A first time for everything :

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Title :

A first time for everything : a true story / Dan Santat

Title:

A first time for everything :

Varying Form of Title:

1st time for everything

Author:

Santat, Dan

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

308 pages, [9] pages of plates : illustrations ; 21 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9781250851048

9781626724150

Production / Publication Information:

New York : First Second, 2023.

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."--

Language:

English

Genre:

Graphic novels.

Nonfiction comics.

Autobiographical comics.

Romance comics.

Geographic Term:

Europe -- Travel -- Comic books, strips, etc.

United States -- Travel -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Coming of age -- Cartoons and comics.

Love -- Cartoons and comics.

Friendship -- Cartoons and comics.

Middle school students -- Cartoons and comics.

Bullies and bullying -- Cartoons and comics.

Families -- Cartoons and comics.

Europe -- Travel -- Cartoons and comics.

United States -- Travel -- Cartoons and comics.

Personal Subject:

Santat, Dan.

Subject Term:

Coming of age -- Biography -- Comic books, strips, etc.

First loves -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Romance comic books, strips, etc.

Friendship -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Middle school students -- Biography -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Bullies -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Families -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN GRAPHIC SANTAT	31330009292172	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	J GRAPHIC FIRST	32114002753607	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	YA GRAPHIC NOVEL FIRST	32114002751171	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	J B GRAPHIC SANTAT, DA.	31330009299698	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	J B GRAPHIC SANTAT, DA.	31330009309596	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	XX(1526690.7)	1526690-7001	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	YA GRAPHIC/SANTAT	33934004613270	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	J SAN GRAPHIC NOVEL	32115002201737	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA SANTAT GRAPHIC	32116003967011	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA SANTAT (SUMMER READING)	32116003981491	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA SANTAT (SUMMER READING)	32116003984875	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA SANTAT (SUMMER READING)	32116003984867	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA SANTAT (SUMMER READING)	32116003984859	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Carlisle - Gleason Public Library	TEEN GRAPHIC SANTAT	32117002169013	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford MacKay Branch	J/GRAPHIC/FIRST	31480011747299	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	J/GRAPHIC/FIRST	31480011747265	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	Y/GRAPHIC/FIRST	31480011758593	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dracut - Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library	J/COMIX/SANTAT	31482003027979	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dunstable Free Public Library	YA SAN GRAPHIC	32118001095944	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	YGN SANTAT	32120001430030	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	YA GN BIO SANTAT	37003701987068	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	J COMIX SANTAT	32121000946190	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	Y B GRAPHIC SANTAT, DAN	30470002080330	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	Y B GRAPHIC SANTAT, DAN	30470002149325	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	J/COMIX/SANTAT	31479007609125	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	YA GN 921 SANTAT, DAN	32122003019662	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Littleton - Reuben Hoar Library	YA GN 92 SANTAT	39965002438918	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC B SANTAT, D.	31481005693366	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC B SANTAT, D.	31481005693408	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC B SANTAT, D.	31481005693390	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC B SANTAT, D.	31481005693382	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC B SANTAT, D.	31481005693374	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	YA B SANTAT (GRAPHIC)	32124002133635	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	YA SAN - GRAPHIC	32125001490694	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	J GRAPHIC SAN	31548003467959	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	J PB SAN/ GRAPHIC	32126001891881	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newbury Town Library	J SAN GN	32127001349136	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	TWEEN GRAPHIC SANTAT	32128004152071	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	TEEN GRAPHIC SANTAT	31478003795284	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	J BIO CREATIVE SANTAT - GRAPHIC NOVEL	31478003806545	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC SANTAT	31550002602172	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rockport Public Library	J GRAPHIC B SANTAT	32129002548211	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rowley Public Library	J GN 921 SAN	32130001060794	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Salisbury Public Library	J 92 GRAPHIC	32131000991898	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	TEEN GRAPHIC B SANTAT	32132003374058	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Topsfield Town Library	YA GN/SANTAT	32133002679638	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tyngsborough Public Library	J/GRAPHIC/SANTA/PB	32137002197095	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... West Newbury - G.A.R. Memorial Library	J GRAPHIC SAN	32135001587746	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	YA B SANTAT (GRAPHIC)	31990005236729	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	YA B SANTAT (GRAPHIC)	31990005269928	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	KIDS GRAPHIC SANTAT	32136003581281	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

*Winner of the 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature*

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

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5--9--In 1989, 13-year-old Santat headed off to Europe for three weeks at the insistence of his parents. They couldn't travel much anymore on account of his mother's lupus and wanted him to have that experience. Santat was less than thrilled, having just wrapped up junior high with more negative experiences than positive ones. Like the title indicates, this memoir explores young Santat's first coming-of-age experiences. We see his first time away from home without parents, first discotheque, and first taste of beer in a German beer hall, among many others. One particular highlight is his first chance at young love with a golden-haired girl named Amy. This was also a trip for Santat to take his art seriously and share it with others without fear of being bullied. Santat's artwork in the story is as great as you'd expect, with the European cityscapes often bathed in golden hour light. All the loveliness is juxtaposed with the strong and often hilarious reactions of teenagers. Flashbacks done in a moody blue show the reality of Santat's former life. An author's note indicates how the story diverges from real life details and acknowledges that travel as a teenager in 1989 was much different than it would be today. Santat's emotional journey is easy to track and culminates in a surprising experience at Wimbledon. While Santat's story is his own, readers will have a worthwhile time relating to him. VERDICT A thoughtful memoir with lots of humor and heart. Hand this to fans of Real Friends and the "Berrybrook Middle School" series. Recommended for all.--Gretchen Hardin

