I loved this book so much! It was a joy to read from start to finish, even through the hard parts. The art was playful and energetic in a way that will allow younger audiences to be drawn in a FEEL what the characters are expressing. Plus, the writing is witty and funny. I think any young person will enjoy reading this book and seeing two different character chase their dreams and how supporting one another and taking your own paths are equally important.

I received a free ARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Jay needs an afterschool hobby and a place to fit in. Jay meets and starts to fall for Beah who is obsessed with double-dutch and joins her team. Jay is better at poetry and making rhymes, but Jay’s skill at helping the beat of the ropes helps the team. Jay starts to realize they want more than just double-dutch and Beah gets upset by this. Jay needs a place to fit in, but also wants to keep their friends.

There were things I liked about this book and things I didn’t. I liked the ease of the LGBTQ+ inclusivity – but I had issues with the story flow through the artwork. The artwork didn’t move my eye through the panels well. I also wanted more focus on Jay finding their place and the ending didn’t quite nail it for me. Beah was a little sharp in personality and I felt it could have been tackled a bit more. The story was readable and unique, I wanted to keep reading.

Skip! by Sarah Burgess is a burst of vibrant, double-dutching energy. Jay, who struggles with fitting is an introverted nonbinary kid, They cross paths with Beah, the complete opposite – fierce, charming, and a total Double Dutch enthusiast. Suddenly, Jay's got a place where they truly belong, and some friends who they can feel comfortable with. But can they truly fit in?

This graphic novel is all about self-acceptance, and finding your unique voice in the world. And Sarah Burgess, the debut author-illustrator, has spun this tale in a way that's just mesmerizing. Her art style is like a beautiful dance on the pages, sprinkled with humor and some serious sports drama. So, if you're into heartwarming stories about friendship and self-discovery Skip! is your jam is a rainbow-colored journey that's worth every skip and jump.

This is a super cute graphic novel about friendship, identity and finding your voice. I really loved the enby representation and how everyone was accepting Jay as who they are without questioning their gender identity. The dialogues are simple and mostly easy to follow, only a couple of pages a little bit chaotic and it‘s more difficult to know which is the correct order to read. I really liked the bubbly and colorful artstyle even though it‘s slightly different than the cover image that first captured my attention. The story is quite short and very character oriented and I‘m sure everyone can relate to at least one of the characters.

Skip! is about Jay, a nonbinary kid who crosses paths with Beah, who is obsessed with the Double Dutch sport.

This graphic novel is aimed towards younger audiences, so I understand why the dialogues are simple and easy to follow. There were parts that genuinely made me laugh, which I didn't expect. I like the art style, the whole vibe feels like something from the Popularity Papers.

I love the casual nonbinary representation, but I hoped it was more than Jay just mentioning that they don't feel like a boy or girl (maybe explain being nonbinary a little more?). I did like how everyone was so accepting of them and not questioning their gender identity.

However the characters fell flat for me, and I wanted to see the characters for who they are and not because they only play double dutch and some of the seconds characters did blur into the background for me. Beah was insufferable honestly, and I felt really bad for Jay to look up to someone like her. And also, their conflict was resolved too quickly at the end, which was weird to read about.

But overall, I enjoyed this book and it's perfect for younger audiences

• ARC provided by NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing •

3.5
Love the art.
The story is important. I just think the way it was presented could have been a little more. Sometimes when reading, I felt like I skipped a page. I went back to check. I didn't. It was as if some concepts weren't fully fleshed out. I also think some of the characters' flaws needed to be addressed...more. It was like everyone saw the flaws, it was as if the bad behavior was identified, then it was ok because that's how they are. I think it should have been more of "wow I'm not doing well with this and I'm affecting others, I need to do better for myself and them because I'm thankful that they accept me for me but they shouldn't have to accept bully behavior."

This was such a great graphic novel about friendship, identity and finding your own voice. Jay doesn’t have any friends and feels like they don’t fit in anywhere until they meet Beah and the double dutch team Skip. Once Jay decides to join the team, they find a place to belong and it helps them grow and branch out to trying other thing as well. The friendship between Beah and Jay is intense as first friendships can be and Jay has to learn how to be their own person and not get sucked into everything that Beah likes and Beah has to learn how to let go and know that even though they involved in the same activities that they can still be best friends.
Thanks to Andrews McNeel Publishing and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jay is a quiet creative, who spends most of their time writing poetry in their journal. Looking to find a place where they belong, Jay stumbles, quite literally, into Double Dutch, where they meet Beah, a competitive, passionate, charming skipper, and the two become fast friends. As they help each other through problems, both in life and in Double Dutch, the two must learn to grow and accept their changing identities. This sweet story with kinetic illustrations is spot on for young folks exploring their identities.

Great coming of age book with non binary representation and I also appreciated the diversity in the friend group. Showed how important individuality is and how you can’t let your love for someone overshadow the love you have for yourself.

This book was adorable. I really enjoyed the characters. I picked this book up initially specifically with students that I work with in mind and I'm happy to say that I will be recommending it to her. I think it's important for students to be able to read about struggling without feeling like it's not relatable at all. The characters in this book struggle with what I would consider to be almost adults or teen levels of emotion and they handle it tremendously.

It's refreshing in the graphic novel world not to complicate language in a way that turns off young readers. This one does the trick...

