A sweet and honest portrayal of a middle schooler learning to cope with her dyslexia diagnosis. She resists telling her friends what is going on but eventually conveys what is going on through her art.

Thank you, Kami Garcia!

Fifth grader Stella keeps getting further behind her classmates, and her frustration with not being as fast as the other kids in her class weighs heavily on her mind. Along with those academic frustrations, Stella also faces hurdles with her friendships. Thankfully, Stella has wonderful support from her parents and teachers , and she learns how to cope with her dyslexia. As a Mom who helped her son navigate dyslexia when he was in second grade, this story was personal and made me truly thankful for the amazing educators who helped him.
Mixed-Up is a book so many students need; they need to understand that It's ok to learn differently from your peers. Adding the dyslexic-friendly font to the novel was the chef's kiss!
I can't wait to share this one with my readers!

Sweet late elementary school about a young girl whose un-diagnosed dyslexia causes difficulty with her schooling and friendship group. She is ultimately supported by her teachers, parents, and friends in a way that is loving and inclusive. A great book for explaining learning differences, particularly to those who, like the MC, struggle with extensive blocks of context-free prose.

Graphic novels are such a hit with my kids. I love the representation of a child with dyslexia. Some kids will really relate. I am not sure how engaged those who don’t struggle to read will be by the storyline, but it’s worth a try since a graphic novel that doesn’t have any content that’s too mature for my third graders. Would be great to buy specifically for a child who struggles to read and could see themselves in the story.

First off, this book was absolutely adorable. You could feel Stella’s troubles throughout the book, and as the reader, you just wanted to help her. The author did a great job with portraying dyslexia and how it affects people that live with this disability. A must read for any reader.

I received an advanced eBook from First Second Books via NetGalley. Mixed-Up was an excellent middle grade graphic novel that shows a 5th grade student, Stella, who finds out she has dyslexia. While noted by the author this story doesn't represent all youth with this diagnosis, it does a fantastic job of introducing what dyslexia to young readers. Also the story supports and lifts up young people who may learn differently than others. Empowering and easy to navigate for readers.

Stella and her friends are so excited for 5th grade. They end up in the same class and sit next to one another. Stella finds 5th grade hard. It is a lot of reading and she starts to fall behind. Her friends don’t understand why she isn’t excited about a new Witchlins guidebook and online game. The truth is Stella can’t read it. The teacher becomes concerned and after some testing, they realize Stella is dyslexic. She learns that she is smart, but her brain learns in a different way. Stella can’t come up with an idea for her 5th grade project to write a story. Her teachers encourages her to write a graphic novel. She does, using her friends and the Witchlins game as a theme. All ends well when Stella wins the author contest and she reveals the book to her friends and her dyslexia.

I liked this graphic novel. The subject was different than any I have read in the past. I liked how this was based on the author’s daughter dyslexia journey. I liked the explanations about dyslexia at the end of the book. I also enjoyed reading about the author and illustrators stories.

A thoughtful graphic novel based on author Kami Garcia’s experiences with her daughter, Mixed Up shows us the anxiety of an upper elementary student as they start to feel the pressure and increasing demands of school work. The story has a great message for students that find they or a friend gets a new diagnosis with a learning disability and that there isn’t any shame to that. The book is great for upper elementary/middle grade and fans of Smile and Guts. The font used is a dyslexic friendly font with weighted lines to help with letter recognition. While the dialogue feels choppy in some places and some of the backgrounds and art feel a little flat, this book will likely fly off shelves just like its peers.

Thank you @NetGalley and @First Second Books for this ARC. Kami Garcia has been a favorite author in my school Library. I will definitely be adding this new book to our collection. The graphics are so bold and beautiful. I am always looking for books that have a positive outcome for students with learning differences. A must for every Library.

I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
Stella is beyond excited for fifth grade to start. She has the best teacher and is in the class with her two best friends. However, the first week doesn't go as she expected and she feels overwhelmed with all the reading. The struggle continues and expands to the new online game everyone is playing. She can't read the Guidebook so pulls away from her friends. Within the story, Stella is writing a book for the Young Authors Competition. She tells of three witches who are best friends until one pulls away as she can't use her magic any more. Both in the main story and the written story, readers see how pulling away and not sharing causes more problems than trusting friends to support you. Her teacher sees her struggles and offers help from other staff members. They determine Stella has dyslexia and offer reading techniques and study options so she can catch up and excel. When she finds her courage to share, she also finds a way back to her friends and the game she loves.
The artwork captures the emotions swirling around this story and fleshes out the details provided.
Don't miss the information on dyslexia at the end of the story.

