A First Time for Everything
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-02-28 01:21:29
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Dan Santat
- ISBN：1250851041
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Summary
A middle grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life。
Dan's always been a good kid。 The kind of kid who listens to his teachers， helps his mom with grocery shopping， and stays out of trouble。 But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible， which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe。
At first， he's right。 He's stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him， and he doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip。 But as he travels through France， Germany， Switzerland， and England， a series of first experiences begin to change him—first Fanta， first fondue， first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers。。。 and first love。
Funny， heartwarming， and poignant， A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat's awkward middle school years。 It celebrates a time that is universally challenging for many of us， but also life-changing as well。
Praise for After the Fall
“The author gives wings to both his protagonist and his message about the importance of getting back up after a fall and the realization that recovering from a trauma takes time。” —Booklist， starred review
“Santat’s precise illustrations and sensitive text combine for more emotional depth than the typical nursery rhyme remix。 A terrific redemptive read-aloud for storytime and classroom sharing。” —School Library Journal， starred review
Dan's always been a good kid。 The kind of kid who listens to his teachers， helps his mom with grocery shopping， and stays out of trouble。 But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible， which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe。
At first， he's right。 He's stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him， and he doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip。 But as he travels through France， Germany， Switzerland， and England， a series of first experiences begin to change him—first Fanta， first fondue， first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers。。。 and first love。
Funny， heartwarming， and poignant， A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat's awkward middle school years。 It celebrates a time that is universally challenging for many of us， but also life-changing as well。
Praise for After the Fall
“The author gives wings to both his protagonist and his message about the importance of getting back up after a fall and the realization that recovering from a trauma takes time。” —Booklist， starred review
“Santat’s precise illustrations and sensitive text combine for more emotional depth than the typical nursery rhyme remix。 A terrific redemptive read-aloud for storytime and classroom sharing。” —School Library Journal， starred review
Reviews
Nicole
，
I chose judiciously when buying books at OCTELA！
Deborah Zeman
，
I LOVED this graphic memoir。 Brought back lots of those angsty middle school feeling but with a lot of humor。 A study abroad trip to be remembered and a great lesson to be learned “don’t be afraid of the unexpected”。 Makes you think， you never know what you may miss if you don’t step out of your comfort zone and try。 Dan would never have had the amazing time he did on his study abroad trip if he didn’t take that step into the unexpected: first kiss， first new friends from other countries， first I LOVED this graphic memoir。 Brought back lots of those angsty middle school feeling but with a lot of humor。 A study abroad trip to be remembered and a great lesson to be learned “don’t be afraid of the unexpected”。 Makes you think， you never know what you may miss if you don’t step out of your comfort zone and try。 Dan would never have had the amazing time he did on his study abroad trip if he didn’t take that step into the unexpected: first kiss， first new friends from other countries， first time learning new cultures and languages， first love。 I liked how he reflected on the lack of technology we had in the 80s…it didn’t stop us from having a great time。 I loved the use of the different Fanta flavors to mark the chapters and the music！ Definitely scan that QR code…leads you to an amazing Spotify playlist。 Thanks for an amazing trip down memory lane！ 。。。more
TheNextGenLibrarian
，
A poignant and hilarious MG graphic novel memoir by @dsantat 😝Dan is a good kid: one the teachers can trust and you can count on to always do the right thing， but that doesn’t help him make friends or fit in in middle school。 He’s bullied and ostracized in the late 80s while growing up a predominantly white area。 But when his parents suggest he go on a trip to Europe， Dan is skeptical。 Turns out seeing the world opens up his mind and makes his town feel a little bit smaller when he returns， maki A poignant and hilarious MG graphic novel memoir by @dsantat 😝Dan is a good kid: one the teachers can trust and you can count on to always do the right thing， but that doesn’t help him make friends or fit in in middle school。 He’s bullied and ostracized in the late 80s while growing up a predominantly white area。 But when his parents suggest he go on a trip to Europe， Dan is skeptical。 Turns out seeing the world opens up his mind and makes his town feel a little bit smaller when he returns， making it easier for him to go with the flow and make friends。✈️This book was everything I wanted and more！ After hearing Dan speak about this novel and his childhood experiences as @librarypalooza yesterday I devoured this title immediately。 I cannot wait for it to be out in the world on Tuesday。 It’s going to resonate with so many students as it encourages them to explore， adventure and travel beyond the confines of their towns。CW: bullying， smoking 。。。more
