Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy: A Graphic Novel

Drawing on the experiences of his Vietnamese American family and his love of '80s sci-fi shows, Jonathan Hill crafts a funny, insightful graphic novel about the immigrant experience and the perils of middle school.

Threatened with diminishing resources, Booger Lizk't and his family flee their lizard community deep below Earth's crust to survive above among humans. The Lizk't family of Elberon now passes as the Tomkins family of Eagle Valley. "Tommy Tomkins" wears a human face to school but can't seem to fit in no matter how he looks. The basketball team becomes a pipe dream when bullies label him a bug eater, and only Dung Tran, an immigrant from Vietnam and fellow outsider, sees Tommy for who he is inside, which is nothing like the outer-space lizard invaders on TV's hottest series. Can their friendship survive the truth? In his first solo middle-grade book, award-winning creator Jonathan Hill perfectly captures the sometimes dystopian drama of middle school while reminding readers of the universal need for belonging.

Publisher: Walker Books Us
Published: 09/27/2022
Pages: 288
Weight: 1.11lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.07w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781536216509
Age: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3
Point Value: 2
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 522442 / Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy


Review Citation(s):
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 07/01/2022

About the Author
Jonathan Hill is the creator of Odessa and the cocreator of Americus and Science Comics: Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate. An Ignatz Award-nominated graphic novelist, illustrator, and educator, he lives in Portland, Oregon.