Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds and Raul the Third - ADVISABLE

Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds and Raul the Third, 272 pages. Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/Atheneum (Simon and Schuster), 2021. $14. 

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL  MS- ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

10yo Portico Reeves lives in an apartment, but he calls it a castle. His best friend Zola lives there, and so does his enemy Herbert Singletary "The Worst". Portico's parents have decided to take 2 apartments in the building, one upstairs and one downstairs and are in the process of splitting everything up. This causes a great deal of anxiety (the frets) for Portico who often comes into a room where they are fighting over something. So, Portico decides he will become a superhero - one who can protect other super heroes and calls himself "Stuntboy". He has invented all sorts of crazy moves to diffuse any situation - but will they help him face his own problems, which seem out of control? 

Like Dee's "Fighting Words," "Stuntboy in the Meantime" is about a young kid going through a hard time without all the tools to cope. He doesn't understand his parents are getting divorced. Adults and children with that background knowledge will pick up on it right away while others will figure it out along the way like Portico does. I loved Raul the Third's illustrations, playing on the popular style of Wimpy Kid, Raul the Third has given the illustrations more depth, adding color and sometimes backgrounds. Although Portico is young for my middle school readers, I still plan to buy copies as Jason Reynolds books are very popular. 

Lisa Librarian