by Grant Snider
First sentence: “The year I stopped drawing was the year my parents started yelling.”
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Review copy provided by the publisher
Release date: November 10, 2026
Content: There is mention of adult alcoholism, parental fighting, and bullying. It’ll be in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

Adam’s always been the best artist in school, but seventh grade is different. His parents are fighting, he’s struggling at school, and he’s lost his desire to draw. He doesn’t know who he is without drawing, and at the encouragement of a school counselor, he spends the year trying to find himself (and his love of drawing) again.

It’s a simple novel, but I do love the way Snider tells it. It’s peppered with his art, in many different styles, as Adam tries to figure himself out. As I’ve only read Snider’s comic strips, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this and how well he captured what it means for a kid to have their life in flux. It caught the turmoil and uncertainty of middle school especially well.

Highly recommend this one.