Selected Reviews
“In this latest book in the “Nat Enough” series, readers find the awkward heroine moving into a new phase in life. When her best friend Zoe quits the volleyball team and wants Natalie to join her on the school’s triathlon squad, Nat is extremely hesitant as she lacks confidence in any strenuous physical sports. She regularly gets picked last for team games in gym class and is known for her clumsiness. With the help of Coach Rennie, and the support of her friends and family, Natalie will learn that swimming, biking, and running are more than just sports. They are a way to gain self-confidence, learn how to overcome obstacles, and not allow fear and doubt to deter you from doing anything. Readers will find characters and situations to relate to, which might just make coping with the trials of middle school more attainable.
VERDICT Readers will continue to delight in this series, which excels at communicating positive lessons with humor.”
— ⭐️ School Library Journal, starred review
These aren’t just stories about middle school. They are sharp, funny mirrors to the daily chaos of friendship shifts, self-doubt, and figuring out where you stand when the world seems to be moving without you.
Nat is not perfect. She is anxious, a little dramatic, and constantly comparing herself to others, and that’s exactly why she works. She’s every kid who has felt like the odd one out at lunch or who has tried to be “enough” for someone else.
The tug-of-war between wanting to fit in and staying true to yourself is painfully real. Watching Nat stumble and laugh her way through it is like reading your own thoughts in cartoon bubbles.
By the third book, Nat is less about “fixing herself” and more about finding her own rhythm. And that’s what makes this series special. It doesn’t sugarcoat the awkward bits of growing up but instead reminds you that enough is exactly what you already are.Taken together, the first three Nat Enough books are less about solving middle school and more about surviving it with your sense of self intact.
That is why these books stick: they feel like someone drew your messiest thoughts in comic panels, then handed them back with a smile that says, “See? You’re not alone.”
— @the_literary_bookwormen
With the humor and illustrative style of a daily newspaper comic, debuting creator Scrivan’s story of middle school minefields is gentle and timeless, if short on edge. After her best friend, Lily, moves out of their neighborhood, bespectacled Natalie Mariano is convinced that middle school presents a chance for the girls to rekindle their “two peas in a pod” friendship, despite signs that Lily has other plans—signs like the one Lily posts on Nathalie’s locker that reads “Natalie is a loser.” Lily’s tactics are cruel and hamfisted, but Natalie continues to pursue her, feeling confused and increasingly uncool. After stumbling through a series of humiliations (being compared to a dog, for one), Natalie embraces a more accepting friend group and her strengths as an artist and writer. The character archetypes and story arc will be familiar to anyone who has lived through adolescence, but for elementary schoolers staring down the barrel of late tweenhood, Scrivan’s colorful diagrams and playful imaginings may be just enough.
— Publishers Weekly
"Nat a Chance, by Maria Scrivan, is actually the sixth book in this wonderful series, but each book stands alone. This amazing book tackles friendships and middle school problems, dealing with insecurities and self-confidence. Nat decides to attempt a triathlon, but she soon becomes discouraged. There is much encouragement that surrounds her, especially from her positive-thinking coach. The art is concise and vibrant."
— Holly E. Newton, Meridian Magazine
"I am writing from Athens, Greece. Congrats for the great work on Nat Enough! I had bought several books in the past to my 9 years old daughter but she didn't find any of them interesting. Nat enough was the FIRST and ONLY book that she loved it right away and she couldn't stop reading it. She asked me for the second book and now she is waiting for the third book to be translated in Greek. Thanks for the great work!
— Chris Kachris
The author does a great job balancing Nat’s insecurities and search for self-acceptance with warmth and humor. She’s a wonderfully relatable character that all readers, no matter how old they are, will love. I think we’ve all got a bit of Nat in us😉.
— The Magic House Book Substack
“One sitting and my heart grew two sizes at the end of this one. I love Natalie throughout the whole book.”— Sierra Dertinger
"My 10-year-old son has always loved being read to and is surrounded by books at home, but the only books he has read voluntarily for the last two years have been Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Maria Scrivan’s Nat series. Over and over and over again. Which, to all of you parents out there worrying about your kids rereading books and reading illustrated books, is awesome."
— Proud Mom
“My son is a huge fan of your Nat Enough series and has read the first four books in German. He absolutely loves Nat and her journey. Thank you for creating such a fun and meaningful story. Your books have brought him so much joy.”
— Sevim
Even though this is my first book in the Nat series, I quickly became fond of Nat and her friends and their middle school problems and insecurities. Upper elementary and middle schoolers will recognize themselves, as Nat slowly but surely gains confidence and changes the way she looks at herself. By adjusting her attitude from “I can’t do it, to maybe I can”, she realizes she can accomplish a lot. There are so many reasons I liked this book: Her coach’s positivity, the ease and fun of reading this graphic novel, the colorful panels, the characters expressions, the humor, the inspiring story, Nat’s can-do attitude and finally the realization that middle school might be okay. If your kids haven’t met Nat, they are in for a treat, and when they finish NAT A CHANCE there are five more books in the series!
— @redcanoereader