Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova Book Review

Written by Svetlana Chmakova

Published by Turtleback Books in 2015

ISBN: 978-0606382182

Plot Analysis: Peppi is a girl in middle school that is trying to fit in. She starts her school year out on a bad note as she accidentally drops her book and then shoves a kid named Jaime out of the way and runs away in embarrassment. Peppi is a really good artist so she finds a home in the art club. The art club is not looked upon highly in the school and it has issues proving that it is worth being a club according to the principal. Peppi struggles with academics and especially science so when the science teacher suggests that she get extra help from a student in the form of tutoring she goes to find that it is Jaime the kid who was just trying to help her before. When Peppi finds a friend in Maribella in the art club and they work together on trying to create comics and displays for a showcase for the school, she goes home and is almost hit by a car while on her bike. Jaime and his mother happen to be passing by and Peppi learns more about Jaime and how he has a mother and father that are artistic and a scientist. Things go awry during the exhibition but eventually the art club and the science club come together to create a planetarium for the exhibit. Jaime and Peppi end up being friends. 

Critical Analysis: Peppi is the kind of student that we can all envision ourselves as when we are faced with a new and difficult situaion. Peppi is not sure of herself and it causes her to be awkward with new people. Peppi grows throughout the novel and it is a good model for students to be able to see themsevles reslove their internal feelings and create great situations for themselves. Peppi apoligizes for her mistakes and she finds a place where she belongs. Sometimes things that seem opposite of each other end up working out in great ways like how science and art came together to create a great project in the end. The pictures in the book are done in a way that enhacnes the storytelling even with the basic lines and shapes that the author and illustrator use. 

Reviews: Goodreads

Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don't get noticed by the mean kids.

Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them.

On her first day at her new school, Penelope--Peppi--Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she's already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the "nerder girlfriend." How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!

Falling back on rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can't help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he's a member of her own club's archrivals--the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!

Connections: 
Students could see about starting an art club or a science club on their campus if they don't have one and talk about how the two different clubs could come together to create projects for the school community. 

More books by Svetlana Chmakova 
Brave 978-0316363181
Crush 978-0316363235

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