Last Day Pool Party by Emma Steinkellner. Labyrinth Road / Random House Children’s Books, 2026. 9798217031429. 176pp.
I fell in love with Steinkellner’s art when reading her The Okay Witch series. Her art plus the expert way she was able to juggle so many characters’ stories at the pool party pulled me through this graphic novel.
It starts with the graduation ceremony at Orange Grove Junior High where we’re introduced to the central characters: Dustin, Juhi, her best friend Liv, Paul, Maya, and Rose, who’s so invisible that her name is never called for graduation. It feels like the book is going to be Rose’s story — she has a list of things she wanted to do by the end of 8th grade, and the only one she has checked off is to graduate. I was ready for the book to be about her crossing off items at the pool party, and it kind of is, though her journey is woven in brilliantly with everyone else’s stories. Dustin is the party’s host; he became an outcast after he cried in a video featuring the popular Maya, who has problems of her own. Juhi is moving to London and hasn’t told Liv, who, after hearing the news, immediately starts auditioning new best friends. Paul sits inside for most of the party, playing video games, but even he has a part ot play later.
This graphic novel has a brilliant mix of awful behavior, disasters, and nice moments that feel totally genuine. It is really something special by the end. I loved it.
