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Lizard Boy #1
Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy
Drawing on the experiences of his Vietnamese American family and his love of ’80s sci-fi shows, Jonathan Hill crafts a funny, insightful graphic novel about the immigrant experience and the perils of middle school.
Threatened with diminishing resources, Booger Lizk’t and his family flee their lizard community deep below Earth’s crust to survive above among humans. The Lizk’t family of Elberon now passes as the Tomkins family of Eagle Valley. “Tommy Tomkins” wears a human face to school but can’t seem to fit in no matter how he looks. The basketball team becomes a pipe dream when bullies label him a bug eater, and only Dung Tran, an immigrant from Vietnam and fellow outsider, sees Tommy for who he is inside, which is nothing like the outer-space lizard invaders on TV’s hottest series. Can their friendship survive the truth? In his first solo middle-grade book, award-winning creator Jonathan Hill perfectly captures the sometimes dystopian drama of middle school while reminding readers of the universal need for belonging.
Threatened with diminishing resources, Booger Lizk’t and his family flee their lizard community deep below Earth’s crust to survive above among humans. The Lizk’t family of Elberon now passes as the Tomkins family of Eagle Valley. “Tommy Tomkins” wears a human face to school but can’t seem to fit in no matter how he looks. The basketball team becomes a pipe dream when bullies label him a bug eater, and only Dung Tran, an immigrant from Vietnam and fellow outsider, sees Tommy for who he is inside, which is nothing like the outer-space lizard invaders on TV’s hottest series. Can their friendship survive the truth? In his first solo middle-grade book, award-winning creator Jonathan Hill perfectly captures the sometimes dystopian drama of middle school while reminding readers of the universal need for belonging.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
9 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hill
8 books47 followersJonathan Hill is an Ignatz-nominated cartoonist, illustrator, and educator living in Portland, OR.
Some of his clients include the Viet Nam Literature Project, the Willamette Week, Fantagraphics Books, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Tor.com, Lion Forge, The Believer Magazine, and Powell's City of Books.
His first graphic novel, Americus, was published by First Second Books in Fall 2011. It was picked as an ABC New Voices 2011 title, nominated by the YALSA as a 2012 Best Graphic Novel for Teens, was a Fall 2011 Junior Library Guild Premier Selection.
In 2012 Americus won the NAIBA's Carla Cohen Free Speech award, becoming the first graphic novel to win the award. The first chapter of Americus was published in Papercutter #7 (Tugboat Press) and was nominated for the Best Short Story Ignatz Award in 2008.
His short story 'Jeremiah' was selected as part of the 2016 Society of Illustrators Comic and Cartoon Annual exhibit and publication.
His second graphic novel, Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate was also published by First Second in April 2019.
Jonathan also teaches comics and visual narrative for various organizations around Portland. He is an associate professor in the Illustration Department at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, teaches comics and has taught at The Oregon College of Art and Craft and through Literary Arts' Writers in the Schools Program.
He serves on the Board of Directors for Literary Arts as well as chairs the Youth Programs Advisory Council.
He is currently working on two graphic novels: Odessa, his first solo graphic novel, will be published by Oni Press 2020 and True Tales of a Seventh Grade Lizard Boy will be published by Walker Books in 2022.
Some of his clients include the Viet Nam Literature Project, the Willamette Week, Fantagraphics Books, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Tor.com, Lion Forge, The Believer Magazine, and Powell's City of Books.
His first graphic novel, Americus, was published by First Second Books in Fall 2011. It was picked as an ABC New Voices 2011 title, nominated by the YALSA as a 2012 Best Graphic Novel for Teens, was a Fall 2011 Junior Library Guild Premier Selection.
In 2012 Americus won the NAIBA's Carla Cohen Free Speech award, becoming the first graphic novel to win the award. The first chapter of Americus was published in Papercutter #7 (Tugboat Press) and was nominated for the Best Short Story Ignatz Award in 2008.
His short story 'Jeremiah' was selected as part of the 2016 Society of Illustrators Comic and Cartoon Annual exhibit and publication.
His second graphic novel, Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate was also published by First Second in April 2019.
Jonathan also teaches comics and visual narrative for various organizations around Portland. He is an associate professor in the Illustration Department at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, teaches comics and has taught at The Oregon College of Art and Craft and through Literary Arts' Writers in the Schools Program.
