Dan Santat is a master story teller, but we knew that from his picture books. In this book, he tackles the story of his first trip abroad, first loves, and adventures. I read this on the heels of School Trip and it covered some similar territory regarding race and how one is treated abroad, but it also handles the awkward time of growing up from middle school to high school beautifully. Dan manages to convey how he starts out as shy kid to taking chances and making new friends. It was such a fun trip and it was a trip I wish didn't end. Alas, that's what trips eventually do. They end. The bonus material talking about how this was based on a real trip was fun and it was fun of him to poke at how he's a Gen X and this was all before cell phones. Students who feel unseen and unrecognized will find themselves in this work.

Dan Santat's first graphic memoir covers the summer between middle school and high school when he went on a trip to Europe and had his first love. All his lovely illustration techniques are on display here. His storytelling prowess can be seen in how invested I was in every character, despite this being a true story. The humor and wit come through with easy dialog and amazing facial expressions, a staple of his award-winning art style.

I love memoirs that take place during a specific time, especially a time that I was around for.  It brings back my memories of my youth and what I remember of "the world back then".  I wasn't quite the age of the author during the time period he is discussing and I never went to Europe for a school trip as a teen, but the problems he faces are universal and the time frame is close enough to when I was that age that I have the same cultural memory and understanding.

The art was bright and cheerful and got the thoughts and memories across perfectly.  I loved the coming of age aspect and that it shows how he had grown by the end of his trip.  I also loved that he gave an explanation of what was changed for dramatic effect and how he talked to others who also went on that trip to get their POV as well to enhance and help his memory.  He also goes into why he started the book, his kids asked him about his first love, which lead to this trip, which was about a LOT of firsts for him.  (SOOOO SWEET!!!)  

This is a very cute and interesting bit of modern history-in-amber book and I am SOOOO glad that I read this one.  I am REALLY liking this new (to me maybe, but I think it's more prevalent now) trend of graphic novel memoirs.  I love how sometimes, the art can get across what just words can't.  The scene with the bike was tense and the art really drove the feelings home.  

I highly recommend this book, though he DOES get up to some actions that would not fly, well, I HOPE they wouldn't fly, for today's children.  But that could just be me with rose colored glasses on, thinking the world is all hunky-dory...sigh.  So the age would be maybe higher middle grade on up?  Depends on the kids and as always, I advise the adults of those children vet the book first before handing to said child.  You know best what they can and can't handle, and it's a good way to start discussions on certain topics.  

5, this was awesome and I highly recommend it, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I loved this memoir, and would have read it in prose without pictures, or enjoyed it as an audiobook as well.  Graphic novel form just took the story to a new level.  Dan Santat has long been one of my favorite illustrators, and his thoughtful memoir of a formative time in his life was so engaging, I hope he writes more!

As another reviewer pointed out, this is a great Tween/Teen memoir because Dan and his friends are 14 years old and experiencing freedom and a new culture all together.  It's been such a trend in YA books to have a narrator that is 18 and nearly an adult.  However this isn't relatable for young teens.  Dan was not only a young teen, but he was a bit of a late bloomer and was able to find his place among friends halfway across the world.  I loved watching him grow and experience so many firsts.

I highly recommend this for any school librarian or public library!

I love Dan Santat but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the first full length graphic novel from him, about him! It was really great. I really felt like I was traveling with his younger self in the 80s.

What a phenomenally well done book! While we weren't all necessarily allowed to run around Europe without adult supervision as children, we can all understand the specific awkwardness of being this age and trying to navigate crushes and a social life. Santat hits it out of the park with this one.

This graphic novel memoir tells the story of Dan Santat’s trip to Europe when he was in middle school. Like the title leads you to assume, this trip is a time of a lot of firsts for Dan, so we get to explore Europe and Dan’s feelings throughout this book. Dan’s art does not disappoint, and we also learn a bit about his childhood art.

How fabulous! This is one a of the best middle-grades books I've read in a long time. Santat's artwork is, as usual, great, and I loved the story and how Santat reflected his emotions. I have bought a copy for my library and will actively pass it out to readers!

Just to be clear, I am a HUGE fan of Dan Santat and his work. I love his artistic style and the characters he creates for children and could happily expound on all things written and/illustrated by him for hours. Now that that’s out of the way…

I absolutely ADORED this book. Reading about his experiences and ah-ha moments - the heartwarming and heartbreaking - that came from this trip help show the reader that it is okay to be vulnerable and that it is all right to be afraid of what is going to happen next. It tells us that we can’t let the fear of the unknown stop us from living today.

