Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy

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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Jonathan Hill's Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy is a sci-fi graphic novel about a boy named Tommy Tomkins, who's actually a lizard person from a community beneath the surface of the Earth. His family left and came to our world after humans' overuse of natural resources forced them to leave their home to survive. And now Tommy's struggling to fit in, and tired of pretending not to be an alien reptile boy. There's some verbal bullying. Two middle schoolers share a kiss.
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What's the Story?
As TALES O F A SEVENTH-GRADE LIZARD BOY opens, Tommy Tomkins is sick and tired on living on Earth. He has no friends, and his parents won't let him do anything fun, lest he reveal his true identity as a lizard person. But when he becomes friendly with exchange student Dung Tran, from Vietnam, and "weird girl" Scarlett, he begins to question whether he can stop being so isolated.
Is It Any Good?
Everyone feels like an outcast sometimes, and this funny graphic novel celebrates self-acceptance. In Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy, author Jonathan Hill provides off-kilter art that emphasizes Tommy's alienation. The cast contains recognizable types, but each character has a unique spin, especially Dung. Fans of '80s and '90s sci-fi will enjoy the shout-outs to popular movies and TV shows. Knowing and big-hearted, this graphic novel has it all.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy works as a graphic novel. Would the story be as effective as a novel in prose? Why do readers like comics and graphic novels?
Do you or kids you know have first or last names that others call "funny"? If someone changes their name to fit in, should we respect their choice?
What can you do to be more self-accepting?
Book Details
- Author: Jonathan Hill
- Illustrator: Jonathan Hill
- Genre: Graphic Novel
- Topics: Friendship, High School, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Courage, Gratitude
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Walker Books U.S.
- Publication date: September 27, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 288
- Available on: Paperback, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: December 2, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love science fiction and graphic novels
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