Look on the Bright Side

Gr 5 Up–The sequel to the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Go with the Flow begins where the previous volume left off. A series of wordless panels show pad and tampon dispensers being placed throughout the women’s bathrooms at school, thanks to the efforts of Abby, Christine, Brit, and Sasha. Abby hopes to make these necessities available at a wider level, working with the principal and the school’s Unicorn Club so they can also be installed in the men’s rooms. Brit is home recovering from her endometriosis surgery, and once back at school, has two very different classmates interested in being her boyfriend. Sasha is learning to balance schoolwork and having a boyfriend, and Christine struggles with telling Abby that she likes her more than a friend. The art is colorful, bright, and eye-catching; characters reflect a variety of racial and body diversity. As with the first book, this is an engaging, realistic, positive, and inclusive slice-of-life story about navigating high school, friendship, and crushes. Pair with Cathy G. Johnson’s The Breakaways and the “Lumberjanes” series.