Posted in : Comics| tag : Cassidy Wasserman , fencing material , graphic novel , Marshall Middle School serial , halfway gradation reader , on guard , Random House
Cassidy Wasserman ’s new middle level vivid novel On Guard ! is the first of the Marshall Middle School series and it ’s about fencing !
Article Summary
There ’s a unique newfangled middle grade graphical novel come out – On Guard!by debut creatorCassidy Wassermanis the first in a brand - Modern graphic novel series , Marshall Middle School . This is a unique and heartfelt addition to the middle grade pictorial novel space , providing both a much - need miss centered sport story as well as a deeply personal narrative inspired by the creator ’s own experience , making it a truly particular read .
On Guard!follows Grace ’s journey as a young girl trying to get her footing at the start of her 7th - grade year . Her best protagonist , Ava , dropped her at the end of last year , and Grace has no friends and no avocation ( dance band was Ava ’s thing ) . And home palpate even more complicated than school as the dust is still settling from her parent ' messy divorce . Mothers and daughters are always so close in movies , but that ’s never been Grace and her mum . There ’s not a single berth Grace can just relax until she sees the school day ’s surround club practicing . They look so certain of themselves . So stiff . It may not solve everything … but could this be a place Grace can finally go and be herself ?
On Guard!: Fencing and the Joy of Self-Discovery
Like Grace , author Cassidy found solace and self-assurance through fence . She said , " The meter I start fencing was a laborious one in my life , and I really needed an outlet for my frustrations and something to face forward to during the week . Like Grace , this boosted my authority in myself and helped me work through stressors and anxieties in my life story . " This authenticity append depth and relatability to Grace ’s role , make her journeying all the more compelling . On Guard!also serves as an introduction to the variation of fence itself to newcomers , detail the ruler and specific of the mutant .
fence , often discover as a chess - similar sport , offers protagonist Grace a manner to transmit her vitality and emotion . Cassidy beautifully captures this opinion , describing fencing as a contour of meditation that help remove the thinker and work up confidence . She said,“My fencing club is where I was told ' you ca n’t curb your opposer , only how you react ' , which I took to heart as a personal doctrine of not being able to manipulate thing around me but find solacement in have it away I ’ll always be able-bodied to see to it my own actions . And afterwards , you amount forth with the ability to catch one’s breath through living ’s stressors and make just decisions . "
On Guard!is more than just a story about fence ; it is a tale of resilience , self - discovery , and empowerment . Grace ’s journeying speculate Cassidy ’s own experiences with a rocky place sprightliness , emphasise the grandness of nuanced stories that show the complexities of family relationships . Cassidy said , " I never construe [ ingredient of my home life ] on TV as a kid . We need to see more nuanced stories , because people are complicated . folk are complicated . We do n’t need more Cinderella ’s with evil Stepmothers . I really hope anyone out there with a parent like this learn that the path they are treated is n’t their fault and helps them start the journey to understand this complicated theme . "
On Guard!is perfect for readers who bonk character - driven pictorial novels like the Click series , Real Friends , and Nat Enough , as well as those reckon for girl - centered fun stories likeRoller Girl , Hoops , andWe Are Big Time .
On Guard!is out on June 10th and usable forpreorder .
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