Growing pains, self-acceptance and family expectations are common themes in many middle grade stories but graphic novels can portray these situations in ways that go beyond the written word. This is certainly true in Frizzy where Rose Bousamra's artwork brings Claribel A. Ortega's words to life. As a reader, you feel the full range of emotions that Marlene experiences - anger, frustration, sadness, fear, joy, pride and love - as she navigates tricky family expectations about beauty standards, bullying in school, and acceptance of her own gifts even if they're maybe different than what others have.
Frizzy is easy to read in one sitting, but also fun to page through repeatedly just to enjoy tidbits of the story and the expressive artwork. While Marlene's experiences in Frizzy highlight her Latinx heritage, everyone will relate what she has gone through in order to fit in and what fun to celebrate with Marlene as she comes to embrace her curls.
Many thanks to Bookish First and First Second for the beautiful novel - can't wait to share this with my students!
Frizzy is easy to read in one sitting, but also fun to page through repeatedly just to enjoy tidbits of the story and the expressive artwork. While Marlene's experiences in Frizzy highlight her Latinx heritage, everyone will relate what she has gone through in order to fit in and what fun to celebrate with Marlene as she comes to embrace her curls.
Many thanks to Bookish First and First Second for the beautiful novel - can't wait to share this with my students!