Chiggers

Chiggers is the story of Abby coming back to another summer camp. This year a few things are different. Her good friend Rose is now a cabin assistant, which makes her busy and absent much of the time. Her other good friend Beth came in with new piercings and is buddying up more with Zoe. Her first bunkmate Deni gets sent home early because of chiggers. Her new bunkmate is Shasta, who likes fantasy novels, wears a bandana, dates a high school senior on the internet, and also claims to have been struck by lightning. And to top things off, Abby has a crush on a boy named Teal.

This graphic novel was written and drawn by Hope Larson, who is already an acclaimed creator. She has won both the Ignatz and Eisner Awards and has published work in prestigious publications like the New York Times. Larson has published four other graphic novels, including Mercury, and is now at work on a graphic adaptation of Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. These interviews with Zack Smith and Kiel Phegley shed more light into her work on Chiggers.

Reviews of this book have been very positive. Johanna Draper Carlson commented that Larson's art uses a "beautiful visual thinking that reaches the reader emotionally." Eva M wrote that the artwork was "simple and expressive" and that she got lost in the narrative and relatable summer camp experiences. Jack Bauerstein83 noted that while not everyone (i.e. young boys) will find this book interesting, it well deserves checking out.

A preview is available here from Larson. The book's publisher Simon & Schuster posted a different preview here.