Book details

Macmillan Children's Book

Big Apple Diaries

Author: Alyssa Bermudez

Big Apple Diaries

Big Apple Diaries

$15.99

About This Book

In Big Apple Diaries, a heartfelt diary-style graphic memoir, a young New Yorker doodles her way through middle school—until the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack leaves her wondering if she can ever be a kid again.
Page Count
288
On Sale
08/17/2021
Age Range
8-12

Book Details

In Big Apple Diaries, a heartfelt diary-style graphic memoir by Alyssa Bermudez, a young New Yorker doodles her way through middle school—until the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack leaves her wondering if she can ever be a kid again.

It’s the year 2000 in New York City. For 12-year old Alyssa, a biracial Puerto Rican girl, this means all kinds of new challenges: splitting time between her dad's apartment in Manhattan and her mom's new place in Queens, navigating the ups and downs of middle school, harboring an epic crush on a new classmate, and figuring out how to be a "real" Puerto Rican. The only way to make sense of it all is to write and draw her thoughts and worries into her diary.

Then life abruptly changes on September 11, 2001. After the Twin Towers fall and so many lives are lost, her concerns about gossip, crushes, and fashion feel distant and insignificant. Alyssa must find a new sense of self and purpose amidst all of the chaos, and find strength to move forward with hope. This moving graphic memoir is based on Alyssa Bermudez's own middle school diaries.

Imprint Publisher

Roaring Brook Press

ISBN

9781250774286

In The News

"Educators seeking firsthand accounts of 9/11 will want to share this with their students, while ­middle graders looking for an engrossing graphic novel in the vein of Raina ­Telgemeier’s or Shannon Hale’s work will be pleased." —School Library Journal

"An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy." —Kirkus Reviews

"Combining eye-catching layouts with frank vulnerability... Bermudez puts her whole heart on the page, and the love she holds for her younger self can be deeply felt in every entry." —Publisher's Weekly

"Big Apple Diaries is a beautiful snapshot of preteen life." —Shelf Awareness

About the Creators

Big Apple Diaries

Big Apple Diaries

$15.99