Page by Paige: A Graphic Novel

You know how hard it is to move and leave your friends behind, especially when you're in high school? In Laura Lee Gulledge's new graphic novel, we meet introspective teen Paige, who has just moved to New York City from Virginia and is struggling to adjust. She is also struggling with her desire to define herself as an artist, and with a lot of self-doubt. This book is her sketchbook, a record of her journey (all done in black and white).What's really nice is the way Gulledge has Paige mix visual metaphors into her storytelling. For example, when Paige says, "I've been giving myself a lot of pep talks in my head lately," we see in the next drawing that the sign over the steps leading to the high school entrance has "BE AN EXTROVERT" over the doors instead of the school's name. On the next page, as Paige goes up the hall, she sees a hand-lettered sign on the wall by the office reading, "Psst, Paige, You Belong Here." Below, as Paige says, "I tell myself that everyone else feels alone, too," we find a large drawing of a lake with dozens of teens paddling around in very small boats, each isolated though surrounded by others. These images ebb and flow nicely as Paige goes about finding her way in a new place.The detailed depiction of Paige's worries and self-analysis might strike more confident readers as self-absorption, but I'm guessing many readers will relate to her self-consciousness. Paige's conflicts with her well-meaning but intrusive parents are another plot thread that will feel familiar to a lot of young readers. This relationship is not unrealistically one-note, though: At one point Paige shares a joke and a hug with her dad, and her parents are fairly sympathetic characters as they try to understand how their daughter is doing.Happily, Paige falls in with a nice little group of new friends who not only help her to feel less isolated, but who support her blossoming as an artist. With Jules, Longo, and Gabe cheering her on, Paige starts up an art blog and even designs some guerrilla street art projects. For example, at one point she and her friends leave a bunch of plastic Easter eggs around town, each filled with a message or a small token like a Hershey's Kiss or a feather.Paige's friends are appealing individuals in their own right: Jules, the lesbian singer whose lyrics combine things like vampires and robots; her brother Longo, a goofball and, like Paige, a closet artist; and Gabe, a quiet boy and a writer.This is not a rowdy book, but the low-key humor adds dimension. For example, as the four compare backgrounds and we learn that Gabe is Japanese-American and Jules and Longo are Italian-Latino, English-Scottish-Irish-German-Swiss Paige remarks, "Wow, you guys are so exotic! Me, I'm just like if all the pale countries got together and had a big orgy." (This joke is about as wild as it gets, by the way.)Paige continues to struggle with self-doubt in the face of setbacks, but mostly she quietly grows more happy and confident both as an artist and as a person. Her budding romance with Gabe is especially lovely: their kindness to each other is what you really want to see in a teen relationship, or any relationship, really. Paige's joy in her new boyfriend and yes, in their tentative kisses, is, of course, depicted in part by more symbolic drawings.Paige also works things out--to a reasonable extent--with her parents. In a way, this book is a coming-of-age story, as Paige goes from a place of fear to a place of becoming her promised self. Each section of Paige's sketchbook begins with a "rule" Paige assigns herself as she tries to be more adventurous, more confident, and more open about her artwork. For example, Rule #3 is "Shhh... quiet... listen to what's going on in your head."I would especially recommend Page by Paige for shy, thoughtful, and creative teens. Or for anyone who's an artist and a thinker, for that matter.

I used this product to reconnect to my middle school self. It is a very interesting read and when it got delivered to me there were no boo boos on the book.

I bought this book for my teenage daughter for Christmas because she had borrowed it from the school library and loved it.Once she was done re-reading it, I had a chance to read it and absolutely LOVED it. It's the story of a young woman who is an artist and mostly introverted who has moved to a new home in New York City. The magic of the story is not plot twists but how unbelievably honest the story and illustrations are. Just as Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine captures the beauty and sorrow of growing up, this book speaks the truth about being an artist in adolescence. What it feels like to try to find friends, to be a friend. to decide to be more than a friend... The urge to make art, to hide one's art, to risk sharing one's art... And it speaks to other forms of art than just visual arts as well...I'm not an artist, but I spent a lot of time looking at the illustrations because of how much they revealed about the characters and - to be honest - sometimes captured feelings that I've had in my own life. This novel is a beautiful work of art and would be an excellent read for anyone who has ever felt introverted or wanted to be any form of artist.

Rule #1: No more excuses! Buy a sketchbook and draw.Meet Paige, an artist living in NYC. Lost, she feels like she’s surrounded by 2-dimensional people. I love the drawings!Her story is a collection of drawings, dictating the struggles of an artist. What to draw? What to write? Then she realizes that drawing is her therapy, because she gets to throw what she feels out on paper.New year, New city, New Paige.A girl trying to find her way. “It’s up to me to grow my own beanstalk if I want to climb anywhere.”Witty and relatable.

I went into Page by Paige expecting nothing. I found it on Amazon when I had a craving for a new graphic novel, I had never even heard of it.When I sat down to read it I didn't get up again till I was finished. I found it to be quite the page turner *har har har.As an artist myself who sometimes is shy about sharing her own work I found the book remarkably relatable. Gulledge has a really great way of showing how it feels to be a young artist through unusually accurate illustrative metaphors.I thought the illustrations were better than the average graphic novel I see on the shelves. It had a good balance of art and words, I think most graphic novels don't let the art speak for itself but this one really does which makes the pacing and flow really effortless.I would recommend Page by Paige to people who enjoy graphic novels and people who consider themselves artists. (or need the push to acknowledge they themselves are infact artists)I also liked that through purchasing it on Amazon it was only $4. :)

I have an almost 11 year old with anxiety disorder. She see's a therapist, and that has been awesome. But this book was inspiring and thought provoking for her. It helped support her own ability to connect what was going on inside her, and has begun more conversations on what she feels, her triggers, and what's happening in her head. She now has her own drawing book to help her deal with her anxiety and social difficulties. It was something we used to do when she was young, but she had let it go, and was opposed to picking it back up. This book reminded her that it was helpful. Thank you, Laura Lee Guledge. This book was a huge gift to our daughter. I will also add that the illustrations are amazing, and tell the story of what's going on inside Paige. Great for ALL girls!

In it's class, this one is nothing especially groundbreaking. I feel like I've read the plot before-- girl struggling to fit in, enjoys art, ends up creating a banksy-type art experience and ends up making friends. I suppose as a teenager I couldn't get enough of that archetype, so maybe it's not a bad thing.

My daughter read this and loved it. It has really good artwork to convey symbolism and emotions really well. I would happily seek out more from this author

This was just the perfect present for my friend's daughter! Lovely illustrations and now she's been inspired to draw her own diary ...

A coming of age story of Paige Turner, an introvert and an artist, who has just moved to New York. You don't have to be an introvert or an artist to identify with her and be a part of her story. A must-read if you like graphic novels and YA stories.

Page by Paige is a very emotional and inspiring comic. Paige is always hiding in her head ad her art, she won't open up to anyone...... but that soon changes when she starts of a new in a new city, were she makes friends that she opens up to, and she also turns a friend into something more.……!

very interesting book- popular with the teens i work with