Thank you Netgalley for the ARC to review! I thought that the illustrations and writings were very kid friendly and could see kids enjoying this graphic novel. My only quip about this book is that the time period seems unrelatable to kids now and they may not understand certain things that the author brings up.

This was a cute, relatable, and nostalgic look at life as the middle child (among 6 kids) in a working class family in the 80s. Cassie is caught in the middle in many ways--her family is so busy and big that she feels invisible, her parents are stretched for money with her dad as the breadwinner who recently was laid off and started a new job, and her friends are in a transitional stage where some things that always felt stable are beginning to shift.

Throughout the story, Cassie gets lost in daydreams and believes in wonder and fantasy, even when she is teased for it. Her siblings and a bossy peer all tease or borderline bully her at times, and she has her own anxieties for being seen as too sensitive. Thanks to the caring adults in her life, such as Mrs. Farmer, and the siblings who aren't as bad as they seem, Cassie feels understood and seen. It is only then that she is able to make growth in her friendship relationships and start to see how things don't have to be all or nothing.

Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale's Best Friends series, and would also be good for fans of Babysitters Club Little Sister's graphic novels as well.

This is another fantastic graphic novel by Shannon Hale! Cassie's struggles with friendship, feelings of being overlooked, her desire to do something nice for others, and her sensitivity will resonate with middle grade readers. The graphic format brought forth the character's thoughts and emotions, and the elements of "wonder" stood out clearly. I will definitely be purchasing this for my middle school library and recommending it to readers and other librarians. I'm also looking forward to the sequel, "Dream Big," coming in August of 2026.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Cassie is a girl with big feelings, sometimes known as a 'sensitive person'. She feels her emotions in a higher state than others might, which can make some situations feel more serious than they might be. Cassie is also dealing with living in a large family where she doesn't have her own space and often feels like she isn't being heard. She works through all of this while a new girl essentially 'steals' her best friend from her. Cassie has to learn to accept herself and learn how to make herself heard as she navigates these challenges. As a sensitive person myself, it was interesting to read a story that I felt I could relate to.

Shannon Hale is an amazing mid-grade author. I love how she used the look of ribbons to show the wants/needs of the main character. I can only imagine how a person could feel over looked when in such a large family. Showing how difficult friendship changes can be was very relatable for the age of the reader. Very cute.