A New York Times Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2024
A Doug Wright Award Nominee for Best Kids' Book
★ "An enchanting, adorable, immersive story... Calin masterfully weaves variation throughout the panels to show full experiences with incredible details in scenery, facial expressions, and color that flow easily. The book is engrossing and spectacular, and Calin perfectly portrays the awe, excitement, awkwardness, and confusion of middle school... A must-purchase for any and all tweens and teens who are ravenous for lighthearted, absorbing, and authentic coming-of-age realistic graphic fiction." — School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Calin crafts an empathetic tale of belonging in this graphic novel debut... Vibrant and accessible visually appealing art infuses a comedic and feel-good vibe that deftly juxtaposes emotional and thought-provoking plot beats surrounding immigration and period education. Softly rendered, cherubic-faced characters with varying skin tones populate this dynamic examination of a girl in transition." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The popularity of middle-grade coming-of-age graphic novels is indisputable and The New Girl will be a welcome addition... This will fly off the shelves." — School Library Journal
"Creative panel work adds depth to the eye-catching visual narrative, which features trendy fashions and uses tropes reminiscent of manga... The middle-school friendship drama rings true, with flawed, endearing characters." — The Horn Book Magazine
"Calin's illustrations flow effectively and provide humor; her text bubbles also creatively visualize, through color coding for different languages and scribbles to represent French words Lia can't understand, the process of acquiring a new language... Fans of Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, and Svetlana Chmakova will rejoice. Funny, awkward, and exuberant." — Kirkus Reviews
2024-03-23
The angst and agonies of early adolescence are magnified when you’re the new girl.
Twelve-year-old Lia Iordache experiences the excruciating pain of heavy cramps as she gets her first period at the airport shortly before the flight that will take her family on their emigration journey from Romania to Canada. They settle in Montreal, but Lia doesn’t speak French, and it’s hard to see how she’ll make friends at her new school. But as a member of the school’s immersion program for French language learners, Lia quickly learns that first impressions aren’t everything. Before long, she and her classmates find the rocky rhythms of tweens everywhere who are navigating schoolwork, extracurriculars, friendships, crushes, rivalries, and changing bodies. While Lia certainly feels the stigma of being the new girl, this work is a gentle exploration of what could be a devastating time. The adults in Lia’s life are generally kind and supportive, and her diverse classmates from around the world ultimately make the experience of integrating into a new environment positively delightful. If only all middle school students had such a class! Calin’s illustrations flow effectively and provide humor; her text bubbles also creatively visualize, through color coding for different languages and scribbles to represent French words Lia can’t understand, the process of acquiring a new language. A few loose narrative threads and a relatively abrupt ending hint at future installments. Fans of Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, and Svetlana Chmakova will rejoice.
Funny, awkward, and exuberant. (glossary) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)
