Buckle Up

By Lawrence Lindell. Published by Random House.

Softcover, 240 pages, Colour, 2024

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?