Stuntboy, in the Meantime
- Downloads：5280
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-25 01:21:28
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Jason Reynolds
- ISBN：1534418164
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Patti Barker
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Listened to this Jason Reynolds gem thanks to Libro。com。
Beth P
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Listened to audiobook， can’t wait to check out physical copy， too！
Stephanie
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I read this to my 8-year-old over the course of a week， and he and I both loved it SO much！ Stuntboy， in the Meantime is a heavily illustrated novel that also includes some comic strip sections， and the writing （by Jason Reynolds） and the art （by Raúl the 3rd） are both bursting with vibrant energy and fun。 Portico is a sweet， anxious kid who desperately wants to protect other people from pain （his secret superhero identity is "Stuntboy，" who takes the dangerous falls for all the people around hi I read this to my 8-year-old over the course of a week， and he and I both loved it SO much！ Stuntboy， in the Meantime is a heavily illustrated novel that also includes some comic strip sections， and the writing （by Jason Reynolds） and the art （by Raúl the 3rd） are both bursting with vibrant energy and fun。 Portico is a sweet， anxious kid who desperately wants to protect other people from pain （his secret superhero identity is "Stuntboy，" who takes the dangerous falls for all the people around him）， but right now， his parents' marriage is imploding and he can't stop it or take away their pain。 But this isn't a depressing book at all！ It's zany and funny and sweet， full of wonderful， quirky characters in the busy apartment building that Portico loves。 He has a fabulous best friend， Zola， who's always ready to draw life lessons from the fabulously over-the-top superhero TV series that they both adore - and my 8-year-old totally wants to watch that now。 If only it WERE a real TV show！ It felt very real to both of us by the end。 He also has a fabulous cat and a terrifying nemesis and a grandma with secret powers of her own， and the whole thing was just so much fun to read。 We laughed again and again （especially over some particularly hilarious catchphrases that kept coming back with perfect comedic timing） and at the end my 8-year-old begged me to preorder Book 2 NOW。 Sadly， Book 2 isn't available to preorder yet。。。but we'll be snapping it up as soon as we can， because this really was fantastic。 。。。more
Robin
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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing， Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books， NetGalley， and LibroFM's Educator ALC program for complimentary advanced reading and listening copies of this title。 This book was so much fun to read as well as listen to。 I wasn't sure how such a highly illustrated book would translate to audiobook format， but it works！ There are so many great things between the pages that kids need to see in their books - the characters are all non-white， Stuntboy deals with Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing， Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books， NetGalley， and LibroFM's Educator ALC program for complimentary advanced reading and listening copies of this title。 This book was so much fun to read as well as listen to。 I wasn't sure how such a highly illustrated book would translate to audiobook format， but it works！ There are so many great things between the pages that kids need to see in their books - the characters are all non-white， Stuntboy deals with anxiety and he finds meditation helpful， his parents are separating， and there's a bully in his apartment complex。 Jason Reynolds tackled some heavy topics with humor and friendship。 My almost 12-year old some enjoyed both the book and audiobook just as much as I did。 I highly recommend it for the kids in your life！ 。。。more
Kyle Kimmal
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I am thrilled that there is a new middle grade book from Jason Reynolds。
Lee-ann
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Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review。 I like graphic novels when they are done well， and this was not。 The graphics themselves were the strongest part of this story。 Unfortunately， the story was not strong at all。 The talking down to the reader felt very contrived。 The confusion and misunderstandings that Portico has feel like they should happen to a much younger character。 The ending is not clear cut， it just ends， I thought my copy got cut off。 Very disappointing。
Bethany
