Such a sweet story about empathy, family, and friendship. I loved the VR elements and how they were used to help people in the real world.

#netgalley, #Lo and Behold, #middle school-teen coming of age #virtual reality

This is a fantastic story of about a young girl who has a secret about her mom and how it affects her. Her dad brings her to a summer work project at a university campus where she gradually finds friends and gets involved in their VR research/grant applications.. Addie gets hooked on the different applications of VR and makes connections that help her resolve her feelings. Great story!

Title: Lo and Behold
By: Wendy Mass

Age Recommendations:
4th grade and up

Red Flags:
Loss of loved ones, opioid addition

Summary/Review:
Addie’s had a tough year, and now her dad is making her travel with him for the summer. He works at the college level supporting students by creating virtual reality simulations. Addie struggles to find solid ground in her new environment. She misses her mom, and latches on to her mom’s love of tortoises and moon seeds. While on campus, Addie finds her favorite spot under a large shaded tree and discovers a new friend in Mateo. Together they build a friendship through a virtual reality project, but using outdoors and nature as the focus point.

I love graphic novels, especially for my struggling readers. I was very skeptical in the beginning of this story. As an educator, I am reluctant to virtual reality. I love how Wendy Mass took the underlying elements of trauma, and put a positive spin on virtual reality. Through the elements of nature and space this story brings overarching themes creativity, innovation, and human emotion to the hands of little readers. All in all, a sweet, sad, and touching story that will pull at your heart strings. I recommend this read.

Thank you to Wendy Mass, Random House Children’s Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads #LoandBehold
#wendymass
#graphicnovels
#netgalley

Lo and Behold tells the story of Addie and how she sees the world. She lives with her father - who is a college professor in the tech department working with virtual reality. Addie's mom is not currently in the picture. Addie and her father move for his job for the summer. Addie is NOT excited about moving (what 12-year-old is?). However, time and attention allow her to make some new friends and learn more about the world around her. This also allows her to learn more about herself and what she can do to live the life that she wants. Twists abound when it comes to who is where and why. Beautifully written. Beautifully illustrated.

Addie is just looking to be alone during her time with her dad at his summer job, but Mateo and her dad’s colleagues have a different idea which leads to Addie’s summer goals changing drastically! I loved the mix of sci-fi, empathy, art, and science all together in this story.

I did not go into this one expecting to cry, but it absolutely moved me to tears to see technology used to help make hospital visits a little less scary and elderly folks feel a little less alone. Addie and Mateo are the stars of the show, and I enjoyed their friendship so much that I didn't mind that the supporting cast could use a little boost. The story is well written and compelling, and it was also really neat how the artist conveyed digital art and traditional art within a graphic novel.
This book contains mentions of addiction, grief/loss, and several scenes take place in a hospital, so take care of yourself when reading.

Addie isn't exactly thrilled to have to go with her dad to live at a university during their summer program. While Dad is geeking out about new virtual reality technologies, Addie is trying to avoid getting too close with the friendly neighbor boy while struggling to cope with the loss of her mom. Addie has always dreamed of going to outer space, and when she realizes that VR can take her there, she starts experimenting and realizes that going on adventures to pass the time is just the beginning of what VR can do.

I'm speechless. What a brilliant book. it brings together a lot of themes, but it does it so tastefully and genuinely, I had no trouble empathizing with the characters. The graphics are well-done, and the settings are really clever. I'd totally recommend this book to my students, but I think it's worth it for anyone who wants to see through a little different perspective and learn some really cool science facts along the way.

I adore Wendy Mass. I also am particularly fond of contemporary middle-grade graphic novels. Put the two together and we have a real winner. I loved the characters, their stories, and the art. A wonderful book that I'm excited to share with my graphic novel-loving son!

Thank you for this advance copy.
Amazing and Fun read. A graphic novel perfect for middle school kids. Anyone who reads this can connect in one way or another. V! R! is the chant. As life and technology continues to evolve, this mechanism can transport us as well as make us grow in many levels and aspects.
I just reviewed Lo and Behold by Wendy Mass. #LoandBehold #NetGalley

This graphic novel is a really sweet look at kids who feel left out or lost. I loved the concept of the VR and all the neat programs the main characters got to experience. The lesson of getting out and experiencing life with people who love you will resonate with kids. I can’t wait to get this for my classroom.

I do think the title is weirdly mismatched for this story, though.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book! The characters are relatable and fun. The graphics carry the story along and add to the text. Students will love the topic of virtual reality. And, students will understand the concept of virtual reality more than I do.

Ah, another story by Wendy Mass that will grab your heart and rip it out of your chest. Addie's had a rough year. When she is introduced to virtual reality, it seems easier to push everyone away and exist in a world she can control. Until that same world shows her that grief can be shared, and empathy can heal you as much as help others.

There is nothing negative to say about this story. It addresses grief, friendship, family, and addiction with care at an age-appropriate level. The art is fun, bright, and perfectly suited to the intended audience. Addie and the other characters feel like the lovely friend-family they are supposed to be. The virtual reality is interesting without being overly scientific and tech lovers will enjoy the almost sci-fi feel of the creations. Space! Geocaching! Puppies! Paintball! This book has it all and it all works together. Even as an adult, I didn't completely guess Addie's mom's situation and loved that it built tension for the reader.

