Duel

by Jessixa Bagley, Aaron Bagley (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A debut graphic novel invoking comparisons to The Okay Witch and Shannon Hale, Jessixa and Aaron Bagley team up to tell the story of two sisters who never got along. It’s hilarious, heartfelt and immensely relatable.

A rivalry between sisters culminates in a fencing duel in this funny and emotional debut graphic novel sure to appeal to readers of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.

Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade (as well as everything else she does). They’ve only got one thing in common: fencing. Oh, and they’re sisters. They never got along super well, but ever since their dad died, it seems like they’re always at each other’s throats.

When GiGi humiliates Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges GiGi to a duel with high sisterly stakes. If GiGi wins, Lucy promises to stay out of GiGi’s way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop teasing Lucy for good. But after their scene in the cafeteria, both girls are on thin ice with the principal and their mom. Lucy stopped practicing fencing after their fencer dad died and will have to get back to fighting form in secret or she’ll be in big trouble. And GiGi must behave perfectly or risk getting kicked off the fencing team.

As the clock ticks down to the girls’ fencing bout, the anticipation grows. Their school is divided into GiGi and Lucy factions, complete with t-shirts declaring kids’ allegiances. Both sisters are determined to triumph. But will winning the duel mean fracturing their family even further?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534496545
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	21,066
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jessixa Bagley is children’s book author-illustrator with a background in fine art and comics. She has had work featured in publications such as New American Paintings, The Chicago Reader, Nickelodeon Magazine, and Highlights Magazine. Her first picture book, Boats for Papa, received numerous awards and accolades including the 2016 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for picture book text and a 2016 Washington State Book Award. Her picture book Laundry Day received a 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award for writing. Many of her picture books are also Junior Library Guild Selections. In her work, she’s drawn to animals and emotional themes often inspired by her own experiences. Jessixa also teaches and speaks about writing and illustration. She often illustrates for other writers and artistically collaborates with her husband, Aaron Bagley. Jessixa lives in Seattle with her husband and son.

Aaron Bagley is a human man who draws for a living. He likes to draw what he observes (people, boats, cats) and what he experiences (dreams, feelings, life events). His work has been featured in The Virginia Quarterly Review, The Stranger, The Seattle Weekly, The Seattle Review of Books, and many more. Above all else, Aaron loves collaborating with his wife, Jessixa. Together, they’ve created picture book Vincent Comes Home and middle grade graphic novel Duel.

Editorial Reviews

*"A down-to-earth and emotional family story."

November/December 2023 Issue - Horn Book

*"An excellent read for fans of Raina Telgemeier or Dan Santat's A First Time for Everything."

12/1/23 - Shelf Awareness 

"I loved this book and found myself rooting for both sisters. I adored their complex, funny, and realistic relationship. Kids are going to love this story of sibling rivalry set in the fascinating world of competitive fencing. En garde!"

Victoria Jameson

★ 09/18/2023

Brown-skinned siblings Lucy and GiGi have fought ceaselessly since their father’s death. With their pale-skinned, grief-stricken mother exhausted by her job, the sisters are often left to mediate their conflicts, which escalate when, on Lucy’s first day of middle school, popular eighth grader GiGi trips her in the cafeteria. Lucy then challenges her to a fencing duel: if GiGi wins, Lucy will stay out of her way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop bullying her. Though both girls were taught by their father, Lucy only knows fencing basics, while GiGi is the star of the school team. As they prepare, each ruminates on what led them to this moment, and wonders how the battle will affect their relationship. Married collaborators the Bagleys seamlessly blend sports drama with middle school angst in this cleverly constructed graphic novel; chapters begin by introducing fencing concepts that mirror the action, and past events are conveyed in sequences rendered in dreamy blue linework that juxtaposes present-day full-color spreads. Incisive discussions about grief and the importance of support from family and friends—deepened by the contrast between Lucy’s and GiGi’s relationships with their best friends—deepens this already rich story of sisterly rivalry that’s also an earnest love letter to fencing. Ages 8–12. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

*"This heartening story of growth and a family healing from loss is a natural pick for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale."

10/15/23 - Booklist STARRED review

2023-09-09
Constantly fighting sisters face off in a high-stakes duel.

GiGi has worked hard to be the perfect eighth grader and the best athlete on the fencing team. New sixth grader Lucy is nervous about starting middle school. The only thing they have in common is a love of fencing, and ever since their father died, their bickering has worsened. Everything culminates in a public scene in which GiGi humiliates Lucy in the school cafeteria. Lucy pulls out her foil and challenges GiGi to a duel. As the sisters prepare for their bout, the whole school begins picking sides. GiGi and Lucy must also choose: themselves or each other? The story is told from both sisters’ perspectives, allowing readers to sympathize and understand each of their sides, ensuring that neither one is seen as merely cruel. Each chapter opens with a sepia-toned page resembling an excerpt from an old sporting manual that explains an aspect of fencing. Those not interested in fencing may get bogged down in the technical details, but those who reflect on them retroactively will notice the clever way they relate to the events of the story. The artwork is simple, with flashbacks drawn in light indigo against a white background and contemporary events in full color with an emphasis on the characters’ expressions. The sisters read biracial, with a white-presenting mother and a father who appears Black.

Intense and complex, exploring siblings’ grief, love, and forgiveness. (author’s note, photos, sketches) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews