Melanie Dulaney's Reviews > Popcorn

It’s picture day for 7th grader Andrew Yaeger and he is looking sharp in a new, name brand collared shirt and is determined to take the kind of picture that his mom will be proud to hang on the wall. But the fates have another idea. Thus begins the day from you know where and making everything worse is the fact that Andrew struggles with anxiety and has some stemming habits that he is trying to keep hidden. So with every encounter with Mean Gene, every errant basketball that connects with his face and each mishap in the science lab, the tension grows from a cold little popcorn kernel to one that has been sitting in hot oil and is ready to pop. Fortunately, Andrew has best friend Jonesy by his side, a nurse who not only can tend to his black eye but can repair his Gene-ripped shirt, a mom who loves him unconditionally, a counselor who has handed him a few tools, and several teachers and one administrator who are ready, willing and able to support him.

Rob Harrell (author of WINK and the hilarious LIFE OF ZARF) draws on his own experiences with anxiety, OCD and panic attacks to give authenticity to Andrew’s feelings and uses his drawing skills and quick wit to provide some moments of relief so that readers don’t find themselves drowning in Andrew’s intense emotions. POPCORN may help those with similar feelings find the words to describe what is going on in their hearts and minds and to seek help until they find it. Those who have never battled the overwhelming pressure of panic pressing them down may gain a better understanding of what some people in their lives do feel, better preparing them to be supportive.

Text is free of profanity and sexual content. While there is a bully, there is little violence other than that done by a basketball and a test tube confined explosion plus an errant ketchup bottle rocket. Highly recommended for grades 4-7.

Thanks for the print arc, Penguin Random House.