CHICKENPOX

CHICKENPOX by Remy Lai

Chickenpox. I was in fourth grade when it came through our school. In the following days our class was reduced to a small, revolving group of spotty - marked stragglers in different stages of recovery. When my turn came, I was liberally covered, but it was my back that became a board fit for a game of dots. (Upon inspection, my mother discovered I even had a couple on the roof of my mouth.) Memories.

Remi Lai's graphic novel, Chickenpox, shares the journey of a family dealing with the disease based on her experiences as a child in Indonesia. Surrounded by her four siblings, big sister Abby, is about to go crazy being stuck at home. On top of dealing with the incessant itching and red dots all over from the chickenpox, she has to put up with squabbling, siblings always in her stuff, and no chance of alone time. How long is this going to last? Two weeks. Abby can't take it. How will she ever survive?

This book is as much a book about preteen/early teen life woes as it is about chickenpox. Struggles with friendships, struggles with siblings, struggles with Mom and her "you're the oldest" expectations paint a very frustrating and constantly teetering emotional life for Abby. The two weeks are hard, but thankfully, by the end, there is a bit of resolution that allows rays of hopeful possibilities into her life.