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Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age
A very unscientific poll recently revealed that 99. 9% of all people who attended middle school hated it. Fortunately, some of those people have grown up to be clever and talented comic artists.
224 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
About the author
Ariel Schrag
25 books236 followersAriel Schrag was born in Berkeley, California. She is the author of the novel Adam, and the graphic memoirs Awkward, Definition, Potential, Likewise, and Part of It. Potential was nominated for an Eisner Award and Likewise was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award.
Adam was made into a feature film directed by Rhys Ernst and produced by James Schamus’s Symbolic Exchange. Schrag wrote the screenplay. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Mezipatra Queer Film Festival, a Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Directing at Los Angeles Outfest, and was nominated for a GLAAD award for Outstanding Film -- Limited Release.
Schrag was a writer for the USA series Dare Me, based on the Megan Abbott novel, the HBO series Vinyl and How To Make It In America, and for the Showtime series The L Word.
She has written comics and articles for The New York Times Book Review, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, USA Today, and more. Her original art has showed in galleries across North America and Europe.
Schrag graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English Literature. She teaches the course Graphic Novel Workshop in the writing department at The New School and has also taught classes at Brown University, New York University, Butler University, and Williams College.
She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Adam was made into a feature film directed by Rhys Ernst and produced by James Schamus’s Symbolic Exchange. Schrag wrote the screenplay. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Mezipatra Queer Film Festival, a Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Directing at Los Angeles Outfest, and was nominated for a GLAAD award for Outstanding Film -- Limited Release.
Schrag was a writer for the USA series Dare Me, based on the Megan Abbott novel, the HBO series Vinyl and How To Make It In America, and for the Showtime series The L Word.
She has written comics and articles for The New York Times Book Review, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, USA Today, and more. Her original art has showed in galleries across North America and Europe.
Schrag graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English Literature. She teaches the course Graphic Novel Workshop in the writing department at The New School and has also taught classes at Brown University, New York University, Butler University, and Williams College.
She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
December 18, 2015
When Dan Clowes & Joe Matt Hit Puberty...
I read this comic-book anthology on the experiences of early adolescence because I am generally interested in the subject of youth, and because it looked like a great opportunity to sample the work of a few lesser-known alternative cartoonists. Unfortunately, the majority of contributions turned out to be less impressive than I had hoped, and the best ones are from cartoonists most fans of alternative comics are already familiar with.
To me, one of the two standouts is a scene taken from Joe Matt's The Poor Bastard - a darkly humorous reflection on young Joe's obsession with comic-book collecting. Even better is a short story by Dan Clowes that I had never read before: "Like a Weed, Joe" (also collected in The Daniel Clowes Reader). It explores the absurdities of young infatuation in a brilliantly insightful, subtle yet crystal clear way - the kind of story that makes you remember things you had been trying very hard to forget. For my money, it is one of the very best comic-book short stories ever, certainly a must-read for anyone interested in alternative comics.
In short, I cannot really recommend this anthology as a whole, but it made me realize that I urgently need to reread everything by Dan Clowes and Joe Matt. It has been far too long!
I read this comic-book anthology on the experiences of early adolescence because I am generally interested in the subject of youth, and because it looked like a great opportunity to sample the work of a few lesser-known alternative cartoonists. Unfortunately, the majority of contributions turned out to be less impressive than I had hoped, and the best ones are from cartoonists most fans of alternative comics are already familiar with.
To me, one of the two standouts is a scene taken from Joe Matt's The Poor Bastard - a darkly humorous reflection on young Joe's obsession with comic-book collecting. Even better is a short story by Dan Clowes that I had never read before: "Like a Weed, Joe" (also collected in The Daniel Clowes Reader). It explores the absurdities of young infatuation in a brilliantly insightful, subtle yet crystal clear way - the kind of story that makes you remember things you had been trying very hard to forget. For my money, it is one of the very best comic-book short stories ever, certainly a must-read for anyone interested in alternative comics.
In short, I cannot really recommend this anthology as a whole, but it made me realize that I urgently need to reread everything by Dan Clowes and Joe Matt. It has been far too long!
April 8, 2013
If you were like the 99% of kids (according to the blurb) who hated middle school, then this book is full of ouch. Actually, even if you were one of the 1% (the cool kids who were not only popular but had neither academic nor family problems), then this book is full of at least second-hand ouch.
