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Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel
A hilarious story about fame and friendship, by comedian and disability activist Maysoon Zayid, paired with Shadia Amin's absolutely perfect art! Bay Ann wants to shine. She's sure her moment in the spotlight has arrived when she wins the school talent show with a showstopping tap routine! But then her classmate and crush, Alyee Maq, causes her to wobble and almost fall. The video of him catching her goes viral, making Alyee an overnight sensation for "helping her." Bay Ann is reduced to her disability and her talent is ignored. Bay Ann doesn't want her classmate to get all the fame, and she is NOT satisfied being anything but the best. She'll do everything in her power to beat Alyee at his own attention-seeking game. With the help of her two best friends, Michelle and Davey Matt, she'll go up against Alyee and his crew to prove she's number one. But as Bay Ann tries to find the thing that really makes her stand out, everything she tries goes disastrously wrong. What if the only way to beat her enemy . . . is to join him? This is a hilarious and one-of-a-kind graphic novel about fame, friendship, and fighting to take back your own story.
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
43 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Maysoon Zayid
5 books25 followersMaysoon Zayid is an American actress and comedian. Of Palestinian descent, she is known as one of America's first Muslim women comedians.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
March 11, 2024
I like the concept of this book, that a girl, Bay Ann, with cerebral palsy is not letting a little thing like ***that*** get in her way of being a dancer. I also like the cat that apparently only talks to her. And I like that she is an Arab-American, but that is only lightly referenced to, because it is not a big deal. All good concepts.
I also like that she has friends who treat her like everyone else.
The problem is, I don’t like the protagonist. Bay Ann is super competitive, and though there is nothing wrong with that, it is that she becomes obsessed with being the best, and getting the most views of her video. It gets kind of boring to be a one note character.
I do, however, like the adults in the book. They don’t take any sh*t from Bay Ann. Not her mother, not her therapist, and certainly not her teacher, who is my favorite character of them all. She very much has signed out of being a good teacher, and makes off handed remarks, and totally seems to give up maintaining her classroom decorum at all.
There was a bit of a gap before we know what disease Bay Ann has, once we have been introduced to her. It is only first mentioned on page 50.
The art is nice. The characters move fluidly through the story, and the hurts that Bay Ann does to her friends are real, and painful, as only middle grade fiction about friendships can be.
Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 16th of April 2024.
I also like that she has friends who treat her like everyone else.
The problem is, I don’t like the protagonist. Bay Ann is super competitive, and though there is nothing wrong with that, it is that she becomes obsessed with being the best, and getting the most views of her video. It gets kind of boring to be a one note character.
I do, however, like the adults in the book. They don’t take any sh*t from Bay Ann. Not her mother, not her therapist, and certainly not her teacher, who is my favorite character of them all. She very much has signed out of being a good teacher, and makes off handed remarks, and totally seems to give up maintaining her classroom decorum at all.
There was a bit of a gap before we know what disease Bay Ann has, once we have been introduced to her. It is only first mentioned on page 50.
The art is nice. The characters move fluidly through the story, and the hurts that Bay Ann does to her friends are real, and painful, as only middle grade fiction about friendships can be.
Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 16th of April 2024.
November 19, 2023
THIS is the story I've been waiting for.
As a disabled activist, one of the topics I have the hardest time explaining to people is the idea of "inspiration porn". Even well-intentioned "allies" struggle to understand the idea that any reporting on issues of disability and accessibility could possibly be negative. This is the first book I've seen cover the issue from the perspective of the disabled person - much less a book geared for kids - much less an #ownvoices book written by a disabled author!
Beyond the importance of the plot, I saw myself in this book. Bay Ann is strong, stubborn, and occasionally selfish, as we all were at that age. She sees her disability as a part of her - not something she needs to overcome or prove wrong. She justifiably yells at kids and adults alike that try to take advantage of her disability or assume she should be pitied. Then she turns around with a beautiful kick-ball-change and uses the pity adults unjustifiably put on her to get out of trouble (something I've been known to do once or twice. If they're going to pity me, I might as well take advantage of it!).
There were a handful of small issues I saw in the book, but I only read the ARC version, so I'm hoping those items were resolved before the final copy. The only reason I docked a star was for the ending. There were a few plot points that didn't feel fully resolved - mainly Alyee Maq and Bay Ann's momster. I would have loved to see more of Alyee's storyline as his star faded and he was forced to come to terms with the ways he had used Bay Ann for just a few moments of internet fame. However, I can appreciate a fully non-redeemable villain character - particularly in the teenage years. I am truly sad we didn't get to explore the relationship with Bay Ann's mom. I would give anything to see a nuanced representation of the relationship between a disabled kid and her under involved but overly worried mom. The saving grace of this plot point was when Bay Ann told her momster that showing up at the talent show wasn't enough. I was so happy to see that she wasn't immediately forgiven for all her sins.
As a disabled activist, one of the topics I have the hardest time explaining to people is the idea of "inspiration porn". Even well-intentioned "allies" struggle to understand the idea that any reporting on issues of disability and accessibility could possibly be negative. This is the first book I've seen cover the issue from the perspective of the disabled person - much less a book geared for kids - much less an #ownvoices book written by a disabled author!
Beyond the importance of the plot, I saw myself in this book. Bay Ann is strong, stubborn, and occasionally selfish, as we all were at that age. She sees her disability as a part of her - not something she needs to overcome or prove wrong. She justifiably yells at kids and adults alike that try to take advantage of her disability or assume she should be pitied. Then she turns around with a beautiful kick-ball-change and uses the pity adults unjustifiably put on her to get out of trouble (something I've been known to do once or twice. If they're going to pity me, I might as well take advantage of it!).
There were a handful of small issues I saw in the book, but I only read the ARC version, so I'm hoping those items were resolved before the final copy. The only reason I docked a star was for the ending. There were a few plot points that didn't feel fully resolved - mainly Alyee Maq and Bay Ann's momster. I would have loved to see more of Alyee's storyline as his star faded and he was forced to come to terms with the ways he had used Bay Ann for just a few moments of internet fame. However, I can appreciate a fully non-redeemable villain character - particularly in the teenage years. I am truly sad we didn't get to explore the relationship with Bay Ann's mom. I would give anything to see a nuanced representation of the relationship between a disabled kid and her under involved but overly worried mom. The saving grace of this plot point was when Bay Ann told her momster that showing up at the talent show wasn't enough. I was so happy to see that she wasn't immediately forgiven for all her sins.
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May 13, 2024a brilliant little graphic novel about a girl who has aspirations of being a dancer, and she also happens to have CP
July 20, 2024
There is a fun, quirky type of humor here that I enjoyed. The expressions and dialogue are funny too. The mom stood out to me because she’s a hard-as-nails type, but it wasn’t entirely black or white. It’s obvious she’s too tough on her daughter, but she’s not a villain either. I’m sorry, but she was entertaining though from a child’s perspective she’s a prison warden.
Bay Ann has cerebral palsy (and she jokes very flippantly about it), and it’s a constant factor of her life. She wonders if her talent for dance is genuinely well-liked or out of pity from others. Of course, most of the characters affirm her, but some do look down upon her.
I think the story strikes a realistic balance that will be relatable to kids in general but especially those with physical disabilities. Some people will look at you differently or be condescending or overly helpful and others will not care at all. In particular, Bay Ann’s friends are just as chaotic and sweet as herself.
Also, there is a random magical-talking cat character that the story narrative barely acknowledges. AND I LOVE THAT as a magical realism fan. It could be a figment of Bay Ann’s imagination or a legit talking cat. I don’t know, man but it was good time.
4.5
Bay Ann has cerebral palsy (and she jokes very flippantly about it), and it’s a constant factor of her life. She wonders if her talent for dance is genuinely well-liked or out of pity from others. Of course, most of the characters affirm her, but some do look down upon her.
I think the story strikes a realistic balance that will be relatable to kids in general but especially those with physical disabilities. Some people will look at you differently or be condescending or overly helpful and others will not care at all. In particular, Bay Ann’s friends are just as chaotic and sweet as herself.
Also, there is a random magical-talking cat character that the story narrative barely acknowledges. AND I LOVE THAT as a magical realism fan. It could be a figment of Bay Ann’s imagination or a legit talking cat. I don’t know, man but it was good time.
