I'm not a big fan of the color palette--would love to see more color. But this will still easily find an audience.

Based on author/illustrator Dave Whamond's own middle school experiences (with photos as proof!), Muddle School is all about Dave, an artistic kid who starts Muddle School: middle school in a town called Muddle. Think that's bad? He's also the new kid. He's also the kid whose mom has him wear a blue leisure suit on the first day. Poor Dave can't catch a break: he's beaten up by bullies on his first day; he blows an accidental snot bubble during class, and his secret crush is revealed, all in record time. As he helps his classmate, Chad, work on a science fair project - a time machine! - Dave starts thinking this is the ticket to retconning his entire middle school experience thus far; he could go back in time and fix everything before he becomes the bully target with a runny nose, right? 

Cartoon drawings, narrated by a first-person character who's lovably awkward and self-deprecating, this is another hilarious addition to middle grade and middle school kidlit. Kids are going to see themselves in Dave; they'll cringe at his most cringey moments, and they'll wonder about making their own time machines, and what they could undo. Muddle School sums up the muddle that is tween life for readers, complete with hopelessly out of touch parents (Hey!) and language teachers who pretend not to hear you if you're not speaking the language they're teaching: even if there's a zombie right behind them. A hilarious look at self-preservation and perseverance.

What a fun and lighthearted book. Kids will really relate to the struggles of fitting in. The humor and illustrations will pull in even the most reluctant readers. I can't shake the image of the main character wearing his hoodie backward to use as a popcorn bowl for movies! He's delightfully quirky and unique--and I love that he learns to find his way in Muddle School. Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free copy for review! I really enjoyed the book and know my upper elementary and middle school students will too.

Middle school is rough for many students and this graphic novel covers the topics of moving to a new school, bullies, and fitting in with humor. The main character is based on the author and his own experiences. I enjoyed the little sketches that the main character drew throughout the book. Short and sweet, this would be perfect to give to any students about to start a new school or struggling to fit in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for sending me this book to review via Netgalley. For my first ever book to review via this website it certainly didnt disappoint. This graphic novel was filled with humout and fun and was a really enjoyable read. id recommend it to any age but in particular 9 plus. I felt it was extremly relatable to the experiences, thoughts and emotions a kid feels starting a new school. The books main charcter Dave struggles to fit into his new middle schooland being bullied on the first day doesnt start him off well. Dave embaresses himself a lot during the novel especially during the snot bubble scene or when he goes camping and his crush Lisa finds out he has been making a collage of her picutre. However, things start to look up for Dave towards the end of novel as he creates a ‘time machine’to try and redo over his first 3 months. This time machine is believed by Dave to have worked as he is more popular amongst his peers however it turns out he has actually just hit his head. The ending is quite sad and im not going to spoil it although it does show the massive character change and progression of Dave.

This book is well worth the read

Muddle school is a graphic novel sharing a story of a new kid in muddle school name Dave.
as he was new in his school, he somehow felt inferior and a victim of bullying and other embarrassing things.

As soon as the story continues i felt somehow relatable. i was like why is it so accurate? starting from the classroom embarrassment to the time travel part, i imagined them all. But it was his outlook. when he tries to broad his vision, he felt less fear.

i'm happy that author focused on this matter and wrote about it and spread the awareness.

Thank you Netgalley for an E-ARC!

I wasn't really sure if this was meant to be a memoir or simply inspired by Whamond's experience. For the most part it's a pretty standard "trying to fit in at a new school" story with a weird diversion where he thinks he's time traveled. Fine but not a stand-out

...

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this advanced copy of this book, and my legitimate thanks to the author, for giving me the opportunity to read his book.

Well, so goes the story. He is a boy who is a loner, outcast and unaccepted in his class. However, one event changed him completely, he was another person, another boy, a better student and freer.

The story at first, like many, seemed a bit boring to me. Nevertheless, the last part made me realize that the book was not boring at all, my favorite part was the kiss between him and the girl.

4.0

Muddle School by Dave Whamond is a fun and funny graphic novel that is sure to resonate with it’s target audience as well as anyone who has survived the middle school years. Whamond’s personal experiences had me laughing out loud in places, and his illustrations did a great job of enhancing the story.
Thank you NetGalley for an digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an e-arc copy of Muddle School through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At first I didn’t exactly like it. It was a bit slow and I was getting this overwhelming vibe that some of the bad stuff happening to the main kid were a bit of his own fault and thus it was difficult to engage with the story. Positivity attracts positivity and changes start from the inside, ultimately those were the messages delivered by the story and they worked pretty well. In the end I found it to be a bit messy but overall a quite cute graphic novel!🙂

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I like it but I don't love it. It was a little, just a little cringy.
I recommend it? Yes, it is a good read.
It was fun. Enjoy the reading and the characters.

Muddle School takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of not only middle school, but what it's like being the new kid in middle school. The lessons in this book are wonderful for middle grade readers.

Dave's dad was transferred, so Dave was starting at a new school. Muddle Middle School.

