I really enjoyed this middle grade graphic novel. The depictions of the ups and downs of friendship were realistic and accurate. The problems were mostly solved in the end but left it open for more fun as well as more drama. This book showed that middle school can be hard, and it's hard to find/be yourself, but it helps when you have friends by your side. The art is colorful and good, and the text is easy to read. A fun middle grade read.

Picture Day by Sarah Sax tells the tale of tween Olivia Vivian Sullivan and her journey with friends in an effort to stand up and be heard for what she wants and feels passionately about.

Without giving too much away the illustrations are beautifully done and vibrant and super eye catching !

I also adored how the speech bubbles are shown for extra flair !

Picture day does a beautiful job of showcasing that adults should listen and comprehend what their tween and pre-teen child may be asking for because 9/10 the situation will be taken into un knowledgeable hands which can be A.dangerous and B. Have the prospects of becoming a bully/horror story if the situation isn’t taken seriously and mishandled.

All I all picture day Is a great read for all ages and pact a pretty empowering statement that ONE MUST LISTEN AND SPEAK THEIR TRUTH. No matter the odds at hand.

Viv wants to stand out in middle school, and picture day is when she makes her move. She live-streams cutting her hair and becomes an overnight influencer, helping people plan their next big moments, but starts ignoring her friends.

The message of this was one in a lot of middle grade books - being true to yourself and how to be a good friend - so that wasn’t groundbreaking, but this was a sweet story with great illustrations that I think kids are going to love. And, bonus, this is volume one of a planned series (The Brinkley Yearbooks) that I think will be really popular!

3.5 stars

This was not a unique plot, but between the graphics and the messages, I really liked it. I think that fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale would like this as well. The story centers around 7th grader Viv and her two best friends. She's tired of being overlooked, so when picture day comes around, she does something drastic to make her stand out. She ends up being successful in becoming an influencer, but along the way, she loses a piece of herself as well as her best friends. I loved the messages of being your authentic self but also learning to really listen to others, especially those who care about you. This included her best friends and her mother, which I appreciated. This was a quick read and perfect for nerds and outsiders who don't see themselves in books often enough.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher and NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book comes out on June 27.

Thank you to @Random House Children's for the ARC. This story reminded me so much of my school picture day and how picking the right outfit and hairstyle was torture. Viv wants to stand out and be recognized at school and picture day is going to get her noticed. Unfortunately when you try to stand out, it can overshadow who you truly are. Can't wait to read more by Sarah Sax.

Viv (who demands that she no longer be called Olivia because there are too many by that name in her class), is tired of being boring and ordinary and invisible in middle school. She would rather be like Sammi, who is popular and has a ton of followers on social media. Viv does have two good friends; athletic Al and maker Milo, who share her interest in Roller Team Skate Force. For a con, they are working on costumes and a roller skating act, but Viv is too busy trying to make herself stand out to support her friends' efforts. On picture day, she impulsively cuts off her braids and has Al film it and post it for her. Her long suffering mother has to take her to get her hair fixed, and the stylist gives her a cut reminiscent of the social media person with whom Viv is enthralled, Quinn Sparks, once had. Viv embraces Quinn's admonition to "be in charge of your own truth" and keeps doing ill advised things just to get people noticing her and talking about her. They do, but not in any kind of positive way. She's determined to roll out the Roller Team Skate Force act at the school dance before it is really ready, and it ends in disaster. Al and Milo have had enough, and there's a little altercation that ends in the destruction of a helmet that Milo has spent a lot of time creating. Viv's mother shows her her own high school year book, where the mother had very ill considered clothing and hair choices because she bowed to peer pressure, and explains that she keeps trying to tamp down Viv's spirit because she is ashamed of her past and also wasn't comfortable making a spectacle of herself. Viv understands that she was not taking her friends' feelings into account, and apologizes to them while still embracing her own truth.
Strengths: This fully embraces the cultural zeitgeist that tells tweens that they not only need to embrace their truth, but they should feel free to share it with everyone, no matter how those people might react to them. Viv, in a typically single minded way, is determined to do this, and doesn't take her friends' feeling into account. This is definitely very typical. The longing for followers or likes is definitely gaining ground among students who are allowed to have social media. It is also very realistic that Viv wants to have a fashion sense that will seem very dated when she is a grown up, but I think it was inspired to include her mother's experience and regrets in this.
Weaknesses: I was a little distracted by the fact that both Viv and her mother's hair was purple, but it's described as boring. It sort of reads as brown, but is it purple? Even the mother's? It seemed important to know, and I was confused. Maybe it was just the E ARC, although the cover also looks to be more purple.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers of Miller's Click and Chmakova's Berrybrook Middle School books.

