The Big Break

January 1, 2020

Gr 3-7-A good friend is hard to find, but true friendship stands the test of time, according to Tatulli. The author of the memoir Short & Skinny this time turns to fiction but still demonstrates the same intuitive understanding of children's angst and insecurities. As part of a video contest, longtime best friends Andrew and Russ are documenting their search for the legendary Jersey Devil. Andrew loves hanging out with his friends, daydreaming, drawing, and being his mom's little boy. Russ, however, is ready to move on and grow up, and, to Andrew's horror, he begins dating artsy, first-chair violinist Tara, which drives a wedge between them. But with the help of their other friends Ray, Dante, and Lexa and librarian Miss Robbins, Andrew and Russ learn what real friendship is all about as they all embark on a daring journey to finish their movie. Tatulli conveys the drama of friendship perfectly. His loose, buoyant cartoons and his humorous text make heavy topics easier to digest. Dialogue is spot-on; characters' use of slang will appeal to readers. VERDICT With this reassuring graphic novel, Tatulli offers a lifeline to middle schoolers dealing with the trials and tribulations of friendships. His lessons-a newcomer doesn't always spell disaster for a friendship, and it's OK to branch out and make new friends-will resonate strongly with middle grade readers.-Beronica Puhr, Oak Park Public Library, IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 10, 2020
Inspired by cryptozoology, two best friends plot a horror movie about the legendary Jersey Devil. “OK, wait—not the Jersey Devil like the best hockey team,” they clarify, as the NHL mascot known as the NJ Devil strikes a pose. “He’s kind of like our very own Bigfoot.” Middle schoolers Andrew and Russ hope to win a video contest, but their scheme is tested by Russ’s romance with Tara, a cool kid who shows up to help with the script. “She’s a bigger dork than you!” Russ boasts, praising Tara’s knowledge of monster art. At the library, within earshot of their social circle, Andrew and Russ argue loudly and storm apart. “You broke up with Russ,” a girl sadly confirms to a moping Andrew. In his signature art style, Tatulli (Short & Skinny) focuses on the strained relationship—Russ is changing, and Andrew isn’t ready—but additional subplots further enliven this deftly braided graphic novel. Readers learn the reasons for Andrew’s jealousy and regret, and meet a nuanced cast, an adventurous librarian, and dueling fantasy characters from Andrew’s notebook sketches, all capped off with a quirky, strangely sweet resolution. Tatulli’s likable characters deserve a sequel, with or without mythical creatures. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.

March 15, 2020
Will a girl break up a long-standing friendship? In this middle-grade graphic offering, Andrew Fineman and Russ Kahng are best friends who happily work on their movie and investigate the local lore of the Jersey Devil. Suddenly their twosome seems in jeopardy when Russ begins dating blue-haired violinist Tara Wallbuck and spending less time with Andrew. Clearly angry and resentful of Tara's infiltration of their friendship, Andrew's disdain is visibly growing. Before long, Russ has ditched Andrew to make his own Jersey Devil movie with Tara. When Miss Robbins, the local librarian and resident Jersey Devil expert, offers to take the group camping to substantiate rumored sightings, the boys' festering animosity comes to an explosive head. A dash of magical realism bonds the group, ending this on a lighter, hopeful note. Tatulli's engaging artwork fixes its lens squarely on the characters, colorists Caravan Studios many times opting for nondescript pastel backdrops for greater focus on facial expressions. Middle-grade fare about navigating changing friendships is nothing new, and while this covers well-trod ground, it is refreshing to see it explore both the perspectives and feelings of boys with a good balance of humor and pathos. The cast encompasses a range of skin tones but does not specify particulars; main character Andrew presents white, Russ has Asian features and olive skin, Tara has light-brown skin, and Miss Robbins presents black. A fun, smart choice examining middle-grade male friendships. (Graphic fiction. 8-11)

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January 1, 2020
Grades 3-6 The Telgemeierian tale of middle-grade social-emotional stress is an industry standard by now, but Tatulli puts his own spin on it by flipping genders and focusing on the tumultuous friendship of two boys. Andrew and Russ spend their weekends and after-school time working on a homemade docu-monster movie about their hunt for the legendary Jersey Devil. Until, that is, Russ starts doing homework with Tara Wallbuck. Before you know it, Russ's maturing interests come crashing into Andrew's boyish expectations, and their walks to school, their movie, and their friendship are blown to smithereens. It's a familiar story, but Tatulli gives it a genuine emotional pull as we watch Andrew navigate his father's recent passing and his mother's overbearing protectiveness, and several moments of high emotion explode in double-page spreads. There's genuine humor here, too, which Tatulli's lively, elastic-faced figures capitalize on. Rest assured, things end hopefully, thanks to a charmingly fantastical final twist. Indeed, genre aficionados will recognize much here, including a wondrous homage to Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion creatures from the Golden Voyage of Sinbad.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)