DEAR JACKIE, by Jessixa Bagley, Aaron Bagley, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Sept. 9, 2025, Hardcover, $24.99, Paperback, $14.99 (ages 10 and up)
A middle-schooler writes herself a fake love letter in hopes of fitting in with new friends in Dear Jackie, a graphic novel by Jessixa Bagley and Aaron Bagley.
Jackie and Milo have been best friends since they were born. Whether they’re reading comic books in their tree house hideout, playing video games, or spying on their neighbors using walkie talkies and code names, it’s always been the two of them versus the world. But in middle school, things are changing. Milo joins the soccer team and starts hanging out with a new crew. Jackie gets taken under the wing of Adelle, who wants to give her a total makeover and find her a crush. Suddenly, it seems like there are certain acceptable ways to be a girl or a boy, and Jackie starts to feel like everything about her is wrong.
In an effort to get Adelle and her new friends off her back, Jackie sends herself an anonymous love letter. But her plan backfires, and soon Jackie’s secret admirer is all anybody at school can talk about. Now she’s wondering: Dear Jackie, how are you going to get out of this? —Synopsis provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Dear Jackie speaks to the heart of the middle-school (and human) experience — finding where you fit in, making mistakes, trying to be yourself.
At the center of the story is Jackie, a girl whose mom and friends think she should start dressing and acting more the way a girl “should.” But Jackie likes the way she is. She doesn’t understand why she needs to change to be liked.
Author Jessixa Bagley really gets this age group, and her story is going to be relatable for so many readers. Of particular note is Bagley’s exploration of how messy friendships can be. Bagley also takes on parental relationships and a thoughtful portrayal of a LGBTQIA+ sibling.
Illustrator Aaron Bagley’s panels are vibrant and expressive and bring the story to life.
Dear Jackie is an inviting graphic novel that will appeal especially to fans of the creators’ previous work, Duel.
Copyright © 2025 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
