Buckle Up - by Lawrence Lindell

About the Book

Follows Lonnie as he deals with his parents' divorce and has tough conversations with his father, who drives him to and from school.

Book Synopsis

Figuring out family is no easy street, especially in a divorce. Perfect for fans of New Kid and Smile, this contemporary graphic novel introduces a young boy navigating life with his dad, one car ride at a time.

Lonnie is going through big changes in his life--with his parents newly divorced, he's trying to figure out his new normal. He likes living with his mom and sister, but misses spending time with his father--and the short drives to and from school just aren't enough.

His dad is determined to make every moment count, relying on the car rides to talk about all of the big things that are hard to talk about elsewhere--divorce, sexuality, racism and more. As Lonnie gets used to this new dynamic and hard conversations, will he be better able to connect to his dad? Or will this new family structure force them even further apart?

Review Quotes

"Lindell packs big issues into the small space of a sedan in this heartwarming graphic novel that examines the aftermath of divorce." --Publishers Weekly

"A successful blending of text and image that results in engaging storytelling." --Kirkus Reviews

"[An] engaging, relatable tale with plenty of heart and resonant insights, showing that a car trip can offer a journey of self-awareness and reconciliation." --Booklist

About the Author

Lawrence Lindell is an artist, musician and educator from California who works in many artistic disciplines, including comics, music, illustration, and mixed media. He is the co-founder of Laneha House. Lindell's work focuses on Mental Health, Blackness and Queerness.