He serves on the Board of Directors for Literary Arts as well as chairs the Youth Programs Advisory Council.
He is currently working on two graphic novels: Odessa, his first solo graphic novel, will be published by Oni Press 2020 and True Tales of a Seventh Grade Lizard Boy will be published by Walker Books in 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
September 16, 2025
Tommy has a secret. His family are actually lizard people trying to blend in with the human world. Tommy has to wear a human skin over his green lizard face. It's difficult trying to be "normal" in middle school when everything is so different from your own lizard culture.
Tommy meets other seventh-graders who also have trouble fitting in. One of his new friends, Dung, is a Vietnamese boy who is dealing with culture shock and trying to learn English. They bond over their differences, discovering that they have more in common than they realized.
I loved this graphic novel! The plot is hilarious and emotional. The characters are complex. Their stories are meaningful. The setting and background are interesting. And the storytelling style is superb!
Tommy and Dung's story really spoke to me because I grew up as a third-culture kid, never quite fitting in with either culture. Having to navigate two different languages and different customs for two cultures can be exhausting and wonderful and scary and rewarding. Tommy's story was mirrored in other characters' experiences too, and was deeply relatable.
I loved Tommy's character development! Everyone feels like they don't fit in and don't know how to be their true selves. Tommy's inward journey led him on a path to find the courage to be real and vulnerable with the people around him. He makes some very bad mistakes along the way, hurting his friends and pushing them away. But he finds forgiveness and learns to deal with his difficult emotions in more healthy ways.
The art is so fun and colorful! I love how emotional the artwork is. It really makes you feel strongly for Tommy and his friends.
There is a lot of teasing and bullying in the school, so you can see exactly what sensitive content is in the book at the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/tales-...
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Tommy meets other seventh-graders who also have trouble fitting in. One of his new friends, Dung, is a Vietnamese boy who is dealing with culture shock and trying to learn English. They bond over their differences, discovering that they have more in common than they realized.
I loved this graphic novel! The plot is hilarious and emotional. The characters are complex. Their stories are meaningful. The setting and background are interesting. And the storytelling style is superb!
Tommy and Dung's story really spoke to me because I grew up as a third-culture kid, never quite fitting in with either culture. Having to navigate two different languages and different customs for two cultures can be exhausting and wonderful and scary and rewarding. Tommy's story was mirrored in other characters' experiences too, and was deeply relatable.
I loved Tommy's character development! Everyone feels like they don't fit in and don't know how to be their true selves. Tommy's inward journey led him on a path to find the courage to be real and vulnerable with the people around him. He makes some very bad mistakes along the way, hurting his friends and pushing them away. But he finds forgiveness and learns to deal with his difficult emotions in more healthy ways.
The art is so fun and colorful! I love how emotional the artwork is. It really makes you feel strongly for Tommy and his friends.
There is a lot of teasing and bullying in the school, so you can see exactly what sensitive content is in the book at the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/tales-...
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
October 3, 2022
my son read this last night. he loved it!
November 1, 2022
Really smart and fun
August 3, 2022
For anyone who hides their true and timid self, who wants to fit in, who wishes they weren't a misfit, this book is for you. Especially if you're convinced you must be an alien or a mutant or maybe a whole other species from all those happy and normal people around you, this book is for you. Or if you're just a nerd, and you like seeing the world through different lenses, this book is for you.
November 22, 2022
Very wholesome.
October 13, 2022
Really good story and quick read because it's pretty fast paced. It's about not being able to be yourself when you have to be somewhere new and try to fit in. Dung was a good parallel to Tommy and his lizard self.
August 12, 2023
Jonathan Hill is a rockstar! Loved this, took me right back to middle school. Thank you for always sharing your experiences with us. 📚
September 14, 2024
88%
Honestly didn't have high hopes for this one , but I was quite pleasantly surprised.
The thing about this book is that it's central theme is a metaphor for immigration and the struggles immigrants face in their new homes, but it doesn't feel like a metaphor; it feels like a good story that just happens to have deeper meaning to it - and I like that. Far too often books are overly transparent with their intended message, which leaves you with nothing to mull over once you've finished. Because everything is handed to you on a silver platter, the story goes in one ear and out the other , and it's totally forgettable.