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Jason Reynolds does it again！ *chef's kiss* AND *heart eyes* Topics discussed within:- bullying- parents getting a divorce- anxiety and coping strategies- apartment living vs。 house-in-the-suburbs living- not liking readingThis book is perfect for strong-reading 1st graders， 2nd graders， 3rd graders， and maybe low-level-reading 4th graders。 Jason Reynolds does it again！ *chef's kiss* AND *heart eyes* Topics discussed within:- bullying- parents getting a divorce- anxiety and coping strategies- apartment living vs。 house-in-the-suburbs living- not liking readingThis book is perfect for strong-reading 1st graders， 2nd graders， 3rd graders， and maybe low-level-reading 4th graders。 。。。more
Amanda Shepard （Between-the-Shelves）
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4。5 starsThanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review！ You know that pretty much anything Jason Reynolds will immediately go on my to-read list。 And he’s shown that there probably isn’t anything that he can’t write！ Stuntboy is a fun book that many middle grade readers will find themselves relating to。This is an illustrated chapter book， kind of along the lines of something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid。 The overall tone of the novel is fun and lighthearted， readin 4。5 starsThanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review！ You know that pretty much anything Jason Reynolds will immediately go on my to-read list。 And he’s shown that there probably isn’t anything that he can’t write！ Stuntboy is a fun book that many middle grade readers will find themselves relating to。This is an illustrated chapter book， kind of along the lines of something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid。 The overall tone of the novel is fun and lighthearted， reading like episodes of a TV show。 Part of what makes this book so funny and entertaining is the way the story is told。 The hybrid format of the book will help hit that audience that love graphic novels， too。 Add on the superhero format， and you’ve definitely got yourself a winnerReynolds also puts concepts into terms that kids can understand。 One of the best examples of this is Portico’s struggle with anxiety， which he calls “The Frets。” These are feelings that a lot of kids probably have， and they can work through them the way that Portico does。 It’s effective， and just adds to the overall story。All in all， this is a book that a lot of kids I think will be drawn to。 I’m hoping that this is the start of a new series， because I don’t think Portico’s story is done quite yet。 。。。more
Laura Gardner
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GENIUS book and STELLAR production。 Give it an Audie！ Give it an Odyssey！ 🌟🤯。。。Portico Reeves has a secret -- he's really Stuntboy， a superhero who helps keep everyone in his apartment super safe。 Things have been difficult in his house lately， though -- his parents fight all。 the。 time。 about the most random stuff and send him off "in the meantime。" This and other situations give Portico the "frets，" aka anxiety。 Luckily he has a new best friend named Zola who helps him work through his frets w GENIUS book and STELLAR production。 Give it an Audie！ Give it an Odyssey！ 🌟🤯。。。Portico Reeves has a secret -- he's really Stuntboy， a superhero who helps keep everyone in his apartment super safe。 Things have been difficult in his house lately， though -- his parents fight all。 the。 time。 about the most random stuff and send him off "in the meantime。" This and other situations give Portico the "frets，" aka anxiety。 Luckily he has a new best friend named Zola who helps him work through his frets with yogic breathing， and superhero TV analogies that help Portico make sense of his feelings。 This quick read explores family separation， mental health issues， and emotional regulation with the humor and wit we've all come to expect from one of the best authors of our time。 MUST READ， MUST BUY。 Grades 2 - 6。。。。Stuntboy， In the Meantime by the one and only @jasonreynolds83 doesn't come out until November 30th， but pre-order it now。 It belongs in every elementary and middle school library。 I can't wait to see the illustrations by @raulthethird。info。 The audiobook （thanks， @librofm！） is outstanding， however， with a dynamic full cast led by @guylockard， special effects， and even singing！ 。。。#middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile #schoollibrariansrock #bookreview #bookrecommendation #igreads #malibrary #msla #mediaspecialist 。。。more
Jennifer Barns
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The audiobook is great！ I look forward to checking out the illustrations when I get this for my school library。 I love everything Jason Reynolds writes， and this book is no exception， but I do think that the kids， especially Portico， seem younger than they are supposed to be。。。 by a few years。 I also feel that the book ends rather abruptly， but perhaps that has something to do with the format。
Great Books
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Reviewer #15
Lizzie Huxley-Jones
