MIXED FEELINGS, by Sara Amini and Shadia Amin, Graphix, April 7, 2026, Hardcover, $24.99, Paperback, $14.99 (ages 8-12)
A girl navigates friendships, puberty and themes of identity in Mixed Feelings, a graphic novel memoir by Sara Amini and illustrated by Shadia Amin.
Things are getting hairy!
What could go wrong on the first day of sixth grade?
A: You wake up with leg hair out of nowhere.
B: You have zero classes with your BFF and watch her run off with her new (annoying) friend.
C: You struggle to decide which school club to join because being mixed race makes you feel like you don’t belong anywhere.
D: All of the above. SERIOUSLY?!
At first, Sara’s got mixed feelings about middle school. But she finds comfort in TV — whether she’s watching it, performing her favorite scenes, or imagining her life is a show itself. So, when she joins drama club, Sara discovers a community where she can be anything she wants — including herself. Has Sara finally found a place to fit in? Or will she instead find herself buried under her growing leg hair and off-stage friendship drama? —Synopsis provided by Graphix
Mixed Feelings is a semi-autobiographical middle-grade graphic novel that touches on author Sara Amini’s experiences as a mixed-race girl.
At the center of this story is Sara, a girl who is entering middle school thinking she’s got everything figured out. But Sara is far from that. With South American and Middle Eastern parents, she can’t pinpoint who she is supposed to be. Add to that puberty and changing friendships, and she’s in for a humdinger of a year.
Mixed Feelings is told through humor and heart. Amini’s pacing and storytelling is strong, and artist Shadia Amin’s brightly-colored illustrations are full of energy and emotion. Best of all, there are moments that all readers of all backgrounds can relate to. It’s lots of fun to read.
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