Another middle-grade graphic novel I read to be able to discuss with my daughter. This is a simple but focused story about a fifth grader who drifts away from her friends because of her dyslexia. She has made it this far without having much trouble with school, but the extra reading that comes with fifth grade has made it difficult for her to keep up in any of her subjects. She is embarrassed when she cannot read the guidebook to the newest video game that everyone wants to play. Instead of confronting her problem and telling her friends what’s wrong, she drifts away from them.

The author emphasizes that this is just one person’s experience with dyslexia and is not meant to represent everyone who experiences it. That said, I liked that reading it gave me a window into what someone might be feeling who struggles with reading comprehension. I liked the message throughout the book that it has nothing to do with intelligence, it’s just the way the brain processes things differently.

I also liked that the book could be read as more about the way we interact with our friends. Stella was afraid to tell her friends what was wrong and instead got very defensive and shut herself away from them. No matter what issue people are having, they could learn from this interaction.

I really enjoyed the artwork as well. It was simple yet captured the emotions effectively – the art did not distract from the story but you could definitely read the characters’ emotions.

Even though this is meant for younger readers, it’s actually a good book for anyone involved with children to read. I still remember one time in high school being told I wasn’t trying hard enough because I could not understand a concept. It was frustrating to try to tell the teacher that I really just didn’t understand it no matter how hard I tried. Reading works like this helps remind us that things that are sometimes confused with bad behavior or actually underlying issues like dyslexia. I still remember one time in high school being told I wasn’t trying hard enough because I could not understand a concept. It was frustrating to try to tell the teacher that I really just didn’t understand it no matter how hard I tried