Popcorn by Rob Harrell

Over the weekend, I read Popcorn by Rob Harrell. This humorous realistic fiction novel is about Andrew Yaeger, a boy who just wants to make it through Picture Day. Things begin to go wrong when his bully, Gene Phillips, bumps his backpack into Andrew's face and shoulder on the bus and escalate when Gene wants Andrew to help him cheat on their math test. When he learns at lunchtime that G, his grandmother with Alzheimer's, has gone missing, Andrew worries that he won't be able to avoid his worst fear, losing control of his anxiety and having a public panic attack at school. Although he has support from his best friend Jonesy, Nurse Finnegan, and multiple teachers, unfortunate incidents keep adding up as he goes through the afternoon and he knows that he will burst like a kernel of popcorn the longer it takes for G to be found.

I enjoyed reading this book so much and absolutely loved how it was both funny and emotional. As someone who also has anxiety, even though it's not as severe, I could relate to Andrew and his worries because middle school is not easy, especially when you're having a bad day. I also liked that he could rely on not only his best friend to be there for him, but also the school nurse, a few of his teachers, and even some of his classmates. It was nice seeing that he wasn't alone. I thought Gene was despicable and it was so frustrating that he just wouldn't leave Andrew alone, especially when Andrew just wanted to have a good picture day and the world seemed to be conspiring against him. Despite the drama and how Andrew's day wasn't going well, I definitely did laugh out loud a few times because I thought his drawings and comics were hilarious and accurate. I really appreciated the authenticity of the entire story. As for G, I thought it was so scary how she disappeared and even the police couldn't find her right away. I think anyone would be worried about that, anxiety or not. After reading another one of Harrell's books, Wink, a couple years ago, I wasn't surprised by how amazing this book is because he's an awesome author who can mix humor with serious stuff. Popcorn is superb choice for any middle school student, but especially those who can relate to the feeling of losing control.