K。Butler
，
Got this at LibraryPalooza and loved Dan Santat's presentation。 This is the perfect book for middle schoolers and has a great message。 Super cute story that is very relatable， and the artwork powerfully draws you into perspective of a middle school boy just trying to figure out the world around him。 Got this at LibraryPalooza and loved Dan Santat's presentation。 This is the perfect book for middle schoolers and has a great message。 Super cute story that is very relatable， and the artwork powerfully draws you into perspective of a middle school boy just trying to figure out the world around him。 。。。more
AitziST
，
There are many memoirs in comic format lately， and I am extremely happy for it， because I really like to discover other people’s journey in life and I feel that the drawing say a lot about them。Dan Santat’s A First Time for Everything is an endearing， laugh out loud funny memoir about a trip to Europe in his awkward years at middle school。 Dan， bullied after losing his invisibility and being brought into focus at the end of a school assembly， is not sure about this trip， but he is about to have There are many memoirs in comic format lately， and I am extremely happy for it， because I really like to discover other people’s journey in life and I feel that the drawing say a lot about them。Dan Santat’s A First Time for Everything is an endearing， laugh out loud funny memoir about a trip to Europe in his awkward years at middle school。 Dan， bullied after losing his invisibility and being brought into focus at the end of a school assembly， is not sure about this trip， but he is about to have the time of his life。 And we， the reader， are going to go with him。I love the way the author exaggerates the expressions and the faces in a way that makes them feel even more natural （it sounds strange， but wait and see it for yourself）。 Dan is sweet， kind of awkward， and very clumsy， but who wasn’t at that age？ His reaction to what is happening around feels unique and genuine， his first… everything a pivotal moment in his life。 Different Fanta flavours serve as the nexus between different places， England， France， Germany… and the people he meets there， and the parts of himself he hadn’t discover yet， are little surprises that make the reader go forward and root for him。It is always kind of cool when you see places you have visited （or you live on） in books， and the authors art is warm and feels very true to reality。 The use of different languages make it for an interesting reading as well。 In my case， I don’t understand a word of the German language， so Dan’s one-sided conversations with his elderly host were as if I was there with him， trying to grasp any familiar word but realizing that， in the end， the most important thing is to be able to overcome the barrier somehow and find a common place。 Apart from that， I know this story is going to resonate with kids that same age， because it talks about universal problems and stages in life。 And I can’t wait to recommend it to them。 。。。more
Dan Allbery
，
It's okay to be embarrassed。 Be patient with yourself。 Go at your own pace， but most importantly， go find adventure。 It may be good。 It may be bad。 But in the end， you'll know yourself better。 Dan Santat’s graphic memoir has been on my radar for several months。 When I spotted it at my local bookstore in Bangkok today， I immediately grabbed it， went home and read it in one sitting。 It is a coming-of-age tale that captures the uncertainty of teenagers， the hesitation， and ultimately， the want for It's okay to be embarrassed。 Be patient with yourself。 Go at your own pace， but most importantly， go find adventure。 It may be good。 It may be bad。 But in the end， you'll know yourself better。 Dan Santat’s graphic memoir has been on my radar for several months。 When I spotted it at my local bookstore in Bangkok today， I immediately grabbed it， went home and read it in one sitting。 It is a coming-of-age tale that captures the uncertainty of teenagers， the hesitation， and ultimately， the want for adventure。From the opening scenes in the US and throughout each European destination， I found the journey to be a delight。 His passion for Fanta， his discovery of late night TV in Paris， his love for Wimbledon and the game of tennis。 I was all in。As a middle school teacher in Thailand， I want to: celebrate Dan’s work， encourage my school to buy many copies， and challenge my students to not only pickup this story， but to also seek out their own “firsts” and adventures。 Recommended for GR 7 and up， but GR 8 is the sweet spot。 。。。more
Megan L
，
A fantastic middle grade graphic novel， depicting Dan’s trip to Europe in 1989。 Read to see how Dan found himself while exploring Europe with a group of peers。 Fabulous illustrations， hilarious moments， and important lessons for teens
Dawn
，
What a delight。 I went to many of these same places four years later。
Amber Kuehler
，
LOVED LOVED LOVED！ Do not miss this one。 The main character is 13 years old， but it’s still totally okay for upper elementary。 Kids that love graphic novels will devour this！