4.5
February 7, 2024
I snagged an early copy at NYCC-- so thank you to the publisher!
The art was fantastic and smooth, my main issue was the odd pacing and writing in general. It felt like I was missing a couple of pages with how quickly people were moving through conversations.
I also personally didn't like the protagonist, though it was nice to read a disabled protagonist that isn't a uwu sweet angel which happens way too often.
The disability wasn't really explained well and it felt like it was a "shame" to bring it up but you want the readers to understand what the protagonist deals with on a daily basis! I do appreciate how normalized her life was, it wasn't like her disability was preventing her from having fun. I just wish there was some explanation so we can better understand the protagonist.
The art was fantastic and smooth, my main issue was the odd pacing and writing in general. It felt like I was missing a couple of pages with how quickly people were moving through conversations.
I also personally didn't like the protagonist, though it was nice to read a disabled protagonist that isn't a uwu sweet angel which happens way too often.
The disability wasn't really explained well and it felt like it was a "shame" to bring it up but you want the readers to understand what the protagonist deals with on a daily basis! I do appreciate how normalized her life was, it wasn't like her disability was preventing her from having fun. I just wish there was some explanation so we can better understand the protagonist.
September 28, 2023
Shadia Amin’s art is *chefs kiss*, just an A+ artist that brings big, fun expressions and gestures to her lively characters.
April 20, 2025
Urgh this book!!!! 😤😤😤
I was looking forward to reading this book because the author is Palestinian so I thought yay but no this book was defo a nay 🥲
Bay Ann is meant to be an unlikeable character I think? She was actually horrible…I was NOT rooting for her…she was OBSESSED with going viral and this boy Alyee Maq who is apparently a teen star in her class who she definitely has a crush on but won’t admit it? She is unhealthily obsessed with gaining stardom and going viral…🙄🙄🙄
All she cares about is going viral…she wins the Halloween Idol and Alyee dude kisses her on the cheek (non consensual but she said it was fine so idk)…then that video goes viral about him being so kind as to kiss a disabled or ‘special’ girl…coz she has Cerebral Palsy.
Her friends were nice but she was not nice to them at all! She was horrible and rude and why did she call her mum by her first name????
She calls her mum ‘Momster’ so yeah her mum seems horrible as well. She is scared of her mum and hates her.
Her dad is really nice but clearly didn’t get to the bottom or her friendship drama…he kept saying ‘Michelle doesn’t hate you’ when he should have said…’why don’t you say sorry…’
This girl does not know how to apologise or treat anyone nicely.
Her obsessed with Alyee Maq is annoying and he is annoying and even her friends think he is annoying.
The amount of times ‘Alyee Maq’ is used is 😒😒😒🙄🙄🙄
The friendship make up was too short at the end and her apology was not even a proper apology!!! Yet Michelle accepted it! She’s all like ‘my friend is ghosting me’ um maybe because you KEPT CALLING HER A LOSER??? but Alyee Maq calls them a loser and suddenly she is like wow ‘that’s not a nice thing to say’
She is angry and frustrated and has violent outbursts like pushing a table because Alyee Maq won and she didn’t…this is not dealt with at all! She is also paranoid about people filming her coz she is disabled and it’s true! People were filming her for likes! Also a teacher recorded her on their phone???? Why didn’t they just look at the CCTV because she SQUIRTED KETCHUP IN HER FRIENDS EYES and then played the disability card but the friend forgave her so quickly???
Davey Marty deserves better. He was the best character.
Idek if they are Muslim or cultural Muslim because they mention halal hot pockets a few times and swearing on the Quran but it comes across as more of a joke…there aren’t that many Arabic words used like I was expecting more culture but it did not deliver…we NEED more books by POC and WOC and for us to get a graphic novel by a Palestinian author only for her to not say anything about her culture was disappointing.
The only nice part was when her mum and her wore traditional Palestinian dresses for thanksgiving. The outfits were the nice part not the scene because as I said she hates her mum and her mum seems cold and harsh but also has to tell it like it is to her.
I know this is a middle grade book and I am not the target audience but it was just difficult to read coz she was so damn annoying and just a horrible person.
So many things were mentioned in passing (who is cherry? Why is this mentioned if not addressed?) and it was fast faced and chaotic which was intentional but it was just not a good story.
