A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

In A First Time for Everything, Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat looks back on a life-changing tour of Europe as a 13-year-old.

A First Time for Everything: A True Story by Dan Santat. First Second, 2023, 308 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: Teens, ages 12-15

A tour of Europe? Now?

Dan’s parents immigrated from Thailand and settled in southern California, so their son grew up as an all-American boy. And a loser, especially when he hit middle school. He’s not looking forward to high school and is prepared to fade into the woodwork. The news that his parents have signed him up for a three-week study trip in selected European cities is not especially welcome. Why can’t he wait to expand his horizons? The fact that his traveling companions include a former crush and other girls who laughed at him doesn’t help. But two guys from another school seem to accept him as he is, and their first day in Paris offers a spectacular view from the Eiffel Tower—plus the acquaintance of a girl from the Midwest who’s part of the same study group.

Amy seems nice and seems to like him, and after a few embarrassing moments and false steps, Dan discovers he likes her too. A lot. As their tour winds through Switzerland and Austria and Germany, including a week-long stay in a German household, he overcomes many inhibitions and fears, even working his way up to a first kiss and opening the door to a lifelong friendship.

True Story

Caldecott medalist Santat records events as they happened, to the best of his memory. Having retained almost all his friendships from that memorable journey at 13 (he’s now 48), he was able to call on his traveling companions to fill in the gaps—even, or especially, Amy. Their itinerary included some stops that would raise eyebrows among many parents, such as an evening at the world’s most famous beer garden in Munich. German teens are allowed to drink beer at age 14 under adult supervision. Though he’s a few months shy of 14, Dan’s teacher/chaperone allows him to stretch a little and try it. Perhaps because she knows he’ll hate it, and he does. The kids are allowed to roam cities at will and figure out their own ways of getting around, as long as they make their curfew. Dan misses curfew after a scary night of being chased by thugs and stealing a bicycle to get away.

In his Author Note, Santat makes clear that he doesn’t approve of underage drinking, smoking, or stealing bicycles, but strove to give an honest account of the event that changed his life. It’s when he learned that he couldn’t be ruled by fear, that “life is full of pain and joy and all those moments shape you into who you are.” What matters is what one does with those experiences. The days in which 13-year-olds can be set loose on the streets of Paris and stay a week with German strangers may be over. But if young teen readers are inspired to take cautious steps into new experiences, and maybe even tour Europe someday, that’s all to the good, I’m thinking.

Consideration

• Lifestyles: Besides the beer sampling and European teens smoking, the boys get an eyeful of French television their one night in Paris. Nothing is shown but their shocked reaction.
• Additionally, Dan and his friend witness some drunks throwing up (Dan gets splattered!). This is clearly portrayed as a negative consequence of drinking and reinforces Dan’s distaste of alcohol.
• Puberty/Sexuality: Of possible interest: at one point, Dan has a flashback to middle school when he loaned an oversized sweatshirt to a girl who had an accident; when he asks her if she wet her pants, she clarifies that it’s from “girl stuff.” No details are given, and it’s actually a sweet picture of Dan’s sensitivity to other people as he tries to help keep her privacy intact and help her avoid other people until she can change clothes. Would that all middle schoolers were that sensitive! But considerations like this and the aforementioned drinking/smoking are reasons why we stipulated above that this book is better suited to a young teen audience than a middle school audience.
• Language: I noticed 3 instances of “oh my g–” (all lower case) and one “Lord.”
• considerations updated November, 2023

Overall Rating: 4

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Literary/artistic value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Santat won the Caldecott medal for The Adventures of Beekle. We’ve also reviewed The Aquanaut and Endlessly Ever After.
• Reviews: The “graphic memoir” is an ever-expanding literary form. See our reviews of El Deafo, Guts, and Best Friends.
• Reviews: While waiting for their majority, kids can “tour” some of the world’s great cities with City Atlas.

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