Energetic entertainment that promotes healthy sportsmanship.
An unathletic kid gets an unexpected taste of victory.
Arnie loves sports and games, and he’s always eager to play, though he virtually always loses (unless he’s playing video or board games). Unfortunately, he lives in a community dominated by sporty youngsters; the most successful crew is known as the Brohemians. A group of all-sport athletes who run the best park in town, they challenge anyone who steps out of line to a Muscle Match. The vanquished kid is banned from the park and must wear a “loser hat” to school—Arnie knows the drill. His salvation appears when, through fantastically silly circumstances, he comes into possession of a magical medal that grants its wearer athletic prowess. Attracting admiration for his newfound talents, he drifts toward becoming a competitive bully himself until his real friends redirect his energies to building a more egalitarian competitive atmosphere. DuBois-Thompson’s energetic and colorful illustrations show the kinetic fun of sports and games—basketball, baseball, football, and field hockey among them. Heagerty captures the infectious power of competition, with Arnie’s parents showing him more interest as he starts to succeed. Arnie is pale-skinned with red hair and glasses; the supporting cast, including the Brohemians, is diverse.
Energetic entertainment that promotes healthy sportsmanship. (Graphic fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781637159309
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers.
First volume of a planned three, this edited version of an ongoing online serial records a middle-school everykid’s triumphs and (more often) tribulations through the course of a school year.
Largely through his own fault, mishaps seem to plague Greg at every turn, from the minor freak-outs of finding himself permanently seated in class between two pierced stoners and then being saddled with his mom for a substitute teacher, to being forced to wrestle in gym with a weird classmate who has invited him to view his “secret freckle.” Presented in a mix of legible “hand-lettered” text and lots of simple cartoon illustrations with the punch lines often in dialogue balloons, Greg’s escapades, unwavering self-interest and sardonic commentary are a hoot and a half.
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-8109-9313-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet!
Ryan Hart is navigating the fourth grade and all its challenges with determination.
Her mom named her Ryan because it means “king,” and she wanted Ryan to feel powerful every time she heard her name; Ryan knows it means she is a leader. So when changes occur or disaster strikes, budding chef Ryan does her best to find the positive and “make sunshine.” When her dad is laid off from the post office, the family must make adjustments that include moving into a smaller house, selling their car, and changing how they shop for groceries. But Ryan gets to stay at Vernon Elementary, and her mom still finds a way to get her the ingredients she needs to practice new recipes. Her older brother, Ray, can be bossy, but he finds little ways to support her, especially when she is down—as does the whole family. Each episodic chapter confronts Ryan with a situation; intermittently funny, frustrating, and touching, they should be familiar and accessible to readers, as when Ryan fumbles her Easter speech despite careful practice. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and Watson continues to bring visibility to both Portland, Oregon, generally and its Black community specifically, making another wonderful contribution that allows Black readers to see themselves and all readers to find a character they can love.
Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet! (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0056-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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