Wow! Absolutely a winner for middle graders!! I will be preordering for my classroom! So many important happenings and feelings students will connect with throughout-anxiety, family arguments, divorce, keeping your castle (home) together, and adventures weaved throughout. Jason Reynolds knows how to connect to all young readers! Loved Raul and Elaine's adventurous art bringing the story to life! Highly Recommend!

When I saw the newest Jason Reynolds book on Netgalley, I just had to read it! It was such a great story that unfortunately many middle-grade readers can probably relate to having parents who argue all of the time, dealing with bad anxiety as well as a neighborhood bully. I loved the inclusion of Raul the Thirds illustrations and the play on words in this book had me laughing. I cannot wait to add this book to my school library collection and I eagerly look forward to the sequel. Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley

Jason Reynolds once again does not disappoint. Stuntboy, in the Meantime is part graphic novel, part illustrated novel (my brain is struggling to come up with a better term). It will appeal to graphic novel readers, but has some pages with large chunks of text.

Stuntboy is a superhero who keeps other superheroes safe. He's also a superhero who gets The Frets. Otherwise known as anxiety. Portico Reeves, a.k.a Stuntboy, lives in an apartment building and is dealing with some difficult times.

Stuntboy is a fun book that takes on some serious topics (like divorce and anxiety). I can't wait for the sequel.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Portico Reeves is ten and lives in an apartment building in the city. He considers this a castle, and loves that there are all manner of different people with different stories living behind all of the doors of the complex. His best friend, Zola, also lives there, as does his nemesis, the mean Herbert Singletary the Worst, who constantly verbally attacks Portico and Zola. Portico has a lot of anxiety, mainly because his parents have decided to take two new apartments, one upstairs and one downstairs, and are fighting a lot about what items each will take. Also in the mix are hid Gran Gran, who spends most of her time "resting her eyes", a cat whose names changes daily, and the different personalities in the building. Portico decides to become a superhero, Stuntboy, to protect the other superheroes in the building, and has a range of moves that he uses to diffuse situations. This happens more and more frequently as his parents' fighting escalates, and are moderately effective in stopping "the mean times". When he and Zola find out that Herbert's step father is the "super" of the building, their relationship changes a bit, and some of Herbert's motives are made clear. Will Stuntboy be able to make Portico's life better as more and more changes occur.
Strengths: This is a notebook novel more than a graphic novel; think Big Nate chapter books but with more color and page backgrounds, thanks to Raúl the Third illustrations. There's still a fair amount of text telling the story. Portico has a great outlook on life even though things aren't going all that well and he suffers with anxiety. It's great to see him want to take care of his parents and his friend Zola. I think this capitalizes on the way many middle grade chidlren act, but isn't shown in many middle grade books. His stunts are fairly funny, and the cast of quirky characters also add to the general upbeat tone of the book. There's certainly some serious issues that are addresses, and this is a great book to have about the difficulties and stress young people face when parents divorce. There could definitely be a lot more books on that topic. The format is the real winner here, with a great mix of Reynolds' prose and Raúl the Third's graphics.
Weaknesses: Portico has a lot of Amelia Bedelia misundertandings that felt more like ones a six year old would have. I can understand the motivation for portraying situations that way, but it always seems a bit off, and I'm not sure how readers in the target demographic feel about this style. It does make the book seem like it would be a better fit for elementary readers than middle school ones.
What I really think: Reynold's work is popular in my library, and it's good to see a Black male character on a notebook novel (Robinson's Jake the Fake and Craft's New Kid are the other good examples; I'm still waiting for Robb Armstrong's Jump Start to beget a notebook novel about Jojo.). I will purchase, especially since the level of maturity of my students has dropped a bit since the pandemic, as it has slowly dropped over the last twenty years. It's always good to see an author exhibit prowess across interest levels, so that readers can continue to appreciate a favorite throughout their reading careers.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Portico lives in a castle. Or as others might see it, an apartment building in the middle of the city. He uses his superhero persona, Stuntboy, as a way to support all the superheroes around him, and to manage his emotions. The illustrations in the book are excellent and really help bring the book to life. I particularly liked that the story was set in the apartment building because I don't think there are enough middle grade books featuring apartment living. I think the book also does a fantastic job of introducing the emotions surrounding divorce and how they can impact kids.

This is definitely a book I will recommend to my students and I look forward to adding this to my classroom library.

