Very Bad at Math
A Graphic Novel
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
From New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award–winning author Hope Larson comes a middle grade graphic novel full of hijinks, unexpected friendships, and pizza, perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller.
Verity “Very” Nelson can do it all.
She’s student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist. You could say she’s pretty much the best at everything…Well, almost everything. Everything except math.
And it’s not like she doesn’t try. Math just doesn’t make sense in her brain. But it better start soon, or else she can kiss her presidency—and her campaign promises—goodbye. Soon Verity finds herself enrolled in a remedial math class where, despite her best efforts, failure persists. All seems lost until a teacher helps her discover the truth: Verity has dyscalculia, a learning disability that causes her to mix up numbers.
Armed with a new diagnosis and improved grades, Verity is confident her math struggles will remain secret. But when a gossipy podcaster dismantles her perfect image, Verity must choose: remain part of a broken system or fight to fix it.
A Children's Book Council Hot Off the Press Feature!
A 2025 Nebraska Sower Nominee!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After giving a rousing speech about fund-raising for a class trip to Danger Hollow Fun Park, eighth grader Verity "Very" Nelson is elected for her third term as student body president. But that was the easy part. Now Very must work to improve her math grade: not only does she worry that her fund-raising efforts will be almost impossible if she continues to struggle with arithmetic, but she will also be forced to resign as president if her grade keeps declining. Very soon forges an unlikely partnership with classmate Lucile, her vice president Bree's former BFF, and the perpetrator behind Sauce-Gate, an incident in which a rogue blender almost brought about embarrassment for the trio. Lucile's resentment toward Very slowly thaws and together, the girls work to better Very's mathematics prowess and Lucile and Bree's relationship. Everything is going according to plan until intrepid student podcaster Nate notices that Very has been slacking on her presidential duties and determines to undermine her position. Larson (All My Friends) emphasizes character expressions, dialogue, and Very's inner monologue via vibrant illustrations to craft an introspective graphic novel about mistakes, forgiveness, and the importance of accommodation for academically challenged youth. Characters are portrayed with varied skin tones. Ages 8–12.
