Drawn That Way

August 15, 2021
An ambitious teen lands a summer internship with her favorite film director. Seventeen-year-old Hayley Saffitz feels destined to be in the world of animation despite her parents' wish that she pursue a more practical career like her pre-med brother, Zach. When she is selected to intern at BB Gun Films, she is one step closer to achieving her goals: impress Oscar-winning director Bryan Beckett and secure a job in the industry after high school. Only four out of the 41 interns will be selected for a directing opportunity, and Hayley is confident she will be among them. But when all the positions are given to boys, including Bryan's apathetic son, Bear, Hayley's awareness of the absence and mistreatment of women at the studio heightens. Tired of being belittled by her male peers, Hayley teams up with the five other female interns to create their own short film to prove their worth. Hayley is passionate and oftentimes arrogant, but when the systemic misogyny in the studio becomes palpable, she learns to be a better team player and friend without sacrificing her self-belief. An enemies-to-lovers romance offers dimension to Hayley's growth as an independent young woman. Sussman purposely creates a cast that reflects the lack of diversity in the animation industry: Most characters are White; Hayley is Jewish, and there is a smattering of Latinx and Asian characters. A refreshing tribute to all the young women who are changing the story. (Fiction. 13-18)

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September 15, 2021
Grades 8-11 Hayley Saffitz isn't practical with her career dreams: she's passionate, she's ambitious, and she knows she's good. Like her hero, groundbreaking director Bryan Beckett, Hayley wants to work in animation, and when she snags a spot in Bryan's first-ever summer internship program--she's one of only a handful of girls--she knows those dreams are all within her reach. Her spirits are hardly dampened by the fact that Bryan's son, Bear, has also landed one of the coveted internship spots. Bear warns Hayley that talent has nothing to do with success, but she thinks he's just trying to get under her skin until she realizes exactly how much she and the other girls are overlooked. And, shockingly, Hayley realizes Bear is starting to get under her skin--only not in a bad way. Sussman, who herself has a background in animation production, challenges the boys-club nature of the industry head-on while developing Hayley as an artist, a collaborator, and a friend. Part romance, part coming-of-age story, this peek into a high-interest and cutthroat industry will have wide appeal.

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