A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
This autobiographical story chronicles Dan Santat's first trip to Europe during the summer between middle school and high school. Middle school was a terrible experience for him, highlighted by having to read a poem in front of all the students and doing a less than stellar job. Kids that age think they make funny comments but really come off cruel. So Dan's self-esteem was very low going into the trip. The trip was a mixture of kids from his small town middle school and other schools across the United States.
His experience in Europe was one of discovery. As the title suggests, he tried a lot of new things, some good (like Fanta soda and kissing a girl), some not so good (like beer and stealing a bike). He met a lot of new people and learned a lot along the way. Most importantly, he learned more about himself and became comfortable with who he is. He even let Amy (the girl he kisses) watch him sketching, something he didn't even let his mom do (the book is a graphic novel).
The story is sweet and relatable. Everybody has some negative memories from school and has faced the challenge of being yourself when you don't even fully know yourself. The honest portrayal of the good and bad things he did makes him easy to like and to understand. The reader learns more about Dan and is comfortable with who he is. It's a heartwarming, well-told story.
Highly recommended--this is a great coming-of-age story, all the better because it is true.
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