Chiggers

by Hope Larson

Book Overview

Abby is back at the same old camp she goes to every summer -- except for the fact that this summer, nothing is the same. Her friend Rose is a cabin assistant, her friend Beth is pierced, and now the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416935878
• ISBN13: 9781416935872
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Great safe Graphic Novel for Middle School

I have a dyslexic 12 year old daughter who can read but is not as fluent as most 12 year olds. Being a visual thinker, graphic novels provide a form of reading that is not too taxing on her. With all graphic novels one has to be quite careful and I did not find anything that would be inappropriate that all kids in the 9 to 15 year old age group are not exposed to. We are a non-television household and even with that there was nothing I found out of line. My daughter read this book just after returning for a week at camp and it was very relevant. It took her about an hour and a half and unusual for her she read it straight through. She loved it and I would have to agree it was well done and provide a good source of reading material the young preteen to teen age group. It has been reread a couple of times in the few weeks since the book arrived.

Beautifully drawn and smartly written

Hope Larson's basic story -- teens at summer camp and the friendships and struggles they have -- is a pretty familiar one. What made it stand out for me, though, was the particular methods that she used to tell it. She's got a great gift for character voices, making Abby, Shasta, and the rest all really sound like teenagers. Little moments, like Abby's glee about chicken burgers and eating things at are breaded just sounds perfect. I also really appreciated that she's not afraid to make her characters a little geeky, something atypical in books about teenage girls. The fact that Abby's into fantasy and role-playing games, or that Shasta has a boyfriend that she knows through instant-messaging, really stands out as something different and interesting. Best of all, though, is the bits of the magical and unexplained that Larson weaves throughout Chiggers. I love that Larson never explains the stranger moments of the book, from the sparks of electricity flowing out of Shasta's hair one night, to the dramatic conclusion of the book and its unreal happenings. A dream, a natural phenomenon, or something entirely different? It's not entirely clear, and Larson wisely doesn't delve too deeply into it. All you really need to know is that it happened, and move onwards. The way Larson draws the book is great as well. There's something about the way her characters have deep eyes and heavy locks of hair that makes it unmistakably Larson's creation. She's got such a handle on expressions that her characters can bring so much to the story without actually needing their dialogue. From Abby's awe-filled smile as she finds out that Shasta knows her boyfriend through IMs, to Shasta's almost tranquil expression as her hair floats up into the air, it's a beautiful creation. The art sells the story 100%, and it's this grace and careful construction of each page that makes it such a beautiful thing to own. Chiggers in the end shares the one most important thing with Larson's other books (Gray Horses & Salamander Dream), and that's her sense of style in telling a story. Summer camp stories may be a dime a dozen, but the way that Larson brings Chiggers to life is what makes it stand out from the rest of the pack. Hitting stores in June, it's a perfectly timed release to for readers of all ages heading into their own summer.

Graphic novel with "teenage life" theme

I don't have a lot of experience with graphic novels. Serious graphic novels, like Persepolis and other books in that ilk, are interesting for their blend of literary merit and use of art to capture a sense of action, mood, or place. Chiggers, by Hope Larson, falls in that category, with a young adult focus. Abby goes to summer camp, again. Her older friend is too busy for her (now an employee of the camp), her bunkmates talk behind everyone's backs, and the new girl, Shasta, is full of... stories? Hit by lightning? Has a long-distance internet boyfriend? Has "problems" getting oxygen to her cells? Abby finds herself torn between wanting to fit in, having adventures, avoiding nerds, meeting boy nerds, and more. She is a "tween," sensing that she has the spirit of the child, but the social needs of the teen. Hope Larson's sketches are wonderfully suited for the text. She is a master at the "dramatic pause" with the correct sketch. Highlights include: - Two girls salivating over a mental image of rocker Ricky Vee without his shirt (p. 14). - Egyptian Rat Screw card game instructions (p. 16)! I know this game as "Egyptian Rat Killer," adding the rule that you can slap on the play of any 10 card. No jewelry wearing allowed. Play it once, and you'll know what I mean. - Chigger description (p. 24). However, they really don't burrow under your skin. The intense itching is your allergic reaction to their saliva. - The reaction of Shasta to the idea of a home without a computer (p. 43). - Instructions for making a friendship bracelet (p. 57). - Discussion of chicken parts sandwiches and jell-o from horse hooves (p.65). - Total bliss then profound sadness in the shower (p. 96-98). - The notion that a piece of lightning is still in Shasta, like a splinter, waiting to come out (p. 153). There's an age where kids will find this book "too juvenile." I think the 10-14 year olds will find it of particular interest. And I sense that more girls than boys will find it interesting. By the way, as someone who once had over one hundred chigger bites below the belt, I guarantee you that it would make camp very, very uncomfortable. Who knows? You may use the "chiggers defense" someday!

