Natalie loves to write and draw, but she never feels like she's good enough at anything she does. Now that middle school has started, her best friend, Lily, has pulled away and is being mean. What is Natalie going to do without her best friend in this new world of makeup, boys, and older teens? She thinks she needs to win Lily back, but friends Zoe and Flo help her realize she needs to be true to herself. When the chance arises to submit her comic book to a state-wide writing contest, she realizes that she's good enough and deserves to be happy. Debut graphic novelist Scrivan, drawing on personal experience, presents the story through Natalie's sketchbook, allowing for the occasional doodled asides to interrupt the traditionally paneled narrative. Her art employs a somewhat loose, cartoony style--bright with dappled watercolors--befitting a middle-school artist. This story of growing up is a perfect read for students new to middle school and those questioning where their talents lie.

Gr 3--6--"Enough is one of those words that looks like it's spelled wrong even when it isn't. Whatever it is, I don't have it." Pouring out her heart into her sketchbook, self-deprecating Natalie confides that she doesn't feel smart, athletic, or popular enough, but her tight friendship with Lily has bolstered her. But when the girls begin middle school, Lily finds a new best friend, and Natalie feels cast adrift. As she struggles to let go of her old friendship, she befriends new classmates and discovers hidden talents. Natalie's new buddies point out that Lily might not be a great friend to Nat, but it takes time for Nat to see this and to recognize the new friends she has made. Scrivan's exuberant, comic strip--esque art and simple dialogue will entice a range of readers, who will relate to Nat's insecurities. Each chapter starts with a quick comic about Nat's cat and dog, whose antics give hints about what will happen to Natalie. The narrative unfolds at a measured pace, but readers will find themselves turning pages to discover what happens. VERDICT Fans of Shannon Hale's Real Friends or Amy Ignatow's "The Popularity Papers" seeking another tale about the highs and lows of friendship will take comfort in seeing earnest Nat come into her own.--Jenni Frencham, Indiana University, Bloomington

Cartoonist Scrivan's debut graphic novel explores friendship breakups and coming in to one's own.Bespectacled Natalie and her best friend, Lily, used to be "two peas in a pod." But after Lily moves, even though they both start at the same middle school, nothing is the same. Mean and dismissive, Lily has clearly dropped Natalie for their middle school's cool girl, but Natalie is desperate to win her back no matter what. Convinced she's "not enough" as she is, she tries everything from a new hat to suppressing her creativity. While she faces mild bullying from Lily and another classmate, a few newfound friends work unwaveringly to support Natalie in her journey to rebuild her self-esteem: "I've spent so much time thinking about what I'm not good atthat I never think about what I am good at." Both the illustration style and slice-of-life pacing have an early-2000s feelthink Amelia's Notebook rather than Raina Telgemeier. Natalie's first-person narration is so self-focused that secondary characters are exclusively there to contribute to her character development. Readers learn next to nothing about the internal lives of Natalie's kind new friend Zoe or her crush, Derek, both kids of color. (Both Natalie and Lily are white.) While this isn't unfittingthe premise is that this is Natalie's sketchbookit makes for underwhelming representation. Could pack more of a punch, but Natalie's straightforward, heartfelt story will still resonate. (Graphic fiction. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.