There is ending material about Mass and the illustrator that is engaging and includes references to additional VR activities on Mass's website. The book can also be read with additional augmented reality - content that is supposed to grow over time. These additions are nice, but the story is lovely on its own.

This is perfect for fans of realistic fiction graphic novels like Sisters, Real Friends, and The Baby-sitters Club.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

This book would be a great purchase for middle school libraries. The story is fast-paced, the illustrations are appealing, and a unique topic (VR) is used to help address a tough topic (addiction/depression) in an age-appropriate way. I have honestly never read a book quite like this and I think it will have a wide appeal.

Wow! Lo and Behold by Wendy Mass blew me away. I'm a middle school drama teacher and have always been a fan of Mass and recommend her books often. When I began Lo and Behold, I was not so sure, but I had to adapt my reading for a graphic novel, rather than "traditional novels." Once I did that, I was drawn in to Addie and Mateo's world complete with a diverse cast of supporting characters.

Addie's moves them thousands of miles from home for 6 weeks to work with some college students and their work in virtual reality. Missing her mother, Addie is not excited to go and proclaims she's not going to make new friends. Enter Mateo, who at once gives her space and tries to befriend her. Addie and Mateo get pulled into trying the students' projects and soon come up with a side project or two of their own.

A story of friendship, growth, and empathy, Lo and Behold is not didactic. Readers are not preached at. Rather they are welcomed in by tortoises, seeds of moon trees, and Addie and Mateo to explore a new world.

All of the opinions above are my own, but I do owe thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's / Random House Graphic for the e-ARC.

Addie was named after a 250-year-old longest-living tortoise ever, Adwaitya. She had to keep up with her mom’s obsession with tortoises and her dad’s keen interest in virtual reality and his career as a futurist until tragedy struck. Addie’s mother’s accident while trying to save a bunny from getting hit shook things up in the family. Things weren't the same as before when her mom had to undergo a procedure and refused medication. Making friends, having fun, and accompanying her dad on his study trip is the last thing on her mind. Sometimes Addie has conflicting thoughts on how virtual reality can change the world when humans can't sort out their own life. But slowly she finds solace in VR and avoids real-life conversations with people when her (almost) friend drifts apart.

I have read a handful of middle-grade books and I love how they experiment on varied themes whilst giving ample time to ponder on the MC's emotions.

Interesting trivia about nature and information about virtual reality were strewn as and when in the story seamlessly. The blend of virtual reality and nature was a delight to read. Addie’s internal monologue gives us a peek into the heart of a middle-grade kid whose world just turned upside down after the family broke apart. We also come across a VR evangelist who wants to “jump-start empathy by walking in each other’s shoes.” The cover art resembles a children’s book, but there’s a lot to take away from the novel like how Virtual Reality (VR) can bring humans closer yet has its own implications.

The facts and figures could have been trimmed down a bit as they didn’t connect to the plot and I was lost for a while. This read filled me with knowledge to the brim on how Virtual Reality (VR) can help patients endure less pain and how it has transformed medical science.

Lo and Behold tells Addie's story. Her life has completely changed since her mom's accident. Addie now has to temporarily move across the country for her dad's job. While there, she meets a boy who tries to befriend her.
However, she turns to virtual reality to escape from her real life and the feelings she has. Along the way, she learns more about herself and what she truly wants.

I thought this book tackled lots of important issues. The illustrations were fabulous and depicted the virtual world vs. reality. It is also nice to have virtual reality as part of the book. I have a number of students who are interested in it, and there are not many books that include it. The characters were real, and I felt readers would connect to them.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a good book to deal with loss and friendship. I also learned a lot about technology. I live in a very rural area where internet is difficult to access. VR isn’t a common thing. I found this very interesting. The terminology was also explained well so that all ages could understand. I like how the characters worked together to invent something. They researched, and made something that would help others of any age. Such a positive uplifting message. Never give up, when things seem difficult in life.

Wendy Mass has always been an amazing story teller for the middle grade audience. This graphic novel is perfect for all middle grade/middle school collections. Each character struggles with their own dark issues, but the story has a wholesome and caring vibe. The focus on STEM, specifically VR will intrigue a lot of readers. Highly recommended for all collections!

Addie moves to a college campus with her dad for his summer job working with a group of graduate students on their VR projects. Her mom is out of the picture because she broke her leg in a bike accident and became addicted to painkillers (which is pretty clear to an adult reader, but kids may miss the clues up front), and you don't find out the details of the mom's story until the end. I didn't love-love this story or feel super connected to Addie, but I do think kids will be into it, so it's a no-brainer to get this for our school collection.

I liked how Addie and Mateo used VR to address their issues and to eventually help others. The illustrations were great -- looking forward to seeing more work by (debut!) illustrator Gabi Mendez.

(3.5 rounded up)

As a middle school librarian, seeing the words "Wendy Mass" and "graphic novel" in the description of a book pretty much makes it an automatic purchase--but I decided to read this one first anyway.

First of all, I absolutely adore Gabi Mendez's illustrations. They are modern and fun and brought Mass's story to life in a way that graphic novels sometimes fail to do.

I love the focus on STEM and the interesting adventures that brings to the story. I also really appreciated the age-appropriate look at parental addiction and what it can do to families while also showing a supportive system of family and friends and healthy ways to cope.