J vs. K

Two Newbery winners concoct a tale featuring two fifth-graders coincidentally named J and K--who in the line drawings look like junior versions of themselves--competing to win their K--8 school's annual creative-storytelling contest. J knows he makes the most awesome comics and feels he has a lock on being the first fifth-grader to win the upcoming competition. But then along comes new student K, flashing all these big words and an ability to whip out a cool poem "faster than you could say codswallop." How good is he? "Whenever K wrote something that really didn't make sense, his readers always thought it was their own fault for not understanding it." As the deadline approaches, both feel the pressure so acutely that, against their better judgment, in a wash of disingenuous helpfulness, they offer each other bogus tips on art and writing that each boy hopes will turn his rival's entry into "J-ibberish" or a "K-tastrophe." Happily, the two are smart enough to eventually realize they'll do better working together than sabotaging each other, and so they turn their conflict into a salty collaboration in time to dish up a gobsmacking comic, along the way offering plenty of authorial interjections and good advice about crafting and revising stories and pictures. Readers will have as much fun with this as the coauthors plainly did--and that's no codswallop.

Alexander (How Sweet the Sound) and Craft (School Trip) emphasize the importance of nurturing creative expression and healthy competition in this meta illustrated collaboration. J Ennis-- a talented cartoonist who loves creating comics for his peers (and the praise that comes with it)--is eager to become the first fifth grader to win Dean Ashley Public School's annual creative storytelling competition. When J discovers that new kid K Wright has a gift for language, he's initially unbothered, especially since K couldn't "draw a straight line if he had a ruler." Then K's rhythmic prose starts winning over J's loyal fans, which ignites between the two a motivating and warmhearted rivalry. After all, there can only be one gifted fifth grader at DAPS--right? Renderings of J's action-packed stories as well as b&w spot illustrations depicting the characters' antics evoke physical humor and classic superhero comics flair. Author's notes are sprinkled throughout the text; while some contextualize narrative decisions and define words, others showcase Craft and Alexander's gentle ribbing and easy camaraderie, directly paralleling J and K's evolving friendship. Ages 8--12. Agents: (for Alexander) Arielle Eckstut, Levine Greenburg Rostan Literary; (for Craft) Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary. (May)

Two boys equally blessed with both talent and ego vie for supremacy in their school's annual "creative storytelling competition." J is "by far the best artist in the entire fifth grade"; K has "become known as the best writer in the entire fifth grade." Naturally, each one is determined to crush it in The Contest, and each decides an illustrated story is the way to go. The competitive boys try to undermine one another by passing along fake tips for success, each hoping to destroy his opponent's story. K advises J to "write what you DON'T know" and to use sixth-person narration. "J's Secrets to Drawing Really Good" are just as catastrophic and include drawing with your nondominant hand and inserting mistakes to keep readers engaged. Creative hijinks ensue. Craft and Alexander have become known on social media for the jocular trash talk they heap on each other; J and K are their fictional child avatars. As an internet bit doled out in small doses, their frenemy-ship is amusing; as a sustained story about storytelling, it's thin on both character and plot development. Authorial interjections exhort readers to look up 75-cent vocabulary, often used in barbs directed at each other; the latter feel like in-jokes more than playful attempts to engage young readers. Kids may enjoy spotting references to popular children's authors among the characters' names, and budding authors and illustrators will benefit from the advice. J and K are both Black; their classmates and teachers are racially diverse. An insubstantial story that offers a prosocial message.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Two Newbery winners concoct a tale featuring two fifth-graders coincidentally named J and K—who in the line drawings look like junior versions of themselves—competing to win their K–8 school's annual creative-storytelling contest. J knows he makes the most awesome comics and feels he has a lock on being the first fifth-grader to win the upcoming competition. But then along comes new student K, flashing all these big words and an ability to whip out a cool poem "faster than you could say codswallop." How good is he? "Whenever K wrote something that really didn't make sense, his readers always thought it was their own fault for not understanding it." As the deadline approaches, both feel the pressure so acutely that, against their better judgment, in a wash of disingenuous helpfulness, they offer each other bogus tips on art and writing that each boy hopes will turn his rival's entry into "J-ibberish" or a "K-tastrophe." Happily, the two are smart enough to eventually realize they'll do better working together than sabotaging each other, and so they turn their conflict into a salty collaboration in time to dish up a gobsmacking comic, along the way offering plenty of authorial interjections and good advice about crafting and revising stories and pictures. Readers will have as much fun with this as the coauthors plainly did—and that's no codswallop. Grades 4-6. Copyright 2025 Booklist Reviews.

Alexander (How Sweet the Sound) and Craft (School Trip) emphasize the importance of nurturing creative expression and healthy competition in this meta illustrated collaboration. J Ennis— a talented cartoonist who loves creating comics for his peers (and the praise that comes with it)—is eager to become the first fifth grader to win Dean Ashley Public School's annual creative storytelling competition. When J discovers that new kid K Wright has a gift for language, he's initially unbothered, especially since K couldn't "draw a straight line if he had a ruler." Then K's rhythmic prose starts winning over J's loyal fans, which ignites between the two a motivating and warmhearted rivalry. After all, there can only be one gifted fifth grader at DAPS—right? Renderings of J's action-packed stories as well as b&w spot illustrations depicting the characters' antics evoke physical humor and classic superhero comics flair. Author's notes are sprinkled throughout the text; while some contextualize narrative decisions and define words, others showcase Craft and Alexander's gentle ribbing and easy camaraderie, directly paralleling J and K's evolving friendship. Ages 8–12. Agents: (for Alexander) Arielle Eckstut, Levine Greenburg Rostan Literary; (for Craft) Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary. (May)