Vera Vance: Comics Star (After-School Superstars #2)

Gr 2-5—This beginning chapter book stars budding artist Vera as she navigates her elementary after-school program and a series of personal anxieties. Most paramount of her constant worries is Vera's relationship with her mother, who disapproves of the comic camp that Vera loves. Vera is new to her town and school but finds a fast friend in Nixie. Yet with this friendship comes another anxiety: Vera is scared to voice that she would like to work independently on her own comic rather than work as a team. She begins to funnel her energy and her own emotional narrative into creating a comic about a character named Little Spoon, based on herself. The character of Big Spoon resembles Vera's disapproving mother. Vera despairs of ever finding the courage to speak up for what she wants, but she finds her voice by speaking up for classmates who are being teased. Vera still struggles to find the words to tell her mother, who she disagrees with but loves deeply, that she wants to attend the local comic con with her fellow campers. She chooses to let her art speak for her instead and uses the story of Little Spoon and Big Spoon to reveal her inner fears and wants. VERDICT This is a welcome addition to the "After-School Superstars" series and a lesson in family love and self-expression.—Lauren Younger, University of Dallas Library

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Vera's shyness will be appreciated and understood by many readers. Her character stays real throughout, and the lovely wrap-up shows how every personality type and situation can find a way to use their strengths to reach their goals. . . . Readers who stick around to see Vera become her own hero are in for a satisfying read."—Kirkus Reviews

"This is a welcome addition to the 'After-School Superstars' series and a lesson in family love and self-expression." —School Library Journal

"Heartfelt moments between Vera and her single-parent mother mix with their struggles over the value of comics to create a realistic family dynamic, and honest moments among the third-grade campers keep the chapter book from becoming overly pat. Spot illustrations and an appended list of Vera's favorite comics and graphic novels add extra punch." —The Horn Book

"Readers will enjoy the discussions of comics, the moments of classroom drama, and the fine-tuned, sensitive depiction of Vera's relationship with her mother. It's no surprise that Vera's comic reflects her own situation, emotions, and hopes. The unexpected twist here comes when Little Spoon triumphs by creating a happy ending for Vera's story as well as her own. A rewarding addition to the After-School Superstars series, which opened with Nixie Ness, Cooking Star (2019)."—Booklist

"Students who love comics in any form can relate to the realistic and varied characters that depict typical students and personalities. The vocabulary is simple enough for early chapter readers and the interspersed pencil drawings add to the compelling storyline." —School Library Connection

"In her usual assured and friendly style, Mills respectfully tackles some common elementary-grade dilemmas; the confident, funny, and capable characterizations bring Vera's explorations to vivid life, as Vera worries, new friend Nixie sunnily beams, and Vera's mother keeps a tight rein on everything. Budding artists will appreciate the respect for and information about the comics process and relate to Vera's joy at immersing herself in her beloved pastime." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books