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Portico's parents are splitting up。 They fight over every thing in the house， every bit of furniture， every item that's a memory。 And all he can do to cope is adopt his super secret identity -- Stuntboy， the newest superhero in town。 As stuntboy， Portico solves mysteries in the high rise block he lives in， helps out his friends， and stands off against his arch enemy。。。Not only that， but it helps with the frets too。Jason Reynolds has long been one of my favourites in kidlit - his prose is poe Portico's parents are splitting up。 They fight over every thing in the house， every bit of furniture， every item that's a memory。 And all he can do to cope is adopt his super secret identity -- Stuntboy， the newest superhero in town。 As stuntboy， Portico solves mysteries in the high rise block he lives in， helps out his friends， and stands off against his arch enemy。。。Not only that， but it helps with the frets too。Jason Reynolds has long been one of my favourites in kidlit - his prose is poetic and interesting and funny as heck， and I feel like you can really tell how seriously he takes kids and their lives。 Accompanied by illustrations by Raul the 3rd， this is a funny， heartfelt story and a great exploration of anxiety and family separation for kids with amazing characters。This would be a perfect book for newer readers， less confident readers， readers who love words but not necessarily reading them。 。。。more
Sherry
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A new middle grades series by Jason Reynolds？ Yes please！ Great audio version。 Portico aka Stuntboy is a character readers will love and identify with as he maneuvers through friendships， changes in his family， a bully， and trying to be a superhero。
Kristen
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Netgalley provided me a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review。I'll read anything Jason Reynolds puts out: prose， verse， YA， Middle Grade。 Whatever。 And I LOVE that he is willing to branch out and reach so many more readers with different kinds of writing。 This times it's a half prose， half illustrated story about Portico， a boy who's having a bit of a rough go。 His parents won't stop fighting， the building bully won't leave him alone， and he struggles with anxiety。 He decides that be Netgalley provided me a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review。I'll read anything Jason Reynolds puts out: prose， verse， YA， Middle Grade。 Whatever。 And I LOVE that he is willing to branch out and reach so many more readers with different kinds of writing。 This times it's a half prose， half illustrated story about Portico， a boy who's having a bit of a rough go。 His parents won't stop fighting， the building bully won't leave him alone， and he struggles with anxiety。 He decides that becoming a hero who protects others is the answer， and what follows is a series of hilarious， heartfelt moments in the life of Stuntboy。While I'm not usually a fan of stuff for younger readers， the way Reynolds and Raul the Third approach Portico's story is engaging and fun。 I prefer Portico's story as opposed to the super hero television show sprinkled throughout the book， but that's just this reader's opinion--I know many of my students will love the episodes。 。。。more
Angie
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Can’t wait to share this with my students！
Becky McGregor
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Jason Reynolds does it again I enjoyed this book and can see students enjoying it as well。 This story is about a boy that lives in an apartment building， his parents are getting a divorce， he has a new best friend， and there is a bully in the building。 I enjoyed how the characters were developed and the illustrations were a great addition as well。 I can see this book being popular in the library。
Chris G。
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What you want in a book for 3rd through 6th graders:A character like Portico with a real-life problem - parents who love their kid but fight with each other。A flaw， like anxiety， that feels overwhelming。A friend， like Zola， who likes superhero TV and movies。A nemesis， like Herbert， who is a tease and a bully。A setting， like an apartment house full of memorable characters。Lots and lots of funny parts！A pitch-perfect authorial voice。Plenty of superlative illustrations you will want to look at agai What you want in a book for 3rd through 6th graders:A character like Portico with a real-life problem - parents who love their kid but fight with each other。A flaw， like anxiety， that feels overwhelming。A friend， like Zola， who likes superhero TV and movies。A nemesis， like Herbert， who is a tease and a bully。A setting， like an apartment house full of memorable characters。Lots and lots of funny parts！A pitch-perfect authorial voice。Plenty of superlative illustrations you will want to look at again and again。The promise of a sequel。This book has it all。 Every elementary and middle school library as well as lots of classrooms need this book。 。。。more
