"Next time, I'll REALLY show
you a thing or two.
Olive's board is cute, but I
built mine completely custom
and I'm WAY more comfortable
doing tricks on it.
Thanks for the loan, Olive.
You're a real pal.
No problem."
Kayla Miller's new graphic novel is the fourth in the Click series, following Click, Camp and Act. All have proved very popular with a middle grade audience. I continue to be amazed at the quality of stories being told in graphic form.
Olive is excited to be showing the new kid around as a new year begins. It is true to her character to be friendly, and accommodating to others. She makes friends easily and is prepared to be one to Nat, the new girl. Nat, on the other hand, is quick to make it known that she is not thrilled with Olive. She is great at making herself interesting to other classmates, and declaring things to be 'dorky' or 'old news' to her. It isn't long until Olive is worrying that her friends might like Nat more than they like her. It is a familiar situation in middle school.
The characters are many, and Ms. Miller does a great job of making sure that readers get to know them. In her deft hands, she is able to show rather than tell through meaningful silent moments. As happens, this story shows that not all adolescents are assured of becoming friends or treating others as they are being treated. It is the truth and the author handles it well.
Much of the action is centered on the preparation for Olive's well-planned Halloween party. Nat steps in to ruin it. Finally, Olive makes her feelings known to Nat. Nat faces the wrath of her new classmates for what she has done. Can Olive change that? Though this story stands on its own, it will likely lead readers to look for the earlier ones.
No comments:
Post a Comment