The memoir also focuses heavily on the effects that bullying had on Dan’s younger self. There are flashbacks throughout the memoir to times when he was bullied and how he felt when it happened and how it is still affecting his decisions and feelings years later. No matter how the saying goes, words CAN hurt people and they can have a profound impact on who they become.

I HIGHLY recommend this memoir and will definitely be purchasing it for my library.

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I LOVED this graphic memoir. Brought back lots of those angsty middle school feeling but with a lot of humor. A study abroad trip to be remembered and a great lesson to be learned “don’t be afraid of the unexpected”. Makes you think, you never know what you may miss if you don’t step out of your comfort zone and try. Dan would never have had the amazing time he did on his study abroad trip if he didn’t take that step into the unexpected: first kiss, first new friends from other countries, first time learning new cultures and languages, first love. I liked how he reflected on the lack of technology we had in the 80s…it didn’t stop us from having a great time. I loved the use of the different Fanta flavors to mark the chapters and the music! Definitely scan that QR code…leads you to an amazing Spotify playlist. Thanks for an amazing trip down memory lane!

Dan Santat's GN autobiography provides a slice of his life during his 1989 middle school trip to Europe. Without being “preachy”,  several points are made, the most obvious being there's a first time for everything whether it be the first plane ride or cup of coffee, or things that test boundaries,  like smoking, stealing a bike, sneaking into Wimbledon, or the stages of first love. The present day events are in full color, but  blue and grey flashbacks provide painful memories which have caused Dan to often try to be invisible.   This highlights Ms. Bjork's mantra, that pain and joy are part of life, and it shapes the person you become. Love the use of Fanta soda  flavors to begin each chapter.  Highly recommend.
Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for the digital arc.

Dan Santat’s graphic memoir is about a summer trip to Europe during middle school. His coming of age story explores bravery, friendship, and becoming who he wants to be. Many tweens and teens will relate to his feelings of first love and using his creativity to relate to others. The illustrations have so much energy and expression with an expert use of pacing.

Reading Dan’s story was so much fun!  I absolutely love graphic novels about real world experiences, especially when it’s about a pivotal moment/time that is life changing for the main character, and we get to feel all the feelings with him. It’s an amazing story too, I actually felt myself wishing I had this opportunity myself lol.

The book is all about Dan’s post middle school/pre high school trip to Europe. I had no idea such a thing was even possible to be honest! Not only did it really happen, but all the kids on the trip had insane amounts of freedom that I kept wondering, “is this true?? Did this part actually happen?” (Fake) Spoiler alert: it did haha! And I’m so glad the author clarifies that in the epilogue, as well as explains how some events were changed a bit to better serve the story because even as an adult I was like wow, why am I not this lucky lol! I like kids being able to be inspired by the story but also want them to be able to learn how stories, even “based on a true story” ones, can have some editing and help from the author for it to allow the full magical feels. But seriously, I cannot believe he and the other 13 year olds got to do all of the stuff they did in 1989, or that they even had an almost month long trip across Europe like this! Blows my mind lol, but Dan does later explain how different the world was then for his generation, and I can only imagine what my own child’s thoughts will be when I someday describe my own pre-9/11 childhood lol. 

The book is about Dan and his small world of the only little town he knew up till that point, how middle school had shaken his sense of self and confidence (like it does for everyone), and how a trip of a lifetime changed all that for him. Getting to see the world in a bigger perspective allowed him to grow more than he ever could know was possible. It’s a story about finding yourself through travel, and giving yourself permission to take a chance and “live a little”. As an introvert it’s a message that still resonates and that I take to heart. Plus the illustrations are beautiful, so this is hands down one of my new favorite graphic novels. I’m definitely gonna buy myself a physical copy for my personal library!

In this graphic memoir, Santat slightly fictionalizes his own middle school trip to Europe, which included such memorable events as his first taste of Fanta and his first kiss .  What was fun was to learn that Santat and Amy as well as others from this trip are still in touch after all of these years.