Not so with this story, which was from the unusual perspective of a lizard person that came out from under the Earth's crust to live among humans out of necessity. I thought it was a very amusing POV, and I enjoyed how it was handled.
Honestly didn't have high hopes for this one , but I was quite pleasantly surprised.
The thing about this book is that it's central theme is a metaphor for immigration and the struggles immigrants face in their new homes, but it doesn't feel like a metaphor; it feels like a good story that just happens to have deeper meaning to it - and I like that. Far too often books are overly transparent with their intended message, which leaves you with nothing to mull over once you've finished. Because everything is handed to you on a silver platter, the story goes in one ear and out the other , and it's totally forgettable.
Not so with this story, which was from the unusual perspective of a lizard person that came out from under the Earth's crust to live among humans out of necessity. I thought it was a very amusing POV, and I enjoyed how it was handled.
October 27, 2022
It was a hard decision to call this sci-fi/fantasy because the events that happen to Tommy Tomkins are all too real, now that he and his family have had to leave their real home of Elberon, a secret lizard city below the earth. Tommy, that seventh-grader tries hard to fit in but when he's seen on the playground crunching a beetle, game over. He does find a few friends, one new kid from another country, and one other who has a different haircut that's also blue, but the discovery that they might "like" each other and abandon him causes more turmoil. Tommy fights back, a hurt that's hard to undo. Jonathan Hill has written about mixed-up middle-school kids who bully and teachers who try but can't fix it all in a drama that's so very real. Even if you're not a Lizard Boy, but if you're different, perhaps in looks or language, perhaps you limp or lisp, it's never easy to fit, to just be the good person you really are. It would be wonderful to read and discuss with a group at school!
Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy!
Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy!
August 19, 2022
The story of being different takes on a bit of a turn with Lizard People and a whole lot of crazy seventh grade antics. Dealing with typical teen issues of siblings, first day of middle school, friendships, romance, and being a lizard person (okay that one might not be typical) we can see ourselves in at least one of the characters. There is the bully, the new kid(s), the issue with being yourself, people not understanding how you could not care about what others think about you, the caring (but clueless) adults, and so much more. Humorously told, this serious subject is a graphic novel for reluctant and readers alike. Adults can appreciate this as well (the teacher and his taxes comes to mind, but the rest, too).
May 7, 2024
Such a unique, smart graphic novel! A strong message about trying to be yourself while living in the body of a lizard and having to cover up your face every day, mixed in with realistic drama that a seventh grader faces in an average middle school setting.
Such a blast.
- - -
“You said you don’t know who you’re supposed to be. But, like, maybe you need to figure out who you *want* to be.”
Such a blast.
- - -
“You said you don’t know who you’re supposed to be. But, like, maybe you need to figure out who you *want* to be.”
November 9, 2022
Jonathan wins again with a story about dual identity/ skin walking. We all do it in some regard, but some of us are less aware of it. Seeing this presented in this way is a wonderful reminder that we are all feeling like imposters. If we can acknowledge it, then we can truly learn empathy for what everyone else is going through.
October 2, 2023
Picked this up because the title was silly, but it’s actually really excellent and thoughtful
June 17, 2024
Pretty good 👍
May 21, 2022
When I first heard about this book at Middle Grade Magic, I knew I had to read it! Now I know I need it on my shelves! I can’t wait for students to read this delightful story about belonging.
October 6, 2022
OK, so I was actually extremely triggered by the premise of “lizard people” seen that there is an actual conspiracy theory out there that Jewish people are secretly reptilian masterminds attempting to control the world. Well I still kind of wish that the lizard people Ingle hadn’t been done, it is actually quite a beautiful handled allegory about fleeing your home for a world where you have to hide major parts of your identity in order to fit in, and the effects it has on simply knowing who you are. Because how can you know who you are when so much energy is spent trying to be like everybody else? I absolutely love the world building, and loved that the “in comic TV show“ even had a earlier version where the lizard people were in fact fleeing their homes, but it seems like the new version was all anti immigration (sound way too familiar). Seriously will give it the highest recommendation, it was nuanced and well done And I am so glad I put my own misgivings aside to read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 22, 2022My sons thoughts:
This was an awesome graphic novel. I loved the art style. It was from the aliens point of view and I liked that. I could understand what was happening even before the pictures. I liked the twist at the end and I hope the author makes another one soon.
