Squished: A Graphic Novel

by Megan Wagner Lloyd, Michelle Mee Nutter (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Having a big family is great. There are always people around and things to do! But while 11-year-old Avery loves her big family (including her six siblings), it’s hard not to feel, well … squished! This delightful graphic novel about growing up and carving out your own space is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier.

From the Eisner-nominated duo behind the instant bestseller Allergic comes a fun graphic novel about finding your own space… especially when you're in a family of nine!

Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she's tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They're noisy and chaotic and the younger kids love her a little too much. All Avery wants is her own room — her own space to be alone and make art. So she's furious when Theo, her grumpy older brother, gets his own room instead, and her wild baby brother, Max, moves into the room she already shares with her clinging sister Pearl! Avery hatches a plan to finally get her own room, all while trying to get Max to sleep at night, navigating changes in her friendships, and working on an art entry for the fair. And when Avery finds out that her family might move across the country, things get even more complicated.

Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter have once again teamed up to tell a funny, heartfelt, and charming story of family, friendship, and growing up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338568936
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/07/2023
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	20,341
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	GN520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Megan Wagner Lloyd is the co-creator, with Michelle Mee Nutter, of Allergic and Squished, both instant bestsellers. Megan is also the co-creator, with Abhi Alwar, of the Super Pancake graphic novel series, and is the author of author of Haven, a novel, and several picture books. She lives in the Washington, DC area. Visit her online at meganwagnerlloyd.com.
Michelle Mee Nutter is the co-creator, with Megan Wagner Lloyd, of Allergic and Squished, both instant bestsellers. Michelle graduated with a degree in illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, 3x3 Illustration, Creative Quarterly, and more. Michelle lives in Boston.Visit her online at michellemee.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/23/2023

Lloyd and Nutter (Allergic) reteam in this energetic graphic novel, a meditation on adolescence and the strengths and challenges that large families can engender. Eleven-year-old artist Avery Lee is the second oldest child in a boisterous Korean American brood. Being constantly surrounded by mischievous younger siblings and sharing a room with her eight-year-old sister prompts Avery to covet the holy grail: her own room. But when her parents reveal that they’re giving her eldest brother, 13-year-old Theo, his own room instead, Avery decides to spend her summer vacation scheming up ways to make money to convert the family basement into her new abode. Dog-walking and lemonade-selling plans veer into chaos when Theo accidentally reveals that their parents are planning to move the family from Maryland to Oregon. Brightly colored landscapes and keen dialogue artfully depict common eldest daughter woes as Avery struggles with being the de facto caretaker of her siblings. The creators instill Avery with a strong sense of self that both buoys her mercurial familial relationships and imbues them with authentic, empathetic conflicts. It’s this verisimilitude—suffused with many tears, laughs, and sobering moments—that shapes the core of this heartwarming jaunt. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Squished:

Instant National Indie Bestseller

Barnes & Noble Most Anticipated Kids' Book

Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Award Winner

American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Children

Bank Street College Best Children's Book

★ "A charming and achingly relatable snapshot of life in a big family." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Nutter's warm and appealing artwork comically captures the crowded chaos of the Lee household and the matter-of-fact diversity of the town, and the sun-dappled visuals will appeal to anyone who loves the work of Raina Telgemeier or Shannon Hale... This stirring and dynamic graphic novel is sure to win a lot of hearts." — Booklist, starred review

★ "Avery’s plights are amusing and approachable, with art from Nutter that is gentle and light-filled. This engaging graphic novel tackles very real feelings and will keep readers invested in Avery’s life. Highly recommended." — School Library Journal, starred review

"Brightly colored landscapes and keen dialogue artfully depict common eldest daughter woes." — Publishers Weekly

"A warm, heartfelt, relatable comic that shines a light on a "squished" sibling as Avery tries to become more independent and weather life’s changes while still finding her own place at home." — The Horn Book

"There is so much to love about this title... The storytelling is fast-paced and has many humorous moments... The artwork is busy and offers the frenetic feel of the hustle and bustle of a large family. The colorization looks vivid and warm, which wraps up the warm tingly feelings all readers will be left with. Another great addition to the middle-grade comics collection." — School Library Journal's Good Comics for Kids Blog

