Smaller Sister by Maggie Edkins Willis

The explosion of fictionalized graphic memoirs, following in the footsteps of Raina Telgemeier’s works, is slowly leading to more diversity in the field. Many of the new titles are also tackling more serious mental health and family issues like anxiety, addiction, and racism.

This newest title portrays a young, white girl, dealing with familiar issues of growing up, fitting in, and finding her own sense of self while also tackling the issue of eating disorders through the experiences and influence of her older sister.

Lucy has always admired her older sister, Olivia or Livy, but when they start a new school Livy seems to be moving on without her. Lucy struggles to make friends and fit in, while growing increasingly hurt and anxious over her sister’s behavior. At first, it seems like Livy is just making her own friends and growing up without Lucy, but gradually it becomes clear that she has an eating disorder. When they move on to yet another school, Lucy finds herself navigating middle school, difficult and confusing friendships and romantic crushes, and her own anxieties about her body while her family’s attention is focused on Livy and her battle with anorexia.

The art and text are a strong combination, showing the bond between the sisters that, while sometimes stretched or damaged, is never broken. The sisters’ experiences show the damages of eating disorders and the different ways they manifest as well as looking at healthy friendships and navigating the complexities of middle school.

In addition to being a relatable and well-told story, this is a strong argument against “protecting” children from struggles with mental health, addiction, or suicide. Lucy’s family assumes that she is fine and they can focus on her sister and tries to protect and shield her from the knowledge of her sister’s illness, but it nevertheless affects Lucy and she begins to struggle with her own body image. It’s the support and gradual recovery of her sister, as well as finding a supportive and positive group at camp that helps Lucy start to move on from her damaging friendships and early signs of disordered eating.

Verdict: A relatable book for middle grade and middle school readers that encourages them to find a supportive network and build their own confidence and self-image. This will be popular with fans of Raina Telgemeier and similar titles.

ISBN: 9781250767417; Published June 2022 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library