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“Rob Harrell is a master of middle grade fiction! I loved Wink and if it's possible, I might love Popcorn more. Harrell's use of the popcorn kernel metaphor to explain anxiety and panic attacks is possibly the most relatable way to help kids (and adults!) understand what it feels like to live with it. The descriptions of Andrew's experiences with anxiety and panic attacks had me tearing up, and then tearing up again when he's comforted by a teacher who also experiences them. Harrell's illustrations of the Anxiety File and Anxiety Friend are both entertaining and insightful. I cannot wait to put this into kids' and parents' hands.”
— Julie • Roundabout Books
The beloved author of Wink is back with a hilarious and moving story about coping with anxiety on a day when everything is going wrong
Andrew’s just trying to make it through Picture Day, which is easier said than done when it seems like the whole world is out to get him—from a bully to a science experiment gone wrong to a someone else’s juice snot (don’t ask).
But as Andrew goes through the school day, and as one thing after another goes wrong, that little kernel of worry in his stomach is getting hotter and hotter, until it threatens to pop and turn into a public panic attack, his worst fear. He tries to keep his anxiety at bay, but the news that his grandmother with Alzheimer’s is missing is too much.
This is a poignant, personal, and laugh-out-loud funny story about letting go of control and accepting help—all while trying to get the perfect school picture.
Rob Harrell is the author/illustrator of Wink and the Batpig series, created the Life of Zarf series, the graphic novel Monster on the Hill, and also writes and draws the long-running daily comic strip Adam@Home, which appears in more than 140 papers worldwide. He created and drew the internationally syndicated comic strip Big Top until 2007. He lives with his pup in Indiana.
Reviews
★ "Harrell’s illustrated novel shines with a humorous, authentic depiction of a middle school student with anxiety and OCD . . . The text and art provide relatable and creative descriptions of how anxiety feels in the body, as well as real coping skills . . . A must-purchase." —School Library Journal, starred review"Harrell’s conversational tone, snappy pacing, and realistic dialogue make each chapter eminently readable. The accompanying black-and-white doodles, notes, and comics lend humor to some serious situations. Harrell does a fantastic job of explaining the symptoms accompanying anxiety and panic attacks in simple terms . . . Readers will also appreciate the accurate depictions of talk therapy and of the tics that accompany Andrew’s OCD. Heartwarming, insightful, and surprisingly funny." —Kirkus
" . . . beautifully combines first-person, self-aware narration with 'the Anxiety Files,' black and white (often very funny) comics drawn by the narrator that further elucidate his anxiety and OCD.” —BCCB Expand reviews