The New Girl: First Crush: A Graphic Novel (The New Girl #2)

Cassandra Calin returns with this charming and comical follow-up to The New Girl, her long-form graphic novel debut that became a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Indie bestseller! This middle-grade graphic novel about crushing and being crushed is the perfect next read for fans of Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Fruitcake by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang.
Lia is finally feeling settled into her new life. Her friends are amazing, her French is improving, and her periods... ugh, those are still terrible. But Lia's crush, Julien, is noticing her. Lia thinks he likes her, but she can't tell for sure. And while she's obsessing over him, Lia's not noticing another person's growing crush on HER. With so many big feelings and even bigger changes, could things get any worse?

In this sophomore follow-up to the breakout hit The New Girl, Lia's relationships -- with her friends, her crush, her mom, and even herself -- are all tested like never before.

Cassandra Calin is a cartoonist and humorist best known for her semi-autobiographical webcomic series, Cassandra Comics, in which she talks about her life with curly hair, high expectations, and other daily problems. Originally from Romania, Cassandra immigrated to Canada when she was a child and later earned her BA in graphic design from L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). The New Girl is her long-form graphic novel debut. Learn more about Cassandra and her comics at cassandracalin.com

A Harvey Award Nominee

A New York Times Bestseller

A USA Today Bestseller

A Publishers Weekly Bestseller

An Indie Bestseller

A Barnes & Noble Best Kids' Book of 2026 (So Far)

"This lively sequel... gently explores being true to oneself while feeling the strong pull of first romantic love. Honesty in friendships is another strong theme... Calin's vibrant, emotive illustrations add humor and depth to the dialogue, and cleverly color-coded speech bubbles indicate different languages. Insightful, quirky, and hopeful." -- Kirkus Reviews

"In this charming graphic novel sequel to The New Girl, Calin's distinct digital art style shines once more with jewel tones, bold lines, and highly emotive expressions to match the personalities of Lia and the ensemble cast. Lia is well-rounded and reads believably as a middle school girl gaining experience and maturity but only through many missteps. The book maintains a sense of realism for readers when not all of these conflicts resolve quite the way Lia wants them to, but there is nonetheless a comforting reassurance in the ways she navigates healing strained friendships following the dramatic turns of the plot. The result is a strong second entry in a valuable series for growing tween girls who enjoy the graphic novel adaptations of Sweet Valley Twins and The Baby-sitters Club." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Praise for The New Girl:

A New York Times Bestseller

A USA Today Bestseller

A Publishers Weekly Bestseller

An Indie Bestseller

A School Library Journal Best Book of 2024

A Doug Wright Award Nominee for Best Kids' Book

★ "An enchanting, adorable, immersive story... Calin masterfully weaves variation throughout the panels to show full experiences with incredible details in scenery, facial expressions, and color that flow easily. The book is engrossing and spectacular, and Calin perfectly portrays the awe, excitement, awkwardness, and confusion of middle school... A must-purchase for any and all tweens and teens who are ravenous for lighthearted, absorbing, and authentic coming-of-age realistic graphic fiction." -- School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Calin crafts an empathetic tale of belonging in this graphic novel debut... Vibrant and accessible visually appealing art infuses a comedic and feel-good vibe that deftly juxtaposes emotional and thought-provoking plot beats surrounding immigration and period education. Softly rendered, cherubic-faced characters with varying skin tones populate this dynamic examination of a girl in transition." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The popularity of middle-grade coming-of-age graphic novels is indisputable and The New Girl will be a welcome addition... This will fly off the shelves." -- School Library Journal

"Creative panel work adds depth to the eye-catching visual narrative, which features trendy fashions and uses tropes reminiscent of manga... The middle-school friendship drama rings true, with flawed, endearing chara