A compilation of short comics written and illustrated by a variety of cartoonists, most of whom are about my age or a little younger, so I could relate to the 80s setting of most of the stories, this book is basically all about how middle school sucks. I guess this is supposed to comfort the target audience, to tell them that they are not alone in being awkward, miserable, unpopular, inferior, and lonely?
Of course with an adult's perspective we know that for most of us, the trials we imagined we were enduring were not really that bad, that everyone else was too preoccupied with their own issues to be giving us nearly as much attention as we thought they were, and that every adolescent ever has been awkward and embarrassed and self-conscious.
The stories are your usual trials of middle school hell: being the new kid, the outsider, the freak, the geek, the loner, experiencing the betrayals, the drama, the discomfort, the creepy old teachers and the well-meaning teachers who are equally annoying to kids who want nothing to do with adults, the parents who range from loving and understanding to abusive but who likewise are always the last people on earth you want to associate with when you are 13. So much of it was familiar, of course.
But while there were some amusing and touching stories in this collection, nothing was really laugh-out-loud funny, nor was anything truly poignant. We have all been there and done that and know that middle school sucked, and mostly what the stories reminded me of was how absolutely inane and self-absorbed most kids are. Not their fault - I was certainly inane and self-absorbed. But I didn't really enjoy the stories that much, I was too busy wincing from Fremdscham.
The artwork also ranged toward the sketchy and cartoonish. So, maybe this is a good volume to give your suffering adolescent child to let her know that she is not the only one in the world to feel this way and no, the whole entire world is actually not watching every move you make and judging how you eat and talk and walk. But I prefer longer stories with more of a moral than "Yup, sucks to be 13."
A compilation of short comics written and illustrated by a variety of cartoonists, most of whom are about my age or a little younger, so I could relate to the 80s setting of most of the stories, this book is basically all about how middle school sucks. I guess this is supposed to comfort the target audience, to tell them that they are not alone in being awkward, miserable, unpopular, inferior, and lonely?
Of course with an adult's perspective we know that for most of us, the trials we imagined we were enduring were not really that bad, that everyone else was too preoccupied with their own issues to be giving us nearly as much attention as we thought they were, and that every adolescent ever has been awkward and embarrassed and self-conscious.
The stories are your usual trials of middle school hell: being the new kid, the outsider, the freak, the geek, the loner, experiencing the betrayals, the drama, the discomfort, the creepy old teachers and the well-meaning teachers who are equally annoying to kids who want nothing to do with adults, the parents who range from loving and understanding to abusive but who likewise are always the last people on earth you want to associate with when you are 13. So much of it was familiar, of course.
But while there were some amusing and touching stories in this collection, nothing was really laugh-out-loud funny, nor was anything truly poignant. We have all been there and done that and know that middle school sucked, and mostly what the stories reminded me of was how absolutely inane and self-absorbed most kids are. Not their fault - I was certainly inane and self-absorbed. But I didn't really enjoy the stories that much, I was too busy wincing from Fremdscham.
The artwork also ranged toward the sketchy and cartoonish. So, maybe this is a good volume to give your suffering adolescent child to let her know that she is not the only one in the world to feel this way and no, the whole entire world is actually not watching every move you make and judging how you eat and talk and walk. But I prefer longer stories with more of a moral than "Yup, sucks to be 13."
February 13, 2010
The foreword to this book ends with "misery loves company, so start reading." They couldn't have said it any better.
This collection was miserable.
That's not to say that the artists and storytellers aren't talented (many of them are award-winning or award-nominated). This collection, however, offered nothing new to readers trying to "survive" middle school. Instead it was filled with painful stories that offered little or no insight into that time of life (save Jace Smith's contribution). Reading this book quickly felt like a chore just to finish it, and left me feeling depressed.
Also, the foreword and the text on the cover flaps of this book are clearly targeted to readers in middle school. It's even recommended for "12 and up." The language, vulgarity, and hopeless tenor of the book, however, would keep me from giving it to anyone in that target audience.
I would not recommend this collection to anyone.
This collection was miserable.
That's not to say that the artists and storytellers aren't talented (many of them are award-winning or award-nominated). This collection, however, offered nothing new to readers trying to "survive" middle school. Instead it was filled with painful stories that offered little or no insight into that time of life (save Jace Smith's contribution). Reading this book quickly felt like a chore just to finish it, and left me feeling depressed.
Also, the foreword and the text on the cover flaps of this book are clearly targeted to readers in middle school. It's even recommended for "12 and up." The language, vulgarity, and hopeless tenor of the book, however, would keep me from giving it to anyone in that target audience.
