Description: The beloved author of Wink is back with a hilarious and moving story about coping with anxiety on a day when everything is going wrongAndrew's just trying to make it through Picture Day, which is easier said than done when it seems like the whole world is out to get him--from a bully to a science experiment gone wrong to a someone else's juice snot (don't ask).But as Andrew goes through the school day, and as one thing after another goes wrong, that little kernel of worry in his stomach is getting hotter and hotter, until it threatens to pop and turn into a public panic attack, his worst fear. He tries to keep his anxiety at bay, but the news that his grandmother with Alzheimer's is missing is too much.This is a poignant, personal, and laugh-out-loud funny story about letting go of control and accepting help--all while trying to get the perfect school picture.
Brief description:
Author and illustrator Rob Harrell created the syndicated comic strip Big Top, and currently writes and draws the strip Adam@Home. Monster on the Hill was his first graphic novel. These days, Harrell is hard at work on a series of middle-grade books. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Amber and their two dogs.
Review Quotes: Harrell's conversational tone, snappy pacing, and realistic dialogue make each chapter eminently readable. The accompanying black-and-white doodles, notes, and comics lend humor to some serious situations. Harrell does a fantastic job of explaining the symptoms accompanying anxiety and panic attacks in simple terms . . . Readers will also appreciate the accurate depictions of talk therapy and of the tics that accompany Andrew's OCD. Heartwarming, insightful, and surprisingly funny.-- "Kirkus"