Starting middle school can be a scary transition for anyone, but Abbie Wu is totally stressed out. In Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom (HarperCollins), young Abbie is anxious about starting at a new school and doesn’t think anyone in her family understands. She wants desperately to fit in but feels as if she is the only person in the world who hasn’t figured out where she belongs. Can her friends help her find her way?
Abbie’s character was inspired by author-illustrator Booki Vivat’s own memories of growing up. Along with a heartwarming and hilarious story, Frazzled is brought to life by Vivat’s black and white illustrations. Vivat doesn’t consider herself an artist but has always doodled in her personal planner to capture her feelings.
“My planner became more of a creative outlet and visual record of my life. My ideas are really just a product of what I’m feeling and experiencing, and the art just comes out of a desire to see those things expressed visually,” Vivat says.
Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom (HarperCollins) is the first novel for Booki Vivat, a California native who currently calls Brooklyn home. Vivat also works in the publishing industry as a children’s book publicist.