All the people are school were also not great…basically the only nice adult character was her dad…and Davey Matty’s mum.
Her guidance councillor is condescending and I don’t get why her parents don’t deal with her anger issues!!!
Idek how she has friends since she is so rude to them!
Alyee Maq’s mum makes an appearance as a hijabi but she wasn’t even nice…
Some good things;
1) disabled MC
2)artwork is great
3) cat is the best character
My favourite character was her cat who gave good advice for the most part and loved to rhyme.
Overall I did not enjoy this book and it was so underwhelming and disappointing like we could have had an amazing graphic novel with some Palestinian culture or even just Arab culture with the FOOD even but no we got boring white people food and you can only read on the dad’s food truck that he sells falafel.
We need more diverse stories and representation in graphic novels but this was such a disappointed and it just made me angry. I was tempted to DNF but I persevered to see if she grew and she barely apologised to her friends…
Anyhew this is a really long review coz I had to rant about how much I hated Bay Ann and how sorely disappointed I am with this book! 😒😒😒
Really thought this would be a 5 star book…never thought I would give it a 1 star but here we are…
Will be interesting to see what the kids think about it! UPDATE: the kids also hate it thankfully 😹😭😒
Also…for a graphic novel written by a comedian it was NOT ‘hilarious’ but then again I am not the target audience…
I was looking forward to reading this book because the author is Palestinian so I thought yay but no this book was defo a nay 🥲
Bay Ann is meant to be an unlikeable character I think? She was actually horrible…I was NOT rooting for her…she was OBSESSED with going viral and this boy Alyee Maq who is apparently a teen star in her class who she definitely has a crush on but won’t admit it? She is unhealthily obsessed with gaining stardom and going viral…🙄🙄🙄
All she cares about is going viral…she wins the Halloween Idol and Alyee dude kisses her on the cheek (non consensual but she said it was fine so idk)…then that video goes viral about him being so kind as to kiss a disabled or ‘special’ girl…coz she has Cerebral Palsy.
Her friends were nice but she was not nice to them at all! She was horrible and rude and why did she call her mum by her first name????
She calls her mum ‘Momster’ so yeah her mum seems horrible as well. She is scared of her mum and hates her.
Her dad is really nice but clearly didn’t get to the bottom or her friendship drama…he kept saying ‘Michelle doesn’t hate you’ when he should have said…’why don’t you say sorry…’
This girl does not know how to apologise or treat anyone nicely.
Her obsessed with Alyee Maq is annoying and he is annoying and even her friends think he is annoying.
The amount of times ‘Alyee Maq’ is used is 😒😒😒🙄🙄🙄
The friendship make up was too short at the end and her apology was not even a proper apology!!! Yet Michelle accepted it! She’s all like ‘my friend is ghosting me’ um maybe because you KEPT CALLING HER A LOSER??? but Alyee Maq calls them a loser and suddenly she is like wow ‘that’s not a nice thing to say’
She is angry and frustrated and has violent outbursts like pushing a table because Alyee Maq won and she didn’t…this is not dealt with at all! She is also paranoid about people filming her coz she is disabled and it’s true! People were filming her for likes! Also a teacher recorded her on their phone???? Why didn’t they just look at the CCTV because she SQUIRTED KETCHUP IN HER FRIENDS EYES and then played the disability card but the friend forgave her so quickly???
Davey Marty deserves better. He was the best character.
Idek if they are Muslim or cultural Muslim because they mention halal hot pockets a few times and swearing on the Quran but it comes across as more of a joke…there aren’t that many Arabic words used like I was expecting more culture but it did not deliver…we NEED more books by POC and WOC and for us to get a graphic novel by a Palestinian author only for her to not say anything about her culture was disappointing.
The only nice part was when her mum and her wore traditional Palestinian dresses for thanksgiving. The outfits were the nice part not the scene because as I said she hates her mum and her mum seems cold and harsh but also has to tell it like it is to her.
I know this is a middle grade book and I am not the target audience but it was just difficult to read coz she was so damn annoying and just a horrible person.
So many things were mentioned in passing (who is cherry? Why is this mentioned if not addressed?) and it was fast faced and chaotic which was intentional but it was just not a good story.