Walking down the hall, Dave felt defeated and self-conscious, with a generous sprinkling of "nobody likes me." He was not a model student, unless you wanted a listless, bored, homework-less model that disliked being told what to do.

His first day was like many that followed, and slightly worse than he feared. He used drawing (and daydreams) to escape reality, which got him into trouble.

Yet there was one bright spot. A girl. Her name isn't important here. The point is that there was still hope for Dave. And that hope sparked to brilliant life, the day he (and his science fair partner) created a time machine!

The book is ultimately about the transformation of the attitudes of everyone in the school! ...Or was it Dave's time travel that altered HIM?

This entertaining chapter book has some funny and well-done drawings that capture the emotions and moods of the events. However, there are some mild themes that grade-school boys think are hilarious, but girls tend to make a face and walk away. (Not to the extreme of potty humor.)

Despite the drawings, adventures, and message of the book over all--which are very deserving of purchase and gift-giving--I don't plan to buy this book. It's more boy-humor-centered than I prefer. Just my personal opinion.

4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to preview this ebook!


#MuddleSchool #NetGalley

First of all, a huge thanks to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Muddle School is a funny and realistic graphic novel about a new kid at high school. It is about the first days of high school, bullying, self-esteem, and first crushes. The book brings to attention the challenges of the first days at a new school. I liked how the author brought up the challenges of bullying in schools ,however there are some parts that just seemed flat to me.

Thank you netgalley and kids can press for an arc.

I loved this cute graphic novels with great meaning. It's all about a new kid in new Muddle school facing with bullies and other challenges. Then something magical happened when he and his friend invent a time machine where he will go back and make everything right. But is time machine really helps ot something else.....?

While the plot jumps around a bit, there are some really hilarious moments. The moral of thinking positively will resonate with readers. I liked the clever contrast between the beginning and ending panels, where you can see how Dave's attitude really makes a difference.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Dave and his family have just moved to a new town called Muddle, and Dave is terrified to start at Muddle School. It feels like everything is going wrong! When working on a time machine for the science fair, he has a brilliant idea: why not go back to the first day of school and redo everything better?

This was sweet! I originally requested this to read with my homeroom, but unfortunately did not get the chance before the school year ended. However, I think they would have loved it! This graphic novel is filled with honest awkward moments that many middle school students can relate to, which is what makes it so great. I also enjoyed that the story itself and Dave's hand-drawn comics were in different styles - very cool.

The start of a new school year can be anxiety inducing for students under the best of circumstances, but even more so if they are starting at a new school.

When Dave's father is transferred to a new location he and his family of "dorks" all move to the town of Muddle, forcing Dave to start the new school year at Muddle School. Dave's unhappiness about the move bleeds into his first day experience. He expects everything to be terrible, and no surprise it is.

First there is the powder blue leisure suit his father makes him wear, then there is a run-in with bullies, later there is an incident with a snot bubble. Anything that can go wrong for Dave does go wrong. His parents keep telling him that this will be a fresh start but Dave can't see anything to look forward to.

A few months go by and Dave continues to "muddle" his way through school when he and the few friends he has made make a time machine. Of course, Dave has to test it out. Does the time machine work? That's for the reader to find out. But one thing is for sure, things are definitely different for Dave after the time machine experience.

This semi-autobiographical novel deals with themes of making friends, crushes, being your authentic self and dealing with bullies in a nonviolent way.

The graphics rotate between the illustrated panels and the notebook that Dave draws in throughout the story. The illustrations and style of the story are very similar to James Paterson's Middle School series as well as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and would be a good match for readers who enjoyed those series.

While the message of the story is fairly obvious and tied up neatly at the end, this is a worthwhile read for grades 5-8. Outside of middle school grades this story may hold less interest as it is specifically about dealing with middle school rather than just the concept of school in general.

Overall this is a solid read for anyone starting or going to middle school. Dave is a funny, awkward, lovable character who just wants to fit in and make friends. Along with a lot of mistakes, he learns to be himself and that being kind and friendly makes a world of difference in his day-to-day life.

Really fun book. It is really funny at times and sometimes just flat.
Nice graphics even though they were a tad bit distracting to me.
The story line seems similar to James Patterson middle school though leads funny.
It was just a book about the infamous middle school and just meant for fun.
I hope you enjoy it.

It’s that time of year when shy or “different” children dread going back to school. No one dreads it more than David. David is a quiet artistic kid who was constantly bullied at his old school. Hopefully, this year will be different at his new school, Muddle School, in this humorous children’s comic. SPOILER ALERT: It doesn’t.

David is quite the character.

“The only time I got close to being tough was when I was in a tricycle gang in kindergarten. I made up my own swear words so I’d never get in trouble. And when I watched TV, I wore my hoodie backward and ate popcorn out of the hood.“

But, if this comic is as autobiographical as I suspect it is, David may have the last laugh.

“You need to concentrate on your mathematics. You can’t make a living drawing funny little pictures!”—David’s math teacher who clearly doesn’t know everything.

Muddle School will bring back memories no matter how long you have been out of middle school. It is also empowering for those in middle school right now. Someday things will get better. 4 stars!

Thanks to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.