Emily Bush
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Stuntboy， In the Meantime is another winner by Jason Reynolds。 Stuntboy is for a younger crowd （2nd-5th grade） than most of his other books， but still covers important topics like friendship， divorce， anxiety。 Portico Reeves， aka Stuntboy， has parents who are always fighting… over everything in their apartment！ This gives Portico the “frets” as his mom calls it - anxiety。 His best friend Zola helps him learn to fight his anxiety by becoming a superhero and trying to look at things in a different Stuntboy， In the Meantime is another winner by Jason Reynolds。 Stuntboy is for a younger crowd （2nd-5th grade） than most of his other books， but still covers important topics like friendship， divorce， anxiety。 Portico Reeves， aka Stuntboy， has parents who are always fighting… over everything in their apartment！ This gives Portico the “frets” as his mom calls it - anxiety。 His best friend Zola helps him learn to fight his anxiety by becoming a superhero and trying to look at things in a different way。 This book is fun and colorful and has a great cast of characters。 The drawings are amazing and I can’t wait to see it in print！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Librarylady
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Stunt boy， in the Meantime is a good mix of story， comics， and highly engaging illustrations。 I think the kids will all pick it up based on the cover。 However， I think they may be a bit disappointed when they read it。 Portico， the main character， seems immature for a ten year old。 I can't really see a boy In middle school acting like a super hero。 Also， the book seemed to drag on and on for me， especially when I got to the end， and there was no resolution to the story。 That was a real turn off。 Stunt boy， in the Meantime is a good mix of story， comics， and highly engaging illustrations。 I think the kids will all pick it up based on the cover。 However， I think they may be a bit disappointed when they read it。 Portico， the main character， seems immature for a ten year old。 I can't really see a boy In middle school acting like a super hero。 Also， the book seemed to drag on and on for me， especially when I got to the end， and there was no resolution to the story。 That was a real turn off。 That said， I will probably still buy it for my library based on the format， the diversity， and the popularity of the author。 Not everyone likes the same books as I do。 Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
The Book Sheelf
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This is a really great alternative to series like Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates。Fun， silly， engaging， while also dealing brilliantly with some more serious theme。
Steph
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Stuntboy is brilliant！ Poor Portico is going through a lot and he feels the Frets a lot。 He had a wonderful best friend and he’s a secret superhero with all kinds of moves。 Brilliant exploration of what it’s like to be a kid whose parents are going through a separation。 This is going to go down so well！ Fabulous story as always by Jason Reynolds and perfectly illustrated by Raul the Third！！
Gailanne Smith
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I wasn't sure what to expect upon seeing that Jason Reynolds now has a graphic novel in his collection of creative works， but I guess I can't be surprised that once again he has knocked it out of the park。 The title was confusing to me when I began reading， but as I began understanding the dynamic Portico， the main character， is dealing with between his parents， it made more sense。 Every time they begin arguing （which is often）， and then realize he is nearby， they tell him that everything is fin I wasn't sure what to expect upon seeing that Jason Reynolds now has a graphic novel in his collection of creative works， but I guess I can't be surprised that once again he has knocked it out of the park。 The title was confusing to me when I began reading， but as I began understanding the dynamic Portico， the main character， is dealing with between his parents， it made more sense。 Every time they begin arguing （which is often）， and then realize he is nearby， they tell him that everything is fine and they are just disagreeing， and， in the meantime， he should go do some other task away from them。 Reynolds understands that kids don't always put two and two together when it comes to their families， and Portico is no different。 Any adult reading the book would understand that his parents' bickering and arguing about who will get what for each of their new apartments isn't about enriching Portico's life by giving him two places to live， but they are instead separating and Portico will be living a life of joint parental custody。 