I would not recommend this collection to anyone.
December 30, 2012
I did like this collection, by a variety of talented artists, about their experiences in middle school. Daniel Clowes and others tell some pretty miserable tales... telling me nothing really new about middle school... though I pause to reflect that most comic artists seem to tend to be outsiders, recluses, bullied, dumped by potential suitors, etc etc... I was amused and entertained, nevertheless, and think maybe it would be a good companion book for teacher education....
July 5, 2007
I was really excited for this--it had gotten some super reviews. A great graphic-novelly anthology about the trials and tribulations of middle school, drawn & written by some great contemporary comic artists? right on. ...but it turns out I'm not so keen on it. I don't think it's half as great as the reviews make it out to be. And it made me feel a little sick and yellow when I read it.
There are a few good moments in most of the pieces--and there are a few really great drawings that made me laugh... And maybe a middle schooler really would LOVE it. but overall I think it missed its mark.
Sidenote: I'm not sure how I feel about stories, intended for kids/adolescents, with pictures of kids smoking / drug references / hands-down-pants.
Argument for: in context it all makes sense / noteably the protagonist is not the active smoker/druggist / it's normal & fine -- also, stories are stories.
Argument against: somehow graphic representation is a higher degree of representation than written description for me. ...maybe I'm offbase here, but I definitely have a different gut reaction when I see a picture-story of smoking/drugs/hands-down-pants than I do when I read a words-only story describing the same thing.
The more I think about that, actually, the more I think I'm offbase. ...like, I'm fine with The Chocolate War and Hole in My Life, but not drawing-stories of less-graphic situations? further self-examination required, I suppose.
Funny thing: it's put out by Viking Juvenile--but I really don't think it's intended for that market. This seems fallacious and suspicious. I'm not convinced that 12-16 yr olds really want to read about dirty-nostalgia like frilly blouses and winged hair...
There are a few good moments in most of the pieces--and there are a few really great drawings that made me laugh... And maybe a middle schooler really would LOVE it. but overall I think it missed its mark.
Sidenote: I'm not sure how I feel about stories, intended for kids/adolescents, with pictures of kids smoking / drug references / hands-down-pants.
Argument for: in context it all makes sense / noteably the protagonist is not the active smoker/druggist / it's normal & fine -- also, stories are stories.
Argument against: somehow graphic representation is a higher degree of representation than written description for me. ...maybe I'm offbase here, but I definitely have a different gut reaction when I see a picture-story of smoking/drugs/hands-down-pants than I do when I read a words-only story describing the same thing.
The more I think about that, actually, the more I think I'm offbase. ...like, I'm fine with The Chocolate War and Hole in My Life, but not drawing-stories of less-graphic situations? further self-examination required, I suppose.
Funny thing: it's put out by Viking Juvenile--but I really don't think it's intended for that market. This seems fallacious and suspicious. I'm not convinced that 12-16 yr olds really want to read about dirty-nostalgia like frilly blouses and winged hair...
August 5, 2019
WeB.f.f ⭐
From fair weather ⭐
Snitch ⭐⭐⭐.5
Anxiety ⭐⭐
Plain on number 7 bus. 0.5 star
Tips for surviving middle school ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Like a weed Joe 0.5 stars
Tina roti ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The adventure of batboy and starling ⭐⭐
Hit me ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Carter face ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Horse camp ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A relationship in eight pages ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Never go home ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Disco prairie rebellion of '81 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Simple machines ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Shit ⭐⭐.5
My rating for this book is 4.5
From fair weather ⭐
Snitch ⭐⭐⭐.5
Anxiety ⭐⭐
Plain on number 7 bus. 0.5 star
Tips for surviving middle school ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Like a weed Joe 0.5 stars
Tina roti ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The adventure of batboy and starling ⭐⭐
Hit me ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Carter face ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Horse camp ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A relationship in eight pages ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Never go home ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Disco prairie rebellion of '81 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Simple machines ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Shit ⭐⭐.5
My rating for this book is 4.5
February 2, 2018
I feel a sense of comfort when I think about this book, it’s just nice to hear about other people’s awkward middle school experiences, and to know that none of us are alone in the things we experience & feel. Very enjoyable & I loved seeing all the different art styles.
January 31, 2025
So sweet & cute & fully encompasses the tumultuous world of middle school
November 17, 2016
I'm glad I kept on reading the second half was a lot better. Giving this graphic novel anthology 3.5 stars.
Like I said above, this is an anthology. A collection of short stories by 16 different authors. The editor of this collection got to add two short stories. I don't want to talk about all 17 stories in this review because that would take too long. I did however break down each story in my updated progress section. So if you are super interested in each story you can look there.
All of these stories are set in middle school and high school. The horrible teenage years. Filled with angst and bullying. I think everyone can relate to feeling uncomfortable around peers. Being horrified about our parents or put in situations we can't control and are teased because of it.
I grew up very poor. All of my clothes were from the salvation army and my dad was an alcoholic. So some of these stories I could relate to. That doesn't make them good stories. It makes them depressing stories and reminds me that my childhood kind of sucked. Thank god we all grow up and move on with our lives lol.
My favorite stories from this collection were, in no particular order...
'Tips for Surviving Middle School', by Jace Smith. These two strategies seem like they would legit work. Too bad I didn't know about them in elementary school. I was the poor loser with ratty clothes back then. :(
The second story that I liked was 'Tina Roti', by Cole Johnson. The story was an okay tale about a new girl in school. I enjoyed the illustrations the most from this short story. The characters are cute and the font is great.
'Crater Face', by Dash Shaw was relatable because I had pretty bad acne from 4th-6th grade. It wasn't as bad as the boy in the story, but it was bad for me. I had to do steam facials all the time. My mom was always putting these scorching wash cloths on my face to OPEN my pores. UGH! I liked how the girl could care less the boy had pimples and wanted to hang out with him anyway.
'A relationship in Eight Pages', by Jim Hoover should be called a relationship in Eight Grade. This is so classic. Boy asks out girl. Girl says yes. Then friends say that was a bad idea and girl "dumps" boy. I mean I experienced this before as well. Except it was the other way around. I didn't ask the boy out... but he did dump me after a day lol.
Lastly and my favorite of the entire collection was 'SHIT', by Ariel Schrag. This is basically a story about shit. The main character goes on a two day boat trip with the new girl and her new "best-friend". During the trip Samantha the new girl tells our main character that she can't shit in the boat house. But she does anyway and what she does with the shit afterwards is so flipping hilarious. So yes. My favorite story was about SHIT and I don't care. TEEHEE!!
I liked that in the back of the book each other has a yearbook photo of them from middle school. It was nice to put a face to the author of the stories. I think all the stories had some truth to them. Not sure if they were all autobiographical. They all were extremely relatable and totally realistic. The did have a depressing vibe to them because of the uncomfortable nature that is middle school. All the kids are trying to figure themselves out and how they relate to their peers.
If you like reading comics, if you like to reminiscence about he good ol'days of middle school pick up this short story collection. If you want to find new comic authors to read in the future, this is a nice view of their writing style and their illustrations.
Like I said above, this is an anthology. A collection of short stories by 16 different authors. The editor of this collection got to add two short stories. I don't want to talk about all 17 stories in this review because that would take too long. I did however break down each story in my updated progress section. So if you are super interested in each story you can look there.
All of these stories are set in middle school and high school. The horrible teenage years. Filled with angst and bullying. I think everyone can relate to feeling uncomfortable around peers. Being horrified about our parents or put in situations we can't control and are teased because of it.
I grew up very poor. All of my clothes were from the salvation army and my dad was an alcoholic. So some of these stories I could relate to. That doesn't make them good stories. It makes them depressing stories and reminds me that my childhood kind of sucked. Thank god we all grow up and move on with our lives lol.
My favorite stories from this collection were, in no particular order...
'Tips for Surviving Middle School', by Jace Smith. These two strategies seem like they would legit work. Too bad I didn't know about them in elementary school. I was the poor loser with ratty clothes back then. :(
The second story that I liked was 'Tina Roti', by Cole Johnson. The story was an okay tale about a new girl in school. I enjoyed the illustrations the most from this short story. The characters are cute and the font is great.
'Crater Face', by Dash Shaw was relatable because I had pretty bad acne from 4th-6th grade. It wasn't as bad as the boy in the story, but it was bad for me. I had to do steam facials all the time. My mom was always putting these scorching wash cloths on my face to OPEN my pores. UGH! I liked how the girl could care less the boy had pimples and wanted to hang out with him anyway.
'A relationship in Eight Pages', by Jim Hoover should be called a relationship in Eight Grade. This is so classic. Boy asks out girl. Girl says yes. Then friends say that was a bad idea and girl "dumps" boy. I mean I experienced this before as well. Except it was the other way around. I didn't ask the boy out... but he did dump me after a day lol.
Lastly and my favorite of the entire collection was 'SHIT', by Ariel Schrag. This is basically a story about shit. The main character goes on a two day boat trip with the new girl and her new "best-friend". During the trip Samantha the new girl tells our main character that she can't shit in the boat house. But she does anyway and what she does with the shit afterwards is so flipping hilarious. So yes. My favorite story was about SHIT and I don't care. TEEHEE!!
I liked that in the back of the book each other has a yearbook photo of them from middle school. It was nice to put a face to the author of the stories. I think all the stories had some truth to them. Not sure if they were all autobiographical. They all were extremely relatable and totally realistic. The did have a depressing vibe to them because of the uncomfortable nature that is middle school. All the kids are trying to figure themselves out and how they relate to their peers.
If you like reading comics, if you like to reminiscence about he good ol'days of middle school pick up this short story collection. If you want to find new comic authors to read in the future, this is a nice view of their writing style and their illustrations.
November 23, 2020
Stuck in the Middle was one of the first anthologies of memoir and slice of life comics I read, checking it out from my college library, and it really sparked my interest in the genre, introducing me to a lot of cool artists, including Ariel Schrag, Gabrielle Bell, and Aaron Renier, among others.
Middle school is definitely a rich and traumatic vein to draw from; I can’t think of anyone who actually enjoyed this period of their educations, the time in between childhood and the beginnings of adolescence when your peers are the cruelest, your responsibilities are the vaguest, and your very body is doing things you don’t want. All the typical experiences can be found here; trouble with homework, bullying, zits, but some of the comics use these to explore deeper themes.
The comics included in "Stuck in the Middle" feature a variety of takes and styles, with a few telling a fictional story set in middle school, while most are drawn from life. Some opt for humor, some for drama, and some for nostalgia. A few are heartbreaking. On the other hand, it is true that the majority of these comics come from white, middle class backgrounds, and are generally set from the early ‘70s to the early ‘90s. In general, I enjoyed this collection and recalled some memories of my own, but really, I just appreciate it for a jumping off point for me into the world of alternative comics.
Middle school is definitely a rich and traumatic vein to draw from; I can’t think of anyone who actually enjoyed this period of their educations, the time in between childhood and the beginnings of adolescence when your peers are the cruelest, your responsibilities are the vaguest, and your very body is doing things you don’t want. All the typical experiences can be found here; trouble with homework, bullying, zits, but some of the comics use these to explore deeper themes.
The comics included in "Stuck in the Middle" feature a variety of takes and styles, with a few telling a fictional story set in middle school, while most are drawn from life. Some opt for humor, some for drama, and some for nostalgia. A few are heartbreaking. On the other hand, it is true that the majority of these comics come from white, middle class backgrounds, and are generally set from the early ‘70s to the early ‘90s. In general, I enjoyed this collection and recalled some memories of my own, but really, I just appreciate it for a jumping off point for me into the world of alternative comics.
July 11, 2008
This collection of snippets from graphic novel greats (Ariel Schrag & Daniel Clowes, to name two,) is making me laugh out loud during my lunch breaks. It's great! I'd have to agree that it's probably more applicable for those who have already experienced middle school...although I never understood people talking about how bad middle school was...I was probably just too freaking oblivious...oh, and I was hiding out in the library during recess because I was depressed that middle schools didn't have swingsets, ha!
December 7, 2008
This was included as a humor book on my YA Lit syllabus. I am either humor challenged, or the trauma of middle school is still too fresh (30 or so years later). That said, though I didn't find many of the comis/cartoons FUNNY in this book, I did find them true. Recommended for kids who might not believe that they'll make it through middle school, but who might find comfort knowing others feel and/or felt the same way.
April 20, 2015
Apparently it's hard to be a straight white able-bodied cis-gender preteen, who knew. This book wants you to believe it's "edgy" and matter-of-fact when in actuality it's mostly a superficial summary of what's so traumatizing about middle school. Kids who are merely awkward might find it relatable or enlightening, but anybody who has REAL reasons to feel like an outsider is going to feel even more left out for being excluded. So much wasted potential. I had hoped Ariel Schrag would know better.
