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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Sell, Chad

Doodleville

288 pp. | Knopf | June, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-9848-9470-0 $20.99 | Library ISBN 978-0-593-12682-0 $23.99 | Paper ISBN 978-1-9848-9471-7 $12.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-9848-9472-4 $9.99
(2) 4-6 Drew, protagonist of this action-packed and heartwarming graphic novel, has a unique artistic talent: her doodles come to life. The lovable, mischievous residents of "Doodleville" are her closest friends, but the downside is that they frequently escape Drew's sketchbook and get into trouble. When she introduces her latest character, a sweet-tempered creature she calls "Levi" (short for leviathan) to her fellow (real-life) art club members, they are unimpressed. "Is he supposed to look so...goofy?" Drew's hurt and frustration build until Levi rampages into the other kids' drawings, now every bit the "menacing monster" they'd expected in a leviathan. It takes the other art-club kids and all of their characters working alongside Drew and the doodles to tame Dark Levi. The digitally created illustrations are dynamic and expressive; Sell's impressive range is evident in the depictions of the kids' wildly different artistic styles as well as those of famous painters. A wide range of skin tones, body types, gender expressions, and sexual orientations are represented in both the human cast and the kids' creations. Readers will relate to--and root for--Drew as she learns to accept her difficult emotions, take responsibility for consequences, work collaboratively, and strengthen her friendships.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

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