This was an awesome graphic novel. I loved the art style. It was from the aliens point of view and I liked that. I could understand what was happening even before the pictures. I liked the twist at the end and I hope the author makes another one soon.
September 30, 2022
This is so good! It will appeal to all middle grade kids and sneak in a fantastic message while they aren't looking. I especially loved the Author's Note at the end. It really humanizes a science fiction story.
July 27, 2022
Review based on an ARC received at a conference.
This story about fitting in, finding friends, and being true to yourself is sure to resonate with many students in grade 5-9. Tommy, Dung, and Scarlett’s experiences will be familiar to anyone who has moved to a new community, especially one with a different dominant culture. The only concern I have is that a big deal is made of Tommy liking to eat bugs, and he doesn’t like American food…but the smell of Kimchi is appetizing to him. To me, that implies that Kimchi (used as an extension of Korean and Vietnamese cuisine) is akin to bugs, which might serve to perpetuate myths and stereotypes about non-American cuisine. But everything else here is handled truthfully and positively, and I think this would be a great fit on library and classroom shelves.
This story about fitting in, finding friends, and being true to yourself is sure to resonate with many students in grade 5-9. Tommy, Dung, and Scarlett’s experiences will be familiar to anyone who has moved to a new community, especially one with a different dominant culture. The only concern I have is that a big deal is made of Tommy liking to eat bugs, and he doesn’t like American food…but the smell of Kimchi is appetizing to him. To me, that implies that Kimchi (used as an extension of Korean and Vietnamese cuisine) is akin to bugs, which might serve to perpetuate myths and stereotypes about non-American cuisine. But everything else here is handled truthfully and positively, and I think this would be a great fit on library and classroom shelves.
February 27, 2023
Read together with Leo, Leo’s rating. Every time was, “one more chapter!” He seemed to move along emotionally with the characters to the point that during the chapter where Tommy tells Dung where he’s from and how his world fell apart he got tearful. Glad I got to read this with him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2024
This one was…different. Suggested by a seventh-grader, and it took me no time. Lessons? Um… anyone can be anything? Befriend others who seem different? I liked the author’s notes better than the book itself. The kids would like it.
October 13, 2023
In the beginning, I thought this was going to be a silly graphic novel just by looking at the cover, but my mom usually tells me not to judge book by its cover.
October 6, 2022
What worked:
Being from a family of lizards brings a whole new perspective to being the new kid in school. Tommy must keep his identity as Booger Lizk’t secret in the human world but he hates wearing a mask all of the time. He just wants to be himself. Human food disgusts Tommy until he discovers kimchi and other Asian dishes. His mother and sister are adapting to the new human world more quickly but they don’t fully understand his troubles. An interesting twist is the lizards’ ability to transform their faces like chameleons and that power is creatively used to complicate the conflict.
Bullies and cultural differences are the main focus of the book. Tommy and his new friend Dung are harassed by bullies just for being new to the school. Dung’s unusual Vietnamese diet is a target of ridicule and Tommy’s lapse in judgment results in another student witnessing him eating his preferred food. The bullying is constant and cruel but the author adds a couple of unexpected variations to the situation. The story explores the confusion and anger felt by victims of bullying and the consequences when a bully becomes the target of taunts and teasing.
The story includes peripheral events that add context to intolerance for cultural differences and Tommy’s fear of being discovered. “Conqueror of Rept Isle” is a popular video game where players hunt and destroy reptilian characters. A hit television show is “Victory X” which depicts lizards invading the earth and impersonating humans. Bullies’ derisions and insults make reference to the game or show so they really hit home against Tommy. Then, a giant sinkhole appears in the town so citizens and the news let their imaginations explain this mystery. Tommy’s family comes from underground so any explanations have the potential to reveal the truth about their past. The story indirectly demonstrates the impact of media on society, especially with observers prone to prejudice and lacking independent thinking.
What didn’t work as well:
This graphic novel seems to have more text than others I’ve read recently but it still isn’t able to fully develop characters. Tommy experiences a wide range of emotions and the reasons are clearly communicated. Illustrations and limited words aren’t able to fully describe them though so the feelings are left at surface-level understanding. The book still presents a compelling story of cultural tolerance and learning to feel comfortable within your own skin.
