Gr 4–9— An enchanting, adorable, immersive story of Lia's emigration from Romania to Montreal, and her first months as "the new kid," inspired by Calin's own experiences. Lia turns 13 and navigates learning French, forming friendships, dealing with crushes, and the monthly struggles of her period in a new country. Placed in an international immersion class, Lia befriends "the bilingual girls" from Sri Lanka, China, and New York. Lia loves to draw and joins the school magazine, finding artistic inspiration by the end of the story. Throughout the graphic novel, menstruation-related topics, such as Lia's first period, dealing with heavy periods, getting a period in class, having a friend check the back of your pants, PE excuse notes from her mom, and mind-numbing cramps, are rendered with nuance and authenticity. Calin's many artistic strengths are evident in her illustrations of embarrassment, mortification, irritation, and surprise in mangalike panels featuring characters with large, sparkly eyes, blushing cheeks, and freak-out lines. Various languages are portrayed in color-coded speech bubbles, and readers will enjoy Lia and her friends' evolution in understanding and speaking French and English at school and together. Lia's changing use of Romanian with her family is also notable. Calin masterfully weaves variation throughout the panels to show full experiences with incredible details in scenery, facial expressions, and color that flow easily. The book is engrossing and spectacular, and Calin perfectly portrays the awe, excitement, awkwardness, and confusion of middle school. Back matter includes a note to readers, glossaries of translations, and acknowledgements. VERDICT A must-purchase for any and all tweens and teens who are ravenous for lighthearted, absorbing, and authentic coming-of-age, realistic graphic fiction.— Jamie Winchell

The angst and agonies of early adolescence are magnified when you're the new girl.Twelve-year-old Lia Iordache experiences the excruciating pain of heavy cramps as she gets her first period at the airport shortly before the flight that will take her family on their emigration journey from Romania to Canada. They settle in Montreal, but Lia doesn't speak French, and it's hard to see how she'll make friends at her new school. But as a member of the school's immersion program for French language learners, Lia quickly learns that first impressions aren't everything. Before long, she and her classmates find the rocky rhythms of tweens everywhere who are navigating schoolwork, extracurriculars, friendships, crushes, rivalries, and changing bodies. While Lia certainly feels the stigma of being the new girl, this work is a gentle exploration of what could be a devastating time. The adults in Lia's life are generally kind and supportive, and her diverse classmates from around the world ultimately make the experience of integrating into a new environment positively delightful. If only all middle school students had such a class! Calin's illustrations flow effectively and provide humor; her text bubbles also creatively visualize, through color coding for different languages and scribbles to represent French words Lia can't understand, the process of acquiring a new language. A few loose narrative threads and a relatively abrupt ending hint at future installments. Fans of Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, and Svetlana Chmakova will rejoice.Funny, awkward, and exuberant. (glossary) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)