Scout Is Not a Band Kid
Scout Is Not a Band Kid
MERRIN: “Yeah! Also her costume is really cute…”
SCOUT: “It’s SOOO CUTE! I wanna cosplay it so bad!”
MERRIN: “You cosplay?”
SCOUT: “Not…yet. But I’d like to one day. I’m sewing a costume right now.”
MERRIN: “That’s so groovy, Scout. Who’s the character?”
SCOUT: “Um, it’s Melba, actually.”
MERRIN: “Whoa, you’re kidding. With the elf ears and everything?”
SCOUT: “But of COURSE.”
MERRIN: “Who else do you wanna cosplay?”
SCOUT: “Maybe someone from Chatwings? It’s another one of Pristine Wong’s novels that I really like.”
Scout is an eighth grader on a mission. She’s desperate to attend Almontefest to meet her idol, Pristine Wong, the author of her favourite fantasy book series starring Posaune Warrior Princess. Because the school band will be performing at the festival, Scout lies and says she plays the trombone. Her fellow trombonist, Merrin, is a serious music student who is working to earn a spot at a prestigious arts high school. Initially overjoyed to welcome Scout, Merrin soon finds out that Scout faked her way into band and can’t play. Her subsequent shock and dismay turn to sheer annoyance when their band teacher forces Merrin to tutor Scout in preparation for the festival. A friendship between the two seems impossible until they discover that they share a passion for Posaune Warrior Princess, thereby finding common ground that allows their relationship to blossom.
Armstrong deftly captures the exhilaration and excitement of young fandom. Their bold use of colour and fluid linework lend vibrancy to Scout’s many zany adventures, including a dramatic moment at a school assembly and the climax of the story at Almontefest. Characters of diverse ethnicities and gender expressions are freshly represented with little fanfare. Readers can learn more about each character in the book’s brief but interesting back matter. Armstrong also highlights the challenges of navigating changing relationships in middle school, contrasting Scout’s growing friendship with Merrin with her strained friendships with Lennox and Kim, two fellow students whose interests are beginning to diverge from Scout’s and turn towards crushes and fashion.
Scout Is Not a Band Kid, a graphic novel, is a breezy, high energy middle grade read.
Chloe Humphreys works as a Youth Services Librarian at Surrey Libraries in beautiful British Columbia.