Freestyle

Starred review from August 29, 2022
In an uplifting tale from Galligan (the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel series), the Eight Bitz dance crew seeks to make the most of their eighth grade year before splitting up for different N.Y.C. high schools. Tan-skinned Cory and his crew, portrayed with varying skin tones and body types, plan to win an epic annual dance competition, Bronx Kids Battle. Brown-skinned captain Tess Reyes, who sports a backward cap and braid, requires a strict practice regiment, and her austere routines, which leave no room for improv, put her at odds with the freewheeling crew. When Cory’s grades slip and his parents hire hijabi classmate Sunna Ahmad to tutor him, extra study sessions cut into his practice time. But after Sunna shows him her superb yo-yo throwing skills, the pair become fast friends, and Cory is caught between established relationships and newfound joys that could split up the Eight Bitz for good. Galligan’s timing—both comedic and emotional—is impeccable, and dynamic paneling paired with vibrant technicolor hues artfully complement the flow and energy of the Eight Bitz’s routines and Sunna’s yo-yo prowess. Supporting characters’ individual troubles are empathetically captured alongside Cory and Sunna’s emotional hurdles, and the cast is given space to experience and navigate big feelings via open and vulnerable communication, making for a thoughtfully rendered portrayal of friendship, growth, and joyful self-expression. Ages 8–12. Agent: Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary.

Starred review from October 1, 2022

Gr 5 Up-Galligan, already a cartooning sensation thanks to their emotionally nuanced, endlessly entertaining work on Ann M. Martin's "Baby-Sitters Club" graphic adaptations, brings that same gleeful energy to their first original graphic novel. A commitment to representing the joys and ultra-specific struggles of adolescence shines through in this story about break-dancing, bad grades, and yo-yo masters. The main story is that of Cory, a so-so student who's part of a high-achieving dance team. When it becomes clear that his grades are tanking, his dance dreams are put on hold, and he's paired up with Sunna, a quiet, overlooked classmate, for tutoring. Initially resistant, he discovers that she has her own avocation-the yo-yo-and begins to take an interest in her passion too. As the story moves through family expectations, middle-school social negotiations, and questions of doing your best versus doing what you love, Galligan's manga-influenced visual language for characters' emotions and a brightly colored urban universe mean each moment resonates without dragging the story down. It doesn't hurt that in dancing and yo-yo, someone is always on the move. Galligan's diverse cast includes Cory, coded as Filipino, and Sunna, who wears a hijab, and depicts a mixed-gender friend group free from romantic entanglements, which is a breath of fresh air. VERDICT A visually kinetic, emotionally complex story of finding a sense of self while navigating relationships and expectations. Fun and full of heart.-Emilia Packard

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2022
Grades 4-7 Cory Tan is an eighth grader and part of a break dancing crew called Eight Bitz. There's a big competition coming up, and the team captain is going hard on the choreography, but the team is getting out of step. Meanwhile, Cory's grades slip, and his parents get him some tutoring sessions with one of his classmates, a quiet Hijabi girl named Sunna. Cory discovers that Sunna has a secret: she has amazing yo-yo skills. As his relationship with Sunna develops, his other friendships fall by the wayside, until he's forced to find ways to be himself and also keep all his friends. Galligan adeptly depicts a large cast of characters and lots of break dancing in a narrative that focuses on taking responsibility for one's actions, including when people at home have high expectations, as well as the impacts of the rumor mill and how people are not always what they seem. Fans of Galligan's Babysitter's Club comics will find similar themes of friendship and community in this engaging story, beautifully colored in candy hues by Czap.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from August 15, 2022
Two kinds of performance arts are better than one in this feel-good comedy. The eighth grade dance crew known as Eight Bitz are stuck between styles. Their captain, Tess Reyes, runs a strict routine with an eye toward the upcoming Bronx Battle tournament. Cory Tan, a skilled improviser, wants to play fast and loose for maximum style. High school looms over the dancers. Cory's parents recruit his classmate Sunna Ahmad to tutor him in hopes of his getting into an elite school. Sunna becomes a friend and confidante once Cory discovers her secret talent, and he learns yo-yo throwing tricks from her. The cartooning instincts on display are superb, always making room for setting, emotion, movement, and color for great visual variety. Welcoming urban community spaces are highlighted throughout, including parks and public transit. Middle school emotional turmoil is expressed more than once in the form of written and deleted texts. At the same time, mutual appreciation between friends and love from family form positive, affirming bonds. While the story focuses most on Cory and Sunna, everyone gets moments to shine. The cast is cued as broadly diverse through names, physical appearance, and other contextual clues. This inviting, heartfelt story will get readers into the groove of self-expression and lasting friendships. (bonus comics) (Graphic fiction. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from November 1, 2022
The Eight Bitz dance crew has one more year together before they all go off to different high schools, and they're determined to make the most of it. For protagonist Cory that means freestyling and having fun, but for team captain Tess it means pushing everyone into a tightly choreographed routine that she secretly hopes will get her into dance school. On top of tensions in the crew, Cory is having a tough time in class and is grounded until he brings his grades up. The tutor his parents hire is his prickly lab partner, Sunna -- who's secretly a yo-yo prodigy. Yo-yo turns out to be a surprisingly efficient way to interest someone in math and science, but Cory's crew notices that he's passing up time with his old friends as he gets closer to a new one. Galligan's crisp, bouncy, cartoonlike style captures the story's constant motion, making for a fast-paced visual experience with yo-yo strings or b-boying limbs constantly busting out of panels. The narrative speeds along just as quickly, with calendar pages whizzing past. While the focus is on Cory, Galligan finds space to land emotional beats for several members of the large and diverse cast. The changes and challenges of middle school should resonate with many kids, and readers will cheer when Cory finds a way to bring everyone together in a whizz-bang finish. Laura Koenig

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
Color by K Czap. The Eight Bitz dance crew has one more year together before they all go off to different high schools, and they're determined to make the most of it. For protagonist Cory that means freestyling and having fun, but for team captain Tess it means pushing everyone into a tightly choreographed routine that she secretly hopes will get her into dance school. On top of tensions in the crew, Cory is having a tough time in class and is grounded until he brings his grades up. The tutor his parents hire is his prickly lab partner, Sunna -- who's secretly a yo-yo prodigy. Yo-yo turns out to be a surprisingly efficient way to interest someone in math and science, but Cory's crew notices that he's passing up time with his old friends as he gets closer to a new one. Galligan's crisp, bouncy, cartoonlike style captures the story's constant motion, making for a fast-paced visual experience with yo-yo strings or b-boying limbs constantly busting out of panels. The narrative speeds along just as quickly, with calendar pages whizzing past. While the focus is on Cory, Galligan finds space to land emotional beats for several members of the large and diverse cast. The changes and challenges of middle school should resonate with many kids, and readers will cheer when Cory finds a way to bring everyone together in a whizz-bang finish.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)