Nansi Graphic Novel Volume 1 Way Off Track by Carl Brundtland and Claudia Davila is a quick and cute story about running your own race and not worrying about what others have or if they are better. You just have to do your best and be better than you were. Also, we have the theme of no matter how cool they sound, shoes do not make the girl (well, I might argue that point, but certainly the sneakers in question do not make the girl in this case).
There are a lot of hijinks happening, such as Nansi’s need for new sneakers (only $340) and needs extra training for the track meet coming up, so she gets her brother to take her place at her new job. Or how she wants one of her BFFs to hypnotize her boss so she doesn’t realize Nansi was’t working, but still pays her. And there is a lot of “hey do the shoes make you faster or are you faster because you trained?” Plus there are family situations and much more. The age range is probably strong 7-8 to about 10 years-old, but it could be read to anyone. The message is good and is reinforced at the end (in case you missed it) so it is “family friendly.”
There is a diverse cast of people. I did have issues with trying to understand the grandmother of the story as she has a dialect that is not familiar to most readers, but overall still a nice story. It has a message, is good for the modern reader and the use of racing/running is somewhat new or not as readily found in middle readers. The illustrations do not lack details but are not overwhelming, and the same goes for the colors. Everything is bright and “loud” but not taking away from the story.