All Forms of Art

After loving  The New Girl  and watching my daughter read it at least a dozen times, I hoped  First Crush  would live up to it.  Good news: it did! Cassandra Calin 's second graphic novel about Lia is just as sweet, funny, and relatable as the first one. If anything, I enjoyed this one just as much—perhaps because Lia is now moving into another stage of growing up, and the problems she faces feel so familiar. First Crush follows Lia as she continues adjusting to life in Canada while navigating friendships, her first crush, her relationship with her parents, and all the physical and emotional changes that come with growing up. The story is officially aimed at middle-grade readers, and I think that is one of its greatest strengths. It Feels Like Real Teen Life One of the things I appreciate most about this series is how genuinely young its characters feel. Sometimes books aimed at children or young teenagers make their characters behave like much older teenag...

  The New Girl by Cassandra Calin was originally a gift for my daughter. She loved it so much that she wouldn't stop talking about it until I finally sat down and read it myself. As someone who isn't particularly interested in comic books or graphic novels, I wasn't expecting much. To my surprise, I ended up having a wonderful time reading it. The story is engaging, emotional, and incredibly relatable, regardless of your age. A Story About Starting Over in a New Country The novel follows Lia, a young girl from Romania who moves to Canada and suddenly finds herself navigating an unfamiliar world. She has to make new friends, adapt to a different culture, and cope with barely speaking the language. Anyone who has ever felt out of place or struggled to fit in will immediately connect with Lia's experience. The book captures the loneliness, confusion, and anxiety of being "the new kid" with honesty and sensitivity. Growing Up Isn't Easy What makes The Ne...