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The Real Riley Mayes

A Graphic Novel
4.09 goodreads logo

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( 453 ratings, 108 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Real Riley Mayes by Rachel Elliott is a delightful story about a lively and creative girl named Riley, who is navigating the ups and downs of school life. Riley struggles with feeling different, but as the story unfolds, she finds ways to embrace her uniqueness and make meaningful connections. Through her adventures, young readers will learn about themes of friendship, self-discovery, and acceptance.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love stories about friendship and finding your true self. It’s perfect for children who appreciate humour, heartwarming moments, and relatable characters navigating the ups and downs of growing up. It's an engaging read for those who enjoy seeing art and creativity woven into the journey of self-discovery.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

So when the class is assigned to write letters to people they admire, of course Riley’s picking Joy Powers!

Things start to look up when a classmate, Cate, offers to help Riley with the letter, and a new kid, Aaron, actually seems to get her weird sense of humor.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A Stonewall Book Award Honor * A Sid Fleishman Humor Award Honor

Funny and full of heart, this debut graphic novel is a story about friendship, identity, and embracing all the parts of yourself that make you special.  

Fifth grade is just not Riley’s vibe. Everyone else is squaded up—except Riley. Her best friend moved away. All she wants to do is draw, and her grades show it.

One thing that makes her happy is her favorite comedian, Joy Powers. Riley loves to watch her old shows and has memorized her best jokes. So when the class is assigned to write letters to people they admire, of course Riley’s picking Joy Powers!

Things start to look up when a classmate, Cate, offers to help Riley with the letter, and a new kid, Aaron, actually seems to get her weird sense of humor. But when mean girl Whitney spreads a rumor about her, things begin to click into place for Riley. Her curiosity about Aaron’s two dads and her celebrity crush on Joy Powers suddenly make more sense.

Readers will respond to Riley’s journey of self-discovery and will recognize themselves in this character who is less than perfect but trying her best. And creative kids will recognize themselves in her love of art and drawing.

While often funny and light, Riley’s exploration of what it feels to be an outsider and how hard it can be to make a friend break your heart in the best way. And with all of Riley’s hijinks and missteps, this story is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Real Riley Mayes by Rachel Elliott receives praise for its exploration of self-identity through humour and emotion. Reviewers commend its engaging narrative, vivid illustrations, and relatable characters, particularly the spirited protagonist, Riley. The book adeptly handles themes of friendship, self-discovery, and gender identity, making it appealing to fans of authors like Jeff Kinney and Raina Telgemeier.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780062995742

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 June 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: HarperAlley

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Rachel Elliott

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 429g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Rachel Elliott is an author-illustrator who grew up queer in Oklahoma. She teaches writing and comics classes for the University of Kentucky's Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Media. She has an MFA in Painting and is a permanent artist-in-residence at the Lexington Art League's Loudon House. She's a member of SCBWI Midsouth, winner of the 2015 SCBWI Midsouth Illustration Contest and an honorable mention in the 2014 SCBWI Midsouth Fiction Manuscript Contest. In 2016, the Kentucky Foundation for Women awarded Rachel with a grant for this project. The Real Riley Mayes is her debut. You can learn more about Rachel at https://rachelelliott.me.

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