Knots

Gr 4 Up–A darling graphic novel about the start of sixth grade in a new school with new hair. Norah, who presents as white, has a history of hair problems—chlorine damage, bad perms, and home haircuts. Even so, she decides to bleach and color her hair blue for the start of middle school in a western Washington small town. Norah’s parents work for the Department of Corrections and, as a result, she has an outsized awareness of authority, the law, and consequences. When her mom is transferred to a different job and moves with sister Lark, Norah is asked to be in charge of herself and dad at home. At school, teacher Ms. Washines, a member of the Yakima tribe, tries to establish a calm, caring community, but Norah misses her mom constantly and is distracted and worried in class, causing her to become increasingly lonely and disorganized. Through Norah’s story, Frakes normalizes moving, worrying, unavailable parents, and grappling more responsibilities than a 12-year-old might be ready for. The pages include bubbly internal dialogue that flow readily with a variety of backgrounds in boxed and borderless panels. Illustrated bodies and faces convey movement in a way that almost feels animated, and the emotional expressions are spot-on. A land acknowledgment and author’s note ground this work of fiction into Frakes’s childhood experiences.