Stuntboy In Between Time Review by the Hobbit. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Book: Stuntboy In Between Time
Author: Jason Reynolds
Illustrator: Raul the Third
Publication Date: August 29, 2023
Genres: Graphic novel, humor, city life
Pages: 272Reading
Age: 7 and up (recommended grades 2-7)
Warnings: The book is centered on Portico’s dealing with his parents’ divorce. The book can be helpful in that situation, but it is a potential trigger.
Brief Stuntboy In Between Time Summary
Portico Reeves is back in Stuntboy in Between Time! Portico, also known as Stuntboy, “the best superhero most people have never heard of”, is learning to cope with his parent’s recent divorce. His friends Zola and Herbert are going to help him as he is facing his first night with his dad in a new apartment. Humor, mishaps, and new stunts abound as the three work together.
Stuntboy In Between Time Review (contains spoilers)
Portico Reeves was introduced in the first Stuntboy novel. He lives in a multi-story apartment building in a large city. He met his best friend Zola and one of his antagonists, Herbert Singletary, became his friend. He also became Stuntboy, who does all the stunts so other people don’t have to. At the end, his parents had divorced, and his dad was moving into another apartment.
As this story opens, six days have passed, and it is time for Portico to spend the night at his dad’s apartment. Portico can get “the frets” (high anxiety) and spending the night in his dad’s apartment causes this, as it will further cement his parent’s separation. So, he seeks out his friends, Zola and Herbert.
The elevator in the building is broken, but they (and many of the other residents) use the stairwells. They wind up catching iguanas, finding an empty apartment that they decorate with markers, meeting bullies, getting into (and out of) trouble for decorating the apartment and meet several interesting new characters. With the help of his friends Portico lands in his dad’s apartment and goes peacefully to sleep.
The story is told from the perspective of a pre-teen boy, so we are looking at anxieties and joys from his perspective. The story has frequent interludes that highlight this such as:
WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR PARENTS ASK YOU WHAT YOU DID
- Say what you did.
- Say nothing.
Note: Either way, they already know what you did.
There is a tremendous amount of humor and fun in dealing with a sensitive topic. This is not a true graphic novel, but it has extensive illustrations that are integral to the story, so I have left it in that genre.
Continue reading for more of our Stuntboy In Between Time Review
Some Fun Stuntboy In Between Time Quotes
“If a grape is a fruit (that makes delicious juice) why do we need a grapefruit?”
“Ways to know your hungry…1, Your stomach sounds like a car motor or a snarling wolf…”
“He’s a snorer. Or, as he calls it, he has villain repellent in his nose.”
Stuntboy In Between Time Discussion Questions
Themes for Discussion: Friendship, Coping with Divorce
- Why is Portico saving a bag of trash (which he carries all day)?
- Among the adults, who is your favorite character?
- What do you think the superhero names for Zola and Herbert should be? Why did you choose those?
- How do the pictures help the story? Can you do any drawings that might look like those in the book?
- Which of the commercial breaks did you like the best?
Thanks for reading our Stuntboy Discussion Questions. Check out these other Jason Reynolds works:
–Stamped Remix Discussion Questions
–Look Both Ways Review
–For Everyone Review
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