Michael
，
It's an endearing memoir told in a graphic novel medium that kept me reading until the end。 It's a book of nostalgia， teenage innocence， and hope。 The story is told so well， I can picture it adapted into a movie or short series。 The staging in the pages and facial/body expressions in the artwork from Santat is amazing as always。 The book is a wonderful reminder to step out of your comfort zone。 It's an endearing memoir told in a graphic novel medium that kept me reading until the end。 It's a book of nostalgia， teenage innocence， and hope。 The story is told so well， I can picture it adapted into a movie or short series。 The staging in the pages and facial/body expressions in the artwork from Santat is amazing as always。 The book is a wonderful reminder to step out of your comfort zone。 。。。more
Sharon Tyler
，
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat is a middle grade memoir in graphic novel format currently scheduled for release on February 28 2023。 Dan's always been a good kid。 The kind of kid who listens to his teachers， helps his mom with grocery shopping， and stays out of trouble。 But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible， which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe。 At first， he's right。 He's stuck with A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat is a middle grade memoir in graphic novel format currently scheduled for release on February 28 2023。 Dan's always been a good kid。 The kind of kid who listens to his teachers， helps his mom with grocery shopping， and stays out of trouble。 But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible， which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe。 At first， he's right。 He's stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him， and he doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip。 But as he travels through France， Germany， Switzerland， and England， a series of first experiences begin to change him—first Fanta， first fondue， first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers， and first love。A First Time for Everything is a entertaining， engaging， and relatable book。 As a fellow member of Gen X， I also remember the crazy things we got away with and the independence that we were encouraged to explore- even though I would never encourage my kids to do the same at the same ages。 I think the heart of the book， the explorations of being yourself and dealing with trying new things and figuring out who you want to be is something every reader can relate to。 As always， Santat's artwork is just as engaging as the text and overall story。 I think this is a great great for middle grade and older readers- including adults。 This will hit home for many readers， and I enjoyed getting to know more about someone whose work I have always admired。 。。。more
Carin
，
This graphic memoir covers the summer between junior high and high school for Dan， when he went on a trip to Europe。 His own parents are immigrants and they want Dan to see more of the world， but his mother is ill， so they sign him up for this group trip instead。 About half the kids on the trip are from his school， but they’re an odd mix of popular and unpopular and when you take kids out of their usual context， some of those barriers reconfigure in ways you don’t always expect。Pretty early on， This graphic memoir covers the summer between junior high and high school for Dan， when he went on a trip to Europe。 His own parents are immigrants and they want Dan to see more of the world， but his mother is ill， so they sign him up for this group trip instead。 About half the kids on the trip are from his school， but they’re an odd mix of popular and unpopular and when you take kids out of their usual context， some of those barriers reconfigure in ways you don’t always expect。Pretty early on， Dan’s camera breaks， and his solution is to draw the amazing sights instead （a sign of his future career， certainly！ That solution wouldn’t have occurred to me。） And makes this graphic novel even more natural of a format。There’s a girl from another school who Dan becomes friends with and who he might like LIKE， but the kids egging him on are some of the mean girls from his school， and he doesn’t know if he can trust their advice， or if they’re purposefully steering him wrong， and in his worry over their trustworthiness， he makes some missteps with her。 But we’ve all been there。 The important thing is to acknowledge mistakes， apologize， and see if you can reset， which is what he does （what a fantastic lesson！） And along the way， you get to see some amazing sights in central Europe and Dan has some super cool adventures， including getting lost in the middle of the night in Germany。 It’s an interesting transition time for tweens， and Dan’s awkwardness， uncertainty， and occasional stumbles all make him so easy to identify with。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Dan Santat’s graphic novel memoir for young people is an excellent look at “firsts” — he wrote about vulnerable happenings and shared with us highs and lows of life。 Thank you for sharing！First Fanta （soda）， first trip to Europe （I want to go！）， first real friends， first experiences that matter and people can relate to。I encourage every middle schooler to read this book when it comes out！ Thank you， First:Second， for the LibLearnX conference ARC。 5 Stars！
Becky B
，
