Boy vs. Shark

Starred review from September 15, 2024
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Paul and David are best friends, and have been basically since birth. Outgoing, daring David often makes risky choices and frequently ends up in the hospital. Paul, however, is quick to shy away from trouble and prefers the safety of reading comic books. Despite their different personalities, they complement each other well. That is, until David starts hanging out with the local bully, Swain, who brags about getting into trouble and likes to give Paul a hard time. When Swain goads them into watching Jaws, Paul is reluctant at first, but afraid of losing David, he watches it--and is terrified. Not only does Paul start to see the famous shark everywhere, but he has imagined conversations with it, in which the shark scolds him for not being ""macho"" enough. Though Paul doesn't feel good about it, he goes along with David and Swain's schemes, until a moment of crisis when he finds out what bravery really means. Gilligan powerfully explores shifting middle-grade friendship, exquisitely illustrating feelings of fear, anxiety, and joy in simple but expressive cartoon artwork. The shark in particular nicely embodies Paul's seemingly insurmountable anxiety. Elementary- and middle-schoolers facing down changing friendship dynamics will surely relate to Paul's journey to self-confidence. Hand to fans of Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham's Real Friends series.

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Starred review from October 1, 2024

Gr 4 Up-Gilligan's middle grade graphic novel takes readers back to the gilded 1970s when kids were allowed to roam the streets unsupervised and untethered to electronic devices. Ten-year-old Paul and his lifelong best friend David are crossing over from children who play outside all day to kids who hang out at the mall. The most popular movie in the country is the terrifying flick Jaws, and all the cool kids are going to see it. However, Paul would rather stay home and read comic books and watch The Sonny & Cher Show. When Swain, the meanest kid in the neighborhood, starts hanging around, Paul finds himself in a panic over potentially losing his best friend and forces himself to go to see Jaws as proof of his bravery and maturity. The shark terrorizes Paul's imagination and bullies him into thinking he needs to "man up." Readers will be relieved at the choices Paul makes as he demonstrates that good kids can make bad choices, but learn from them rather than repeat them. The illustrations represent the personalities of the characters perfectly, with David and his friends depicted as boys next door and Swain as a browbeating villain. Readers unfamiliar with the era are treated to a "Time Capsule" glossary at the end. VERDICT This hilarious look into life as a kid in the summer of 1975 is a must-have for any and all middle grade libraries.-Kim Gardner

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