Drama

Telgemeier, Raina. (2012). Drama. GRAPHIX. Callie is the main character who is in 7^th grade. She is the set designer for the school musical and latter becomes the stage manager. She has a crush on Jesse who is in 8^th grade and has a twin brother Justin who is gay. As the story evolves with all the drama on stage and behind the scenes, in the end it turns out that Jesse is gay as well.  While at first glance the book might seem to be about homosexuality, it is not. It is a beautiful story of Callie learning to accept, forgive and be forgiven as she works through the play and creates beautiful friendships.  I have this book in my elementary library and love it because it offers a voice to the drama kids. It also teaches about acceptance and friendship. While the characters are in middle school, it is a good read for students as young as 4^th grade. Part of why I love Telgemeier's writing and illustrations is because she is completely relatable and is why her work has won awards like Top Ten Teen Graphic Novels and is a top seller. Her work is reviewed highly in review journals as well.