Mike Curato

Little Elliot the elephant and his best friend Mouse return in this third picture-book devoted to their New York adventures, which began in Little Elliot, Big City and continued in Little Elliot, Big Family. In this installment of their ongoing saga, they head to Coney Island for the day, where Mouse assures Elliot that he will have a fabulous time. Unfortunately, the timid Elliot is more frightened of the rides than excited by them, and quickly becomes overwhelmed by all the activity. Can show more Mouse save the day, and truly make it big fun for them both...?

This being a Little Elliot book, there's never much doubt of the happy ending, but it's still a pleasure to watch these two friends work out how they can both enjoy their outing. I'm really very thrilled to be given access to an early copy of Little Elliot, Big Fun, as it isn't officially released until the end of August. As expected, I enjoyed the story, but it was the artwork that really made this one for me. Mike Curato's use of deep but subtly toned colors, his depiction of Elliot's various states of discombobulation, all added greatly to my enjoyment. Coney Island comes alive as a site of both fun and fright, as an amusement park should. Recommended to anyone who is looking for good friendship stories in picture-book form, and to anyone who enjoyed the first two Little Elliot books. show less

The last week at Scouting camp highlights accomplishments and humiliations that last a lifetime.

Aiden, a fat, biracial (Filipino and White), soon-to-be high schooler, is in his last week of Boy Scout camp in 1995. Each day documents events, from bonding over fireside songs and learning important skills to the micro- and macroaggressions that follow an adolescent boy of color who presents as effeminate and is queer. As the week moves on, readers learn more about Aiden and his life, from his show more stressful home with an emotionally abusive father to his love of Catholicism and being an altar server. The stress of a new school, bullies who are ever present, and struggles with identity drive Aiden to a breaking point, one that’s familiar to many young people. The monochromatic illustrations, sometimes highlighted with red, orange, and yellow, are timeless moments of a remembered childhood. The use of red to highlight the tangible (firelight, a Swiss Army knife) and represent the intangible (passion, sorrow, and hope) is a master class in simplicity. But the true star of this book is the writing, which describes a boy who could live in any decade on his journey of self-discovery. This is a story that will be read and reread, and for some, it will be the defining book of their adolescence.

Buy it. Read it. Share it. (afterword, resources) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

-Kirkus Review show less

The bullying, homophobia, and racism are pretty unrelenting in this tale of a 14-year-old Filipino American boy coming to terms with his sexual identity during the final days of a Boy Scout summer camp. It ground me down as a reader, and even so I cannot even begin to imagine how much worse it would be to live it.

It's a pretty depressing takedown of how early toxic masculinity is ingrained in our children and of the Boy Scouts in general. It suffers a bit from its inevitability and goes so show more deep into its tailspin that it is hard for the ending to totally pull it back up from the crash and burn being signaled.

Even though this is a work of fiction, that scene with the four boys and the pop bottle in the tent is so outrageous and gross I have to believe it really happened.

Trigger warning: suicide attempt show less

I think this book is perfectly fine for middle and high school-level adolescents. It is an honest depiction of the way a young person can struggle with their identity when they are treated differently for it. I appreciate the introspective tone and the hopeful message that prevailed in the end. Fuck the fascists, read Flamer!