Colleen Frakes

McNeil Island in Washington state was the home of the last prison island in the United States, accessible only by air or sea. It was also home to about fifty families, including Colleen Frakes's. Her parents—like nearly everyone else on the island—both worked in the prison, where her father was the prison’s captain and her mother worked in security. In this engaging graphic memoir, a Xeric and Ignatz Award-winning comics artist, Colleen Frakes, tells the story of a typical girl growing up in atypical circumstances.

In this semiautobiographical graphic novel from award-winning cartoonist Colleen Frakes, Norah must navigate not just her foiled dreams of blond hair but also the tangled mess her family has become. Norah is the good kid. Good at pleasing her parents and being a good sister. Good at school. Good at, well, almost everything. So when Mom’s work brings her to a new town leaving Norah and Dad behind, no one thinks twice. After all, Norah’s a mature sixth grader who can take care of herself…right? But things spiral out of control after a botched home dye job goes wrong and being the good kid quickly gets a little…hairy. Before long, one small tangle becomes a knot of epic proportions, and Norah soon realizes that the only way to untangle the mess she’s made is to find her voice and ask for help. Perfect for fans of Just Pretend and Crunch, Knots is sure to have readers laughing (and cringing) along with Norah’s antics.