Jessie Elliot is a Big Chicken. Élise Gravel. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press (Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books), 2014. 176 pp., hardcover, $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-741-8. Subject Headings: Best friends-Fiction. Friendship-Fiction. Humorous stories. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13. Review by Natalie Schembri. **** /4

excerpt:

Top 10 reasons why there�s NO WAY I�ll ever be SUPERCOOL in high school:

1 � I read too much

2 � I still have a My Little Ponies collection

3 � My parents won�t get me red cowboy boots

4 � My mom still cuts my hair

5 � I like to play scrabble

6 � There�s a unicorn on my pencil case

7 � I don�t smoke

8 � I have Dumbo ears

9 � I go to bed at 9:30

10 � I�m scared of everything

Through imaginative and hilariously detailed doodles, Elise Gravel chronicles Jessie Elliot�s final summer as a child. Gravel�s bold and colourful, cartoon-style illustration exudes the essence of a tween journal�a hybrid of comic form and story narrative�and provides readers with a glimpse into the coming-of-age opinions and worries of our lovable and intelligent chicken, Jessie Elliot. In the fall, Jessie will attend Hochelaga High where there will be girls wearing �gallons of mascara,� the parking lot will be full of �egg-headed tough guys,� there will be �hats that make boy�s heads look like ping-pong balls�, and teens who �look so much cooler with a cigarette [insert sarcasm].� With such wit, Gravel insightfully showcases the genuine anxieties of youth�namely maintaining or making friendships and the concept of fitting in�in the transition into high school.

      What happens when Jessie�s BFF Julie befriends the cool girl? How will Jessie spend the rest of her summer besides hanging out with her cat, Ottawa; swooning over the dreamy French-Canadian poet Emile Nelligan; playing tetris; and classifying her eraser collection? Is she really suffering from a mild case of uncoolitis?

      I am particularly enthralled with Gravel�s use of lists and diagrams throughout this comic chronicle of youth. The lists and diagrams richly bring the narrative to life as they showcase Jessie�s innermost thoughts and feelings. Notable lists from this story include: Top 10 Reasons Why There�s NO WAY I�ll Ever Be SUPERCOOL in High School, A Partial List of All the Things that Could Make Me Pee in My Pants, List of the Things that I Feel Sorry For, and Why I Like Ben. I also cannot forget to mention that Jessie and her friend Julie are writing a comic book! Within Gravel�s story, readers are privy to the adventures of Super-Pickle. Super-Pickle �fights evil teachers, [their] worst enemy Isabelle Lemoine, The Witch�and all sorts of annoying people.�

      Gravel�s story is a clever and colourful work of genius. Move over Wimpy Kid and Big Nate, Jessie Elliot�and her independent and mysterious invented alter ego Coyotita, the lone coyote-girl�is my hero. This story of observations and self-reflection is a must-read for middle-grade readers. Jessie is not a chicken; she optimistically dreams of possibilities for the future. Elise Gravel, please write a second book! In the meantime, I�m inspired to start doodling and list writing with my own set of markers.

Highly Recommended.

Natalie Schembri studies children�s literature at The University of British Columbia.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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