Short & Skinny by Mark Tatulli
There are a lot of what I call “growing pains” books for middle grade (grades 3-8) girls out there – books about those awkward years between childhood and becoming a teenager. Raina Telgemeier’s popular graphic novels, as well as many other popular series, come to mind. I wish more books like this had existed when I was a child, but I am glad they exist now. But as I looked at the many excellent and popular series for preteen girls, I was disappointed that I could not find similar books for boys. That was until I recently came across Mark Tatulli’s book Short and Skinny in the Juvenile Graphic Novel section at FCPL. I was very pleased to find a “growing pains” book from a boy’s point of view.
Middle school student Mark is on the smaller side, and being short AND skinny has not been a great confidence booster. “Must Be This Tall to Ride” signs are the bane of his existence. He struggles with bullies and with getting the girl -- or even just talking to the girl. In a desperate move to bulk up, he tries all the miracle growth cures he sees in his comic books. Then he discovers something life-changing in the summer of 1977 – the movie Star Wars! His new obsession leads him to new creative discoveries, such as making his own version of his beloved film . . . and he learns that great things can happen-such as being the hero-no matter what his size.
The book is hilarious yet
also heartwarming, and readers will root for the doggedly determined Mark –
whether he is trying a new “miracle cure” to help him grow, building up the confidence
to talk to a girl, or putting his mark on the movie he loves.
Reading Short & Skinny for the FCPL Reading Challenge was so enjoyable, and I hope library staff and patrons of all ages will enjoy this 2018 “growing pains” gem as well!
Information Specialist – MLIS
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