Just Pretend

This colourful graphic novel follows Tori, a teenage girl growing up in the late 90s. She struggles to deal with her parents’ divorce as well as various family and social issues. She also grapples with a deep desire to be a writer and straddles two worlds—the one she lives in and the fantasy world she creates with her writing. Navigating regular life as a teenager as well as the goblins who attack in her other life, Tori takes readers on a fantastical journey that will engage a middle-school-aged audience. The story may be developed into a script that students could act out in the classroom. Teachers may also choose to offer it as a novel study, literature circle resource, individual silent-reading book, or a read-aloud book. Its storyline and themes may prompt written reflections or discussions about family relationships, divorce, life changes, and friendships.