The Final Verdict:
The graphic novel spins a creative tale of bullying as it takes a victim’s feelings in an unexpected direction. The amount of text makes the story better developed than many graphic novels and I recommend you give it a shot.
Being from a family of lizards brings a whole new perspective to being the new kid in school. Tommy must keep his identity as Booger Lizk’t secret in the human world but he hates wearing a mask all of the time. He just wants to be himself. Human food disgusts Tommy until he discovers kimchi and other Asian dishes. His mother and sister are adapting to the new human world more quickly but they don’t fully understand his troubles. An interesting twist is the lizards’ ability to transform their faces like chameleons and that power is creatively used to complicate the conflict.
Bullies and cultural differences are the main focus of the book. Tommy and his new friend Dung are harassed by bullies just for being new to the school. Dung’s unusual Vietnamese diet is a target of ridicule and Tommy’s lapse in judgment results in another student witnessing him eating his preferred food. The bullying is constant and cruel but the author adds a couple of unexpected variations to the situation. The story explores the confusion and anger felt by victims of bullying and the consequences when a bully becomes the target of taunts and teasing.
The story includes peripheral events that add context to intolerance for cultural differences and Tommy’s fear of being discovered. “Conqueror of Rept Isle” is a popular video game where players hunt and destroy reptilian characters. A hit television show is “Victory X” which depicts lizards invading the earth and impersonating humans. Bullies’ derisions and insults make reference to the game or show so they really hit home against Tommy. Then, a giant sinkhole appears in the town so citizens and the news let their imaginations explain this mystery. Tommy’s family comes from underground so any explanations have the potential to reveal the truth about their past. The story indirectly demonstrates the impact of media on society, especially with observers prone to prejudice and lacking independent thinking.
What didn’t work as well:
This graphic novel seems to have more text than others I’ve read recently but it still isn’t able to fully develop characters. Tommy experiences a wide range of emotions and the reasons are clearly communicated. Illustrations and limited words aren’t able to fully describe them though so the feelings are left at surface-level understanding. The book still presents a compelling story of cultural tolerance and learning to feel comfortable within your own skin.
The Final Verdict:
The graphic novel spins a creative tale of bullying as it takes a victim’s feelings in an unexpected direction. The amount of text makes the story better developed than many graphic novels and I recommend you give it a shot.
May 22, 2023
All of us have been the new kid, even if it is because we have moved on to a new school, and there are others who don’t know us. The central theme of this book is being the other, and how it feels. It is not knowing what you want to be, and not fitting in.
Tommy comes from an underground country of lizard people. He and his sister and mother had to escape because things were so bad there, as it became a collapsing civilization due to greed of the oligarchy.
But it is so hard for Tommy. American food is tasteless. He longs for the food he is familiar with. He has no friends, especially when, hungry, he eats a bug, when he thinks no one is looking…but they are.
But then he meets two other outcasts. Dung, whose family is Vietnamese, and Scarlett, whose father is the new janitor.
It doesn’t help that the popular show out there is about Lizard people who are trying to take over the world. This drives Tommy crazy. How can he ever tell people who he really is, with shows like out there.
So, how do you fit in? And how do you find who you want to be? These are universal questions, and this book, while it doesn’t find all the answers, as well it can’t, at least wants to show those who haven’t quite experienced this type of alienation, what it is like.
The author is Amerasian, VIetnamese from his father’s side, and he has heard many stories of what it was like for his Uncle Phuc, growing up, and being thrust into all white schools. People will make fun of your name, of what you eat, of how you talk. Phuc didn’t take up an American name, but kept his own, because it was important to him. The author said he wanted to reflect just a little of that in the story.
Thanks to the publishers, Walker Books, and Atlantas Fantasy for making this book available for an honest review. This book is out now, and available wherever you purchase graphic novels.
Tommy comes from an underground country of lizard people. He and his sister and mother had to escape because things were so bad there, as it became a collapsing civilization due to greed of the oligarchy.
But it is so hard for Tommy. American food is tasteless. He longs for the food he is familiar with. He has no friends, especially when, hungry, he eats a bug, when he thinks no one is looking…but they are.
