Mixed-Up | Review

Mixed-Up
By Kami Garcia. Art by Brittney Williams. Lettering by Tyler Smith
First Second Books, 01/21/2025
Grades 3-6

Inspired by real-life situations, Kami Garcia writes a sweet graphic novel that will give young readers a chance to reflect on how being different is okay and overcoming adversity is possible even at a very young age. In the introduction, the author writes that she based this fictional story on her daughter’s experiences along with her own experiences as a reading specialist.

Stella is looking forward to 5th grade. She is together with her two best friends. They have an amazing teacher. But it quickly spirals out of control. Stella is falling further and further behind, which prompts her teacher, Miss Marin, to have Stella tested. When she is diagnosed with dyslexia and intervention is set up, things start to improve, but by then the damage to her friendship with Latasha and Emiko has already been done.

The vibrant colors of the artwork immediately draw you in, creating a lively and dynamic atmosphere on each page. The artist’s skill in capturing expressive facial expressions adds depth to the characters, making their emotions relatable. The open and airy style gives the illustrations a sense of freedom and movement, as well as making the lettering easy to read. It seems that the lettering was deliberately created for easy readability, where oftentimes, lettering in graphic novels is cramped and small.

Stella is a very relatable character. Even if reading is not a child’s difficulty, the story will allow readers to relate to overcoming any challenges they might encounter, especially in school. It also allows readers to consider what their friends might be experiencing and offers an avenue for young children to judge each other favorably and to be supportive and empathetic of each other.

As much as this is a good story (and it really is!) the plot and problem are definitely central, more so than the characterization of the characters. This quick-paced story will have broad appeal. The artwork in itself will have fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jenny Holmes gravitating to this cover. Readers won’t regret picking this book up.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews