Bounce Back 2: No Such Thing as Perfect

by Misako Rocks!

Overview

Emma can’t help comparing herself to her bright and popular older sister, Julia. Try as she might, Emma can’t seem to please her mom as much as her sister does.

The more Emma measures herself alongside Julia and others, the more pressure she feels to try to change. But trying to be as good as everyone else at everything is exhausting and frustrating.

With help from her friends and basketball teammates, as well as Lexi, the French bulldog she’s dogsitting, Emma realizes that there’s no such thing as “perfect”—and it feels better to be true to herself, instead of trying to please others. But will other people, especially her mom, understand that Emma may not excel at the same things as her sister?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250838919
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Series:	Bounce Back , #2
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	54,153
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	HL460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 13 Years

About the Author

Misako Rocks! is an artist, author, and teacher. Her debut middle-grade graphic novel, Bounce Back, was praised as "hitting all the middle school sweet spots” by School Library Journal.

Editorial Reviews

2023-09-22
With a bit of courage and some magical assistance, a young girl learns to reach out to others.

Star basketball player Emma is popular at school, but at home she feels unappreciated, since her mother constantly and unfavorably compares her to Julia, her seemingly perfect older sister who attends high school in Manhattan. Emma’s insecurities manifest in a defensive demeanor that affects her relationships with friends and family. The pressure is heightened when Emma gets a spot on the school’s all-star basketball team. She’s disappointed not to be chosen as a starter; she’s also admonished for her lack of teamwork. Mounting pressures lead Emma to have more and more outbursts, but fortunately, she finds guidance from a guardian spirit in the form of Lexi, a cute talking French bulldog her family is dog sitting. Still, it takes things escalating to an unbearable point before Emma finally expresses her inner pain openly and connects more deeply with others. Parts of Emma’s backstory can initially be confusing to decipher, but the almost painfully honest portrayal of her emotional struggles will resonate. Self-esteem, friendships, and second chances are explored through her growth, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Drawn in a manga style and displaying a deft use of color, this is a visually attractive and expressive story. Emma and her family have light-brown skin and brown hair; there’s racial diversity among the supporting cast.

An emotional story that gently advocates for emotional vulnerability. (drawing instructions, fashion ideas, dog-sitting advice) (Graphic fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews

"With a bit of courage and some magical assistance, a young girl learns to reach out to others.
Star basketball player Emma is popular at school, but at home she feels unappreciated, since her mother constantly and unfavorably compares her to Julia, her seemingly perfect older sister ...The pressure is heightened when Emma gets a spot on the school’s all-star basketball team. She’s disappointed not to be chosen as a starter; she’s also admonished for her lack of teamwork. ... Self-esteem, friendships, and second chances are explored through her growth, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Drawn in a manga style and displaying a deft use of color, this is a visually attractive and expressive story....An emotional story that gently advocates for emotional vulnerability."--Kirkus Reviews

"This full-color manga-style graphic novel evokes the soft, dreamy character aesthetic of early aughts shojo titles. Slice-of-life fans in their tweens and early teens beginning to focus more on peer group relationships will likely sympathize with Emma's insecurity about measuring up. The author empathetically portrays the emotional ripples in Emma's family and social group, as they observe and sometimes inadvertently contribute to her self-doubt struggles."—Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher