Very cute graphic novel about finding yourself. I think this story brilliantly illustrates the social pressures young teens face, especially with social media thrown in. Viv is strong and determined to be herself but does so at the cost of her relationships. This story encourages readers to not only be themselves but to also listen to others. Young readers will enjoy this graphic novel. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the arc.

This was a cute book about a girl who wants to fit in but still stand out. Struggling to be herself, she feels like she has to do show stopping moves to get noticed. But at what cost?

Viv is trying to "live her truth" the way that her favorite social media influencer always preaches. Viv's two closest friends, with whom she's been working on a comic-con-type event routine for basically forever, seem to have skills that make them live their truth, but not Viv.

After making some bold splashes at school in the hopes of getting more likes and clicks, Viv gets lost in her new identity as a budding influencer-influencer, but jeopardizes her most important relationships in the process.

As an educator, I've been really involved in conversations lately about social media and kids' socioemotional well-being. PICTURE DAY is a really important story, and not too heavy, for kids to see and appreciate that.

When I get a physical copy, this one's going to have holds for months - a realistic fiction GN with relatable characters and an important lesson? My kids will eat this up!

Picture Day is a well-written and well-drawn graphic novel with an important message. Unfortunately, there's really nothing new here. I will request it for my library's collection, but I don't expect it to be something that gets sought out by our patrons.

I would recommend this graphic novel to young patrons that come to the library.

What stood out to me was the illustration; the colors were very vibrant on the page. The artwork was appealing and I enjoyed reviewing the page and finding great little details that I didn't notice in my initial read.
Although the theme isn't new, I thought it was a modern retelling of that story. You know, the story of a person wanting to be seen for who they are. They become that version of themselves, but usually at the cost of losing friends or even aspects of themselves until they begin to embrace what made them them at their core. The book even raises the question, How does one enthusiastically grow and change and embrace new versions of themselves while honoring the parts that have already been there? This is Viv's story in Picture Day. She is too wrapped up trying to grow into the person she wants to be that she forgets the good parts of herself, neglects her good friends and embarrasses them, and has to repair their relationship and be true to herself in the end.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sarah Sax and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Middle school picture day is rough! It's especially hard when your mom makes her wear a boring braid. Viv decides to make matters into her own hands and cut her hair even though her best friends Milo and Al encourage her not to! Once Viv posts her live stream video she is an overnight influencer. Everyone wants her help now to plan their next big moment. Viv soon gets so wrapped up in being popular, she starts to lose sight of what is important. Will she be able to remember what is most important in life?

A great graphic novel that deals with the social pressures that come with middle school!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was very realistic. Middle school is challenging for most kids. They are trying to discover themselves. Of course, they will not listen to their parents because they know it all. Viv definitely falls into this category. She's so eager to be noticed by the popular kids that she forgets what's most important to her. Her real friends. Not bothering to talk to them about what they would like, she just assumes that they are in pursuit of the same goals. And you know it... it all ends in disaster. However, there are surprising turns that the reader doesn't expect. Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

Picture Day is a fantastic addition to middle grades graphic novels. Viv, the main character, is tired of being who her Mom thinks she should be, and this picture day is going to be different. No braid or hand knitted sweater will do for Viv. While Viv's friends support her idea of being more herself, Viv is quickly swept up into a social media frenzy, and their friendships begin to suffer. Thankfully, Viv realizes that her friendships are more important than being "internet famous." Graphic novel readers of all ages will love this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this copy, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Picture Day follows Viv, a middle schooler who's ready to stand out from the crowd. Determined to make her mark, she drastically cuts her own hair on picture day. After getting her new 'do tidied up at a salon, Viv impresses her classmates, who start soliciting her for help with their own projects. Dance proposals, school spirit, and other hijinks ensue. However, Viv starts to lose sight of the friendships she had before her big change and ends up pushing her BFFs into an embarrassing situation. Of course, Viv learns from the situation and makes amends.

Overall, this is a light and easy-to-read book about being yourself and not being afraid to stand out. I liked that Viv never lacked confidence or wondered if she was good enough to try new things or take risks. She always jumped into whatever she wanted to do. I also appreciated the LGBTQ representation in minor characters. However, I didn't feel like there was much that made Picture Day stand out among other middle grade graphic novels.

I am obsessed with this graphic novel. Who can't relate to a book about picture day in middle school? We've all been there and this book provides comedic relief and real time emotions to a typical middle school day. Thank you to the author for writing this book so perfectly, you really hit the nail directly on the mark!

This book reminded me of my childhood and how much I despised picture day. It was always such a struggle to find the “perfect” outfit, so I very much related to Olivia throughout the book. The illustrations were immaculate!

A great spin on the coming of age story with so many great lessons in the pages! The lessons felt relatable and we need more graphic novels!!

Viv wants to stand out and feel like her true self, so she does something DRASTIC. But luckily it all turns out for the best. It makes me wonder how many kids will want to chop off their own hair, but I think it's a cute story about being true to yourself.

A fun new graphic novel about cultivating your individuality and maintaining existing friendships. Fans of the Click series by Kayla Miller will enjoy!

Cleverly written story of tweenage zest for life. All of the characters are found at any middle school and are fairly true-to-life. The passion that the characters have for their hobbies is also very true to the age group. The easy patching up of wrongs done and feelings hurt, plus the pat ending kept me from giving it five stars.

I loved this book and so will middle grade students! A fresh addition to the graphic novel genre. This book will fly off the shelves.

This was such a fun middle grade graphic novel. Viv must find her own 'thing' while still being true to herself and her friends. Highly recommended for all middle grade collections. Hand this to fans of Kayla Miller's Click series.

This story had so much potential. The mother-daughter storyline could have been so good if it was developed and focused. Introducing random characters that did not contribute to the story weakened it. Try to create a story with heart- not just a story with a list of checkmarks you want to check off. Edit this story and it will be popular.

This is a great graphic novel story about dealing with social pressures as a kid as well as how social media can have negative influences as well as good. Fans of Raina Telgemeier and The Baby-Sittier's Club Graphix will love this one!

This is a fun graphic novel I think a lot of kids will love. It has a lot that many kids can relate to such as friendship problems and trying to establish an identity. Fans of Smile and Allergic will enjoy this one too.