This graphic novel perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be an oldest sister, a middle schooler, and go through have the chicken pox. I was impressed with how much I related to it as an almost 30yr old.

Perfect middle grade graphic novel! Abby is the oldest sibling of a family of 5; she finds herself constantly frustrated by her younger siblings. When the whole family is quarantined with chickenpox, Abby copes with friend drama, a potential love interest, and her super annoying siblings. The 90s setting and relatable characters will be a big hit with kids today. Highly recommend!

Chickenpox is a graphic novel based on the real life experience of the author. It was somewhat entertaining for a story about a large group of siblings infected with chickenpox. They learn about each other while quarantined.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Abby sometimes gets frustrated being the eldest of five children and she shares this with readers. When all five of them are quarantined with Chickenpox, the stress of being sick, itching nonstop, and coping with everyone cooped up in the house explodes. Lai wraps a serious message with humor as she shares her memories of a similar time in her family's life. Though a vaccine now exists, readers will connect with being together and unable to leave homes. Hopefully, they will begin to understand that relationships change - families and friends, and think about their own lives too. The artwork is vividly colored and adds so much detail to the dialogue.

I remember having Chickenpox when I was about 4 years old. It was before my brothers were born but I also remember them getting it when they were about 3. I was also shocked when I discovered there is a vaccine and that getting Chickenpox is no longer a part of childhood!

While my experience of Chickenpox is very different from that depicted in this graphic novel, I still found it very relatable.

I am a bit disturbed because I know that when I add it to my library, it will count as historical fiction and how is 1994 long enough ago to count?

The story is engaging, the drama makes sense, and I think my students will relate well to this!

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC. All opinions are my own!

Remy Lai’s illustrations are colorful and cute (except for when the close-ups of chickenpox get kinda gross), and the story and art style will certainly appeal to fans of books like Smile and Squished. Details of life in Indonesia in the 90’s give readers more context for Abby’s experiences, and it’s fun to see things like laser discs make an appearance. Lai does a good job of expressing how simple misunderstandings can spiral to larger problems, and I appreciated the nuances of the sibling dynamics. One moment in particular that stood out to me was when each child noticed that depending on who is around, each of them has been the eldest at different times. If Abby isn’t home, Amy has to be the mature and responsible one, if Amy isn’t home it’s Remy, and so on. Realizing this was a big moment for Abby, who often feels the burden of being eldest to so many “immature” children. Whether it’s with friends or family, Lai’s storytelling emphasizes the importance of communication and hearing someone else’s side of things.

This is such a fun graphic novel set in 90s Indonesia about being a big sister and dealing with the responsibility of being the oldest when her siblings annoy her and get her in trouble. There was a misunderstanding between Abby and her two best friends about hurt feelings and if they like the same boy which is worked out in the end. After the quarantine with her siblings, Abby ends up realizing that she loves being a big sister and that all the sibling except the baby get the you are older you know better lecture when fighting with their littler sibling. The artwork is really adorable and I loved the 90s callbacks with corded phones, Walkmans and laser disc movie rentals.

Thanks to Macmilan Childrens Publishing Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

"For fans of Telgemeier" is a tag that gets tossed at any book like this, but Chickenpox is one of the few that has anything near the emotional resonance of her books.

Chickenpox, set in a time before the chickenpox vaccine, introduces a new generation to corded phones, chickenpox quarantine, call waiting, and the childhood of the 90s when siblings played together and invented games for entertainment. Remy Lai uses her own life in this memoir to tell about Abby, an oldest sister with four younger siblings. All Abby wants is to have friends and be cool...but that's proving to be more difficult when her friends make her feel like a baby and bright red pox marks appear as she catches the virus running through her family...chickenpox! Stuck at home for two weeks, Abby struggles with being unable to avoid her siblings, and then struggles with the surprising feeling of missing them when they are all sick, quiet, and out of her way. Abby's friendships have misunderstandings and communications typical of tweens, but totally genuine in a way that kids can relate to. This is a perfect addition to any elementary library or classroom.