I wish I could give this 4.5. The art in the book is excellent and shows the emotions of the characters well. It really helps move the story forward. You can tell that the author cares about the subject matter, and tying Stella's learning disability into school AND her hobby with her friends really shows how it can affect life in various parts. The emotions all came through - frustration, sadness, shame, relief. I love how the book also explains dyslexia and the ways that can be used to help while also stating that what works for one person may not be the best solution for another, so there's a lot of trial and error in finding a solution. This is so important to understand in a world where we just expect things to be fixed immediately. Great work on this graphic novel!

When reading isn’t as easy as ABC.
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Stella is so excited for fifth grade: she got the best teacher in the school and gets to enjoy the class with her two best friends: Emiko and Latasha. Unfortunately for Stella, the work keeps piling up with so many reading assignments and she starts to fall behind. At the same time the girls’ favorite graphic novel series The Witchlins releases a guidebook, but Stella can’t read it to play the online game. This causes a rift between her and her friends. When Miss Marin notices that Stella needs extra help, she has her tested and diagnosed with dyslexia. Once Stella gets the help she needs, she’s able to be more successful at school and with her friends.
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This was such a sweet MG graphic novel. I just adored everything about it from the girls’ friendship to how supportive Stella’s teacher was and how inclusive the book is using a dyslexia font and providing context and resources for the reader. Not all students will get the help provided to Stella in this novel and it breaks my heart. Having worked in education for almost twenty years I’ve seen so many kids go undiagnosed for so long that it ruins their confidence, self-worth and effects their behavior in school & beyond. This is a must-read for all educators and students! Out January 21 from @firstsecond

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stella and her besties, Emiko and Latasha, are so excited for fifth grade. They are in the same class with a great teacher AND their favorite show, Witchlins, is about to drop something super exciting! When Witchlins announces that they have an online game that requires a guidebook, Stella starts to feel left out. She's never been the best reader.

On top of the guidebook, fifth grade has so many words in the textbooks! Stella starts to fall further and further behind in both schoolwork and the Witchlins game. She feels like her friends are leaving her behind as well because all they want to do is talk about the game. They just don't understand how hard it is for Stella.

Thankfully, her teacher recognizes her struggles and helps Stella figure out that she has dyslexia, a learning disorder that makes it difficult to read. Slowly, Stella is able to navigate schoolwork AND work on the Witchlins guidebook once she recognizes her disability.

Not only does the book discuss dyslexia and how to navigate the disability, it also has all the text in a dyslexic friendly font. This font makes it easier for dyslexic readers to read. This graphic novel touched me on a personal level because my sibling has dyslexia and has had the same sorts of troubles that Stella does. I specifically remember them saying that they were stupid because they couldn't read. I'm glad there are more books out there to help kiddos with their learning disabilities and show that they're not broken; they just learning differently than others.

I applaud the representation, but I don't feel that there was much of a sense of energy throughout the book. Things happen because they need to in order to move the plot forward.

This will make a great addition to the middle grade graphic novel aisle! There are so many young readers with dyslexia that need this and would love to read a book like this! The art style is a great fit for readers looking for something similar to The New Girl and Smile! Definitely will be a good recommendation to keep in mind.

Genuinely one of the best slice-of-life middle grade graphic novels I've read since reading Raina Telgemeier's "Smile" in middle school. The problems that Stella ran into felt so real and relatable as a neurodivergent person, I almost cried multiple times while reading this book. The addition of all of the text being in OpenDyslexic font was just the cherry on top. I will immediately be buying this book for my 10-year-old sister when it comes out.

Mixed-Up follows Stella, a struggling reader whose lack of support is causing her to fall behind in 5th grade and friendship. Stella has two close friends, Emiko and Latasha, and all three love the TV show Witchlins. But when Witchlins gets a new online game that can only be played with the help of a wordy guidebook, Stella can't keep up. On top of that, her school work is piling up. Stella needs help but is afraid to ask. This results in her isolating herself and falling even further behind.

Pros: The book (at least the ARC) uses a Dyslexia-friendly typeface, which will help readers similar to Stella enjoy the story. The process by which Stella is diagnosed and supported is accurate, which will feel very relatable to Dyslexic readers.

Cons: The teacher seems to notice Stella's struggles very early in the story but they do not get addressed for quite some time.

This is definitely one I will be purchasing for my school library. Perfect for fans of Allergic and Guts.