But then he meets two other outcasts. Dung, whose family is Vietnamese, and Scarlett, whose father is the new janitor.
It doesn’t help that the popular show out there is about Lizard people who are trying to take over the world. This drives Tommy crazy. How can he ever tell people who he really is, with shows like out there.
So, how do you fit in? And how do you find who you want to be? These are universal questions, and this book, while it doesn’t find all the answers, as well it can’t, at least wants to show those who haven’t quite experienced this type of alienation, what it is like.
The author is Amerasian, VIetnamese from his father’s side, and he has heard many stories of what it was like for his Uncle Phuc, growing up, and being thrust into all white schools. People will make fun of your name, of what you eat, of how you talk. Phuc didn’t take up an American name, but kept his own, because it was important to him. The author said he wanted to reflect just a little of that in the story.
Thanks to the publishers, Walker Books, and Atlantas Fantasy for making this book available for an honest review. This book is out now, and available wherever you purchase graphic novels.
December 30, 2024
A lovely graphic novel. It has a lot of heart, family, friendships, and middle school feelings for the audience to enjoy. Tommy is very relatable even though he is a lizard person. :) The very thinly-veiled metaphor of immigrants and their experiences not fitting in and being teased or bullied is very relevant.
True for all of us at times, even the ones who are really human. :)
I often have to point this out to students who denigrate a person for speaking broken English. All that means is that they speak more than one language and that should be celebrated!
Ha ha ha! I loved this response to an assignment to come up with a career plan. It's good to be reminded that 12-year-olds don't have it all figured out. Sometimes it's easy to to forget how young they are. :)
Being a human kid is pretty much the most horrible think in the world, right?
True for all of us at times, even the ones who are really human. :)
Speaking a second language, however imperfectly, is a huge strength!
I often have to point this out to students who denigrate a person for speaking broken English. All that means is that they speak more than one language and that should be celebrated!
No one in seventh grade knows who they are or who they're supposed to be! We're twelve!
Ha ha ha! I loved this response to an assignment to come up with a career plan. It's good to be reminded that 12-year-olds don't have it all figured out. Sometimes it's easy to to forget how young they are. :)
November 10, 2022
2.5.
It's possible I have overbinged on J graphic novels.
This title didn't feel like it had a lot to offer that was beyond average. The art wasn't extraordinary. The dialog felt stiff. The story itself wasn't particularly unique. It's a story about someone outside the dominant culture attempting to fit in and assimilate - yeah, in this case a lizard person, but I feel like I've read many better iterations of this story lately (remember how I mentioned overdoing the J graphic novel thing?).
Given the whole PizzaGate/Qanon conspiracy thing, the author's choice of lizard people was...odd. While reading it, I thought a lot about how a reader inclined toward such beliefs might react to this book. I'm relatively sure the choice was not intentional in that sense. But it was a weird thing to consider while reading. I don't know what to make of that - it just struck me and...maybe it was subversive? Nah, just odd.
Regardless, this title feels a bit second tier to me.
It's possible I have overbinged on J graphic novels.
This title didn't feel like it had a lot to offer that was beyond average. The art wasn't extraordinary. The dialog felt stiff. The story itself wasn't particularly unique. It's a story about someone outside the dominant culture attempting to fit in and assimilate - yeah, in this case a lizard person, but I feel like I've read many better iterations of this story lately (remember how I mentioned overdoing the J graphic novel thing?).
Given the whole PizzaGate/Qanon conspiracy thing, the author's choice of lizard people was...odd. While reading it, I thought a lot about how a reader inclined toward such beliefs might react to this book. I'm relatively sure the choice was not intentional in that sense. But it was a weird thing to consider while reading. I don't know what to make of that - it just struck me and...maybe it was subversive? Nah, just odd.
Regardless, this title feels a bit second tier to me.
November 12, 2022
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
Tommy and his family are really aliens who have come to Earth from Elberon because they are in danger on their planet. While Tommy's sister settles in well, he doesn't like the food, and has a tough time at school. He eventually makes friends with Vietnamese American Dung, who also faces a hard time, and Scarlet, whose dyed hair and piercings also set her apart. The three become close, but when Dung and Scarlet kiss after the three are out trick or treating, Tommy feels threatened. There's a lot to worry about, especially since a popular tv show depicts alien people similar to Tommy as evil. Tommy goes off the rails a bit, but eventually finds a way to let people know about his true identity. The book is an allegorical exploration of the type of problems that the author's Vietnamese uncle had coming to the US in the 1980s.
