VERY FAR FROM HOME, By Hope Larson, HarperAlley, Sept. 8, 2026, Paperback, $15.99 (ages 8-12)
A girl teams up with her cousin and frenemy to save a community pool in Very Far from Home, a graphic novel by Hope Larson.
Verity “Very” Nelson is poised to have the perfect summer.
That is, until her mom breaks the news—they’re going to Wisconsin to help get her grandma’s house ready for sale. Very’s devastated to be missing an activist workshop and lake trip with her best friends, but her mom says it’s important for them to spend time with Grandma, who just moved into assisted living care.
As she’s settling in, Very happens upon a shuttered pool. Her cousin Maya explains that funding has dried up for the former gathering place, and now, the only place to swim is the exclusive, expensive country club.
Very knows a great cause when she sees it. She and her friends spring into action and rally the community around the public pool—but an unlikely source shares a ruinous tip that threatens its future forever. Can Very finish what she started, or will she leave the town worse off than when she arrived? —Synopsis provided by Hope Larson
Very Far from Home is the follow-up to Hope Larson’s Very Bad at Math, which features Verity “Very” Nelson. But even though both books feature Very, they standalone.
Very is a bright, enthusiastic character who makes the best of things, even when she’s not excited about them in the first place.
Larson’s story is heartfelt and full of humor. Her pacing is strong and plotting cohesive. Her illustrations are bright and expressive.
Very Far from Home is a strong entry in the middle-grade graphic novel lexicon and should appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier.
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