Duel by Jessixa Bagley and illustrated by Aaron Bagley
Graphic novel
This was a cute one. It deals with two sisters and their mom. Their father recently died, and they are all struggling. The sisters are now attending the same middle school, and they are not happy about it. Gigi is in 8th grade, and she is on the Fencing team. Lucy is just starting 6th grade, and she just wants to avoid Gigi. On the first day of school, they get into an argument that ends with Lucy challenging Gigi to a duel.
As the sisters prepare for the duel, you learn about how the sisters feel about each other and how they are dealing with the loss of their dad. I liked that their inner thoughts are color-coded, so you aren’t confused as to who is thinking what.
I grew up with many siblings, and I remember hearing people tell me that we would all be best friends when we were adults, and I never believed them. I acted like these sisters and thought, “I will never be best friends with her,” or “I doubt I will ever even see her once we both move out.” But here we are today as adults, and we spend a lot of weekends at each other’s homes and call and text each other almost daily.
I also like the fencing angle. You don’t hear a lot about fencing. Especially in middle grade books. I wonder if this book will inspire a few kids to give it a try.
Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups
Literary Coffee 