Delightfully refreshing, coming-of-age graphic novel for teens!

Chiggers was an absolute delight to read. It brought me back to years of summer camp, the friendships forged, renewed, and sometimes broken. Abby is a 'tweener who has gone to the same camp for a few years now. She has 2 close friends there: Rose, probably 2-3 years older, and Beth, about to start high school that year. Abby feels unsure and uncertain, typical of 'tweeners faced with things that turn out to be different than what they're used to. Rose is now cabin assistant (what we New Englanders call camp counselor) and doesn't spend much time with her anymore because of her "responsibilities". Beth, on the other hand, has a new boyfriend and several ear piercings. Two new girls, Zoe and Shasta, join their dorm, and Zoe and Beth hit it off well that Abby feels left out and doesn't get some of the things they talk about. Shasta is the designated outsider because she arrived late, is on meds for a hinted-at illness, and was struck by lightning and was in the hospital for a while--although no one believed her. As a result, Abby finds herself with Shasta more than she'd like to because they're the "uncool", smart (nerdy) ones, while Beth and Zoe seem to be more and more cool as the days went by. Then there's Teal, Rose's cousin, who seems to be smart and cool at the same time. Reading Chiggers, you will be reminded of how it used to be going to the same summer camp each year and finding out that everyone is suddenly different, and that you yourself have changed. If you have been a camper, you will be able to identify with any one of the characters in this book. Summer camp is very clique-ish just like high school: you have the cheerleading group, the nerds/geeks, the average ones, the musically inclined (they either are members of the school band, chorus, or dance troupe), and the 'tweeners who will either gravitate to the (older) group they want to soon identify with or the (younger) group they will soon leave behind. In Abby, Hope Larson touches on the unseen emotional and personal turmoil most campers go through as they interact with other campers, try to belong, act the height of cool-ness, hold on to friendships, make new friends, and feel the wounds others unknowingly inflict. Hope Larson does all these through her stunning art that I personally absolutely loved! She also thoughtfully included the instructions on how to make a friendship bracelet and how to play Egyptian rat screw. (When I was one of the camp staff, I remember teaching this to my campers and having fun beating them--til they grew up, became counselors, too and gave me a run for my money!). I read a lot of graphic novels, and Chiggers is one of the best teen graphic novels I've read so far that I passed it on to my daughter to read (who loved it as well). Abby brought me all those years back to summer camp so that I identified with her and with the conflict she was going through, and I'm sure you will, too.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

CHIGGERS is a very enjoyable, quick read. Abby can't wait to go back to summer camp to hang out with her older friend, Rose. But this year Rose comes back to camp as a cabin assistant and doesn't seem to have any time for Abby. Then Shasta arrives. She is very different and Abby thinks she is kind of cool. Then comes the problem -- none of the other girls like her. They think she is weird and fake. Abby then needs to decide how to balance her two groups of friends, maybe a new boyfriend, and how to feel okay when Rose seems to not be with her. Growing up is hard to do! I enjoyed this book very much and it was fun to read a graphic novel. I believe that many kids and young adults will like to read this type of medium. I would like to read more. My only complaint is that sometimes I mixed up the characters, but that may be because I'm not a picture reader -- but if I read more I may get better at it! Thank you, Hope Larson! Reviewed by: Marta Morrison