Review: Stuntboy, in the Meantime is another delightful middle grade novel from Jason Reynolds. Reynolds has the incredible ability to grab even the most reluctant reader's attention. In his latest we meet Portico Reeves who lives in an apartment complex as large as a castle with a great and some not so great characters. Portico is a huge superhero fan and cleverly becomes one called Stuntboy. Stuntboy is not a scientific experiment gone wrong, but rather a superhero who will protect other people from harm by performing stunts and distractions. Portico transforms into Stuntboy with the help of his best friend Zola in order to calm his debilitating anxiety which he names as the "frets". One of the main source of Portico's frets is the bully Herbert Singletary the Worst, who makes sure to rain on everyone's parade, but lately a new source has emerged and that is the constant bickering of Portico's parents.
I found this middle grade to be extremely funny and cheeky, but also an age appropriate way to talk about anxiety and coming up with creative coping skills. Raul the Third’s illustrations are both dynamic and cleverly slapstick as Portico skillfully tumbles down stairs to prevent an older resident from falling or flops in front of his parents to momentarily stop them from fighting. The story moves at a brisk pace, but while being thoughtful.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: None.
If you like this book try: One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko
Reynolds seems to be branching out in his writing for which I am really grateful. He is appealing to all age groups and reading interests.
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