Dan Santat shares about the summer of 1989 when he was between 8th and 9th grades and went on a trip to Europe with a few other kids from his school as well as kids from other schools。 He shares how the trip changed him and helped him be more comfortable in his own skin。Like any memoir， this took a little guts to share。 And I respect that。 I know several kids will identify with feeling like they’re an oddball and without hope of fitting in or finding their people in high school。 The end of the b Dan Santat shares about the summer of 1989 when he was between 8th and 9th grades and went on a trip to Europe with a few other kids from his school as well as kids from other schools。 He shares how the trip changed him and helped him be more comfortable in his own skin。Like any memoir， this took a little guts to share。 And I respect that。 I know several kids will identify with feeling like they’re an oddball and without hope of fitting in or finding their people in high school。 The end of the book has some great advice for the kids who feel like they are hopelessly awkward or oddballs。 And I love how it explores how international travel can change you for the better。 As Santat notes in the back of the graphic novel， 1989 was a different time and he thinks the stuff he was allowed to do on this trip （and stuff he got away with） is a bit crazy and he’d never allow his own kids to do the same things。 He states the things he mentions and thinks are wrong or not advisable。 I’m glad he included that because as a teacher who helps organize school trips， several parts of his story just about gave me heart attacks （sorry， some stars lost for nightmare-inducing material）。 For example， the adults just let the kids wander around Paris and London TOTALLY BY THEMSELVES for several hours！ They also took all the kids on the tour to a huge beer hall and served a whole glass of beer to the ones who were 14 and whose parents signed the waiver。 And there’s more。 It’s a miracle they all made it through the trip unscathed。 That said， know the kids you hand this to and whether they’ll take it as a challenge and/or get hung up on getting away with craziness， or if they’ll take the whole thing as it is meant to be taken。Notes on content [based on the ARC]: No language issues that I remember。 No sexual content beyond a boy and girl kissing 2x。 The kids also mention that there’s no clothes on anyone on French TV and the next day they are all sleepy （presumably from watching TV all night）。 No violence。 There’s underage drinking （overseen by adults kind of， but also in a place that surrounds them with drunk people）。 Some kids sneak out to an adult disco place。 Some European girls smoke and get Dan to try a puff （he doesn’t like it）。 There’s some bullying in flashbacks which explain Dan’s insecurities and is addressed。I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Richelle
，
Oh Dan Santat！ I just love everything he puts out and reading about his life when he was 13 is no exception。 I felt for him with all the things that were happening。 And this trip he was able to go on really makes me want to travel to Europe！
Emily
，
Absolutely delightful。
Books Over People
，
Wow。 Just wow。 This book is simply spectacular。 It is a book for middle readers， but it is also for we gen Xers who can't figure out how to really explain what it was like back then。 Thanks to Chantel at Macmillan， The folks at First Second books， and Mr。 Santat for the ARC。 Full show coming to Indie Comics Spotlight on Comics in Motion。 https://plinkhq。com/i/1350425403？to=page Wow。 Just wow。 This book is simply spectacular。 It is a book for middle readers， but it is also for we gen Xers who can't figure out how to really explain what it was like back then。 Thanks to Chantel at Macmillan， The folks at First Second books， and Mr。 Santat for the ARC。 Full show coming to Indie Comics Spotlight on Comics in Motion。 https://plinkhq。com/i/1350425403？to=page 。。。more
Devin Redmond
，
Well， I burst into tears at the end of 𝘈 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 because the days remembered in the book are no more。 The graphic novel/comic memoir is about author Dan Santat’s confidence-building high school trip to Europe in 1989。 The book brought back memories from trips of my own， including one to Italy in high school。 Traveling is a billion times different now with phones， and I’d argue not for the better。 I have always loved Santat’s illustrations。 5th grade +5/5 stars
Librariann
，
I loved this lightly fictionalized graphic memoir。 In part， because I'm roughly contemporaneous to Santat （in the sense of middle-schooling in the pre-internet， pre-cell phone era）。 In part， because his illustrations were so expressive。 But mostly， it's because it was a fantastic， universal growing up story。 Who doesn't dream of being set loose on a school trip through Europe with minimal supervision when you haven't even started high school？ （Okay， not me， whose anxiety interfered with both the I loved this lightly fictionalized graphic memoir。 In part， because I'm roughly contemporaneous to Santat （in the sense of middle-schooling in the pre-internet， pre-cell phone era）。 In part， because his illustrations were so expressive。 But mostly， it's because it was a fantastic， universal growing up story。 Who doesn't dream of being set loose on a school trip through Europe with minimal supervision when you haven't even started high school？ （Okay， not me， whose anxiety interfered with both the 7th grade trip to Springfield and the 8th grade trip to Washington D。C。 But！ Many kids！） Who *doesn't* remember romantic moments on a bus， that first moment when liking someone isn't a point of embarrassment but a point of enjoyment？ （The magical choir tour of senior living facilities where I， a mature and wise 8th grader， snuggled next to and held the hand of a 7th grade boy！） Like Jerry Craft's New Kid， it felt very true to all the dramas of junior high/middle school， the bullies and judgement， but also had the added joy of that moment of freedom， the revelation of "life is not always going to be terrible" AND the amazing moment when teachers tell the students that the drinking age in Germany is 14。 Magical， nostalgic， and hopeful。 。。。more