All the people are school were also not great…basically the only nice adult character was her dad…and Davey Matty’s mum.
Her guidance councillor is condescending and I don’t get why her parents don’t deal with her anger issues!!!
Idek how she has friends since she is so rude to them!
Alyee Maq’s mum makes an appearance as a hijabi but she wasn’t even nice…
Some good things;
1) disabled MC
2)artwork is great
3) cat is the best character
My favourite character was her cat who gave good advice for the most part and loved to rhyme.
Overall I did not enjoy this book and it was so underwhelming and disappointing like we could have had an amazing graphic novel with some Palestinian culture or even just Arab culture with the FOOD even but no we got boring white people food and you can only read on the dad’s food truck that he sells falafel.
We need more diverse stories and representation in graphic novels but this was such a disappointed and it just made me angry. I was tempted to DNF but I persevered to see if she grew and she barely apologised to her friends…
Anyhew this is a really long review coz I had to rant about how much I hated Bay Ann and how sorely disappointed I am with this book! 😒😒😒
Really thought this would be a 5 star book…never thought I would give it a 1 star but here we are…
Will be interesting to see what the kids think about it! UPDATE: the kids also hate it thankfully 😹😭😒
Also…for a graphic novel written by a comedian it was NOT ‘hilarious’ but then again I am not the target audience…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2025
it’s amazing love it she so good at tapping
January 4, 2025
2.5 Stars
CAWPILE = 4.29
Disappointing Read 2024
As someone who was born with Cerebral Palsy I was curious to pick this up during a read-a-thon but I was sorely disappointed in it.
Bay Ann was pretty much obsessed with being famous to the detriment of everything else, even long friendships. After something happened she was both desperate and determined to be seen as more than her disability yet the next thing she's doing the exact opposite of what she wanted. She moaned about only being famous because another character helped her then once again goes and does the exact opposite , falling out with her two friends in the process. While she does eventually apologise to her friends, it resolves all too conveniently just in time to give the book a happy ending by giving her what she wants
I don't think that's a good example to set middle grade aged children as her actions were hypocritical throughout and they were never truly shown to be wrong.
Despite not liking the actions shown as acceptable in the graphic novel it could be a great conversation starter to ask children if they thought Bay Ann did anything wrong and use it as an opportunity to talk about right, wrong, contradictions and hypocrisy.
The one thing that I can say that I did like was Shadia Amin's art. It was bright and colourful and brought the story to life.
Emetophobia notes: There was:
- a whole chapter called "s*" but nothing happens other than mentions of tu*
- mention of b* & g* noises on page 143
- mention of b* on page 165.
CAWPILE = 4.29
Disappointing Read 2024
As someone who was born with Cerebral Palsy I was curious to pick this up during a read-a-thon but I was sorely disappointed in it.
Bay Ann was pretty much obsessed with being famous to the detriment of everything else, even long friendships. After something happened she was both desperate and determined to be seen as more than her disability yet the next thing she's doing the exact opposite of what she wanted. She moaned about only being famous because another character helped her then once again goes and does the exact opposite , falling out with her two friends in the process. While she does eventually apologise to her friends, it resolves all too conveniently just in time to give the book a happy ending by giving her what she wants
I don't think that's a good example to set middle grade aged children as her actions were hypocritical throughout and they were never truly shown to be wrong.
Despite not liking the actions shown as acceptable in the graphic novel it could be a great conversation starter to ask children if they thought Bay Ann did anything wrong and use it as an opportunity to talk about right, wrong, contradictions and hypocrisy.
The one thing that I can say that I did like was Shadia Amin's art. It was bright and colourful and brought the story to life.
Emetophobia notes: There was:
- a whole chapter called "s*" but nothing happens other than mentions of tu*
- mention of b* & g* noises on page 143
- mention of b* on page 165.
July 2, 2025
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 21, 2024I had more issues with this book than I thought I would. When starting the book, it felt like I was missing pages, because of where it jumped in, and lacking background information. The main character focused way too much on going viral, she was quite rude to her friends, and I just didn’t get why she called her parents by their first names. I thought there would be something about the main character admitting she has a crush on her competition, based on the way she acted, but nothing about that was said. It seemed very convenient that her divorced parents lived just down the street from each other, given her disability. But she only spent nights at her father’s? I also didn’t understand why her mother said what I considered to be such rude and insulting things to her daughter. And is Davey Matt his full name? What about Alyee Maq? Why refer to them by their full names, but Bay Ann and Michelle by only their first names?