What a fun time I had being a fly on the wall with the Lai family! Main character Abby is the oldest of 5 siblings growing up in the 90s in Indonesia. As a contemporary of the main character, I loved the nostalgic references to cassette players, video rental stores, and the like. Even chicken pox is mostly a thing of the past, and this graphic novel captured the feeling of being stuck in the house with your (annoying) siblings and trying not to scratch. Add in a healthy helping of middle school drama that Abby worries about while she's absent from school, and you've got the makings of a great book. One thing today's young readers will appreciate is how well the author explains references that they might not understand. At no time is the book about "learning a lesson," but the characters happen to grow and become more self aware during the book, which is a nice bonus. Overall, I'd compare this to graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, and Megan Wagner Lloyd. I look forward to carrying it in my store!

Adorable story with adorable art work! Give this one to fans of Raina Telgemeier's Guts. Abby is over her all her siblings ("animal") that share her home ("Zoo"). Suddenly, due to a contagious virus, she is now quarantined at home with all of them, for days on end! I love the character development we see for several of the family members and Abby's two friends. Full of relatable friend drama, misunderstandings, and family members that you truly love but also can't stand, MG readers will love this one.

E ARC provided by Netgalley.

In 1994, author Remy Lai was living with her family in Indonesia, but she tells the story of her family's bout with chicken pox from the point of view of her oldest sister, Abby. Abby is 12, Amy is 11, Remy is 8, Andy 6, and Tommy just 3. This makes the household a bit like "a wild zoo" from time to time. Abby will do just about anything to escape the ruckus, including taking piano lessons, and spending lots of time at her friends Julia and Monica's houses. When the two want to meet Abby's siblings, she reluctantly has them over, but when the kids pester them, Abby finds herself fighting with them. Julia makes the comment that Abby is acting like "a fourth grader", which hurts her feelings. Julia comes down with chicken pox and is out of school, and Abby is wary of hanging out with Monica because of the comment, hanging out with her friend who is a boy, Sandy. When the Lai's go to a local hotel pool to swim, Remy notices that she has mosquito bites, but when the other children seem to have them as well, they get hauled to Dr. Sutanto, who diagnoses chicken pox (called "watery pox" in Indonesian). Abby seems to have escaped them and is glad, since her siblings have to be quarantined for 7-10 days, but she wakes up the next morning with them as well. The progression of the disease is nicely laid out for modern readers who have not experienced this; there's even a nice author's note talking about the vaccine that was available shortly after her experiences. Everyone is sick and laid low for a while; Abby rebounds a bit more quickly, so ends up trying to help her mother and amuse and cater to her brothers and sisters. Sometimes this goes awry, like the time that she suggest the forbidden game of "ghost" that involves covering each other with flour. Abby ends up having to clean up the mess, and as the oldest, is always blamed. Things are difficult with Julia and Monica; at one point, Abby calls Julia, and based on their conversation comes to the conclusion that she "like likes" Sandy. She tells Monica this, and is surprised that Monica is a little cold toward her. At one point, Abby calls Julia's house, but ends up telling Julia's mother that the remark about being like a fourth grader hurt her feelings, and Julia's mother cancels a birthday party. Abby is later able to fix this mistake. There are some sisterly successes, like when Abby must watch the other children while her mother takes Tommy to the doctor because his chicken pox have become infected, and she encourages them all to create a library with check out cards, and this keeps them amused for some time. Eventually, everyone gets better, and Abby manages to talk to her friends and figure things out, so that when she returns to school, it's not so bad.
Strengths: This is definitely a historical topic that we needed, before all of the authors are too young to remember what having chicken pox is like! Having it set in a family with five children makes it much more interesting; of course they all got sick at the same time. Adding a bit of friend drama, and explaining how the land line was the only way to communicate was a good move. There are some other things like VHS tapes and video rental stores that also have a tiny bit of explanation for middle school students, who at this point in time were born around 2010-2013! This was a fun but informative graphic novel from the author of Ghost Book, Pie in the Sky, and other popular titles.
Weaknesses: There could have been a few more 1990s references, but since this is set in Thailand, the popular culture was probably not quite the same. There are some good fashion depictions; I'm glad that chicken pox are gone, but we could use more bright colors! I was a little surprised that Abby and her siblings scratched their pox; I remember being coated in calamine lotion and being told that horrible things would happen to me if I scratched (I was younger than Remy!). I remember my mother taking her long fingernails and trying to scratch in between my pox!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a historic look at a bygone disease, or who enjoy graphic novels with family interactions, like Lloyd's Squished or Tang's Parachute Kids.