Stella is a fifth grader who is very invested in the television show Witchlins and watches it with her friends. Emiko is a skateboarder, and Latasha is an avid reader whose mother is the school librarian. The three are very excited that there is an online Witchlins game, but when Stella starts playing it, she realizes that it's necessary to consult the gaming manual, which is tremendously dense. She's having enough problems doing all of the reading for her classes, and often finds that she is finishing last, or not finishing at all. Her teacher, Mrs. Marin, is very nice, and does support her. Stella is also wary of the Young Authors project for which Mrs. Marin has assigned all of the students a story to write. Stella can't think of any ideas, although she is constantly doodling and drawing comics. Eventually, there's a meeting with Ms. Lopez, who assesses Stella and determines that she has dyslexia. Stella now works with Mrs. Wukitch, a reading specialist, to get extra help. Mrs. Marin has suggested that Stella do a graphic novel for her story, and Stella spends her lunch time in the library working on this because she is trying to avoid her friends. Without reading the manual, she's not as far in the game, and is behind her friends. She thinks that reading has ruined to show and fandom for her, but she won't tell Emiko and Latasha what's wrong. After Stella wins the Young Authors competition with her graphic novel loosely based on Witchlins and starring her friends, she comes clean and tells Emiko and Latasha about her struggles and dyslexia diagnosis. There are resource lists at the end of the book, and a note from Ms. Garcia about her own daughter's struggles with this condition.
Strengths: Like Gerber's Focused (which deals with ADHD), Mixed-Up offers a realistic look at how a students might struggle with dyslexia, be diagnosed through school, and find helpful techniques from working with support staff. This is important not only for readers who have similar experiences, but for readers who might have friends who are struggling. The importance that Witchlins plays in Stella's friendship is interesting to see; friends struggle for many different reasons, and changing interests are certainly at the top of the list. This is also on trend with the idea that one's friends should be kept in the loop about one's struggles. I definitely liked that the teachers and staff at school, as well as the parents, were very supportive, as this offers comforting reassurance to students. I have always kept a pack of yellow guide strips for students who need them, and appreciated that the book was lettered in a dyslexia friendly font, just like the Barrington Stoke books!
Weaknesses: Mrs. Burk, the "mean" old lady librarian in her glasses and cardigan should not have said that graphic novels are not "real" books, but Stella's problems with reading are why I am often concerned when students won't pick up anything BUT graphic novels. This is often an indication that they need more practice and support, and I do gently suggest that in addition to graphic novels, students might want to try different types of books and work on building their reading stamina. Also, while it is nice that Mrs. Jackson lets Stella work in the library during lunch, this is another red flag. If a student wants to avoid the lunch room for more than a day or two, I ask if there is an issue that they need the school counselors' help with. I am not trained to deal with friend drama once it has escalated to the level of avoiding the lunch room.
What I really think: I will forever get this confused with Fantaskey's Wires Crossed , since both are graphic novels written by authors who have done paranormal YA titles! This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Cooke's Puzzled, Sattin's Buzzing, or Todd's Timid. Interestingly, around the time I read this, Bondia's comic strip, Crabgrass, has one of the main characters, Kevin, also diagnosed with dyslexia!

https://www.gocomics.com/crabgrass/2024/09/04

If I could give "Mixed-Up" by Kami Garcia ten stars, I would!

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jennifer Holm, this middle grade graphic novel is honest, realistic, and incredibly heart-felt. The author's personal experience with dyslexia and neurodivergence will only make this story more appealing to middle grade readers and graphic novel fans alike. The main character, Stella, faces many challenges throughout the story, but ultimately learns that everyone's magic works a little differently. I thought it was particularly touching when Stella entered her 5th grade "Young Authors Competition" with a graphic novel, instead of a traditional story like everyone else. Another wonderful touch is the use of a dyslexic font to make the book more accessible to readers who will identify with Stella and her journey.

I know that so many of my students/readers will see themselves and their journey represented in these pages, and I can't wait to see the impact this story will have on them! This book also gives readers who haven't faced these challenges a realistic glimpse into what many of their peers experience. This is a must-purchase for upper elementary and middle school libraries and classrooms.

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second books for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a touching graphic novel for young readers about the experience of living with and being diagnosed with dyslexia. I haven't come across many books about this for kids, especially not in the graphic novel form, so I was so excited to see this. The story is great, great execution, and the font looks like 'dyslexie' (a font specifically designed to be more accessible to people living with dyslexia), or something very similar as the letter shapes are clearly defined and more spaced apart.

I shared the news of this upcoming release with a grandma caring for a grandchild with dyslexia and she was thrilled to hear about the representation and couldn't wait to get the book for her grandson.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.