I was thrown off from the beginning, and found more flaws and questions than answers as I continued to read.
I was thrown off from the beginning, and found more flaws and questions than answers as I continued to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2024
DNF at 92.
I found the main character insufferable. Just bc kids want to be YT stars, doesn’t mean we have to feed that machine. Its gross. There’s a difference between wanting and being obsessive, which was definitely the latter.
1) cats can’t taste sugar. Cats are also lactose intolerant and are Carnivores. Please don’t feed cats anything but cooked meat and cat food!!! 🤦♀️
2) CP hasn’t been explained by now. So far, it can be assumed that all kids with CP can dance, sorta walk, and have hand tremors, although that’s not even close to the truth.
3) the main character scream in her mother’s face and calls her momster, that probably means monster. She’s like 10. Not ok.
I never give graphics less than 2 stars. The art is great, except the weird faces and eyes the main character gets sometimes. The story isn’t horrible and I was happy to see some diversity, but I feel it wasn’t represented that great as a whole. Hopefully it got better. 🤷🏻♀️
I found the main character insufferable. Just bc kids want to be YT stars, doesn’t mean we have to feed that machine. Its gross. There’s a difference between wanting and being obsessive, which was definitely the latter.
1) cats can’t taste sugar. Cats are also lactose intolerant and are Carnivores. Please don’t feed cats anything but cooked meat and cat food!!! 🤦♀️
2) CP hasn’t been explained by now. So far, it can be assumed that all kids with CP can dance, sorta walk, and have hand tremors, although that’s not even close to the truth.
3) the main character scream in her mother’s face and calls her momster, that probably means monster. She’s like 10. Not ok.
I never give graphics less than 2 stars. The art is great, except the weird faces and eyes the main character gets sometimes. The story isn’t horrible and I was happy to see some diversity, but I feel it wasn’t represented that great as a whole. Hopefully it got better. 🤷🏻♀️
July 1, 2024
I am giving this book 2 stars because we have a main character of color who also has cerebral palsy-- that representation is incredible! Also, she has a cat that speaks to her in rhyming couplets. But oh my God she was also the most annoying MC I've read in a while. Bay Ann is rude, self-centered, and has almost no redeeming qualities. I wanted to sympathize with her struggle to become more than the disabled girl in a viral video. But her obsession with going viral was just too much.
This book had so much potential, but just totally missed the mark for me.
This book had so much potential, but just totally missed the mark for me.
March 26, 2024
I loved this great #ownvoices cerebral palsy graphic novel debut featuring Bay Ann, her two best friends, her divorced parents and her cat sidekick. Full of important messages about valuing friendship over social media fame and popularity, this was a heartfelt middle grade story sure to resonate with a lot of young readers! Highly recommended for fans of books like El Deafo.
July 26, 2023
Together comedian @maysoonzayid & artist extraordinaire @shadiaminart have created the graphic novel Shiny Misfits! We love that Bay Ann has cerebral palsy and simultaneously has real friendships, shows incredible creativity, and is also is super cool. This book truly shines! 🌟
March 7, 2024
This read like an outline or a rough draft to me.
July 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! I really appreciated the matter of a fact portrayal of cerebral palsy, and I loved Bay Ann’s relationship with her cat! I thought it was a realistic depiction of middle school life and something a lot of tweens would relate to. The art style was great, and I know this book has a lot of shelf appeal to readers who are fans of Smile, Sisters, and the like!
To address criticism from other reviews - The main character is complicated and definitely not perfect - in a way that reminded me of books from my childhood. She learns a lesson about the importance of true friends, but still has more growth possible - leaving a door open for sequels! For example, Bay Ann achieves her goal of going viral on her own terms by the end of the book, and I know some folks are understandably worried about encouraging an attitude that fifty million views equals happiness. I can definitely see a future book where she realizes internet fame isn’t as inherently rewarding as she expected! I think if she did have a spot-on attitude towards things, she wouldn’t be as relatable to kids.
