Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I grabbed Kayla Miller’s Click out of the library for my second girlie, whose obsession with graphic novels is legendary.  The art has a familiar feel (Miller was obviously influenced by Raina Telgemeier, not that there’s not plenty of that going around!), but the story is a bit of a different sort.  Olive has lots (and I mean lots!) of friends, but when it comes time to choose acts and groups for the 5th grade variety show, she finds herself unattached, so to speak; it’s an unaccustomed feeling for her, and she doesn’t like it.  Thanks to her supportive family, however–and some self advocating at key moments–Olive finds her place while learning to appreciate her friends on a slightly deeper level.

I admit, it took me longer to get into this one.  It’s geared toward its audience in a way that has less relevance for me–or perhaps I just can’t relate to someone who’s friends with everyone?  (I was never broadly popular.)  As Olive’s story progressed, however, the moments of humor, of familial love, and of communicating in ways that preserve both friendships and truth drew me in.  I’m not–quite–passionate about it, but it’s a nice story…and my nearly-10-year-old is almost certainly going to adore it.  If you’ve got an elementary schooler who looks for graphic novels, friendship stories, or books that give you ideas about how to be yourself, Click needs to be on your radar.