May 31, 2021
Astronomy-loving Vega, a light brown–skinned girl, is uninterested in making new friends when she moves to Seattle with her two fathers for one dad’s new tech job. Instead, Vega’s determined to stay in touch with her best friend Halley, a bespectacled white girl back in Portland. But when Halley falls off the grid right before Vega’s dads ship her off to Camp Very Best Friend, Vega struggles with feelings of friendlessness in a new place. Her Black bunkmate, rock-loving Gemma, already has a “built-in BFF” in her twin Isaac, leaving Vega with chatty computer geek Qwerty, cued Vietnamese, and peculiar blond white kid George, adored by a cadre of overly enthusiastic counselors. When Vega, Gemma, Isaac, and Qwerty discover a pine cone that is actually a high-tech speaker, it becomes clear there’s something quite strange about camp. Boldly colored, expressive digital illustrations by Gardner (Becoming RBG) particularly stand out when depicting holographic bears and special camp vans; helpful inset diagrams throughout offer information on scientific concepts and instruments. This delightful, oft-comedic graphic novel injects familiar themes with ample imagination, as Vega and campmates learn that “Friendship is a renewable resource.” Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–up.
May 15, 2021
After moving to a new city, a girl attends a wilderness camp to help her make new friends. When astronomy-obsessed 9-year-old Vega's dad Wes gets a new job, the family moves from Portland to Seattle. Vega is not happy about this change and doesn't want to leave her best friend behind, worrying they will grow apart. Vega's dad Javi thinks making new friends will help her adjust, so he signs her up for Camp Very Best Friend, which is designed to help introverted local children build new friendships. Vega is not exactly eager to go but makes a deal with Wes, agreeing to try out camp as long as he tries to make a new friend too. It quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary outdoor adventure, and Vega and her fellow campers try to figure out what is really going on. The story smoothly incorporates STEM facts with insets on the page to define and highlight terms or tools. An unexpected twist toward the end of this fast-paced adventure that reveals the truth behind the camp will surprise readers. The clean, bright artwork is enhanced by panels of varying shapes and clear, easy-to-follow speech bubbles. Race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are not explicitly addressed; characters' names and physical appearances indicate a broadly diverse cast starting with brown-skinned Vega and her two dads. A classic story of outsiders making friends--with a little something more. (Graphic fiction. 8-10)
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October 8, 2021
Gr 4-7-When one of Vega's dads gets a new job in Seattle, they have to move-which means leaving Vega's home and best friend. To help her adjust, Vega's dads enroll her in Camp Very Best Friend, described as the perfect place for introverted Seattle area children to meet other kids. Vega and campers Qwerty, Isaac, and Gemma start to notice strange things about the camp. Even though they're in the woods, there are no animals anywhere, and because of all the clouds, they never see the sky. The counselors seem robotic and keep pushing one camper, George, to be the kids' new friend. Suspicious, Vega and her friends try to figure out what's going on, and they uncover a huge secret. This tale of friendship and loneliness reflects many middle schoolers' social anxiety. The cartoon art is colorful and appealing, and expressive faces and background details add depth to the characters. Information about the kids' interest in astronomy, geology, and electronics is a plus. Depictions of Pike Place Market, the public library, and other Seattle landmarks bring the story to life. Vega and her dads are Latinx, Isaac and Gemma are brown-skinned; Qwerty is Asian American, and George is white. VERDICT Middle schoolers will enjoy this light-handed guide to navigating friendship.-Carla Riemer, Berkeley, CA
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