Gale Galligan’s graphic novel for tween readers, Fresh Start shares the story of siblings Ollie and Cat Herrison. Because the sisters are the mixed race children of a father who works internationally, they move frequently.
Ollie has always seen this move in a positive light since she can start over in a new place without carrying the baggage of embarrassing moments. However, once she enrolls at Chestnut Falls Middle School in Virginia and begins to make new friends, she isn’t sure.
Besides communicating key themes about social development, friendship, and the tumultuous years of early adolescence, Galligan coveys the importance of cultural connection. Being Thai, for instance, is more than looking the part. It’s about engaging with cultural practices, sharing the food and the customs.
Because Ollie is an artist, Galligan further reveals not only how art provides a therapeutic form of escapism and emotional healing but how art “is like a language that everyone understands, no matter where you go” (40).
- Donna