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Cory’s dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It’s the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory’s parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew — and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?
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
Review
Praise for Freestyle: Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year Washington Post Best Book of the Year Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Children American Booksellers Association Indie Next Pick Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens Recipient of four starred reviews ★ “The cartooning instincts on display are superb, always making room for setting, emotion, movement, and color for great visual variety… This inviting, heartfelt story will get readers into the groove of self-expression and lasting friendships.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “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… A thoughtfully rendered portrayal of friendship, growth, and joyful self-expression.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ “A visually kinetic, emotionally complex story of finding a sense of self while navigating relationships and expectations. Fun and full of heart.” — School Library Journal, starred review ★ “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 Horn Book, starred review “Fans of Galligan’s Baby-sitters Club comics will find similar themes of friendship and community in this engaging story, beautifully colored in candy hues by Czap.” — Booklist “Kids who like graphic novels will enjoy this story of friends working through challenges.” — Kid Reporter Shaan Glazer, TIME for Kids “Brilliant… Readers will build visual literacy skills and encounter well-developed diverse characters. They will also get swept up in Galligan’s amazing storytelling, achieved through expert use of the format. A must-purchase.” — School Library Connection
