From the creator of Fake Blood comes another exceptionally charming middle grade graphic novel about friendships both near and far, far away. Vega’s summer vacation is not going well. When her parents decide it’s time to pack up and leave her hometown of Portland, Oregon, behind for boring Seattle, Washington, Vega is more than upset—she’s downright miserable. Forced to leave her one and only best friend, Halley, behind, Vega is convinced she’ll never make another friend again. To help her settle into her new life in Seattle, her parents send Vega off to summer camp to make new friends. Except Vega is determined to get her old life back. But when her cellphone unexpectedly calls it quits and things at camp start getting stranger and stranger, Vega has no choice but to team up with her bunkmates to figure out what’s going on! Gr 4–7—When one of Vega's dads gets a new job in Seattle, they have to move—which means leaving Vega's home and best friend. To help her adjust, Vega's dads enroll her in Camp Very Best Friend, described as the perfect place for introverted Seattle area children to meet other kids. Vega and campers Qwerty, Isaac, and Gemma start to notice strange things about the camp. Even though they're in the woods, there are no animals anywhere, and because of all the clouds, they never see the sky. The counselors seem robotic and keep pushing one camper, George, to be the kids' new friend. Suspicious, Vega and her friends try to figure out what's going on, and they uncover a huge secret. This tale of friendship and loneliness reflects many middle schoolers' social anxiety. The cartoon art is colorful and appealing, and expressive faces and background details add depth to the characters. Information about the kids' interest in astronomy, geology, and electronics is a plus. Depictions of Pike Place Market, the public library, and other Seattle landmarks bring the story to life. Vega and her dads are Latinx, Isaac and Gemma are brown-skinned; Qwerty is Asian American, and George is white. VERDICT Middle schoolers will enjoy this light-handed guide to navigating friendship.—Carla Riemer, Berkeley, CA "This delightful, oft-comedic graphic novel injects familiar themes with ample imagination, as Vega and campmates learn that 'Friendship is a renewable resource.'" -- Publishers Weekly "A classic story of outsiders making friends—with a little something more." -- Kirkus Reviews "This recalls Gardner’s Fake Blood but with supernatural elements replaced by intergalactic ones, and the satisfying blend of relatable angst and kooky weirdness will make this a winner." -- BCCB Whitney Gardner is an author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She started drawing stick figures in second grade and somehow no one’s been able to stop her. If there’s ever a moment when she isn’t drawing, she’s likely to be found rolling twenty-sided dice. Her favorite color is yellow. She is the author of the YA novels You’re Welcome, Universe and Chaotic Good , as well as the creator of Fake Blood , Long Distance , and Free Piano (Not Haunted) and the illustrator for Debbie Levy’s Becoming RBG and Stephanie Cooke’s The Racc Pack series.