# Duel

**Author:** Jessixa Bagley
**Grade range:** Grades 4–8
**Age range:** 9–13
**First published:** 2023
**Page count:** 320
**Genre:** Middle Grade Graphic Novel
**ISBN-13:** `9781534496552`
**ISBN-10:** `1534496556`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/duel
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Sisters who haven't spoken since their father — their fencing coach — died finally let their grief boil over, and agree to settle it the way he taught them: a fencing duel at school. Jessixa Bagley and illustrator Aaron Bagley's graphic novel is a moving story about sibling grief and love. Nominated for the 2026 Sasquatch Book Award (grades 4-8), the Washington Library Association's statewide young-readers' choice award.

## Themes

- grief
- sisters
- family

## Content notes

- death of parent

## Where this book is assigned

### Garden State Children's Book Award

- **recommended** · 4th grade · New Jersey — [source: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)](https://njla.org/garden-state-childrens-book-award)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · New Jersey — [source: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)](https://njla.org/garden-state-childrens-book-award)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · New Jersey — [source: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)](https://njla.org/garden-state-childrens-book-award)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · New Jersey — [source: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)](https://njla.org/garden-state-childrens-book-award)
- **recommended** · 8th grade · New Jersey — [source: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)](https://njla.org/garden-state-childrens-book-award)

### Washington Sasquatch Book Award

- **recommended** · 4th grade · Washington — [source: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)](https://www.wla.org/2026-sasquatch-nominees)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Washington — [source: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)](https://www.wla.org/2026-sasquatch-nominees)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Washington — [source: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)](https://www.wla.org/2026-sasquatch-nominees)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · Washington — [source: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)](https://www.wla.org/2026-sasquatch-nominees)
- **recommended** · 8th grade · Washington — [source: 2026 Sasquatch Book Award Nominees (Washington Library Association)](https://www.wla.org/2026-sasquatch-nominees)

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. For the full HTML view with reading-list cross-references, see https://readinglist.school/book/duel._