Eti
，
As brilliant as expected from Dan Santat。 A vulnerable， engaging， insightful， humorous， and heartfelt memoir of his summer in Europe and all he experienced for the first time。 "We all have one life to live， so why not live it to its fullest？ I encourage you all to try something new， whether it be grand or small。 Try a new food， learn a new skill， do something that scares you。 It's okay to be embarrassed。 Be patient with yourself。 Go at your own pace， but most importantly， go find adventure。 It m As brilliant as expected from Dan Santat。 A vulnerable， engaging， insightful， humorous， and heartfelt memoir of his summer in Europe and all he experienced for the first time。 "We all have one life to live， so why not live it to its fullest？ I encourage you all to try something new， whether it be grand or small。 Try a new food， learn a new skill， do something that scares you。 It's okay to be embarrassed。 Be patient with yourself。 Go at your own pace， but most importantly， go find adventure。 It may be good。 It may be bad。 But in the end， you'll know yourself better， and at the very least you'll have a story to tell。" 。。。more
Marcia
，
Dan Santat brings his 13-year-old self back to life in this graphic memoir full of friends， fun， and every ounce of awkwardness common to middle school。 His parents push him to venture out of his small hometown and go on an extraordinary trip to Europe during the summer of 1989。 On this trip Dan navigates many life-changing first experiences。 He has his first Fanta （delicious！）， first kiss （awkward！）， and first disco （liberating！）。 He makes new friends and learns how to feel comfortable in his o Dan Santat brings his 13-year-old self back to life in this graphic memoir full of friends， fun， and every ounce of awkwardness common to middle school。 His parents push him to venture out of his small hometown and go on an extraordinary trip to Europe during the summer of 1989。 On this trip Dan navigates many life-changing first experiences。 He has his first Fanta （delicious！）， first kiss （awkward！）， and first disco （liberating！）。 He makes new friends and learns how to feel comfortable in his own skin。 The writing of A。 A。 Milne makes recurring appearances throughout the book， creating a unifying link between the author and the reader。 Santat wears his emotions on his sleeve on every page。 Even though he endures many challenging events for teens， he begins to find the joy of living in the moment。 This is a must read for any kid grades 4-8。 They get bonus points from this librarian if they also listen to the Spotify playlist the author has made from the mixtape featured in the book。 Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC。 。。。more
Yapha
，
I loved this graphic novel peek into Dan Santat's middle school years。 The ups and downs of his relationships with his friends and classmates were very relatable， and placing it against the backdrop of his three week school trip to Europe took it to the next level。 We sure had a lot more freedom as teenagers back in the 80s！ Middle schoolers who grew up reading his picture books will be super excited to see this behind the scenes look， and those unfamiliar with his work will want to read more。 H I loved this graphic novel peek into Dan Santat's middle school years。 The ups and downs of his relationships with his friends and classmates were very relatable， and placing it against the backdrop of his three week school trip to Europe took it to the next level。 We sure had a lot more freedom as teenagers back in the 80s！ Middle schoolers who grew up reading his picture books will be super excited to see this behind the scenes look， and those unfamiliar with his work will want to read more。 Highly recommended for grades 5 & up。eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley 。。。more
Alicia
，
Give me all the Dan Santat。 I am officially on board with everything and anything he does and this one is likely the mostsadsweetadventurousinspirationalromantichumorousentertainingthoughtfulintrospectivefungraphic novel memoir。 As he mentions at the back of the book， there are a few experiences that he played around with time and space during his three-week adventure in Europe as part of a teen travel group experience， but it does not diminish his story in any way。 I want more of these graphic Give me all the Dan Santat。 I am officially on board with everything and anything he does and this one is likely the mostsadsweetadventurousinspirationalromantichumorousentertainingthoughtfulintrospectivefungraphic novel memoir。 As he mentions at the back of the book， there are a few experiences that he played around with time and space during his three-week adventure in Europe as part of a teen travel group experience， but it does not diminish his story in any way。 