The illustrations are great. Being a teen in the 90's made the book nostalgic to me but I wonder if the new generation will understand the old tech and even chicken pox itself. Great story but I would prefer more on the changing of relationships in a family/friendships etc.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the title of this graphic novel since kids don’t get chicken pox anymore; however, my fears were unfounded. I think this will be a winner with my students along with “Allergic” and “Guts” to name a few. Engaging artwork, brilliant storytelling with adequate historical context to draw in readers, and lovable siblings make this a sure purchase fo my middle school library.

Chickenpox is never a fun way to spend days off school, but I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Remy did such a great job of making me feel for the characters in this story and stay engaged the whole time. Abby is such a likeable character and you really felt for her juggling with middle school, friendships, and younger sibilings. I felt anxious when there were problems stirring, I felt annoyed at the younger sibilings while at the same time being annoyed at the oldest sibiling, Abby. So relatable and a fun read!

Fans of the Click series or Berrybook Middle School series will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced copy.

I have previously expressed my dismay at all realistic fiction graphic novels being unnecessary memoirs that are set in the 80s and 90s not because the author's life was so interesting, but because the author doesn't want to deal with social media and cell phones. Rarely do these retro settings serve any function other than a song or TV show reference for the adult readers. I have been beating the "stop setting books in the 90s for no reason drum" for some time.

However, Chickenpox is a rare light in the darkness. A graphic novel set in the 1900s FOR A GOOD REASON. Color me thrilled. Because this book could not exist in the modern day, because...and as a 90s kid, this still blows my mind...kids don't get chickenpox anymore. What a relief! And THEN, it was GOOD! There's sibling drama where no one is an absolutely unredeemable jerk, friendship drama that feels realistic to how children that age interact, the struggles of calling a friend's house and having to talk to their parents. (Kids today will never know the struggle!)

What an interesting twist to make Remy herself a side character, focusing instead on her older siblings, which I think worked really well. I loved every page, and this will definitely be a no-brainer purchase for my elementary school library. Multiple copies, because I know it will fly off of my shelves.

Abby Lai has four younger siblings. They're constantly fighting. When Abby snaps at her siblings in front of her friends, it seems like her friends distance themselves from her.

And then everyone starts to itch. Abby's friend had chickenpox and now so do all the kids in Abby's family. Chaos ensues in the 10 days of "quarantine jail".

Chickenpox sensitively explores relationships both familial and friend. It provides great narratives of the problems miscommunication causes as well as positive examples of how to resolve those problems.

Partly biographical based from the perspective of the author's big sister, this graphic novel shares the story of being the oldest sibling with a house full of sick younger kids. Feeling guilty about bringing home chickenpox, Abby begins to realize how hard her mother is working to care for all the kids while their dad is away on a business trip. Abby grow and matures through this book and learns that there is more to her siblings than just a mission to annoy her.

I love Remy Lai, and this book is not exception. Engaging book about sibling rivalries and being quarantined. Great addition to an elementary library's graphic novel collection.

This was a great read! Immediately grabbed my attention. The art and character design is outstanding, and the flow of the book is super smooth. The relationship between the siblings was so funny and moving throughout the novel. And I have to say, the cover looks amazing! I've never had chickenpox, but I know this will be a popular title among Raina Telgemeier fans. I will make sure to purchase a physical copy for myself too when it comes out next year!

I’m the biggest sucker for contemporary, slice of life graphic novels that feature strong themes of family + sibling dynamics. This one did not disappoint! Not to mention, the art was so funny and extremely impressive