Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads

Elementary Education


Guides
Collections
News
(0)
Wish List (0)
Wish List
Download high-resolution image Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

Picture Day

(A Graphic Novel)

Part of The Brinkley Yearbooks

Author Sarah Sax
Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
Hardcover
$21.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers
5.88"W x 8.31"H x 1.13"D  
On sale Jun 27, 2023 | 288 Pages | 9780593306888
Grades 3-7
Reading Level: Lexile GN220L | Fountas & Pinnell W
FOC Apr 10, 2023 | Catalog March 2023
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
See Additional Formats
Everyone knows the most stressful day of middle school is picture day! And that's exactly where this yearbook-worthy graphic novel series opener begins: with reinventing yourself, drama, popularity, and the friends who see you through.

Seventh-grader Viv never looks forward to picture day. It’s just another day where she wears a boring braid and no one notices her. (Her two best friends, Milo and Al, don’t count, of course.) 

But enough is enough. This year, she’s taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Viv grabs a pair of scissors, her phone for live-streaming, and, well, bye-bye braid.

Suddenly Viv is an over-night influencer at Brinkley Middle School. Everyone wants her help planning their next big moment—from haircuts, to dance proposals, activist rallies and mathlete championships. She hardly even has time for her friends anymore. It’s exactly how she dreamed of reinventing herself…right?

In the tradition of modern classics like Vera Brosgol's Be Prepared, Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward, and Kayla Miller's Click, Picture Day brings answers to perennial questions of what it means to be true to yourself—and a true friend.

Look for the whole Brinkley Yearbooks series:
PICTURE DAY • TRYOUTS • SCHOOL DANCE (Coming August 2025!)
© Photo by Sarah Deragon
Sarah Sax is an illustrator and comic artist based in Portland, Maine. She studied illustration, animation, and storytelling at Hampshire College and has a background in arts education. Sarah cares deeply about how, why, and what people create, and she works to foster the creative spark in makers of all ages. You can visit Sarah online at SarahSax.me. View titles by Sarah Sax
★ "An impressively strong debut....Bold, brash, and honest." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Heartfelt interactions surrounding popularity and identity provide ample fodder for introspective discussion." —Publishers Weekly

"For kids who enjoy realistic graphic novels about school, friendship, and discovering your true self." —School Library Journal

"[A] heartwarming story of self-expression and being unapologetically yourself." —Booklist

"The tensions and resolutions are portrayed through heartfelt dialogue and with pacing that feels authentic for the seventh-grade characters and the setting." —The Horn Book

“Picture perfect.” —Terri Libenson, bestselling author of Invisible Emmie
 
“Picture Day is a bighearted story about showing up as yourself—and for your friends. A timely and terrific exploration of navigating both the pressures and the positives of social media and middle school.” —Megan Wagner Lloyd, author of Allergic
 
“Charming, inclusive, and fun. Picture Day won an instant spot on my to-recommend list.” —Hope Larson, creator of All Summer Long
 
“A sweet, high-energy story about finding your place in middle school, friendship drama, wacky haircuts, and some seriously cool roller skating. I’m certain this series is going to be a classic!” —Molly Knox Ostertag, creator of The Witch Boy
 
“A deeply charming book. This will resonate with readers who are unabashedly tied to the cadences of fandom and social media, but also respects their agency and feelings and the unique ways they navigate social dynamics today.” —Shing Yin Khor, creator of the National Book Award finalist The Legend of Auntie Po
 
“Picture Day will reassure readers that while figuring out who you are is complicated (and occasionally painful or embarrassing), it’s totally possible to reinvent yourself into a more authentic you. A delight!” —Molly Brooks, creator of Sanity & Tallulah
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

About

Everyone knows the most stressful day of middle school is picture day! And that's exactly where this yearbook-worthy graphic novel series opener begins: with reinventing yourself, drama, popularity, and the friends who see you through.

Seventh-grader Viv never looks forward to picture day. It’s just another day where she wears a boring braid and no one notices her. (Her two best friends, Milo and Al, don’t count, of course.) 

But enough is enough. This year, she’s taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Viv grabs a pair of scissors, her phone for live-streaming, and, well, bye-bye braid.

Suddenly Viv is an over-night influencer at Brinkley Middle School. Everyone wants her help planning their next big moment—from haircuts, to dance proposals, activist rallies and mathlete championships. She hardly even has time for her friends anymore. It’s exactly how she dreamed of reinventing herself…right?

In the tradition of modern classics like Vera Brosgol's Be Prepared, Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward, and Kayla Miller's Click, Picture Day brings answers to perennial questions of what it means to be true to yourself—and a true friend.

Look for the whole Brinkley Yearbooks series:
PICTURE DAY • TRYOUTS • SCHOOL DANCE (Coming August 2025!)

Author

© Photo by Sarah Deragon
Sarah Sax is an illustrator and comic artist based in Portland, Maine. She studied illustration, animation, and storytelling at Hampshire College and has a background in arts education. Sarah cares deeply about how, why, and what people create, and she works to foster the creative spark in makers of all ages. You can visit Sarah online at SarahSax.me. View titles by Sarah Sax

Praise

★ "An impressively strong debut....Bold, brash, and honest." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Heartfelt interactions surrounding popularity and identity provide ample fodder for introspective discussion." —Publishers Weekly

"For kids who enjoy realistic graphic novels about school, friendship, and discovering your true self." —School Library Journal

"[A] heartwarming story of self-expression and being unapologetically yourself." —Booklist

"The tensions and resolutions are portrayed through heartfelt dialogue and with pacing that feels authentic for the seventh-grade characters and the setting." —The Horn Book

“Picture perfect.” —Terri Libenson, bestselling author of Invisible Emmie
 
“Picture Day is a bighearted story about showing up as yourself—and for your friends. A timely and terrific exploration of navigating both the pressures and the positives of social media and middle school.” —Megan Wagner Lloyd, author of Allergic
 
“Charming, inclusive, and fun. Picture Day won an instant spot on my to-recommend list.” —Hope Larson, creator of All Summer Long
 
“A sweet, high-energy story about finding your place in middle school, friendship drama, wacky haircuts, and some seriously cool roller skating. I’m certain this series is going to be a classic!” —Molly Knox Ostertag, creator of The Witch Boy
 
“A deeply charming book. This will resonate with readers who are unabashedly tied to the cadences of fandom and social media, but also respects their agency and feelings and the unique ways they navigate social dynamics today.” —Shing Yin Khor, creator of the National Book Award finalist The Legend of Auntie Po
 
“Picture Day will reassure readers that while figuring out who you are is complicated (and occasionally painful or embarrassing), it’s totally possible to reinvent yourself into a more authentic you. A delight!” —Molly Brooks, creator of Sanity & Tallulah

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

Additional formats

Other books in this series

  • Tryouts
    Tryouts
    (A Graphic Novel)
    Sarah Sax
    $21.99 US
    Hardcover
    May 07, 2024
    FOC Apr 08, 2024
  • Tryouts
    Tryouts
    (A Graphic Novel)
    Sarah Sax
    $21.99 US
    Hardcover
    May 07, 2024
    FOC Apr 08, 2024

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

General Education & Professional Learning

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

General Education & Professional Learning
Social Studies & History Math The Arts General Early Concepts Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Science & Technology

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

Social Studies & History Math The Arts General Early Concepts Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Science & Technology
DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request
General Publisher's Spotlight English Language Arts

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

General Publisher's Spotlight English Language Arts
education translanguaging collections affirming bilingual and multilingual learners
General Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series The Arts

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

General Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series The Arts

About Elementary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

About Elementary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Elementary Education
    Wish List (0)