Publisher's Weekly Review

Conveying milestones that include first Fanta, first kiss, and first disco, this emotionally perceptive graphic novel memoir from Caldecott Medalist Santat follows a teen's arc from invisible to invincible. "Life was good" throughout Santat's childhood in small-town Camarillo, Calif., where the only child helped his mom with errands, hung out with friends, and "did normal kid stuff." Middle school, however, is one mortification after another, and Santat feels trapped by his self-imposed isolation--a protective measure against bullying. But in the summer of 1989, just before he starts high school, Santat's parents nudge him into a three-week European tour, and life is never the same. Interstitials in a simplified color palette flash back to prior school humiliations, while exuberant full-color panels in Santat's signature style convey the trip, including the dreamy reality of early freedoms, the nervous comedy of teen antics, and the wonder of viewing "things I'd only seen on postcards, in textbooks, and in movies." As Santat finds friends and a way of being himself, what slowly emerges is one person's hope in and relief at experiencing the world as a bigger place, finding a space in it, and realizing that both adults and peers are rooting for him. Ages 10--14. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Feb.)

Horn Book Review

Paper ed. 978-1250851048 $14.99Santat, Caldecott winner for The Adventures of Beekle, shares his own adventures in this graphic memoir that focuses on a trip to Europe the summer before high school. He dispenses with his fraught middle-school years in two emotionally charged opening scenes: a humiliating speech and a disastrous party. The heart of the story is the life-changing three-week school trip, which his parents see as an opportunity: "We never got to do this when we were kids. You should feel lucky!" But for thirteen-year-old Dan, being invisible is his best coping strategy, and the trip forces him reluctantly out of his comfort zone. The visual narrative sticks to Dan's perspective, and his growth is treated with empathy and humor. This is Santat at his best: his signature palette emphasizing muted greens, browns, and nighttime shades; a variety of vertical and horizontal panels (many with no words or only sound effects and speech bubbles); and the spare text supporting the lively visuals. That summer may have been his first chance to see the cultural treasures of Europe, but for Dan it was other firsts that made indelible impressions -- first Fanta (and first beer); first girlfriend; and, thus, first broken heart. Readers see Europe's landmarks, but they're background to the book's human dramas. Back matter includes an author's note and a "Recreating Old Memories" section. Dean SchneiderJanuary/February 2023 p.108 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A 1989 summer trip to Europe changes Caldecott Medal winner Santat's life in this graphic memoir. Young Dan hasn't experienced much beyond the small Southern California town he grew up in. He stays out of trouble, helps his parents, and tries to go unnoticed in middle school. That plan gets thwarted when he is made to recite poetry at a school assembly and is humiliated by his peers. When eighth grade is over and his parents send him on a three-week study abroad program, Dan isn't excited at first. He's traveling with girls from school whom he has awkward relationships with, his camera breaks, and he feels completely out of place. But with the help of some new friends, a crush, and an encouraging teacher, Dan begins to appreciate and enjoy the journey. Through experiences like his first taste of Fanta, first time hearing French rap, and first time getting lost on his own in a foreign country in the middle of the night, he finally begins to feel comfortable just being himself and embracing the unexpected. This entertaining graphic memoir is a relatable story of self-discovery. Flashbacks to awkward memories are presented in tones of blue that contrast with the full-color artwork through which Santat creates the perfect balance of humor and poignancy. The author's note and photos offer readers more fun glimpses into his pivotal adventure. Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things. (Graphic memoir. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Within five pages, Dan is plunged into the ultimate middle-school nightmare, forced to recite a poem in front of the entire student body without any warning. It doesn't go well for him and proves only the first of many humiliations--everything from being publicly shot down asking a girl out to suffering the aromatic, ostracizing consequences of getting barfed on. It's inconceivably terrible . . . and completely familiar, sure to engender instant empathy in any middle-school reader, even those who've only experienced such agonies in their imaginations. As it turns out, long before he was an award-winning artist, Santat was a little afraid of the world outside his door. But in the summer before high school, a sponsored trip headed by a thoughtful teacher will take him from the tiny town of Camarillo, California, through six European cities and, as the title promises, expose him to many firsts. A first airplane ride, beer, cigarette, coffee, date, love, and broken heart will all point him in a more hopeful, open direction. The warmth and specificity of his art, both in the way emotions flow from faces and in the evocation of places, highlight his memoir's lesson and make it a great read among a crowded field, especially for sensitive middle-grade boys.