What a treat it was to relive the author/illustrator Dan Santat’s teenage European trip.. He did a great job of helping the reader envision the entire trip and the experiences he had along the way. I couldn’t help but wish I’d had an adventure like this before I went to high school. It certainly would have changed my worldview and confidence level just as it did for Dan. Highly recommended!

Dan Santat is a rock star. He is my favorite kidlit creator and he just nails it every time! I haven't yet read everything he's worked on, but I've yet to find one that I didn't fall in love with. A First Time for Everything is a story about Dan finding himself, his self-confidence, and falling in love for the first time all backdropped by a European tour with his peers before he starts high school. I love the honesty and realness and relatability. Anyone who was self-conscious, afraid, lost, insecure, etc in middle school (which is everyone) will relate to Dan and his amazing trip through Europe learning to love himself and trust himself. If you haven't read Santat yet, pick this up immediately. If you have read Santat, it's already on your TBR, I'm sure!

This was a lovely little graphic memoir perfect for a middle grade audience. Santat accurately captures the feelings of being in middle school and feeling deeply uncomfortable with just about everything. Santat's artwork really helps capture the feelings of his 13 year old self and help highlight how everything feels so much more important or impactful when you're a teenager. The author's note at the end also acts as a wonderful message for young teens reading this who can relate to Santat's experiences.

I love a good graphic memoir, and this one was definitely enjoyable! It is a good reminder about how little experiences can really stick with people and influence (or scar) young people, in particular. Of course, the beauty of the story is that just as growing up can be so difficult, fortunately there are opportunities to grow and open up to new possibilities that may replace negative experiences. I love the call to try things out for the first time, and even though I am older and there seems like there are less new firsts for me, I have been making an effort to try to find more in my everyday life. Reading this does make me feel like getting out and traveling, too!

A First Time for Everything is a story from Dan Santat's childhood, when he was in middle school. He was a good kid, but somewhat bullied and embarrassed all the time. His parents want him to go to a school trip to Europe and it eventually changes his life giving him the confidence he lacked. We get to know other kids too and I especially liked how Santat presents the places and the attractions. It's weird that the German and French texts aren't translated though. I've studied both, so reading this was nice due to it. There's quite a lot of those too. I liked the time skips although at times they felt somewhat super imposed and the beginning of the story was slightly off or didn't fit with the rest of the story. Otherwise this was really enjoyable and a fast read.

I enjoy Santat's art, it's lively and colorful. He makes such great children's comics and they are full of heart - just like this one. The correct rating would be 3.5 stars actually. Perhaps I wanted more coherence, but perhaps that's just me. The comic works for both kids and adults alike, so points for that!