Just Roll with It

October 18, 2021
Despite her initial concerns, sixth grade starts strong for Maggie Sankhar: she makes a new friend who shares a love of her favorite book series, joins a school RPG club that plays her favorite game, and discovers a newfound passion for science. But the transition also brings new worries, including bullies in the halls and a mysterious monster lurking on school grounds. Maggie is already overwhelmed by her older sisters’ academic prowess, and she develops a constant fear of making mistakes, assuaged only by rituals such as toggling light switches and rolling a 20-sided die for direction. When her sister puts a name—obsessive compulsive disorder—to Maggie’s behaviors, the suggestion further ups her anxiety. Offering messages of self-acceptance and tackling one task at a time, Durfey-Lavoie thoughtfully weaves the way Maggie’s OCD presents into this solid middle grade story with a sympathetically earnest protagonist. In familiar, accessible art that highlights an array of skin tones, Agar-
wal conjures Maggie’s warm, supportive growing friendship as well as her loving family, which reads as South Asian. A comforting read that fits right into the contemporary middle grade graphic novel tradition. Ages 8–12. Agent (for Durfey-Lavoie and Agarwal): Susan Graham, Einstein Literary.