readers will find a lot to relate to in this compulsively readable sequel." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"This lively sequel... gently explores being true to oneself while feeling the strong pull of first romantic love. Honesty in friendships is another strong theme... Calin's vibrant, emotive illustrations add humor and depth to the dialogue, and cleverly color-coded speech bubbles indicate different languages. Insightful, quirky, and hopeful." -- Kirkus Reviews
"In this charming graphic novel sequel to The New Girl, Calin's distinct digital art style shines once more with jewel tones, bold lines, and highly emotive expressions to match the personalities of Lia and the ensemble cast. Lia is well-rounded and reads believably as a middle school girl gaining experience and maturity but only through many missteps. The book maintains a sense of realism for readers when not all of these conflicts resolve quite the way Lia wants them to, but there is nonetheless a comforting reassurance in the ways she navigates healing strained friendships following the dramatic turns of the plot. The result is a strong second entry in a valuable series for growing tween girls who enjoy the graphic novel adaptations of Sweet Valley Twins and The Baby-sitters Club." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books