Portico deals a lot with anxiety （"the frets"）， but Reynolds shows some coping strategies he uses， which could be beneficial to students who are dealing with some of the same situations Portico finds himself in， such as his parents' separation and bullying from another character in the book。 Portico is a very empathetic character， using his stuntboy skills to help others whenever he can。 Having a best friend， a grandmother on his side， and a cat of considerable character gives Portico some advantages to handling his worries。 Readers will pick it up thinking it is just a fun graphic novel （I think after this， Jason Reynolds should turn Look Both Ways into a graphic novel。 His humor would really shine in that format for it， too， based on this book！）， and will finish it with a deeper understanding of how to help others as well as themselves。 。。。more
Jennifer Hottinger
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Wow！ Absolutely a winner for middle graders！！ I will be preordering for my classroom！ So many important happenings and feelings students will connect with throughout-anxiety， family arguments， divorce， keeping your castle （home） together， and adventures weaved throughout。 Jason Reynolds knows how to connect to all young readers！ Loved Raul and Elaine's adventurous art bringing the story to life！ Highly Recommend！ Wow！ Absolutely a winner for middle graders！！ I will be preordering for my classroom！ So many important happenings and feelings students will connect with throughout-anxiety， family arguments， divorce， keeping your castle （home） together， and adventures weaved throughout。 Jason Reynolds knows how to connect to all young readers！ Loved Raul and Elaine's adventurous art bringing the story to life！ Highly Recommend！ 。。。more
High Plains Library District
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This graphic novel would be enjoyed by elementary school boys and girls who are looking for something fun to read。 The illustrations of the characters and scenes make the story come alive。 Readers can really get a feel for the emotions of the characters。 The plot of Portico's parents arguing and separating is relatable but it's good that he has friends to help him get through it。 This graphic novel would be enjoyed by elementary school boys and girls who are looking for something fun to read。 The illustrations of the characters and scenes make the story come alive。 Readers can really get a feel for the emotions of the characters。 The plot of Portico's parents arguing and separating is relatable but it's good that he has friends to help him get through it。 。。。more
Cassandra Bland
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This graphic novel would be enjoyed by elementary school boys and girls who are looking for something fun to read。 The illustrations of the characters and scenes make the story come alive。 Readers can really get a feel for the emotions of the characters。 The plot of Portico's parents arguing and separating is relatable but it's good that he has friends to help him get through it。 This graphic novel would be enjoyed by elementary school boys and girls who are looking for something fun to read。 The illustrations of the characters and scenes make the story come alive。 Readers can really get a feel for the emotions of the characters。 The plot of Portico's parents arguing and separating is relatable but it's good that he has friends to help him get through it。 。。。more
Jenn
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A joy。 They really made the audiobook unique and special。 Jason Reynolds is a genius， and so is Guy Lockard。
Desiree
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Jason Reynolds once again does not disappoint。 Stuntboy， in the Meantime is part graphic novel， part illustrated novel （my brain is struggling to come up with a better term）。 It will appeal to graphic novel readers， but has some pages with large chunks of text。 Stuntboy is a superhero who keeps other superheroes safe。 He's also a superhero who gets The Frets。 Otherwise known as anxiety。 Portico Reeves， a。k。a Stuntboy， lives in an apartment building and is dealing with some difficult times。Stuntb Jason Reynolds once again does not disappoint。 Stuntboy， in the Meantime is part graphic novel， part illustrated novel （my brain is struggling to come up with a better term）。 It will appeal to graphic novel readers， but has some pages with large chunks of text。 Stuntboy is a superhero who keeps other superheroes safe。 He's also a superhero who gets The Frets。 Otherwise known as anxiety。 Portico Reeves， a。k。a Stuntboy， lives in an apartment building and is dealing with some difficult times。Stuntboy is a fun book that takes on some serious topics （like divorce and anxiety）。 I can't wait for the sequel。 Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by NetgalleyPortico Reeves is ten and lives in an apartment building in the city。 He considers this a castle， and loves that there are all manner of different people with different stories living behind all of the doors of the complex。 