Penny Draws a Best Friend (Book 1)

在看似平凡的五年級生活裡，Penny卻感受到無數不確定與轉變：朋友不再親近、家裡要迎接雙胞胎、自己也被選上班級戲劇。她焦慮、疑惑，但也在畫畫與對話中，慢慢釐清自己的情緒。這本書以日記與塗鴉形式展現女孩的內心世界，幽默而真誠，陪伴讀者思考如何面對改變與建立更健康的關係。推薦給喜歡《Brave》《Roller Girl》《The Popularity Papers》的讀者，是一本能啟發自我理解與情緒表達的成長小說。

A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Good Housekeeping Kids’ Book Awards Selection
A Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Selection

A humorous, heartfelt, highly illustrated new middle grade series about friendship, feelings, and finding your people, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard. Now in paperback!

Why does the cubby room always smell like farts? Who etched the words "I Am Bug Man" inside my desk? Why is Mom suddenly acting like she has a secret?

Nobody said starting fifth grade would be easy, and Penny Lowry's anxiety means a million questions are always spinning through her thoughts. Luckily she's got a lot to look forward to, like her favorite after-school activity, Art Club, and seeing her best friend Violet again after spending the whole summer apart.

The thing is, Violet has been acting weird ever since she got back. She never wants to hang out anymore, says Art Club is for babies, and spends all her time with Riley, the meanest girl in school. Did Penny do something wrong? And if she did, can she undo it?

In this heavily-illustrated, hilariously sweet introduction to a lovable kid working on managing her anxiety, the author of the #1 bestselling Pretty Little Liars series gets to the heart of how to let go of the friends who aren’t right for you . . . and how to make room for the ones who are.

“Uses humor and relatability to address big topics like mental health and anxiety in an approachable and tween-friendly way . . . Perfect for fans of graphic novels like Smile, Click, and the Dork Diaries series.” —Brightly

“Shepard’s light touch and sketchbook-style b&w doodles make for an engaging read that candidly portrays the effect of destabilizing changes on one child experiencing anxiety.” —Publishers Weekly

“Imbued with humor, colorful characters, and the perilous dilemmas of childhood . . . Shepard carefully and successfully walks a tightrope in her treatment of Penny’s worries by validating her feelings while suggesting that they should not be the only thing that guide her actions and choices. The epistolic format and the quirky, lovable main character will appeal to fans of Rachel Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries and Svetlana Chmakova’s Brave.” —The Bureau of the Center for Children's Books

“A bright and emotionally accessible story full of wit and warmth.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will likely relate to [Penny's] concerns . . . This new series comes straight from the heart.” —Booklist

“A great new series to help new middle graders figure out and process their new world.” —Book Riot