Kayla Miller’s Click series (five books so far, the latest being Crunch) has a spinoff. That’s the benefit of writing about kids in school — there are more stories to be told about Olive Branche’s sixth grade classmates. Particularly if you bring in a co-writer (Jeffrey Canino) and another artist (Kristina Luu). Besties Work It Out stars Beth and Chandra, best friends. Chandra’s struggle is parents who consider her older sister near-perfect. She needs them to see her as responsible […]

Olive Branche, the star of the series beginning with Click (and most recently continued with Clash), faces a new challenge in Crunch by Kayla Miller. She’s got so many things she wants to do — guitar lessons, Berry Scouts, school politics, and a contest to make a short film — that basics like sleep and homework are falling by the wayside. The political challenge is particularly timely, as she and her friends set out to demonstrate that the school dress […]

I adore Dinosaur Therapy. This small, square hardcover collects webcomics from Dinos and Comics, written by James Stewart and illustrated by K Romey. They’re simple but refreshingly blunt. In three- or four-panel comics, simply styled dinosaurs — they look like they’re loosely molded out of play-doh — talk honestly about the difficulties of life. A similarly frank introduction by the writer explains that he began creating these webcomics as a reaction to an ADHD diagnosis and a desire to “find […]

Olive is back and struggling with friendship in Kayla Miller’s Clash. The young woman, first seen in Click, normally makes friends with everyone. That’s why she’s happy to volunteer to show new student Nat around. Unfortunately, Nat may not have the best motives in return. She’s quick to join up with the cheerleaders. She declares things “dorky” or “old news.” She’s a show-off, and soon Olive is afraid that her friends will like Nat better. Miller does an excellent job […]

Olive, the plucky heroine of Kayla Miller’s Click and Camp, returns in Act. It’s a timely story, as so many young people are becoming more socially and politically aware. She participates in her school elections and navigates some tricky political waters, and it’s thrilling to see her awareness open to the struggles of others. Like so many people, Olive gets involved in politics when she discovers an issue that matters to her. Her class goes on a theater field trip, […]

Olive, the lead of Click, is off to summer camp with her friend Willow in Camp. As seen in the previous book by Kayla Miller, Olive has no problem making lots of friends, but Willow is less outgoing and jealous of the time Olive spends with others. As the two weeks of camp continue, Olive begins to resent Willow for her clinginess, and the two have to learn to understand those different from themselves in order to save their friendship. […]

Olive has a wide variety of friends — some from class, some on the bus, some in the neighborhood. When it’s time for the school variety show, though, she feels left out, because all her friends have formed their own little groups and acts. In Click, Kayla Miller shows us a different portrait of what friendship can be in a simple, direct manner. The colorful pages reflect the various interests and attitudes of the many kids, whether cheerleading, karate, music, […]

The third in Terri Libenson’s series of connected middle school graphic novels, Just Jaime tackles the difficult question of how to react when “friends” decide they don’t want to hang around you any more. As with Invisible Emmie and Positively Izzy, the format is unique, with interspersed chapters alternating between the illustrated diary format and full-out comics. (The lead characters from the first two books also appear here, tying the three together into a richer picture of young teen life.) […]