Stepping Stones

This graphic novel is based on Lucy’s real life. It’s about a girl who begrudgingly moves from her home in the city to the country to live with her mom’s new boyfriend and share a bedroom with his daughters. I love this one because when you’re a kid, so many things are out of your control, and grown-ups are the ones making decisions for you. Sometimes, kids are forced to learn a whole new way of life. Stepping Stones is a great depiction of that experience—an experience I can relate to as someone whose mom remarried and then had to… show more.

Jen’s mother decides to live in the country with her boyfriend, and Jen misses her father and the city. She is not that fond of the boyfriend and would rather draw than help with the farm chores. Every weekend, the boyfriend’s daughters join the new family and the girls do not seem to get along. But, weekend after weekend, things start to change. I found the evolution of the various relationships charming, realistic, and uplifting.  

I loved Jen’s personality. She is good-natured and tries hard to adapt to her new surroundings and to her mother’s boyfriend. But she also knows… show more.

This book speaks to me because Lucy Knisley talks about Siblinghood. Having siblings, in any form, is complicated. In this story, Jen moves from the city to a farm and has to adapt to sharing a room with two new step-sisters. As I read this story, multiple passages reminded me about my own experiences with my siblings. Even though I look back on them fondly, at the time, the feelings were different, to say the least. I smiled a lot while reading it. 

What makes this book stand out to me is the care Lucy Knisley puts into the details… show more.