September 5, 2015
Most of the pieces in this felt too short, or incomplete somehow. There was one that made me cry because it was so sad.
May 11, 2023
Another book I read for being on the 100 most challenged books from 2010 to 2019. Kind of a tough book. It aimed to be unpleasant and it mostly was - though not bad. The art and writing were basically fine - though obviously different from writer to writer. The aim of the book is to show the normality of awfulness in middle school, and for this it basically succeeds. But should it be in a middle school library? Well huh, I guess that kind of depends. Perhaps if profanity would get you expelled? It is a book like this sitting in the low shelves in the graphic novel section of a public library that causes me some confusion. I have no issue with it being available from the library via a holds system. But I'm thinking that if a younger person wants to read this, they should be able to. But I don't think it is intended to be enjoyed.
Read
February 4, 2025As promised by the title ("an unpleasant age"), this collection was excrutiating to read, as it really puts the reader back in the worst parts of ~middle/high? school. I realized 1) unlike real life, I don't have to experience this, so I skimmed through the second half 2) my recollections of that time weren't THIS bad. Which is not to question the authors' experiences at all, but it did cause me to reflect on my own, so I guess that was interesting.
I liked a LOT of the contributors already, and as with so many graphic novel anthologies, this is a great way to be introduced to some new-to-me creators as well.
If you pick this up, make sure to take a look at the end, where the "contributors" section has photos from this age - it's adorable.
I liked a LOT of the contributors already, and as with so many graphic novel anthologies, this is a great way to be introduced to some new-to-me creators as well.
If you pick this up, make sure to take a look at the end, where the "contributors" section has photos from this age - it's adorable.
October 2, 2019
Reading 2019
Book 104: Stuck in the Middle edited by Ariel Schrag
Another graphic novel left over from #30booksin30days and #bannedbooksweek. This a compilation of 17 comics about what life is like in middle school. I read some of this on a day I was subbing in a middle school classroom.
This book was hit and miss for me. Some of the comics were very well done, all with a very distinct style, and voice, great messages. Some of the comics were over the top and did not do anything for me as a reader. I would like to get the opinions of my students on this book to see if they felt more connected to it than I did.
Book 104: Stuck in the Middle edited by Ariel Schrag
Another graphic novel left over from #30booksin30days and #bannedbooksweek. This a compilation of 17 comics about what life is like in middle school. I read some of this on a day I was subbing in a middle school classroom.
This book was hit and miss for me. Some of the comics were very well done, all with a very distinct style, and voice, great messages. Some of the comics were over the top and did not do anything for me as a reader. I would like to get the opinions of my students on this book to see if they felt more connected to it than I did.
November 2, 2020
The art is mostly great throughout, but the stories blur together by the end, with the exceptions of standouts by Ariel Schrag (the least interesting artist but sharp storyteller) and Gabrielle Bell (whose art is wonderfully detailed and evocative). The unimpressive homogeneity of the authors/artists (seriously, EVERY ONE is white??) no doubt contributes to collection's overall flatness.
Best for adults and older teens; the perspective is very much that of adults looking backward and seems to lack the sympathy to appeal to irl middle school kids.
Best for adults and older teens; the perspective is very much that of adults looking backward and seems to lack the sympathy to appeal to irl middle school kids.
January 18, 2024
TBR Read Harder Challenge for a comic that has been banned.
This was a great, quick diversion of a collection of comics about middle school. Some of the comics definitely resonated with me and brought back extreme memories of navigating the awkwardness and uncertainty of being 12.
I also liked how the collection featured different creators who use different styles and storytelling to convey their message.
This was a great, quick diversion of a collection of comics about middle school. Some of the comics definitely resonated with me and brought back extreme memories of navigating the awkwardness and uncertainty of being 12.
I also liked how the collection featured different creators who use different styles and storytelling to convey their message.
October 3, 2022
I did not like this book. It was honestly one of the worst books I have ever read. I do not recommend this book to anyone under 13. I thought this book would be good because it is based around a bunch of kids in middle school. They were short stories, that did not make any since. I would definitely rate this book two stars out of five.
September 1, 2017
This book was pretty good it was just hard reminding me of my hard time in middle school. For this reason I would recommend it to someone struggling in middle school or even high school.
For me it just brought back bad memories.
For me it just brought back bad memories.
March 12, 2019
This really is a book for young prepubescents. Yes its filled with short stories about being in middle school and being young, but there is no adult commentary to make this the least bit entertaining for anyone who has outgrown puberty.
