Lucy in the Sky

by Kiara Brinkman, Sean Chiki (Illustrator)

Overview

In this contemporary graphic novel, twelve-year-old Lucy discovers her father's collection of Beatles records and is inspired to form an all-girl rock band.

It’s the first day of seventh grade, and everything is going downhill for Lucy Sutcliffe. At school, she has the feeling her friends are all leaving her behind. At home, her single father is in a rut, and her perpetually traveling photojournalist mother is more absent than ever. Worst of all, Lucy’s grandmother is undergoing chemotherapy and is no longer the warm, vibrant presence that her family has come to depend on.

But everything changes the day Lucy discovers a box of her father’s Beatles records. Inspired by their music, she gets a drum set and forms an all-girl rock band with her friends. But can she keep the band together when petty rivalries, unrequited crushes, and outside pressures threaten to tear it apart?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626727205
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	07/27/2021
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Sean Chiki is a middle school teacher and cartoonist. His comic stories have been published in collections from Skoda Man Press, and his cartoons have appeared in The Funny Times.

Kiara Brinkman and Sean live in California with their children and two cats.

Kiara Brinkman's writing has been published in McSweeney's, One Story, and Failbetter.com. Her novel, Up High in the Trees, was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and a Chicago Tribune Favorite Book of 2007. Lucy in the Sky is her first comic.

Editorial Reviews

"In this work by a married creator pair, Chiki’s bandes dessinées–style illustrations feature thin lines, flat colors, and character close-ups. Though the story rarely pauses for dramatic moments, Brinkman’s (Up High in the Trees, for adults) characters wade through tender interactions, resulting in a soft and endearing look into a preteen world." —Publishers Weekly

"Brinkman deftly captures how friendships ebb and flow."—Kirkus

"Lucy in the Sky is more than the Beatles, but if they’re the reason you pick this book up, that’s terrific. This book deserves all your loving when it comes out on July 27th from First Second." —Comicon.com

"This book is definitely not one to read in one sitting, go take a break and then come back to it. It is huge. it is fun. Go check it out and remember middle school again!" —Sequential Tart

From the Publisher

2021-05-17
A seventh grader and her friends form a band. Will it all come together?

When Lucy Sutcliffe comes across her parents’ old vinyl records, it’s the start of Beatlemania for the young drummer. Inspired by the Fab Four, Lucy and her best friends, Vanessa Takahashi and Rupa Khanna, are three-fourths of the way toward having a rock band. They just need a guitar player—and classmate Georgianna Birk might be it. While Lucy bonds quickly with the new member, the rest of the band does not click as easily. Beginning in the fall of 2012 and taking place over the course of the school year, readers see all the day-to-day ups and downs of middle school life. Brinkman deftly captures how friendships ebb and flow. In addition to changing friendship dynamics and tensions, family is a strong focus, and bridging it all and providing comfort is music. Snippets from The Beatles’ catalog and other classics often reinforce the narrative. The vibrant color palette of Chiki’s art feels contemporary while also evoking the 1960s. Effective, dynamic use of panel variations and white space complement Brinkman’s text. Lucy and Georgianna present White; Vanessa and Rupa are cued as Asian.

An honest coming-of-age story with extra appeal for music lovers. (afterword, soundtrack) (Graphic fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews