Absolutely Everything

Gr 4-7–The transition to sixth grade is a lot for Marcella to manage—an earlier bus and rotating block schedule leave her off-balance and feeling anxious. The lights and noise of crowded hallways and busy classrooms make it hard to focus on conversations and tasks. She’s confused and hurt when her best friend Jen is more interested in ballet, cute boys, and new friends than in spending time together. On top of it all, her dads announce that they’ll be moving to a new apartment within the week. “There’s so much to remember all the time. And everything is so distracting.” Alexander demonstrates the overwhelming sensations that Marcella perceives when she is trying to listen by first overlapping speech balloons and then changing the letters in subsequent panels to scribbles. Later, a personal essay assignment looms over Marcella’s head and shoulders; scratchy block lettering on a bright red background crowds her out of the frame. The concern of a caring teacher and her fathers’ quick action lead to a diagnosis of ADHD that allows Marcella to appreciate that “things are easier when you understand how your brain works.” Marcella and her fathers have pale skin; other characters are presented with a variety of skin tones.