This was a well written graphic novel about a girl's attempt to break away from her mother’s constant control of how she looks in her school pictures. Each year she tries and tries to convince her mom to let her do something different but her mom makes her do her hair in the same style. This year, Viv has decided to take control. Right before her picture is taken, she takes drastic measures and cuts her own hair. This is just the beginning of her rebellious side. She has been watching one of her ideals on her phone and he is encouraging his fans to be brave and take chances. This is empowering Viv to take more chances in her own life. But, what is the cost? She is beginning to alienate her own friends and even ehr mom. How far will she go to be her “own person?” Great story about the balancing act you need to make in order to make yourself happy but also make others happy. Contains a not so subtle lesson to tweens about friendship.

This middle grade graphic novel has all the amazing feels I knew it would have. Who wasn't obsessed with picture day at school? I was absolutely obsessed with it. Picture Day tells the story of Viv. She is definitely not looking forward to picture day.

Seventh-grade can be daunting, but Viv is determined to be noticeable amongst the crowd. This year is her year to shine, and she'll make sure to take manners into her own hands. Just before her turn to take the picture, Viv live streams her outrageous experience and cuts her own hair. She becomes an overnight sensation. With that comes a lot of attention, but her best friends Milo and Al are concerned about her. It was such an incredible read, and it made me relive the good old times when I was at school. It shows the pressures of middle school, the drama, the dream of being popular, and the realization that friends will accept you no matter how you look.

Viv is trying to reinvent herself as someone memorable, not just another Olivia. To achieve her ends, she dramatically cuts off her hair while live streaming. Suddenly she's an overnight sensation with people seeking out her opinion on their epic events. But not everyone agrees with her that all publicity is good publicity, and she has to decide what is most important.

I'm always looking for a good Graphic Novel to promote for fans of Raina Telgemeier, and I think this is a good one. It also diverted from what I was expecting, and I really appreciated that. Most middle school books have the main character crushed by shame and bullies. Viv makes a dramatic choice (cutting her hair), but it doesn't phase her like I was expecting. The conflict comes from the relationship with her friends, not her push/pull desires to fit in and make a name for herself. I liked the reminder to be bold and be yourself. It's not usually portrayed this way for middle schoolers.

Olivia is tired of her boring look for picture day. She wants to stand out and be unique. On a whim, to speak her truth, she makes the bold move to chop off her hair in school restroom before her picture is taken. She garners a lot of attention, which she relishes in. But it comes at a cost causing a fall out between her and her closest friends.

This is a good story of speaking your own truth while also learning to find a middle ground where you're not pushing others to be something other than what they want to be. I loved the illustrations and how well it captured movement and emotions.

This story did fall a bit flat to me. Nothing specifically stood out to me and there were parts were I just wasn't fully gripped by the storyline...

The illustrations and writing in this graphic novel are top notch! The story is mostly set in a middle school, and I was happy to see a range of diversity represented in the students and their activities. With bold clear colors and viewpoints that zoom in and out, the story is told through the illustrations as much as through the text. The text is fun with lots of action words and sound effects written in bold black font. Viv is a quirky main character who is going through some seventh grade growing pains. She’s trying new things with new friends, but she’s struggling to maintain balance. Her old friends miss her and she isn’t paying attention. Any young person who reads this is going to relate to Viv and her friends. I’m excited to see more from this talented author/illustrator and highly recommend this graphic novel for your middle grade readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy of Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Picture Day is a graphic novel about Viv, who is looking for ways to show her true self to others. She looks forward to picture day at school, but wants to find a new look beyond the 'classic" braid she usually wears. The result is a DIY haircut and a continued quest to help others go big or go home. In her quest to get noticed by everyone else, she begins to neglect her friendships, which comes back to haunt her. I really enjoyed the story line of the novel, and the illustrations are beautiful. I would recommend this to students who need to be reminded of the importance of friendship over fame.

Thank you for giving us the change to read this book! My middle daughter (4th grade) read it first, and said she appreciated the story about trying to fit in but said she wished her parents wouldn't get so upset with her. She said she didn't enjoy it as much as she hoped to, but agreed that maybe it is because she couldn't relate to it. My oldest daughter (7th grade) said the story is a bit unrealistic (proposal but aliens?), seemed far fetched, and not realistic. But they both agreed that the cover is cute & they would likely pick it up at a bookstore or library.

This was a fun, easy read with many different themes and lessons I believe any child can connect with. Acceptance, identity, physical appearance, popularity and the importance of friendship all come together to tell the story of a middle school student seeking something different in her life. The images are colorful, the story relevant, and the communication between middle schoolers very realistic using current day references. While there wasn't necessarily anything that blew me away or was unique about the story, middle grade readers will enjoy the tale!

