Bookshelf Must-Have:
Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures

by the Brightly Editors

Illustration: popmarleo, iStock

Calling all doodlers and dreamers! Our latest Bookshelf Must-Have pick is a story packed with creativity, imagination, and plenty of great pictures. A chapter book that’s paced just right for growing readers, it’ll keep them turning the pages and may inspire them to pick up a pencil and paper, too.

  • Why You Need: Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures

  • Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures

    by Deborah Zemke

    Available from:

    Bea Garcia is an artist. She draws her favorite things, her not-so-favorite things, her happy moments, and her sad ones, too. Drawing is just one of the things that she shared with her first and only best friend, Yvonne. But now Yvonne has moved to Australia; burping, name-calling Bert has moved in next door; and Bea is facing her worst first day of school ever. Can her pencil and the power of her drawings help turn things around? With a relatable story about the ups and downs of elementary school friendships, funny bits about family, and a heroine you can't help but root for, My Life in Pictures will hit the mark with 6- to 8-year-old readers. Deborah Zemke's story and illustrations are perfectly crafted for kids who are gaining confidence with their reading and looking for a chapter book that will inspire them to keep reading and keep creating.

    Also available from: