James Patterson is a mega-author franchise, writer of such series as Alex Cross, Maximum Ride and Witch and Wizard — the latter two series gave also been adapted into graphic novels.
Laura Park is an indie cartoonist from Chicago whose gorgeous work has made her a cartoonist’s cartoonist in the indie world.
So hearing they’ve teamed up on a book about middle school sounds unlikely. But it’s true.
Or sort of teamed up — Patterson is known for hiring co-writers who do much of the legwork on his books. At any rate, Middle School The Worst Years Of My Life is a Wimpy-kid esque heavily illustrated novel recounting the trials and humiliations of middle school. The authors are Patterson and Chris Tebbetts; the art is by Park, who spent the last year working on the book. The first 20 chapters of the book are online and can be read now.
Check out more of Park’s work here.
Jim Butcher writes the Dresden series, not James Patterson.
I received advance copies of this title and shared with my Lunchtime Book Club kids – each one who read the book (3 of them, all girls – go figure) loved it. They REALLY liked the art, and one girl wrote a review with her own drawing on it.
“So hearing they’ve teamed up on a book about middle school sounds unlikely. But it’s true.
Or sort of teamed up — Patterson is known for hiring co-writers who do much of the legwork on his books”.
Not as unlikely as you’d think, the Patterson brand (which is what it is those days) has been looking to expand into this area for a while.