Portico Reeves lives in a castle in the middle of the city. Others may just see it as an apartment building, but he knows the truth- he lives in the best place possible. His best friend lives a door and a half away- just past the smaller than usual door where Herbert Singletary the Worst lives. Portico's secret identity, Stuntboy (shhhhh!) is tasked with keeping other people super. Only trouble is his parents have been arguing a lot lately- ever since they decided to move into separate apartments. Every time this happens they tell Portico to go play with his friends " in the meantime." This gives Portico the frets and it takes all the stunts he has to keep everything going.

Portico is an incredibly lovable character- he is charming and fun, as is this whole book. The illustrations are very well done and bring the whole story to life for the reader. Portico's "frets" (anxiety) are framed in a way young readers can relate to. His parents pending divorce is also handled in a way that a lot of kids are probably familiar with- especially the feelings of being in the middle and not quite understanding what the arguments are really about.

This book, like everything Reynolds writes, is fabulous and will be highly recommended to my students.

Stuntboy, in the Meantime is sure to be a hit with readers. Portico is a hero who everyone will root for. His story is highly engaging and one that readers are sure to relate to. Reynolds has such a unique voice that comes out through his characters. The illustrations are fantastic as well. It is a wonderful blend of text and pictures that will keep readers engaged.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much to love about this book. Portico is a likable and fun protagonist and the style of the book is equally fun. Jason Reynolds writes for youth with a poetic voice, even in prose, and Raul the Third’s artwork is the perfect combination. The two play with form and comics features in humorous and creative ways. I sincerely hope the promise of more adventures to come at the end of the book is absolutely true. I can’t recommend this book enthusiastically enough.

Is there anything Jason Reynolds can't do? I was so excited to see it's an illustrated chapter book. This will be so loved by middle grades/middle schoolers for sure!!!
Such a relatable store with parents who seem to argue all the time, and Portico Reeves always having these "frets" - another description for anxiety. Jason does a great job of a kid going through their emotions living this life with anxiety and a parental divorce on the edge. Well done.

While this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I know it will be a favorite among the students in my middle school library. Fabulous and engaging illustrations paired with imaginative, silly, and playful text will enthrall readers.

Portico Reeves is a boy; he’s a son and friend; he’s also…Stuntboy!
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Portico has decided to create a superhero persona to help other superheroes like his parents, grandmother and best friends. He protects them so they can keep being super. He lives in a castle aka an apartment building where his parents have been fighting a lot. They keep saying they’re going into different apartments for the meantime. All these things happening in his life give him the “frets” also known as anxiety. Even superheroes can be human.
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Is there anything Jason Reynolds can’t do? This part picture book, part graphic novel, part novel is too adorable and the artwork by Raul the Third was equally amazing. I was as enthralled with the story as I was the illustrations. This book covers a lot of issues, but my favorite was the focus on mental health awareness. Reynolds does a fabulous job of showing what it looks like in our younger students, as well as being a child dealing with parents on the verge of divorce. This book is going to be a hit when it releases 11.30!

I really enjoyed this light middle grade graphic novel about Portico and his family and I will definitely be adding it to our school library. The illustrations are incredibly well done and I love Jason Reynolds’ writing. It deftly navigates friendship and parents going through a divorce in a fun and flashy way without minimizing the conflicts.

What a joyful story by Jason Reynolds, with the added bonus of Raul the Third's fun and bold illustrations.

Portico Reeves has a quirky alter ego named Stuntboy, who helps those in need by, well, doing silly stunts. Most of the "action" takes place in his huge apartment complex--complete with quirky residents--that he jokingly refers to as a castle. I liked the overall superhero metaphor and how Portico becomes Stuntboy as a coping mechanism for the somewhat chaotic moments of his young life.

There was a lot going on and it seemed overwhelming at times. Portico is dealing with his parents' impending split, a bully at school (who also lives in his building), and general anxiety, on top of other stressors. Also, I'm also not sure if the tv show format really landed, as it was kind of a distraction.

Jason Reynolds will always be a favorite of mine. Thanks, NetGalley!

This is the dream duo-Jason Reynolds and Raul the Third. Both of them did excellent work, true to their forms. This book was too loud for me as a grumpy old adult with limited whimsy, but I know our kids will love it! It's got Reynold's imaginative, conversational, and spirited language and writing style, which pair great with Raul the Third's artwork!