Chickenpox

Gr 4-6–Abby Lai is a big sister and just wants time away from her four loud, obnoxious younger siblings. Abby loves going to school, particularly when she can spend time with her friends Monica and Julia, who want to know why they never hang out at Abby’s house. Abby eventually gives in and invites them over, warning them that her siblings are quite immature. However, Abby’s behavior toward her siblings isn’t exactly the picture of maturity, leading to her friends being standoffish at school. To make matters worse, one of those friends unknowingly had chickenpox during the visit, and now Abby and her siblings all have chickenpox, too. What could be worse than being stuck in the “wild zoo” of her house for the next two weeks? Lai perfectly captures the feelings of sibling drama and the 1990s, with bright, neon background colors, lots of onomatopoeia, and often exaggerated sibling facial expressions. This story, which is fictional but based on events from the author’s childhood, provides a unique point of view, with Abby taking the lead and Remy—the author—being one of the annoying younger siblings. This title is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, or readers who enjoy graphic novels akin to Megan Wagner Lloyd’s Allergic and Varian Johnson’s Twins.