To address criticism from other reviews - The main character is complicated and definitely not perfect - in a way that reminded me of books from my childhood. She learns a lesson about the importance of true friends, but still has more growth possible - leaving a door open for sequels! For example, Bay Ann achieves her goal of going viral on her own terms by the end of the book, and I know some folks are understandably worried about encouraging an attitude that fifty million views equals happiness. I can definitely see a future book where she realizes internet fame isn’t as inherently rewarding as she expected! I think if she did have a spot-on attitude towards things, she wouldn’t be as relatable to kids.
June 1, 2025
Found this dragging and unfortunately very surface level, with the friendship drama happening and then solving itself without seemingly any character development... I liked the basic concept but then it became monotonous in our MC's drive to go viral. I'm surprised her friends stuck with her as long as they did as she seemed to be just as rude to them as to her parents...
December 13, 2024
I read this because my kiddo was reading it for school, and I wanted to be able to talk to them about it. I quite enjoyed it and I think that the way it resolves was loaded with valuable life lessons. I appreciated the way Maysoon Zayid and Shadia Amin used perspective to reveal more about the story and its characters as the story progresses. This is a great book for 10-year-olds, but I think it really shines if parents or educators use it as a way to initiate important conversations about the subject matter that the book covers. There's a lot there, but I suspect some children may not pick up on everything unless they have an opportunity to talk about it.
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January 14, 2025The main character, Bay Ann, is a person of colour and also has cerebral palsy so I was pleased to see the representation in this book. Unfortunately, I found Bay Ann unlikeable and the dialogue felt odd to me.
August 3, 2025
First, I just didn’t like the pacing. It felt like we were jumping from plot point to plot point with no real connection.
Second, I did NOOOOOT like the way Bay Ann talked to her friends or literally any of the adults, including her mother, in the story. She was always so rude and even Michelle sort of let it slide at the end? It wasn’t cute.
The idea that she NEEDS to go viral is something a lot of kids want, but I also think it being all consuming and made her such a mean person wasn’t okay. Also, her cerebral palsy just felt like an afterthought. No one held that Aylee kid accountable for using it to gain fame? How is that okay? And it also could have been explored that he is the way he is because of his parents, but that’s also an after thought.
I don’t know. I wanted to like this, but ultimately thought it needed a lot more work.
Second, I did NOOOOOT like the way Bay Ann talked to her friends or literally any of the adults, including her mother, in the story. She was always so rude and even Michelle sort of let it slide at the end? It wasn’t cute.
The idea that she NEEDS to go viral is something a lot of kids want, but I also think it being all consuming and made her such a mean person wasn’t okay. Also, her cerebral palsy just felt like an afterthought. No one held that Aylee kid accountable for using it to gain fame? How is that okay? And it also could have been explored that he is the way he is because of his parents, but that’s also an after thought.
I don’t know. I wanted to like this, but ultimately thought it needed a lot more work.
January 2, 2024
Bay Ann wants to shine.
💃🏾
Bay Ann has practiced hard and it’s pays off—she wins her Halloween talent show! But when her crush and fellow participant catches her as she’s falling, he ends up getting the spotlight. The news shifts from Bay Ann’s win to her cerebral palsy, making them focus only on her disability instead of her awesome dancing ability. With the help of her friends Michelle and Davey Matt, Bay Ann rushes to prove she deserves the attention and not him.
💃🏾
This was such an adorable MG graphic novel by @maysoonzayid & @shadiaminart Bay Ann was relatable and definitely a protagonist you wanted to root for the entire time. It also shows a complex relationship between mother and daughter. This book releases April 16 by @graphixbooks
CW: taking advantage of a disability
💃🏾
Bay Ann has practiced hard and it’s pays off—she wins her Halloween talent show! But when her crush and fellow participant catches her as she’s falling, he ends up getting the spotlight. The news shifts from Bay Ann’s win to her cerebral palsy, making them focus only on her disability instead of her awesome dancing ability. With the help of her friends Michelle and Davey Matt, Bay Ann rushes to prove she deserves the attention and not him.
