Next month Macmillan will release Smaller Sister, a new young reader graphic novel from cartoonist Maggie Edkins Willis. The book from the publisher’s Roaring Brook Press imprint tells the story of two sisters, Olivia and Lucy, as they navigate their changing relationship in the wake of older sister Olivia developing an eating disorder. Today The Beat is pleased to present an exclusive nine-page excerpt from the book, which picks up on the girls’ first day of school.

Here’s how Macmillan describes the new book:

Lucy’s always looked up to her big sister, Olivia, even though the two are polar opposites. But then, Lucy notices Olivia start to change. She doesn’t want to play with Lucy anymore, she’s unhappy with the way she looks, and she’s refusing to eat her dinner. Finally, Lucy discovers that her sister is not just growing up: Olivia is struggling with an eating disorder.

While her family is focused on her sister’s recovery, Lucy is left alone to navigate school and friendships. And just like her big sister, she begins to shrink.

But with time, work, and a dose of self-love, both sisters begin to heal and let themselves grow. Soon enough, Olivia and Lucy find their way back to each other—because sisters are the one friend you can never ditch.

Smaller Sister is the first full-length graphic novel from Maggie Edkins Willis, an illustrator and designer from New Jersey. Willis’s second graphic novel, Cheer Up, will also be published by Macmillan’s Roaring Brook Press imprint in 2024.

Check out the exclusive nine-page excerpt from Smaller Sister below. The 320-page graphic novel is set to arrive in stores on Tuesday, June 14th.