Losing It in Translation

Eleven-year-old Nhia struggles with anxiety while visiting her non-English speaking grandparents in this installment of The Niah Normal graphic novel series. 

Eleven-year-old Nhia “Silver” Lee is visiting her Hmong grandparents, but she doesn’t speak their language—at least not very well. Enter: Anxiety. Nhia fears she won’t be able to connect with her grandparents due to this language barrier. Fortunately, while helping her grandpa on the farm and cooking with her grandmother, Nhia discovers that words aren’t the only way to show love. Written by Hmong American Sheelue Yang, this graphic novel is a darkly humorous, normalizing exploration of coming-of-age anxiety through the lens of an authentic preteen girl.

For ages 8-11. From The Niah Normal series. Nhia “Silver” Lee is your average—totally normal—eleven-year-old. She’s got a small-ish group of big-time friends, a sometimes-annoying but always-loving family, and a self-described “OK” talent for storytelling. Just one problem: All of these absolutely ordinary things bring her extraordinary anxiety. An overnight trip to visit her Hmong grandparents? Nonstop, heart-pounding stress. Starting a new school? Palm-sweating, gut-wrenching fear. Competing in a talent show? Full-on, faint-inducing panic. Fortunately, this introspective Hmong American girl won’t let a little thing like paralyzing anxiety stop her. She’s flipping the script. Confronting her anxieties one teeny-tiny, micro baby step at a time. And writing a new chapter to her own story. It might not be everyone’s normal—but it’s The Nhia Normal. Written by Sheelue Yang, this graphic novel series is a darkly humorous, normalizing exploration of coming-of-age anxiety through the lens of an authentic preteen girl.

About the Author
Sheelue Yang is an editor and writer based in east St. Paul, Minnesota.

About the Illustrator
Karen Donnelly is a British illustrator with many years’ experience in fiction and non fiction. She grew up loving to draw pictures for the books she was reading and still can’t believe that she gets to do it for real! She works in a very, very untidy basement studio, in the company of her grumpy Scottie dog.