Caldecott winner Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle; The Aquanaut) found his protagonist for the National Book Award-winning graphic novel A First Time for Everything in the mirror. Santat's illustrated memoir depicts his regularly awkward middle-school experiences, with a focus on the European trip that opened his eyes to the world beyond the discomforts of adolescence. Despite his best efforts at being inconspicuous in middle school, Dan was teased and bullied, so the idea of a school-sponsored trip to Europe terrified him. But the three-week trip turned out to be the kind of early-adolescent experience that would shape the man Dan became.
Santat's authentic voice and realistic characters will likely take older readers back to their own middle-school days while reminding current middle school-age readers of their own teen angst. Santat's splendidly expressive digital illustrations cement those emotional connections and highlight the humor even in the most agonizing of moments. He unpacks his transformational experience with vulnerability and raw honesty--the sincerity is heartening and the outcome inspiring. --Jen Forbus, freelancer