Just Roll with It
written by Lee Durfey-Lavoie
illustrated by Veronica Agarwal
Graphic Novel
Realistic Fiction
Tween, grades 4-8
* * * Stars (Pretty good)
Maggie is starting 6th grade and she’s anxious about making friends and making the transition to middle school. She has some coping mechanisms/rituals that she uses to help her feel more calm and in control – like rolling a d20 (20-sided die) to help her make decisions (or predict how well things will turn out if she makes the choices she wants to). Although she does make a really good friend, and they join a fun afterschool club where they get to play a role-playing game based on their favorite fandom, Maggie’s anxiety only increases, and her OCD gets worse. Her family and friends are supportive, though, and listen to her fears and concerns – eventually she meets with a therapist to start talking about what’s bothering her, who promises to help her come up with different coping strategies that don’t play into her OCD. Includes an array of likable characters of different colors, ethnicities, backgrounds, who model loving relationships and open communication. Fans of realistic graphic novels may enjoy this.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
