A First Time for Everything

A middle-grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's awkward middle-school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life.

*Winner of the 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature*

Dan's always been a good kid. But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible, which is why he has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe.

At first, he's right. Stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, Dan 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.

Funny, heartwarming, and poignant, A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat's awkward middle school years.