His best friend， Zola， also lives there， as does his nemesis， the mean Herbert Singletary the Worst， who constantly verbally attacks Portico and Zola。 Portico has a lot of anxiety， mainly because his parents have decided to take two new apartments， E ARC provided by NetgalleyPortico Reeves is ten and lives in an apartment building in the city。 He considers this a castle， and loves that there are all manner of different people with different stories living behind all of the doors of the complex。 His best friend， Zola， also lives there， as does his nemesis， the mean Herbert Singletary the Worst， who constantly verbally attacks Portico and Zola。 Portico has a lot of anxiety， mainly because his parents have decided to take two new apartments， one upstairs and one downstairs， and are fighting a lot about what items each will take。 Also in the mix are hid Gran Gran， who spends most of her time "resting her eyes"， a cat whose names changes daily， and the different personalities in the building。 Portico decides to become a superhero， Stuntboy， to protect the other superheroes in the building， and has a range of moves that he uses to diffuse situations。 This happens more and more frequently as his parents' fighting escalates， and are moderately effective in stopping "the mean times"。 When he and Zola find out that Herbert's step father is the "super" of the building， their relationship changes a bit， and some of Herbert's motives are made clear。 Will Stuntboy be able to make Portico's life better as more and more changes occur。 Strengths: This is a notebook novel more than a graphic novel; think Big Nate chapter books but with more color and page backgrounds， thanks to Raúl the Third illustrations。 There's still a fair amount of text telling the story。 Portico has a great outlook on life even though things aren't going all that well and he suffers with anxiety。 It's great to see him want to take care of his parents and his friend Zola。 I think this capitalizes on the way many middle grade chidlren act， but isn't shown in many middle grade books。 His stunts are fairly funny， and the cast of quirky characters also add to the general upbeat tone of the book。 There's certainly some serious issues that are addresses， and this is a great book to have about the difficulties and stress young people face when parents divorce。 There could definitely be a lot more books on that topic。 The format is the real winner here， with a great mix of Reynolds' prose and Raúl the Third's graphics。 Weaknesses: Portico has a lot of Amelia Bedelia misundertandings that felt more like ones a six year old would have。 I can understand the motivation for portraying situations that way， but it always seems a bit off， and I'm not sure how readers in the target demographic feel about this style。 It does make the book seem like it would be a better fit for elementary readers than middle school ones。 What I really think: Reynold's work is popular in my library， and it's good to see a Black male character on a notebook novel （Robinson's Jake the Fake and Craft's New Kid are the other good examples; I'm still waiting for Robb Armstrong's Jump Start to beget a notebook novel about Jojo。）。 I will purchase， especially since the level of maturity of my students has dropped a bit since the pandemic， as it has slowly dropped over the last twenty years。 It's always good to see an author exhibit prowess across interest levels， so that readers can continue to appreciate a favorite throughout their reading careers。 。。。more
Julie
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With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review。Portico lives in a castle。 Or as others might see it， an apartment building in the middle of the city。 He uses his superhero persona， Stuntboy， as a way to support all the superheroes around him， and to manage his emotions。 The illustrations in the book are excellent and really help bring the book to life。 I particularly liked that the story was set in the apartment building because I don't think there ar With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review。Portico lives in a castle。 Or as others might see it， an apartment building in the middle of the city。 He uses his superhero persona， Stuntboy， as a way to support all the superheroes around him， and to manage his emotions。 The illustrations in the book are excellent and really help bring the book to life。 I particularly liked that the story was set in the apartment building because I don't think there are enough middle grade books featuring apartment living。 I think the book also does a fantastic job of introducing the emotions surrounding divorce and how they can impact kids。This is definitely a book I will recommend to my students and I look forward to adding this to my classroom library。 。。。more
Tonja Drecker
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