“I can remember feeling like I was constantly on radar, only to learn in later years that virtually everyone was experiencing similar feelings of insecurity.” - Jace Smith, p. 70
Reader's Annotation
Middle school is not always easy! Come read some comics by artists who’ve been there…and lived to tell the tale.
About the Editor
Ariel Schrag was born in Berkeley, California in 1979. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a degree in literature. In 2004 she began teaching a workshop on graphic novels at The New School. Schrag is the author of the autobiographical graphic novels Awkward, Definition, Potential, and Likewise, which discuss her high school experience. Potential was nominated for an Eisner Award. She wrote for two seasons of the Showtime series, The L Word. Schrag’s illustrations and comics have appeared in publications such as The San Francisco Chronicle, Jane, Paper, and The Village Voice. She lives in both Los Angeles and New York.
Genre
Comic Collection
Reading Level/Interest Age
12-14 years
Content of Book
Stuck in the Middle was selected for New York Public Library's “Books for the Teen Age” list in 2008. It is a collection of black and white comics by 17 artists, which all focus on the challenges of the middle school experience. The artists included are: Vanessa Davis, Joe Matt, Tania Schrag, Eric Enright, Ariel Schrag, Jace Smith, Daniel Clowes, Cole Johnson, Nick Eliopulos, Gabrielle Bell, Dash Shaw, Lauren Weinstein, Jim Hoover, Robyn Chapman, Ariel Bordeaux, and Aaron Renier. A sample of the topics addressed in the comics are: the ups and downs of close friendships, as in Ariel Schrag’s “Plan on the Number Seven Bus;” self-consciousness, such as in Dash Shaw’s “Crater Face;” child abuse and first love, such as in Robyn Chapman’s “Never Go Home;” and a survival guide, as in Jace Smith’s entertaining “Tips for Surviving Middle School.” The styles of the comics are diverse, from the fairly simple line drawings of Eric Enright, to the more detailed 1970s style of Gabrielle Bell, to Dash Shaw’s mingling of various styles in one comic.
Critical Evaluation
This is an excellent collection of comics which really hits the mark in its depiction of the anxieties of the middle school years. We can all remember those embarrassing moments, and these 17 artists capture them with complete honesty, and a lot of humor. I also think that the great variance in styles in this book will demonstrate to aspiring tween artists that there is no set of rules that one must follow in order to create art. Although the themes of this collection are varied, a common feeling that the protagonists of many of the comics express is a sense of being misunderstood or alone. Often, though, a turn of events shows that the other tweens around them also feel the same way, or the protagonist ends up finding a friend when or where they least expect. I highly recommend this collection of comics to tweens -- extremely funny and perceptive!
Booktalking Ideas
Share the opening pages of some of the comics, showing different styles of drawing and different perspectives on the middle school experience.
Curriculum Ideas
Have a class discussion with students about the book – could they identify with any of the characters in the comics and/or what other issues are important to them?
Potential Challenge Issues & Defense
I do not foresee any challenges to this book, but if any were to arise, the following steps could be taken in defense:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its literary merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.
Why I Chose This Book
I loved the fact that this is a collection of new comics, and that they all focus on the middle school experience.
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