Picture Day is a timely coming-of-age story in the era of social media that surrounds and often suffocates our youth. Our main character is in middle school wanting to be memorable and own who she is using a viral internet influencer to guide her journey. Though she has good intentions, social media gets the best of her and she is faced with the question of whether online life versus real life is most important. This graphic novel is so perfect for students to really analyze what is lost when you spend all of your time online. This is a lesson that is difficult to hear from adults. Putting it in graphic form may ring truer with students, and I can't wait to purchase this for my middle school library.

I thought Picture Day was a super cute middle grader graphic novel. Who doesn’t dread that 7th grade yearbook picture and of course don’t all of us parents stress out more than the kids. The colorful graphics and tween-age angst storyline will remind you of Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels. I absolutely loved that Viv was trying to create a new identity for herself. She was brave enough to be creative, try to be unique, and step out of her comfort zone. Unfortunately, in her efforts, it strained her relationship with her two best friends, Milo and Al. I think my favorite part was when Viv’s mom pulled out her high school yearbook and shared her photo, it was a sweet bonding moment. Picture Day was a quick and entertaining read, with a message about friendship and being true to yourself. It would be a great summer read for middle grade kids.

“Picture Day” by Sarah Sax is going to be a HOT graphic novel for middle grade readers. The ideas of reinventing yourself and navigating middle school friendships are always popular topics with readers. I especially liked the social media elements in the story which will resonate with kids and the adults helping them manage their online presence for the first time. Fans of Kayla Miller, Maria Scrivan, and Raina Telgemeier will line up to read “Picture Day.”

What a unique story told as a graphic novel, but at the same time so easy to relate to. Who hasn’t been worried about picture day and friendships. Most importantly, real friendships that will have your back, even on picture day.

It's year 7 and Viv has decided it's time to figure out who she wants to be at the moment and own it. She does. On Picture Day. A drastic move leads to self growth, growing pains and Viv takes the whole school on this wild ride to self discovery.

This was cute and the messages being conveyed were positive. The artwork was good and the story was good. Definitely recommend.

Publisher provided a copy via Netgalley for an honest review.

Picture Day is the story of a middle school girl named Viv who is desperate to stand out and be noticed. The story starts off with her heading to school on picture day with a boring braid in her hair and a drab cardigan. At school she decides to do something so she will stand out and she cuts her hair in the bathroom while her friend films it. Needless to say, her mother isn't happy with her new look, but the other kids at school start coming to her for help with "finding their truth". Viv helps other kids at school with different things, including helping a girl who has a crush on another girl with a dance proposal. Viv gets so focused on her efforts to gain attention that she begins to neglect her two best friends. She has to figure out how to be herself while still considering the needs of her friends.

What a great story. Any teacher can relate to the school picture day. a full review will be sent at a later time, but I wanted this title to be included in the June review cycle.

After a bold style statement on picture day, Viv becomes her classmates’ go-to consultant on all things style, life advice, and more. But she gets so caught up in being an influencer that her close circle starts to suffer. A funny but thoughtful start to a new graphic novel series for fans of the Click Series.

Picture Day by Sarah Sax is a middle grade graphic novel about a girl, Viv, that takes every opportunity to stand out from the crowd. It all starts on picture day when she takes drastic measures to avoid the “normal” look that her mom pushed on her and escalates from there. Viv includes her two best friends in many of her antics to help herself and others be their true selves, but do her friends want to go along with Vic’s plans or is she pushing them too hard?

I love the way that Viv is striving to discover who she is. I feel that many middle grade readers will relate with her journey, even if they don’t necessarily have her enthusiasm and energy. The conflict between the friends is a classic one and the resolution was satisfying. Graphic novel enthusiasts are likely to devour this book and come back looking for similar reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title.

This fun, vibrantly illustrated graphic novel has a classic message--be true to yourself AND respect that the needs and desires of others may be different from your own--with a contemporary twist: our protagonist is obsessed with a YouTuber who, to be fair, teaches valuable life lessons. Viv is certainly annoying in her self-absorption, but that's natural for her character and to move the story along. This would be perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale who are looking for something fresh and relatable.

Picture Day is a cute middle grade graphic novel that readers of all ages will enjoy. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Picture Day is such a fun middle grades graphic novel! Viv and her friends prep for the annual school picture day, but Viv gets caught up on making a statement. This statement look changes how her classmates view her and makes her very popular. Can Viv figure out how to be herself, help her classmates and be a good friend to her besties?

I loved the storylines, especially how a young character grows into herself without losing her friends. The pictures are great and vibrant. Children from ages 9-12 will definitely love Picture Day!