Smaller Sister

April 11, 2022
Willis’s nuanced story of two white sisters navigating the middle school social minefield paints a realistic but hopeful portrait of the siblings’ relationship with anorexia nervosa. Lucy, who is a rising fifth grader at the story’s beginning, has always idolized her older sister Livy, only 20 months her senior. But when they start at a new school, they drift apart as Livy, rocked by the sudden change, exerts control by throwing away food and constantly exercising. The girls’ parents intervene with love, occasional missteps, and a bevy of professionals, but Livy continues to lose weight, experiencing dysmorphia and suicidal ideation. Gradually, Livy begins to recover—just in time for a move to Boston that causes the sisters’ well-being to seesaw. Lucy loses her youthful confidence under the punishing gaze of the new school’s mean girls and starts trying to lose weight, telling her sister, “I can be better than you at this, Olivia.” But Livy’s support, combined with a confidence-boosting summer at theater camp and a couple of good friends, helps Lucy climb out of the dark hole of self-loathing. With ample empathy and expressive watercolors that depict a range of body types and skin tones, Willis’s cathartic debut foregrounds a deep sisterly bond at a crossroads. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Starred review from March 1, 2022

Gr 4-7-In this moving graphic novel, sisters Lucy and Olivia find their bond tested as one of them grapples with an eating disorder. Exactly 20 months apart, the girls are sometimes inseparable, though other times big sister Olivia wants Lucy nowhere near her. Lately, Olivia seems agitated, disengaged, and preoccupied with her appearance. Lucy learns that Olivia is anorexic and is seeking help from a team of specialists. As the school year continues, the distance between the girls grows as Olivia balances school, sports, and visits with doctors. Lucy wants her sister to get better, but she also feels the burden of being the healthy sibling who seemingly has it all together. Why is everyone ignoring her? Will she ever fit in at school? Will she get sick as well? There are so many unknowns, but Lucy wants her relationship with Olivia to be restored, especially as they navigate through a new series of life's challenges. In her debut graphic novel, Willis draws from her own childhood; the result is a resonant and achingly real work, featuring well-developed, imperfect characters. She makes complex themes easily comprehensible for kids, and her digital illustrations are the perfect complement to the narrative, highly detailed and reflective of the story's changing time line and mood. The author closes with an afterword containing resources for readers seeking further information. Lucy and Olivia are white. VERDICT Middle grade readers will be utterly absorbed by this heartfelt graphic novel that explores the complexities of family dynamics, body image, and self-acceptance.-Claire Moore,

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2022
A graphic novel that shines a spotlight on the impact eating disorders have on two sisters. This brightly illustrated story of sibling rivalry wastes no time in revealing its serious topic: anorexia nervosa (a content warning appears at the beginning of the book). Little sister Lucy has always looked up to big sister Olivia. For many years, their frequent fights were easily resolved by an apology note written in the sisters' invented secret code and a session of playing with dolls. But as Olivia enters her tween years, the pressures of middle school begin to affect her self-confidence. Willis taps into her childhood memories of her older sister's struggles and the effect they had on her own eating and self-image, vividly portraying a family in crisis. The full-color spreads, which feature contrasting pages for Lucy's notebook entries, are well designed and capture the emotional impact on the lonely younger girl. When the negative pattern of peer pressure repeats itself for Lucy, will the family recognize the body shame she struggles with? There is a strong message here that those who surround you matter--and that the bond of sisterhood sustains. The accessible tone and format allow a difficult topic to be gently revealed with painful honesty balanced by humor and silliness. The girls and their family read as White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Compassionately approaches the stigma and mystery surrounding eating disorders. (author's note, resources, secret code translator, photos) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2022
In Willis's debut graphic novel, based on her own experiences, narrator Lucy worships her older-by-one-year sister Livy. They play together, then fight, then make up -- always. Things change when their parents send them to a brand-new school to start fifth and sixth grades. Shy Livy, furious at losing her tight-knit friend group, takes her anger out on her younger sister, who watches in dismay as Livy begins to obsess about her appearance and develops an eating disorder. Details about Livy's slow starvation are highly disturbing, but the cartoon-style illustrations help keep everything at a tolerable level and even manage to include lighthearted moments. With lots of therapy, and plenty of setbacks, Livy begins to recover, only to notice that Lucy has started losing weight. Heartbreakingly, Lucy can't help envying Livy's thinness in this story that lays bare diet culture's pervasive hold. Preteens listen to their peers; wisely, it's mainly Livy rather than an adult who explains the facts about disordered eating. (Helpful advice also comes from Lucy's awesome summer camp counselor, who encourages her to grow -- in all ways -- rather than shrink.) Holding this captivating story together is Lucy and Livy's unbreakable bond of sisterhood, authentically portrayed in both art and text. Appended with an author's note and resources. Jennifer M. Brabander

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
In Willis's debut graphic novel, based on her own experiences, narrator Lucy worships her older-by-one-year sister Livy. They play together, then fight, then make up -- always. Things change when their parents send them to a brand-new school to start fifth and sixth grades. Shy Livy, furious at losing her tight-knit friend group, takes her anger out on her younger sister, who watches in dismay as Livy begins to obsess about her appearance and develops an eating disorder. Details about Livy's slow starvation are highly disturbing, but the cartoon-style illustrations help keep everything at a tolerable level and even manage to include lighthearted moments. With lots of therapy, and plenty of setbacks, Livy begins to recover, only to notice that Lucy has started losing weight. Heartbreakingly, Lucy can't help envying Livy's thinness in this story that lays bare diet culture's pervasive hold. Preteens listen to their peers; wisely, it's mainly Livy rather than an adult who explains the facts about disordered eating. (Helpful advice also comes from Lucy's awesome summer camp counselor, who encourages her to grow -- in all ways -- rather than shrink.) Holding this captivating story together is Lucy and Livy's unbreakable bond of sisterhood, authentically portrayed in both art and text. Appended with an author's note and resources.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)