Band Nerd: A Graphic Novel

Lucy is starting a new school in Windley, North Carolina in this graphic novel. It's a school for the arts, and she's hoping to be the first chair flautist, just like she was at her previous school. Even though it's nerve wracking to leave a comfortable environment, it's better than being at home with younger siblings Elizabeth and Liam when their mother, a busy nurse, and their father, an out of work lawyer, are constantly fighting over money and household responsibilities. Luckily, Malia, an 8th grader, is super nice on the bus and helps her get her bearings at school. The other flute players, like Neela, are nice, but Tolli is odd. Her mother is a former opera singer who is very pushy, and expects Tolli to be first chair. The school expects Lucy to have her own flute, which is a hardship for the family, because $400 would go a long way towards food and rent. Even though money is tight, a lot of money is spent on beer for the father, who, as we learn, once had to go to the hospital because he was so intoxicated. Lucy is very embarrassed by his actions, and missed the father he used to be. When Tolli makes first chair, Lucy is devastated, but she takes comfort in hanging out with Malia and her grandmother, who likes to bake. When they take Lucy home one day, Lucy's father is passed out and can't be woken up. Malia's grandmother stays with the kids, and is very understanding, since Malia's mother died of a drug overdose, and is very supportive of Lucy's mom. Lucy does talk to the school counselor, since the academic demands of the school are higher than her old school. When her father is supposed to be watching the children, Lucy sustains an injury, and this is enough to propel her mother to move into the hotel with the children and start divorce proceedings. This is hard on Lucy, and who steals Tolli's music before a challenge. She's discovered and has to go to a meeting with her parents at school, but manages to get the help she needs to cope as her family goes forward.

What I Liked: This book opens by introducing you to Lucy and sharing a little bit about her family life with the reader. The story unfolds throughout this book as Lucy has just started at a new school, and there are some new challenges coming her way. She is learning to navigate the constant fighting between her parents, her dad's addiction to alcohol, not being first chair, new friends, and more.

For a middle grade book, this one covers a lot of topics such as addiction, family conflict, friendship, and more. The illustrations in the book do a great job of capturing all of the emotions that Lucy is feeling throughout the book as she grapples with home problems as well as struggles to keep up in school. There's a moment in which you can see Lucy curling up on herself as she expresses everything she has been keeping in, and this is a powerful moment. As you can see, she has been defeated and needs others to step up for her.

Throughout this book, you get introduced to various characters through their interactions with Lucy. You get to meet her parents, siblings, some school friends, her band teacher, the school counselor, and her rival. Each of these characters brings a lot to the story through their interactions with Lucy and propels the story forward as they help Lucy navigate school and home life. While Lucy's friends may not be in similar situations, they each have things going on in their lives that show Lucy that she isn't alone and that she can lean on others for support.

The friendly rivalry between Lucy and Tolli is well done as they navigate being friends but wanting the same thing. This rivalry also teaches Lucy and Tolli about friendly competition and gets them to really think about why they want the first chair. After sabotaging Tolli and saying mean words to her friend Malia, Lucy is forced to figure out how to apologize and make amends with her friends. She learns a lot about herself through therapy that she and her family are attending, and comes to realize the wrongs that she did to both her friends, and is able to offer a genuine apology for her actions.

Final Verdict: Band Nerd is a heartwarming graphic novel that showcases how addiction can impact various aspects of someone else's life. Children ages 8 and up will enjoy reading this book, especially those that might be struggling with feeling alone due to the things going on in their lives. This is one that adults can benefit from as well as they recognize the impact that home life can have on children's academics and friendships.