💃🏾
This was such an adorable MG graphic novel by @maysoonzayid & @shadiaminart Bay Ann was relatable and definitely a protagonist you wanted to root for the entire time. It also shows a complex relationship between mother and daughter. This book releases April 16 by @graphixbooks
CW: taking advantage of a disability
April 18, 2024
Young readers unfamiliar with cerebral palsy may have questions about it after reading this book... It's touched on, but not really explained at all. There are things to love here, but if I have questions as an adult reader, it's likely that the target audience may have some questions too.
September 8, 2024
Bay Ann is obsessed with going viral. She willing to do it by any means necessary and she’s not going to let CP get in her way. I won’t lie at first I felt bad for her but the story progressed I was annoyed because all she cared about was basically her ego because she had to beat Alyee. Even losing friendships didn’t matter. Anywho, I will def be putting this in my classroom library!
December 24, 2023
Very unlikeable characters. Not one was redeeming and felt zero empathy not even for the one with the disability. Disappointing
January 23, 2024
Hilarious
July 30, 2024
2.5⭐️ nice idea, insufferable MC
July 17, 2024
Best fit audience is probably upper elementary, lower middle grade. Main characters appear to be in 5th grade. Cute and beautiful. Realistic in how some problems are never really “fixed” but as an adult reader that left me frustrated. Another character is using the main character to craft a narrative for his popularity and as a reader, you want justice to prevail. Ultimately, the book had a different positive message (definitely more realistic and probably healthier) but the hungry wolf in my soul wants to feed on karma. I did love the way the author made the story feel so fleshed out by throwing out references to things and not explaining them until later because the characters don’t need exposition. It was well done.
February 21, 2025
This is a quirky middle grade graphic novel about a tween with cerebral palsy, Bay Ann, who longs for viral fame. She also has a crush on her arch nemesis Alyee Maq, who is a total ableist jerk. He also wins EVERYTHING, and the one time he doesn't win something, he still manages to make it all about him. Bay Ann is determined to beat him and reach viral fame, despite her friends trying to convince her that he's not worth the energy.
I loved all the disability themes and they way disability and ableism was handled in this book. Bay Ann is a great character. I also like the subtle Muslim-American background. The author is Palestinian American and has cerebral palsy, and this is a great book for some POC disabled kid rep, which we desperately need more of.
There are some things that bothered me. The rhyming cat was weird. This isn't fantasy? And the rhymes are sooo bad, and it made reading the non-rhyming bits of dialogue seem awkward. Then the teacher hates teaching and apparently children in general? And the mother is so mean! What bothered me most was the lack of character development with her two friends. One frequently goes hungry so Bay Ann's dad feeds her, she constantly says she's such a loser, and she sleeps on a couch at her home. I felt really worried about her, but that's never really addressed?
Anyway, would happily read more by the author, and recommend this book.
I loved all the disability themes and they way disability and ableism was handled in this book. Bay Ann is a great character. I also like the subtle Muslim-American background. The author is Palestinian American and has cerebral palsy, and this is a great book for some POC disabled kid rep, which we desperately need more of.
There are some things that bothered me. The rhyming cat was weird. This isn't fantasy? And the rhymes are sooo bad, and it made reading the non-rhyming bits of dialogue seem awkward. Then the teacher hates teaching and apparently children in general? And the mother is so mean! What bothered me most was the lack of character development with her two friends. One frequently goes hungry so Bay Ann's dad feeds her, she constantly says she's such a loser, and she sleeps on a couch at her home. I felt really worried about her, but that's never really addressed?
Anyway, would happily read more by the author, and recommend this book.
December 9, 2024
Contemporary graphic novel for ages 8-12, this book focuses on friendship, being yourself, and the main character is a Palestinian American Muslim vegetarian with cerebral palsy and divorced parents. There's lots of snarky banter, and she definitely has attitude. Their teacher is openly cynical, sarcastic, and it's like she says out loud what teachers are actually thinking (not all the time, I hope!). It's funny, and I hope that kids "get it". Her mom is very strict and professional, her dad is a sweetie and owns a food truck. Her cat talks to her in rhyme (only she can hear it). Her two best friends are great. When all Bay Ann wants is fame, and gets really obsessed, I don't really like her, but that's part of the arc of the story and she's got to figure that out. I'm sensitive that way. : ) The art is great. Nice author's and illustrator's notes at the end!
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