Tommy and his family are really aliens who have come to Earth from Elberon because they are in danger on their planet. While Tommy's sister settles in well, he doesn't like the food, and has a tough time at school. He eventually makes friends with Vietnamese American Dung, who also faces a hard time, and Scarlet, whose dyed hair and piercings also set her apart. The three become close, but when Dung and Scarlet kiss after the three are out trick or treating, Tommy feels threatened. There's a lot to worry about, especially since a popular tv show depicts alien people similar to Tommy as evil. Tommy goes off the rails a bit, but eventually finds a way to let people know about his true identity. The book is an allegorical exploration of the type of problems that the author's Vietnamese uncle had coming to the US in the 1980s.
November 17, 2022
4.5 stars
While this is pitched as a sci-fi/fantasy graphic novel, and it does have those elements to it, so much of Tommy's experiences are experiences that a lot of kids can relate to. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the way Tommy develops a friendship with Dung; they're both from very different places, but they find solace in each other. They form their own little group, and it's lovely to see them florish.
The art style worked well for this story, and setting in a middle school helped Tommy realize that no one really knows who their going to be at that moment in time. Part of middle school is finding yourself and your identity, and Hill captures that well.
Definitely recommend reading the author's note at the end, too! It relates everything to the author's experience, and I enjoyed getting to see that small story as well.
While this is pitched as a sci-fi/fantasy graphic novel, and it does have those elements to it, so much of Tommy's experiences are experiences that a lot of kids can relate to. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the way Tommy develops a friendship with Dung; they're both from very different places, but they find solace in each other. They form their own little group, and it's lovely to see them florish.
The art style worked well for this story, and setting in a middle school helped Tommy realize that no one really knows who their going to be at that moment in time. Part of middle school is finding yourself and your identity, and Hill captures that well.
Definitely recommend reading the author's note at the end, too! It relates everything to the author's experience, and I enjoyed getting to see that small story as well.
January 27, 2023
There's a lot going on in this graphic novel which brings a layer of sophistication and metaphor into the usual "fitting in" trope of middle school.
The protagonist is in fact a lizard who is fleeing his dying country beneath the earth's crust (think city of ember) and trying to fit into an American middle school. There is the usual cattiness, jockeying for position amongst the sports jocks and rejection of "misfits" and anyone who doesn't fit the mold.
The author was a TCK himself and it shows in his cringe inducing depictions of new students coming into an established classroom.
The only part I didn't find ringing true to middle school was the very fast romance evolving between the two other main characters - but the drama around it was very real.
The after-word with the discussion about his uncle's Vietnamese name is worth picking up the book in itself.
The protagonist is in fact a lizard who is fleeing his dying country beneath the earth's crust (think city of ember) and trying to fit into an American middle school. There is the usual cattiness, jockeying for position amongst the sports jocks and rejection of "misfits" and anyone who doesn't fit the mold.
The author was a TCK himself and it shows in his cringe inducing depictions of new students coming into an established classroom.
The only part I didn't find ringing true to middle school was the very fast romance evolving between the two other main characters - but the drama around it was very real.
The after-word with the discussion about his uncle's Vietnamese name is worth picking up the book in itself.
December 4, 2022
Tommy and his family are lizard people who had to leave their homes at the center of the earth. They are now living, disguised as humans, in Eagle Valley. Tommy is trying hard to fit in but he is confused by dominant culture and finds himself being bullied. Eventually he makes friends with Dung and Scarlett who are also outcasts. But his friendship will be tested as he makes mistakes and he will have to open up about who he really is.
Great lessons about friendship and being yourself. There is quite a bit of text for a graphic novel but not too much. Illustrations are vivid and engaging. I think many middle school students will be able to relate to the characters portrayed in these situations, whether they have just moved to a new place or are struggling to make friends.
CW: bullying
Great lessons about friendship and being yourself. There is quite a bit of text for a graphic novel but not too much. Illustrations are vivid and engaging. I think many middle school students will be able to relate to the characters portrayed in these situations, whether they have just moved to a new place or are struggling to make friends.
CW: bullying
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