Stuntboy, In-Between Time

June 15, 2023
Portico "Stuntboy" Reeves, once "the greatest superhero you've never ever heard of," is back--with a super group of friends and new challenges in his life. Because of his parents' divorce, Portico had to move from the fourth floor of Skylight Gardens--his beloved apartment building filled to the brim with eclectic neighbors--to both the third and fifth floors. Portico is feeling the toll of the split even in his surreal but revealing dreams. When the elevator breaks down in real life, Portico's mom trusts that he can make it down to the third floor on his own, but distractions abound. The episodic storytelling with cleverly illustrated asides documents the building's residents and even takes metanarrative shots at the creators in a charmingly relatable account of an adventurous kid pursuing hijinks with best friend Zola and new friend/former bully Herbert. On the surface, the kids' art project in an empty eighth floor apartment is the primary source of delay, but savvy readers will eventually notice the signs of avoidance. The in-between time is poignantly where the bulk of this outing takes place and where it packs its biggest punch, as the chasm between drifting parents is easy to get lost in. But with supportive friends, thoughtful (and peculiar) neighbors, some space to express himself, and undeniable heroics, Portico eventually finds his way, even if he only finds what he wants most in his dreams. The cast reads majority Black. Fun and emotionally perceptive. (additional sketches) (Adventure. 7-12)

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Starred review from June 1, 2023
Grades 3-5 *Starred Review* Just getting from his mom's apartment on the fourth floor to his dad's on the third for "Dad-urday" takes Portico "Stuntboy" Reeves all day in this equally funny and tumultuous follow-up to Stuntboy, in the Meantime (2021). First, there's almost getting stuck in the elevator and then having to negotiate the stairs past all the "weenagers, the treenagers, and the freenagers."" Then there are the 17 loose iguanas in 4Q to recapture, and the empty apartment with the unlocked door on the eighth floor that, to Portico, with fellow superheroes Zola and Herbert, just begs to have its walls decorated with magic markers--an act that results, like so many episodes of awesome TV series Super Space Warriors do, in an "Explosion of Great Magnitude" when the super finds out. Once again, Reynolds adroitly weaves emotional business into the teeming tapestry of apartment houselife by surrounding his caped protagonist, still struggling with his parents' recent separation, with a colorful cast depicted by Ra�l the Third in typically snappy, dynamic flurries of motion on nearly every page. Zola's dazzling Grandpa Pepper, who names nail-polish colors for a living and takes over the vacant apartment with his own purple haired Gran Gran in tow, makes a particularly unforgettable entrance. But Pepper fits right in, as readers will be yearning to do, with the distinctive residents of Skylight Gardens.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2023
Set one week after its predecessor (Stuntboy, in the Meantime, rev. 1/22), this illustrated novel follows Portico Reeves through one very eventful day as the self-appointed superhero struggles with anxiety ("the frets"), dabbles in misbehavior, and confronts his parents' recent separation. When Portico's mother sends him off on what should be a short two-floor trip to his father's new apartment for their very first "DAD-urday," the young hero is weighed down by both literal and figurative baggage: carrying a garbage bag of old apartment leftovers and the fear of permanently being "in-between" his parents. Once Portico meets up with his two best friends, he quickly strays off-course thanks to run-ins with bizarre bullies, eccentric neighbors, and out-there scenarios (like catching seventeen iguanas). Presented as if episodes of a retro TV show (complete with theme music, commercial breaks, etc.), each self-contained chapter generally features a new problem and speedy resolve; however, Reynolds's imaginative, layered storytelling continuously explores large, overarching themes of family, friendship, and belonging with recurring motifs and metaphors. Supporting and expanding the lively text are Raul the Third's kinetic illustrations, playful characterizations, and eye-popping spreads. A lived-in, tactile quality to the overall design is achieved through thoughtful coloring, engaging layouts, and an incorporation of real-world textures such as bricks, plaster, and paint. While a realistic resolution is achieved for Portico's family, Stuntboy's outrageous adventures (thankfully) don't seem to be over yet. Patrick Gall

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)