Frazzled #3

June 1, 2019
Abbie Wu's middle school misadventures head out to the wilderness in this third installment. Just when middle school had begun to feel like "a gigantic hamster wheel that never stopped spinning," the sixth grade Pointdexter Middle School routine is interrupted with news of the longest field trip yet: Outdoor School. What awaits at a weeklong camp trip where "legends are born," "legacies are built," and "anything can happen"? A lot. While her classmates take to the change in scenery, Abbie's excitement lasts for all of 11 minutes and 27 seconds. Abbie's friends Jess, Logan, and Maxine all have "REALLY different ideas of how to use their time," and her cabinmates don't seem particularly interested in getting to know her. To top it off, there's the annual "epic clash of campers vs. counselors"--high school students who include Abbie's always put-together brother, Peter. And so Abbie 2.0 is born, and she's going to do "things that [she] never thought [she] would (or could)." Though the story's resolutions are neat, readers will find comfort in Abbie's humorous and resilient approach to social and personal uncertainties. Vivat's energetic drawings and expressive lettering capture Abbie's charm, anxiety, and pluck, livening the familiar beats and scenarios of a camp story. A diverse supporting cast rallies with Chinese American Abbie, and particularly nice are the heart-to-hearts with teen figures. A gentle, hilarious outdoor affair. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)

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