Part of Big Nate Novels
First published 2018
Nate Wright watches the school year wind down and dreams of summer baseball and beach trips. But his plans hit complications when his fruit phobia kicks in around overripe bananas. Kim Cressly uses Nate to make Chester jealous, creating tension he never asked for. Artur challenges him in the Hunny Bursts mascot contest, turning what should be fun into competition. His social studies class gets worse when Coach John becomes his replacement teacher. Every problem seems to pile up like bruised fruit in a bowl. Nate must navigate jealous friends, classroom chaos, and his own anxieties. The summer he wants feels further away each day. Can he survive the final stretch without everything falling apart? This comic adventure captures the messy reality of middle school life through Nate's eyes, where small problems feel huge and friendship gets complicated.
Genres: friendship, coming-of-age, comedy, childrens, comics, middle-grade
Vibes: emotionally-honest, humorous, lighthearted, quirky, relatable
Tropes: found-family, school-competition, social-misfit
Setting: school, beach
Period: summer, school-year
176 pages · Kindle Edition · Andrews McMeel Publishing
Content warnings: anxiety