Sometimes life turns up the heat, and not the Flamin' Hot Cheetos kind...POPCORN by Rob Harrell

Rob Harrell’s Wink (2020), about a boy’s experience in seventh grade working through treatment for a rare form of eye cancer, was lauded with three starred reviews, was a TIME 2020 Best Book of the Year, and has appeared on many state award lists. Harrell’s hilarious BATPIG graphic novel series has delighted readers and received glowing praise.

This September, Harrell is back with POPCORN (on-sale: 9/3/2024; 9780593697924; Ages 9 – 12; $18.99), a funny, heartfelt, and relatable novel about main character Andrew who is having an epically, comically unlucky Picture Day in middle school – can he make it through the day without the massive panic attack that is threatening at every hallway corner? Sometimes, life turns up the heat whether we like it or not, and not the Flaming Hot Cheetos kind. POPCORN is drawn from Harrell’s personal experiences with anxiety and OCD; with his signature humor mixed with a heavy topic, POPCORN is an unforgettable novel for any reader with a reminder that even on our worst days, even in our “worst case scenario” situations, we can make it through.

Andrew’s just trying to make it through Picture Day, which is easier said than done when it seems like the whole world is out to get him—from the class bully trying to copy his school work first thing in the morning, to a science experiment gone wrong, to a someone else’s juice snot getting on him (don’t ask), to a black eye and multiple trips to the nurse’s office, and the Picture Day photo hasn’t even been taken yet!

As Andrew goes through the school day, and as one thing after another goes wrong, that little kernel of worry in his stomach gets hotter and hotter, until it threatens to pop and turn into a full-blown public panic attack, his worst fear. He tries to keep his anxiety at bay, but halfway through the day, he learns that his grandmother with Alzheimer’s is missing, and everything feels like too much.

Readers will root for Andrew as he tries coping mechanisms throughout the day, and Harrell’s humorous spot art and “anxiety file” panels depict the real, difficult feelings of anxiety and OCD. POPCORN is a poignant, personal, and laugh-out-loud funny story about letting go of control and accepting help—all while trying to get the perfect school picture.

Back matter and resources for readers on OCD and anxiety are available in the back of the book.
POPCORN by Rob Harrell will be on-sale: 9/3/24

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rob Harrell is the author/illustrator of Wink, created the Batpig and Life of Zarf series, the graphic novel Monster on the Hill, and also writes and draws the long-running daily comic strip Adam@Home. He created and drew the internationally syndicated comic strip Big Top until 2007. He lives in Indiana.

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Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!