Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Making fantasy fiction helps tween cope in heartfelt memoir.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As JUST PRETEND opens, seventh-grader Tori is dealing with a fractured family, shuttling between her mom's home and her father's new apartment. She lives in two worlds at school, one outside and one inside her head. She worries about losing her friends, especially when her relationship with Taylor is endangered. Can writing about their challenges help them succeed?
Is It Any Good?
Divorce is almost always difficult for children, and this heartfelt graphic memoir captures the isolation many kids struggle with. In Just Pretend, cartoonist Tori Sharp illustrates how she relied on her imagination and love of fantasy drawing to deal with problems at home and school. Her depiction of her family will be relatable for many readers -- sometimes sad, but often comforting. The book is filled with humor, and Sharp's graphic artistry invites the reader into the story from the first panel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Just Pretend deals with the subject of divorce. How do kids react when their parents separate?
How can you maintain friendships when friends move away or to another school?
How can literature and writing be used to help people with their problems?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Tori Sharp
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Little Brown and Company
- Publication date : May 18, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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