Dan Santat would rather stay home for the summer. But his parents insist that he travel to Europe with some of his classmates. He does so, and as the days go by, Dan makes new friends and experiences a whole new world. When the end of the trip comes, Dan finds it harder to say goodbye than he ever thought possible.
Many kids would jump at the opportunity to visit Europe before starting high school, but Dan Santat isn’t one of them. He’d prefer to stay in his little town outside Los Angeles in 1989, playing video games and avoiding people. But his parents insist that he see the world, so soon Dan finds himself at the airport with several of his classmates, preparing to study abroad.
Dan was bullied in middle school, and he’s all too familiar with some of the kids in his group. But he makes friends with Braden and Darryl, and he tolerates Joy, Shelley, and Amber. And when the group joins other American students going to France, Dan meets Amy.
As the teens travel from one famous site to another, Dan starts drawing his experiences. He has fun and becomes friends with people he wasn’t so sure about. Instead of feeling awkward and self-conscious, Dan starts to feel confident. He even realizes, eventually, that he has a crush on Amy.
Should he tell her? After all, what’s the point if they’re only going to have to say goodbye?
None.
Karma is mentioned. Dan wears a Buddha necklace.
Dan’s parents care about him, but he doesn’t tell them much about his life. He helps his mom, who has lupus, a lot. Police break up a party thrown by an older kid whose parents aren’t home.
Saying no to drugs was a big deal in the book’s 1989 time frame, and a school assembly focuses on the issue. Dan gets beaten up in karate class. Dan’s mom says people in Europe will chop off his head for his gold Buddha necklace. Smoking is permitted on airplanes, and kids in Europe smoke and convince Dan to try a cigarette. Girls on the trip appear hung over at one point. Teens drink beer in Germany. Dan steals a bike to get away from people he’s afraid will beat him up. A teacher says, “good Lord,” and a kid says, “oh my God.”
One character mentions no one is wearing any clothes on a French television channel. We hear that Dan gave Shelley his sweatshirt one day at school when her period stained her dress. Dan and Amy crush on each other and kiss and hug multiple times.
Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. Do you have friends who support you and like you for who God created you to be? Why or why not?
Read 1 Corinthians 15:33. What does this verse mean? How can you apply it to your relationships?
What is one new thing you could try this year?
Get free discussion questions for books at focusonthefamily.com/magazine/thriving-family-book-discussion-questions.
Dan Santat created this graphic novel based on his experiences from the summer he studied abroad in Europe. Santat paints a relatable picture of his middle-school experiences—a time of life when a lot of kids struggle—and gives readers hope for the future. However, some of the story’s experiences are too mature for young readers.
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Review by Rachel Pfeiffer
