School of Negative Thought - (The Nhia Normal) by Sheelue Yang

About the Book

Eleven-year-old Niah "Silver" Lee has anxiety about starting at a new school, but with the help of her family, she will try to overcome her negative thoughts.

Book Synopsis

Eleven-year-old Nhia deals with the anxiety of moving to a new school in this installment of The Nhia Normal graphic novel series. Eleven-year-old Nhia "Silver" Lee is starting at a new school. Unfortunately, the same-old anxieties have followed her there. Will she meet new friends? Will she succeed on this school's soccer team? Can she pass her first test? With the help of her family, she'll overcome some seriously negative thoughts to find out. Written by Hmong American Sheelue Yang, this graphic novel is a darkly humorous, normalizing exploration of coming-of-age anxiety through the lens of an authentic preteen girl. More Books in This Series: Losing It in Translation School of (Negative) Thought What-a-Bummer Camp

Review Quotes

Nhia, 11, struggles with uncertainty and anxiety in this graphic novel series containing four short, episodic entries perfect for emerging readers. Within the four stories, readers glimpse the comforting parts of Nhia's life, like the stray cat she adopts, home-cooked comfort foods from her Hmong culture, a supportive mother and brother, and her friends at school. Although Nhia shows and tells readers repeatedly that she is worried and scared about upcoming events, she overcomes her anxieties and finds new confidence through perseverance. A successful talent show performance, a fun visit with her Hmong-speaking grandparents, transferring to a new school, and going to sleepaway camp give Nhia ample opportunities to work through her struggles. Nhia's emotions and tone shine beautifully through Donnelly's illustrations, perfectly complementing and enhancing Yang's text. Young readers will find the middle school settings exciting and consider Nhia likable and relatable as she approaches her new locker, a new lunchroom, and the possibility of a new soccer team. The death of Nhia's father is mentioned in one line in the fourth book and may leave questions in readers' minds as to just what happened. VERDICT This series would be a sound addition to any collection with insatiable graphic novel readers.--Kim Gardner "School Library Jounal"