I want more of these graphic novel memoirs to be true nonfiction and simply explain at the back what may have been changed to better suit the narrative。 All told what this book does is focuses on a teen boy who wasn't a popular kid by any stretch， who went outside his comfort zone and ultimately had a European romance with a girl on the trip and learned to be independent and （a little） daring while drinking copious amounts of Fanta。 There are several pages/panels in the graphic novel memoir that I bookmarked because they emote-- dripping with an experience that more should have （and as he explains too， what the world was like sans internet， cell phones， and digital cameras）。 And I love Santat's style。 For sure。 This is one book that I went to bed on Cloud Nine because it was a delightful way to end the work week。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
A First Time for Everything is a memoir about Dan Santat's life changing trip to Europe right before his freshman year of high school。 This is the perfect book for anyone who's struggled to figure out who they were or come out of their comfort zone a little。 Gorgeous illustrations accompany a highly relatable and funny story。 Sure to make middle schoolers and teenagers feel a little less alone， and might inspire some more confidence。 A First Time for Everything is a memoir about Dan Santat's life changing trip to Europe right before his freshman year of high school。 This is the perfect book for anyone who's struggled to figure out who they were or come out of their comfort zone a little。 Gorgeous illustrations accompany a highly relatable and funny story。 Sure to make middle schoolers and teenagers feel a little less alone， and might inspire some more confidence。 。。。more
Cindy :: leavemetomybooks ::
，
Dan Santat shares his most embarrassing middle school moments and how he overcame them and learned to be himself on his trip to Europe the summer between middle and high school。 This was delightful。 Funny， heartwarming， and perfect。 Middle school kids are going to love it。* thanks to First Second Books for the NetGalley review copy！ A First Time for Everything publishes February 28， 2023。
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusIn 1989， young Dan is a Good Kid， being raised by his mom and dad as an only child。 He helps around the house a lot， especially since his mother suffers from Lupus， and middle school is horrible， and he tries his best to fly under everyone's radar， which isn't easy when his teacher makes him get up in front of an assembly and read a poem， with disastrous results。 His parents treat him to a three week tour of Europe with school。 While this is exciting， it also puts E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusIn 1989， young Dan is a Good Kid， being raised by his mom and dad as an only child。 He helps around the house a lot， especially since his mother suffers from Lupus， and middle school is horrible， and he tries his best to fly under everyone's radar， which isn't easy when his teacher makes him get up in front of an assembly and read a poem， with disastrous results。 His parents treat him to a three week tour of Europe with school。 While this is exciting， it also puts him in close contact with people from school with whom he has a past。 His mother thinks they are his friends， but flashbacks show us the real nature of their relationships。 He does meet two boys， Braden and Darryl， from another school， and has fun hanging out with them。 The group see the sights in Paris and are given time to wander on their own， and Dan does some drawings， since his camera doesn't work well。 He strikes up a relationship with Amy， who is from another school， and his friends goad him on to talking to her， and eventually kissing her cheek over fondue。 Dan's had some rejections in the past， so is constantly surprised that Amy wants to hang out with him， too。 The group spends a week in Salzburg with host families， and their adventures include going to a club， and Dan has some tense moments that involve being lost， stealing a bike， and almost not making it back to his host home。 Three weeks is a short time， but for young teens on a class trip， it is enough to experience a microcosm of an entire life。 Dan and Amy know that their relationship， as sweet as it is， will not hold up to long distances （especially in the age before cell phones， when writing letters was the only way to communicate！）， but are glad that they've been able to connect at all。 Dan returns home with a little more self awareness and confidence to face his high school years。 There are notes at the end about Santat's REAL trip to Europe that include some photographs。 Strengths: As adults， it's easy to forget that middle school students are doing so many things for the the first time。 This makes life more exciting， but also more harrowing， and this lens focuses our memories in a very particular way。 Do I remember much about making my 1，000th trip to the grocery store last Saturday？ No， but I can remember the first time my mother sent me into the supermarket by myself to purchase a carton of eggs （which cost 79 cents） like it happened yesterday。 Class trips are particularly exciting， and three weeks does seem like a long time at 12。 Santat captures so many facets of this perfectly。 The flashbacks to earlier times are especially brilliant。 