Sax is a talented artist and Telegemeier fans will appreciate her art style. Dig deeper and you’ll find a wholesome message of finding the true you and overcoming, even celebrating, failures.


•wants to be remembered
•looking for her thing (oh middle school!)
•social media use (light)
•main characters are in 7th grade but translates down to younger readers
•great perspective on failure
•great art
•series! Look for more from Sax

Picture Day by Sarah Sax is a charming graphic novel that perfectly captures the struggles of middle school. The story follows Viv, a seventh-grader who is tired of being overlooked on picture day. She decides to take matters into her own hands by cutting her hair and live-streaming the transformation. Overnight, Viv becomes an influencer at Brinkley Middle School, and everyone wants her help with their next big moment. The illustrations are bold and detailed, and the story is well-crafted, tackling important themes of self-discovery and the importance of true friendships.

The characters are relatable, and the situations they find themselves in are all too familiar. The book offers a modern take on what it means to be true to yourself and a true friend. Overall, Picture Day is a delightful graphic novel that is sure to resonate with middle schoolers and anyone who remembers the struggles of that age.

I judge a book by its cover, and I like the bright clear picture on this cover. The title is catchy also.
I really enjoyed this book, it reminds me of most of the middle grade kids. They all want to be popular. Kids popularity is found in different ways. The main character in this book will go to drastic lengths to gain this popularity, and even looses her friends. She also realizes what she needs in the end.
This book is a fun read, with nice clear pictures, and a wonderful message about finding yourself at a difficult age.

Picture Day is a fun graphic novel about Viv, a 7th grader who will stop at nothing to stand out in the crowd. As a middle school teacher, I understand the challenges students go through to fit in and want to be different at the same time. The book would be great for middle school (ages 8-12) and be a jumping-off point for discussion about making good choices, especially with social media

Picture Day is the first installment of the middle-grade graphic novel series The Brinkley Yearbooks. It's similar artwork and comparisons to hits like The Babysitter's Club, the works of Raina Telgemeier, and the Click! Series mean this graphic novel will fly off the shelves. A must purchase for all middle school and public libraries.

It's the start of 7th grade and Viv is sick of feeling like a nobody. She wants to embrace her true self and be more like her favorite YouTuber. On picture day, Viv cuts off her braid and decides to go for it. After a hairdresser fixes Viv's makeshift do, she becomes the new go-to girl for reinventing yourself.

As Viv starts helping her classmates with romantic gestures, raising awareness about social issues, and celebrating less recognized clubs, she needs her best friends and their shared goal of cosplaying together at an upcoming con.

I figured I would read a chapter of this before bed, and ended up reading the entire thing in one go. The story felt both current and classic, as it is a coming of age story with a bit of a social media influencer twist. Viv was relatable, engaging, and dynamic. I love how she has to grow through the story, and learn to blend her friendships with other things she wants out of life. Young readers can learn a lot from Viv's journey. As an adult, I related to Viv's mom in seeing how things could all go sideways, but I still remember pre-teen enthusiasm and I think Viv encapsulates that beautifully.
I also love the illustrations. I felt like the characters all looked their ages. I didn't confuse Viv's mom for one of the kids, nor did I confuse the kids for adults. I especially like that even the most "stylish" outfits that the middle schoolers wear all look like things that kids could and would be wearing. They aren't styled to be mature, they're styled like kids. The illustrations were bright, colorful, and full of motion. I can't wait to suggest this to my readers!

