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2017 Nominee
Voted 1 out of 20

Awkward

Written by Svetlana Chmakova.
Published in 2015 by Yen Press.

Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don’t get noticed by the mean kids. Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them.

On her first day at her new school, Penelope – Peppi – Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she’s already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the “nerder girlfriend.” How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!

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26 thoughts on “Awkward

  1. Senator Buchanan

    I love this book! I like that it is a graphic novel.
    I like the book because it takes place at school.
    Peppi is adorable and Jaime is cool I really like them.
    I love the illustrations.

  2. General Stewart

    I think this book was cool but awkward! i don’t understand why peppi is scared to say sorry after pushing the boy named Jaime!

  3. Genaral stewart

    I think that awkward is the best book ever!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! I like the part about the newspaper!Maribella is so over-confident!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!

  4. General Stewart

    To me this book really was Awkward:) I really think this book is very good and caring! I think I will vote for this book at the end.
    but I did love this book. It was fun to read before i went to bed every night. I would definitely recommend this book to all of you even if your a boy!
    Ha Ha!

  5. Huntington Ridge public school

    I thought this book was incredible because, I love comic books and it was so well written, it had proper writing form and it was by my favourite author! I love this book!

  6. Westglen

    I like the way she wrote this book.I like how she made Penelope a new kid and didn’t know anyone,she makes new friends and she gets along with everyone.
    I really like this book.I would give this book 4 stars because i like comics and she’s a really good drawer. K.S

  7. St.Jerome.

    Following the adventures of bumbling Penolope and Jamie. Through awkward experiences in middle school, Penolope unites two rival clubs with her new friend Jamie. Very relatable, I feel as if I´m in middle school with her!

  8. st.jorome

    i loved this book it is my fav book so far i hope we win the auther i want to know how he wrote the book

  9. Grande Cache Municipal Library and Sonrise Christian School

    i really liked this book because i really like graphic books and although i am not finished the book i so far am really enjoying it and i hope i find a another book like it

  10. Grand Prairie public library

    I love graphic novels and the pictures were cool and it reminded me of what happened to me in the beginning of school

  11. Grande Prairie Public Library

    This book is awkward but I liked it because it was something I could relate to! Peppi is so sweet.

  12. Grande prairie public library

    I liked this book. It’s just so relatable. Plus it’s in the form of a graphic novel which makes it even better.

  13. Hillhurst School

    Awkward Book Review

    The book Awkward on the surface is just about the average life of a girl in middle school named Peppi. But if you go deep in it, you will see moral dilemmas. This is a book that you can learn lessons from.

    Plot summary: On the first day of school, Peppi trips and a boy helps her up. But the mean kids start calling her “Nerder Girlfriend” and she gets so embarrassed that she shoves the boy, Jamie, away! After a few weeks, she is still sorry about it. But she can’t summon the courage to say sorry and it doesn’t help that he’s in the science club and Peppi is in the art club. The two clubs are rivals for a table at the School Fair and when the clubs each take on different projects for the school and after the fighting the principal breaks up the clubs, Peppi just might have an collaborative idea to save the clubs. With Jamie’s help, of course!

    I think this book helps you learn lessons in life before you do them. It shows that people have choices behind their decisions. By creating Awkward, Svetlana Chmakova helped people know that there are choices behind decisions, rivals can become friends, apologising can make friends, and that teamwork does much. There are also other smaller but still very important lessons, like whoever says the idea first gets the applause, you act weird under pressure, and friendship can be hard. I think that the purpose of this book has been achieved. It teaches you life lessons, and is very enjoyable. The author did not suffer this in her school, but she probably had relationship problems too. This book is written in first person, with the genre of exaggerated reality. Awkward does not include the perspective of anyone else in the book, but Peppi is the character that has the most to say about the story. If the story had a part written in another character’s perspective, I think that Jamie and maybe Maribella (the most confident girl in Art) would be good. But Maribella didn’t shove Jamie, so she might not be the best. But she still suffered the problem of playing fair and still winning. This book convinces me that it is possible to bring together rivals. Another book kind of like this is Wonder. They both are books that are about complicated relationships. But the differences are:
    Wonder=chapter book
    Awkward=chapter graphic novel
    W=relationship trouble because of Auggie’s face
    A=relationship trouble because of club table trouble
    W=Personal trouble
    A=group/club trouble
    But if I could name one book that is most like Awkward, I would choose Wonder. (Well, it’s the only one.) The two books have strengths in different areas, so I can’t say which one is better.

    That is my Awkward book review.

    Clara Xu
    Clara Xu

  14. Springbank Middle School

    I like Jamie because he is funny and he love science. It is realistic because the graphics are well-designed. I wish it was longer because I want to know more about what happens to the characters

  15. senator buchanan school

    I love this book so much! Peppi is this shy girl who really likes art, just like me! I feel like Peppi could be this girl who wants their to be no fighting, no bullies and no one who is mean. Jamie and Peppi are such good friends and they both want the same thing, FOR THEIR CLUBS TO STOP FIGHTING!! Peppi always tires her best no matter what1

  16. Westglen School

    My first book for the review is Awkward.
    This book is full of comedy, fun times and lots of school relations or life relations, I really enjoyed this book and I know someone else would to. I would recommend this to anyone that is into graphic Novels and comedy books. I would recommend this to most people including some young adult audiences. Out of 5 stars, in my opinion this book scores all 5 stars. 5 out of 5 !

  17. westglen

    The book is called Akward by svetlna chmakova.It was about a girl that is new to a school and trip herself then a nerdboy help her but she push the boy because the other kids are laughing and saying that she was a nerd girlfriend.the girl is Penelope Torres and the boy is Jaime Thomson.the girl is in the art club and the boy is in the science club.its a graphic novel and fiction.i like the author wrote the book.i would gave it a great 5 because its a nice story,comic and drawing.no one.

  18. Westglen School

    I really had a fun time reading it! i can recommend this book to anyone who likes graphic novels and drama! This book tells you that life has a bunch of different story’s to tell and nobody knows what life has in store for you. like for instance Penelope (Peppi) pushed Jaime for saving her self from getting called Nerder’s girlfriend. i would give this book 5 stars because this book is drama-like and definitely a good book!

  19. Nicholas Sheran Community School

    I choose this book because it was a really good. I would recommend this book for grades 5-9.

    BY:Isabella

  20. St. Jerome

    I liked the book a lot mostly because it teaches you to show courage and teaches you about friendship

  21. St.Jerome Elementary School

    BOOK WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
    Thanks for suggesting it! 🙂

  22. St.Jerome

    sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo goooooooooooooooooooooooood

  23. Hillhurst school

    Awkward is about a girl named Peppi and she is in middle school. She is also in a school art club that fights a lot with the science club across the hall. One day for the annual school club fair the science club got a table and the art club didn’t and the members of art club got really mad. The science club also had the city science fair but they pulled a prank and got in a lot of trouble. The principal created a competition between the art club and the science club for the club fair table. Read to find out how Peppi got both the members of both clubs to work together.
    Awkward is a REALLY good book. Sometimes it is super funny and sometimes it is a bit awkward.☺I like the first person view because it shows Peppi’s personality. I really like the drawings as they have a lot of detail and it kind of looks like anime. I like the title of the book because it suites the book. I recommend this book for all ages who can read!


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