Dan's not just dealing with Amber and her meanness on a daily basis; he's constantly reliving their failed romantic past。 This book also captures the hope that students this age have， but doesn't spare us the angst and self doubt， so when Amy pretends to fall asleep on Dan's shoulder on the bus， the reader can feel the tension as well as the enormous relief and joy when things go right。 Even though many students won't get trips to Europe， even a rare field trip to a local art museum， zoo， or concert can create a shorter version of Santat's experience。 Adults will love this because it will remind us of our past， and young readers will find the traveling to be aspirational。 The artwork is fantastic as always。 Weaknesses: Like Holm's Sunny Makes a Splash， MY life was never this good。 Although I did get to spend my senior year of college in Greece， I didn't have anyone whose shoulder I could put my head on during bus trips。 It's easy to forget how important this in when you're younger， so as sad as this made me， it was a timely reminder。 What I really think: There are a growing number of graphic novel memoirs from middle grade authors， like Krosoczka's Hey， Kiddo， Russo's Why Is Everybody Yelling？ Growing Up in My Immigrant Family Bermudez' Big Apple Diaries， Harper's Bad Sister， Page's Button Pusher， Sharp's Just Pretend， Soontornvat's The Tryout， Rodriguez's upcoming Doodles From the Boogie Down， and my very favorite graphic novel， Tatulli's Short and Skinny。 Do students even know that these are memoirs？ Not entirely sure， but they will definitely pick it up and enjoy the vicarious traveling （and life） experience。 。。。more
Caroline
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Dan Santat is so wonderful and needs so little introduction， and that is part of what makes this book so great。 Dan Santat has proven his ability to write and illustrate hilarious， compelling and heartfelt stories time and time again。 and offering readers a story based on his own childhood just offers an even deeper level of complexity。I find it pretty cool that this book is being released so close to the release of Jerry Craft's 'School Trip'， which is also about a school trip to Europe， and th Dan Santat is so wonderful and needs so little introduction， and that is part of what makes this book so great。 Dan Santat has proven his ability to write and illustrate hilarious， compelling and heartfelt stories time and time again。 and offering readers a story based on his own childhood just offers an even deeper level of complexity。I find it pretty cool that this book is being released so close to the release of Jerry Craft's 'School Trip'， which is also about a school trip to Europe， and the books will almost certainly be thought of together by teachers and librarians。 I love how both shine in their own way and touch on different issues that kids will face。 Apart from the general story here， which deals with bullies， first love， making and losing friends， and finding your voice -- all of which are expertly handled -- the panel work is so。 dang。 good。 As someone who has been to a lot of places that Dan visits in his story， the illustrations of various European locations are spot on and beautifully done。 The characters have personality and are recognizable。 The coloring is excellent。 Several panels take on a cartoonish tone and are especially hilarious。I cannot recommend this book enough and I think it will certainly appeal to comics readers and those who are more reluctant to engage with the format。 Great for kids and adults。 A+ work。 。。。more
Linda
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What a treat it was to relive the author/illustrator Dan Santat’s teenage European trip。。 He did a great job of helping the reader envision the entire trip and the experiences he had along the way。 I couldn’t help but wish I’d had an adventure like this before I went to high school。 It certainly would have changed my worldview and confidence level just as it did for Dan。 Highly recommended！
Tina
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Read this book！ So， so good！
Rachael Fryman
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Dan Santat is a rock star。 He is my favorite kidlit creator and he just nails it every time！ I haven't yet read everything he's worked on， but I've yet to find one that I didn't fall in love with。 A First Time for Everything is a story about Dan finding himself， his self-confidence， and falling in love for the first time all backdropped by a European tour with his peers before he starts high school。 I love the honesty and realness and relatability。 Anyone who was self-conscious， afraid， lost， in Dan Santat is a rock star。 He is my favorite kidlit creator and he just nails it every time！ I haven't yet read everything he's worked on， but I've yet to find one that I didn't fall in love with。 A First Time for Everything is a story about Dan finding himself， his self-confidence， and falling in love for the first time all backdropped by a European tour with his peers before he starts high school。 I love the honesty and realness and relatability。 Anyone who was self-conscious， afraid， lost， insecure， etc in middle school （which is everyone） will relate to Dan and his amazing trip through Europe learning to love himself and trust himself。 If you haven't read Santat yet， pick this up immediately。 If you have read Santat， it's already on your TBR， I'm sure！ 。。。more
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