It's hard not to compare this with Jerry Craft's School Trip, about another end of middle school trip to France, and in fact I think that comparison would make a great classroom activity.   Craft's is fictional rather than Santat's more autobiographical version.  Santat's story seems simpler, in part because of the earlier time in which it takes place.  Remember when people could actually walk you to your gate in the airport to see you off??!!  Kids will love reading all of his adventures which including how he sneaks into the Wimbledon Tennis tournament.  Recommended for middle grade graphic novel fans.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This was a super cute story of Dan’s experiences in Middle School and on his EF tour of Europe. Some creative license was taken to make a bit more dramatic story, but it definitely sent me back more than twenty years to my own middle school experiences, emotions, and awkwardness. I think middle school students today can still relate to these same feelings and experiences despite the 34 year difference! And it was a shocking reminder of the freedoms children had back in the 80s and 90s to do more independently vs. today— I would never let my children have the freedom to roam Europe unsupervised, and even Dan admitted the same about his own kids. How times have changed in many ways! Great story that paired nostalgia with the timeless awkwardness that is middle school.

Dan Santat is an amazing author and illustrator.I loved having background into his life and learning more about it. The story was told in an engaging format and had me hooked. This is a great memoir.

Middle grade students will identify and love this book.  It's a coming of age graphic memoir of a summer trip to Europe in 1989.  Santat's books for elementary school students are beloved and this book is sure to appeal to those just a bit older.
Dan is a nice boy but that doesn't prevent him from being bullied.  The idea that he feels invisible is certain to resonate with many readers and the story offers significant insight into how he feels and learns to cope.  The illustrations and artwork are vivid and expressive.  It's an overall win in all respects!

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat is a middle grade memoir in graphic novel format currently scheduled for release on February 28 2023. Dan's always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe. At first, he's right. He's stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him—first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers, and first love.

A First Time for Everything is a entertaining, engaging, and relatable book. As a fellow member of Gen X, I also remember the crazy things we got away with and the independence that we were encouraged to explore- even though I would never encourage my kids to do the same at the same ages. I think the heart of the book, the explorations of being yourself and dealing with trying new things and figuring out who you want to be is something every reader can relate to. As always, Santat's artwork is just as engaging as the text and overall story. I think this is a great great for middle grade and older readers- including adults. This will hit home for many readers, and I enjoyed getting to know more about someone whose work I have always admired.

Dan Santat brings his 13-year-old self back to life in this graphic memoir full of friends, fun, and every ounce of awkwardness common to middle school. His parents push him to venture out of his small hometown and go on an extraordinary trip to Europe during the summer of 1989. On this trip Dan navigates many life-changing first experiences. He has his first Fanta (delicious!), first kiss (awkward!), and first disco (liberating!). He makes new friends and learns how to feel comfortable in his own skin. The writing of A. A. Milne makes recurring appearances throughout the book, creating a unifying link between the author and the reader. Santat wears his emotions on his sleeve on every page. Even though he endures many challenging events for teens, he begins to find the joy of living in the moment. This is a must read for any kid grades 4-8. They get bonus points from this librarian if they also listen to the Spotify playlist the author has made from the mixtape featured in the book.

Dan Santat shares about the summer of 1989 when he was between 8th and 9th grades and went on a trip to Europe with a few other kids from his school as well as kids from other schools. He shares how the trip changed him and helped him be more comfortable in his own skin.

Like any memoir, this took a little guts to share. And I respect that. I know several kids will identify with feeling like they’re an oddball and without hope of fitting in or finding their people in high school. The end of the book has some great advice for the kids who feel like they are hopelessly awkward or oddballs. And I love how it explores how international travel can change you for the better. As Santat notes in the back of the graphic novel, 1989 was a different time and he thinks the stuff he was allowed to do on this trip (and stuff he got away with) is a bit crazy and he’d never allow his own kids to do the same things. He states the things he mentions and thinks are wrong or not advisable. I’m glad he included that because as a teacher who helps organize school trips, several parts of his story just about gave me heart attacks (sorry, some stars lost for nightmare-inducing material). For example, the adults just let the kids wander around Paris and London TOTALLY BY THEMSELVES for several hours! They also took all the kids on the tour to a huge beer hall and served a whole glass of beer to the ones who were 14 and whose parents signed the waiver. And there’s more. It’s a miracle they all made it through the trip unscathed. That said, know the kids you hand this to and whether they’ll take it as a challenge and/or get hung up on getting away with craziness, or if they’ll take the whole thing as it is meant to be taken.

Notes on content [based on the ARC]: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content beyond a boy and girl kissing 2x. The kids also mention that there’s no clothes on anyone on French TV and the next day they are all sleepy (presumably from watching TV all night). No violence. There’s underage drinking (overseen by adults kind of, but also in a place that surrounds them with drunk people). Some kids sneak out to an adult disco place. Some European girls smoke and get Dan to try a puff (he doesn’t like it). There’s some bullying in flashbacks which explain Dan’s insecurities and is addressed.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.