With an appealing art style that promotes gesture and enthusiasm as a way to centralize emotions and a leading (non binary) character who is exploring what it's like to be a friend and an expressive creative individual, middle grade readers will find this relatable and entertaining. The conflict is calm, it is a coming of age tale and decentralizes romance in a way we don't often get from young adult lit. This will make it to the top of shelves for sure.

Thank you for access to this Galley!

I actually enjoyed this graphic novel a lot. The first few pages it felt too chaotic: the first page, the characters, the artstyle, the dialogues. But then I got used to pretty soon as it turns out it’s not that chaotic after all.

This is the story of Jay who feels rather left out and is rather alone. However, their family wouldn’t accept this and they have to do something about it and meets some very annoying, some very meh and one special person when they least expected it!

I find the art sequence rather interesting. Well, the unlikeable characters can learn to dial it down for a bit and not get away with what they do.

It’s short. It’s very character oriented. The artstyle is unique and quite different from what I have seen before.

Looking forward to read more from the author/artist.

Thank you, Andrews McMeel, for the advance reading copy.

4.7 stars!
A charming and whimsical graphic novel about a young enby teen named Jay who just wants to feel loved and be creative. Jay is an introverted kid who has social anxiety, is awkward, and doesn't feel like they belong anywhere. Until one day they meet the enthusiastic and ambitious Beah, a young girl who loves to double dutch with her friends. Jay along with the others starts doing jump rope creating a new chapter for them. But things get complicated as people shift and goals cause friendships to become complicated.

I was charmed by this graphic novel, first by the art and secondly by Jay. The art of the book was gorgeous, the characters felt genuine and there was a flow to the scenes that captured a child's wild and creative mind perfectly. Jay reminded me of myself as a kid (and sometimes as an adult), a shy queer kid who uses literature to find themselves in a scary and loud world. I appreciated such a realistic depiction of the anxious people pleaser mind, and how through their friends, Jay learned that they already have value and worth. One of the novel's main themes was friendships and some of the hurdles we must overcome to grow and mature. Beah and Jay's friendship was sweet but also real as it showed how we must work on our own fears and hearts to not hurt our connections with others. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages, as it might help younger people to value themselves and not feel shame for their hobbies and passions. But also it might remind older readers to come back to the childlike way of seeing the world, where kindness and creativity are a priority.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Honest review from my ten year old daughter.

I really enjoyed the art work, but enjoyed the story of finding friendship more. Sweet story.

The book showcases relatable themes that children can easily grasp. It explores the common experiences of not wanting to participate in school clubs, feeling inadequate compared to others while also being frustrated by the inability to excel in the same areas, and concealing one's passion in favor of pursuing something less interesting. As the story progresses, it emphasizes the importance of embracing one's true passions and proudly showcasing them to the world and those around us. Additionally, many creative individuals will find solace in the main character, Jay, who bears a resemblance to my own childhood experiences. Readers are likely to find a sense of connection with the characters in the Team Stardust group, as they exude an enjoyable and captivating dynamic. Furthermore, the expressive nature of the book's characters greatly enhances the reading experience. I highly recommend this book and suggest getting a copy upon its release.

I really enjoyed the art style of Skip! I know it is not for everyone but it reminds me of a certain TV cartoon show. It is very colorful.

I loved the characters in this book. Beah is a good friend to Jay and I love that she helps Jay be their true self.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sarah Burgess for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Jay hasn't been able to find a place where they fit in. They feel like a nobody and rather invisible. When they meet Beah, Jay is drawn to her energy and passion for Double Dutch. It's a passion they don't understand and would love too.

As their friendship grows, they push each other to grow. Jay is learning more about themself and figuring out who they want to be.

Skip! had some good character development. Jay really figures out how to come into their own. Not just finding their voice, but the spaces they'd like to fit in. They were able to start searching for their own passion. Not only that, but it did well to show how easy it can be to get swept up in someone else by just being so enamored with them that you'll do anything to hold onto that friendship. Jay's journey and development will be so important for middle school kids to see.

With this story so focused on Jay, we don't get to see a lot of development from other characters. Not just development, but personality. Some felt a touch flat. I think it would have been wonderful to have some more development for them.

The art had this lightness to it that gave this fun energetic and comforting feel to it. I liked the muted tones that were used and I thought some panels flowed together really nicely. Yet, there were some that didn't flow as well and some that were so busy it was hard for me to follow.

I do think a number of kids who this graphic novel is aimed for will love it and find themselves in Jay. Would highly recommend for that age group.

3.5⭐s
This graphic novel was cute! Not my favorite, but the art was very dynamic. The movement the artist conveys is truly impressive!

The story is definitely something that resonated with me. It's about falling in platonic love with a person, and the intense rush of a relationship that can bring. It's about getting lost in someone else, placing all of your value in that friendship, instead of finding the ways that you can bring out the best in each other.

I wish we saw more of Beah's brother! He was cool.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC of this!

This graphic novel didn't really work for me, sadly. I loved seeing a nonbinary main character and I always love a focus on friendship, so those elements were great. But the art style didn't work for me, which prevented me from feeling emotionally invested. I also didn't feel very invested in the plot because it focused on Double Dutch a lot when the main character didn't even really like it, which made it hard to care about it as the reader. I also couldn't really follow along with how the friendship progressed, which felt very sudden to me at times.

This graphic was novel was so adorable! I loved all of the representation in the book and really connected with Jay! Their feelings of trying to find their place in the world and finding their voice and learning how to use it was so relatable. I think that this is a story that most people will be able to connect with and enjoy! I only wish there was more!