Picture Day by Sarah Sax is a delightful graphic novel about a seventh-grader named Viv who wants to reinvent herself on picture day. The book captures the essence of middle school life, the ups and downs, the insecurities, and the friendships that make it all worthwhile.

The story starts on picture day, which is one of the most stressful days in middle school, especially for Viv. She is tired of being unnoticed and decides to take matters into her own hands by cutting off her braid and live-streaming the process. The result is overnight fame, and Viv finds herself helping others with everything from haircuts to activism, mathletes to dance proposals.

The book explores the theme of popularity and how it can be both a blessing and a curse. Viv gets caught up in attention and fame, forgetting about her friends and the things that matter most to her. However, she learns important lessons about the value of true friendship and staying true to herself.

The characters in Picture Day are relatable and endearing. Viv, Milo, and Al are a tight-knit group of friends who support each other through thick and thin. Their bond is a highlight of the book, and readers will appreciate the positive representation of friendship.

The illustrations by Madeline Rupert are colorful and expressive, perfectly capturing the emotions and energy of the story. The graphic novel format adds to the appeal, making it an engaging and accessible read for middle-grade readers.

In conclusion, Picture Day is a charming and heartwarming graphic novel about middle school life, friendship, and self-discovery. Sarah Sax and Madeline Rupert have created a relatable and entertaining story that will resonate with young readers. Highly recommended for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Svetlana Chmakova.

A fun middle grade graphic novel that kicks off a new series about friendship, being true to yourself, and the desire to be seen.

Viv is confidence personified, and I wish every kid had even an ounce of what she has--even though it gets her into awkward situations. She's passionate about her friends, her favorite TV show, and becoming someone who isn't invisible walking down the halls at school.

Unfortunately striving to be "somebody" means that her friends don't get enough of her time...even though they've been making plans to attend a Con together for ages. Viv's focus on becoming noticed means she doesn't notice the needs of her friends until it's too late.

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller.

Thanks NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was average but cute and I’m happy I read it!! Definitely worth the hour it took to get through.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

3.5 rounded down

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I really loved the overall message of the book. All of the characters were really likeable. I think it did a great job discussing the difficulties of fitting in in middle school as well as illustrating the difficulties that kids face with everything being on social media. This was a really cute and quick graphic novel to read. I could totally see my kids enjoying this in a few years.

#Picture Day #netgalley

A delightful story of a middle schooler spreading her wings, trying new things, and wanting to stand out from the crowd. Seventh grader Viv, decides on Picture Day to cut her long braid, which ignites her impulses to be noticed by her classmates. In doing so, she begins to become involved in numberous activities as an "influencer" of sorts, leaving her close childhood friends behind. Of course, by the end, Viv realizes how she's disappointed them and grown apart from them. So how does she find a way to show her true, long standing friends that she still has room in her life for them?

This book has fun graphics, and I can certainly see it appealing to middle grades and upper elementary readers. It features an inclusive cast of characters, and the message of being yourself and being excited about who you are is a positive thing for young people to hear. I think the messages of friendship and forgiveness are also important, and I appreciate that this book packs so many messages into one package.

This was a great middle grade graphic novel. It deals with fitting in, being yourself, and navigating the friendships of youth. A great read for kids and adults who need a reminder to show your true colors while also staying grounded.

Digital ARC provided by NetGalley

Absolutely love the art in this graphic novel; honestly made me feel nostalgic for middle school. The plot was relatable for kids that are surrounded by social media and living in the moment. Sometimes wanting to help people can be a great thing, but maybe there can be too much of a good thing.

This is also the first in a series!