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Review: Band Nerd

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Band Nerd
Written by Sarah Clawson Willis
Illustrated by Emma Cormarie
New York: Harper Alley, 2025. Graphic novel. 258 pgs.

 12-year-old Lucy Carver has been looking forward to starting at the Windley School of the Arts all summer. She is nervous about the academic challenge of a private school, but is excited to continue improving her flute skills. The flute is one thing that makes Lucy feel special - and distracts her from her challenging home life. Lucy's father is an alcoholic and his increasing arguments with Lucy's mother intensify Lucy's fears that if she isn't the best at the flute then she isn't good enough. Driven to be the best, Lucy fights for first chair flute in her school band, driving a wedge between her newly budding friendships.

Lucy's challenges with perfectionism and trying to hide a troubling home life will, unfortunately, ring familiar for many young readers. But, this graphic novel does a lot to approach a challenging and heavy topic with an honestly that makes it work really nicely for middle grade readers. Though the road to resolution isn't direct, readers see Lucy and her father seeking professional help with rehab and therapy. Readers who enjoy realistic graphic novels will find a lot of value in this book. 
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