December 3, 2018
A decent collection of stories about middle schoolers. Some really stood out, and some were middling.
October 29, 2020
Middle school is truly brutal. I am thankful for the adult world and the ability to grow into yourself and thrive w/o constraint.
April 20, 2023
All were well done and enjoyable.
May 1, 2024
I enjoyed some of these comics a lot more than others, but I guess that's an inherent risk when reading an anthology.
October 29, 2024
Fun collection of comics, showing just how miserable middle school was for most people.
August 2, 2025
This comic features short stories from different authors, but it's mostly high school drama. I wouldn't recommend it, as not all of the stories are worth reading.
March 18, 2010
I struck upon this graphic novel collection of short stories quite by accident while taking my younger two sons book shopping at our neighborhood library. Perusing the YA section has become somewhat of a hobby for me, and when I saw Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an UNPLEASANT Age, I knew this was a book that would need to be stuck in my bag. I had ulterior motives, though. Yes, I wanted to read the book myself (who wouldn't want to be transported back to the time they felt the most insecure?) But I knew by past experience that if I left the book lying surreptitiously around, that my tween son would pick it up and read it, also. He is in the throes of those most uncomfortable years now. This, coupled with his artistic ability to doodle almost anything into a comical fashion, I felt positive that we would find a readership times two for the book.
As I began reading the anthology, I have to admit that I felt a sort of time warp happening to me. I could feel myself shrink in size as a flood of memories rushed over me (owning only one pair of Jordache jeans vs. the multitudes that the more affluent girls in my school owned being just one confession I will make). Tough topics are addressed, and I would not put this book in my classroom library. While I applaud the book and the dialogue it would likely stir, I do think my fifth grade readers are too young for some of the more mature content.
Divorce, kissing, first dances, sleepaway camps, mean girls, pimples, sex ed. (complete with anatomically correct drawings), drug and tobacco use, and needing to fit in (and even not needing to fit in) are fodder for the seventeen amazingly talented cartoonists who contribute to the book.
The fact that so many different artists participated in the collection make this graphic novel a teachable piece. Moving from short story to short story provides the reader with a challenge because each cartoonist has his/her own style. The reader must adjust reading rate and manner of reading depending upon the cartoonist's technique. Some artists draw sparse art and text, while others have a dense text and intricate artwork. Knowing how to navigate a graphic novel, believe it or not, can be tricky and must be explicitly taught. The various books exploding on the market recently discussing the why's and hows of graphic novels for teachers is proof that this can be a challenging text to navigate.
I did love the overall message Stuck in the Middle provides to young and impressionable readers, and hope the book will provide a springboard for my own son and me to openly discuss some difficult topics. I believe books tackling real world problems should always be shared with readers before the reader finds him/herself in a similar situation. Learning from fiction is not quite as costly as learning in real life. Stuck in the Middle gets a thumbs up!
As I began reading the anthology, I have to admit that I felt a sort of time warp happening to me. I could feel myself shrink in size as a flood of memories rushed over me (owning only one pair of Jordache jeans vs. the multitudes that the more affluent girls in my school owned being just one confession I will make). Tough topics are addressed, and I would not put this book in my classroom library. While I applaud the book and the dialogue it would likely stir, I do think my fifth grade readers are too young for some of the more mature content.
Divorce, kissing, first dances, sleepaway camps, mean girls, pimples, sex ed. (complete with anatomically correct drawings), drug and tobacco use, and needing to fit in (and even not needing to fit in) are fodder for the seventeen amazingly talented cartoonists who contribute to the book.
The fact that so many different artists participated in the collection make this graphic novel a teachable piece. Moving from short story to short story provides the reader with a challenge because each cartoonist has his/her own style. The reader must adjust reading rate and manner of reading depending upon the cartoonist's technique. Some artists draw sparse art and text, while others have a dense text and intricate artwork. Knowing how to navigate a graphic novel, believe it or not, can be tricky and must be explicitly taught. The various books exploding on the market recently discussing the why's and hows of graphic novels for teachers is proof that this can be a challenging text to navigate.
I did love the overall message Stuck in the Middle provides to young and impressionable readers, and hope the book will provide a springboard for my own son and me to openly discuss some difficult topics. I believe books tackling real world problems should always be shared with readers before the reader finds him/herself in a similar situation. Learning from fiction is not quite as costly as learning in real life. Stuck in the Middle gets a thumbs up!
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