Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Title: Skim
Author: Mariko Tamaki
Illustrator: Jillian Tamaki
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Copyright: 2008
Price: $18.95
ISBN: 978-0-88899-753-1
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Summary and thoughts: Kimberly Keiko Cameron (AKA Skim/Kim), is not concerned with her classmates. When Katie Matthews, a classmate, is first dumped by her boyfriend, Kim recounts the gossip to her diary. It isn’t until Kim hears that Katie’s ex-boyfriend commits suicide until Kim begins the journey to learn about herself from her beliefs to her friends to her sexuality.
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Will Teens Like It? Tough call. More mature readers will probably enjoy this.
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Things to be aware of: language, drugs, underage smoking, underage drinking, suicide, Wicca/Witchcraft (in the true sense), homosexuality
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Further Thoughts: Skim is simply a “coming-of-age” story about Kim. The trigger for her is the fact that Katie Matthews’s ex-boyfriend kills himself, which starts a movement in the school to target those who are at-risk for suicide, including Kim. She just brushes it off and continues about her school day. Yet, if it wasn’t for this catalyst, Kim wouldn’t face the fact that her best friend may not be the best person for her.

The affections of a female teacher open Kim up to her first feelings of love and then loss, which turns into depression. Her way out of the funk is by reaching out to Katie.

Skim sends strong messages about being a teenager and being true to oneself. Sometimes it takes the over-reaction of a school to start the process of questioning one’s beliefs. Sometimes something a friend says makes you realize they are not the best person to be with. Either way, Kim faces these challenges and more in Skim.

The artist’s rendering of the story remind me of old fashioned Japanese prints. I’m not a big fan of the art, but the line drawings convey how Kim feels throughout the story. The best part of the art though is that you can see Kim’s transformation from the beginning of the story to a slightly more overweight girl trying to overcome her first breakup.
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Bonus: ALA GGN 2009
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Source: Library copy