"This delightful graphic novel about growing up and carving out your own space is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier." — Barnes & Noble

"An exciting graphic novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter. Most kids will relate to Avery and enjoy this heartwarming story.” — Kellen Bhatt, kid reporter for TIME for Kids

"This graphic novels underscores that seemingly opposite things can both be true: You can adore a large family's sense of belonging but still crave some alone time (and your own room). Fans of Sisters will gobble up this book." — Good Housekeeping

Praise for Allergic:

Instant National Indie Bestseller

School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of the Year

American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Children

New York Public Library Best Book for Kids

"There's a lot packed into this graphic novel beyond the allergy story line: how family dynamics change with a new baby's arrival, how kids struggle to fit in and find friends. But while it addresses serious issues and emotions, Allergic, unlike hives and sneezing, is mostly madcap fun." — The New York Times

"Allergic is the sweetest story you'll read all year. A touching chronicle of a young girl's severe allergies woven into a meaningful journey of friendship, family, and self-discovery." — Terri Libenson, New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Emmie

★ "A heartachingly enjoyable tale of resilience." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Readers will root for this realistic and relatable fifth grader, who's capable of kindness as well as envy and self-doubt... readers will easily identify with her trials and accomplishments." — School Library Journal

"Vibrant... easy to recommend." — Booklist

"Warm and well-paced... an encouraging tale for young readers engaging with the world of pets, family, and friendships." — Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Allergic Audiobook:

★ "A first-rate full-cast audio treatment… Thanks to expertly mixed recording effects and a bouncy music score, the production sounds like a radio drama: overlapping voices, yipping dogs, and multitude of noises." — Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2023-01-12
A young girl struggles to find her own space among her many siblings.

Eleven-year-old Avery Annie Lee is one of seven children in a family living in a small, bucolic town in Maryland. Avery loves art; her two BFFs, Dani and Cameron; and the annual end-of-summer fair. After the latest embarrassing incident, this one involving her toddler brother at fifth grade graduation, Avery is tormented with adolescent agita: Her large family makes her endlessly self-conscious and irritated, leaving her yearning for a room of her own and the coveted solitude it would afford her. When she learns from her older brother that her parents are considering uprooting the family and moving to Oregon, Avery is thrown. This sophomore stand-alone graphic novel from Lloyd and Nutter, whose earlier collaboration brought readers Allergic (2021), is another absolute delight. Lloyd’s carefully nuanced characters feel all too real and are masterfully brought to life by Nutter’s stylish, full-color art. The dynamics among the Lee family members are adroitly rendered, down to the littlest exchanges; in one brief scene, Mr. Lee brings the kids to the skating rink, and another dad asks if all the kids are his as the scene cuts to a close-up of a visually deflated and obviously embarrassed Avery. Those who relish the tales of Raina Telgemeier, Jennifer L. Holm, and Kayla Miller will be utterly captivated. The Lees are implied Korean American; Dani is White, and Cameron is Black.

A charming and achingly relatable snapshot of life in a big family. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

★ 03/03/2023

Gr 3–6—Avery Lee is the second oldest in a Korean American family of seven kids. She loves her siblings but feels overwhelmed by them, like when her teenage brother seems extra grumpy or when her sister keeps her up at night. When Theo gets his own room, a disappointed Avery presents a plan to her parents for why she needs her own space. Even when the plan doesn't fly and toddler Max gets added to her room, Avery pivots to earning money to build her own bedroom in the basement. Between adventures in dog walking and lemonade selling, her goals are upended when Theo lets it slip that they might be moving to Oregon. Avery's emotions about the potential move impact her family life, her friendships, and her art. Through the story, Avery tries to create a piece for the art fair and uses her art to center herself in the ruckus of the Lee family. While the story is focused on Avery's relationship with her brothers and sisters, there are also plenty of relatable friendship dynamics, as when her friend Dani makes a new close friend over the summer. Avery's plights are amusing and approachable, with art from Nutter that is gentle and light-filled. The chaos and love of the house is captured adroitly in the panels. VERDICT This engaging graphic novel tackles very real feelings and will keep readers invested in Avery's life. Highly recommended—Gretchen Hardin

School Library Journal