Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Alternating perspectives explore an interracial friendship forged amid family turmoil and societal injustice and tension in pre-gentrification Brooklyn.After Joseph John "JJ" Pankowski's father is blacklisted for participating in the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike, his family moves from Long Island to his father's childhood home in Brooklyn, where his Polish grandmother still lives. They leave behind the Catholic school where JJ was bullied as well as his older sister-rarely mentioned, for reasons that JJ, who is cued as autistic, doesn't yet understand. One of the few White students at his new middle school, JJ observes: "Things / That / Make / No / Sense. // One out of twenty kids / in the school / but one out of four kids / in honors class." There he meets Pierre "Pi" Velez, a Puerto Rican and Congolese "genius kid" and graffiti artist who struggles to care for his mother, who has mental illness, and younger half sister in the predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood of Los Sures. The boys become friends via their shared love of art: For JJ, it's music, especially the Clash, and for Pi, it's artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. An encounter with the police highlights the differences between them, threatening their friendship. The coauthors' equally strong contributions evocatively bring the characters and setting to life through visual poetry. The even pacing makes for an engrossing read, and the characters' pain and promise will remain with readers.A stellar, hauntingly beautiful narrative. (authors' notes, sources) (Verse novel. 11-15)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 5 Up —Fans of Jason Reynolds and Kwame Alexander will delight in Elliott and Miller-Lachmann's novel-in-verse told in dual perspectives. Set in 1982 Brooklyn, this novel features characters who discover themselves and art as a form of rebellion. Pierre "Pie" Velez is Puerto Rican and Congolese American. He lives with his mother, who struggles with mental health issues, and his younger sister. Pie holds his family together while scoring top grades in his class. Art drives him, whether it's graffiti or the works of his idol, Jean Michel Basquiat. J.J. Pankowski is a Polish American middle schooler who moves to Brooklyn when his father loses his job and the family must leave their home on Long Island. Despite being inspired by The Clash, punk rock, and labor rights in the United States and Poland, J.J. is shy and tries to be as invisible as possible in his new school. When Pie helps him avoid the social minefield that is the middle school cafeteria, J.J. is determined to become friends. A touching story of race, class, and friendship, this story does not end with a neat bow but on a realistic note. Back matter includes authors' notes on inspiration and setting and explains autism diagnoses at the time and how they apply to J.J. However, there is no explicit reference within the text. VERDICT A recommended must-have for middle and high school collections looking to expand their upper middle-grade offerings.—Monisha Blair

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Through alternating first-person accounts, and with varied poetic styles, Elliott (A Place Inside of Me, rev. 11/20) and Miller-Lachmann (Rogue, rev. 9/13) present a thoughtfully structured and sensitively rendered verse novel set in early-1980s Brooklyn featuring two memorable protagonists. Seventh grader Pierre "Pie" Velez is an Afro-Latino with a brilliant mind and an artistic talent, both of which shine in the art room and in his graffiti tags (his narration ranges from concrete poetry to tricubes). Most of Pie's time is devoted to taking care of his younger sister and their mother, who experiences "nervous attacks." New classmate Joseph John "JJ" Pankowski (who narrates in more straightforward free verse) and his family have arrived in Brooklyn under the cover of night, after his father is blacklisted for union activity. Having been labeled with multiple learning disabilities, JJ is surprised to find himself in honors class at his new public school, until he realizes how disproportionately white students like him are chosen as honor students. Pie and JJ make a halting attempt at friendship, and Pie's explanations of lessons help JJ follow along in school. Outside racial tensions soon overshadow the relationship, and Pie and JJ are left to wonder whether it can survive. Both authors are adept at evocatively re-creating the setting, with references ranging from Ronald Reagan's anti-union stance to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Michael Jackson, and the Clash. Authors' notes give background on various aspects of the novel, including autism as a likely diagnosis for JJ, using today's terms. Eboni Njoku

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Alternating perspectives explore an interracial friendship forged amid family turmoil and societal injustice and tension in pre-gentrification Brooklyn.After Joseph John "JJ" Pankowski's father is blacklisted for participating in the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike, his family moves from Long Island to his father's childhood home in Brooklyn, where his Polish grandmother still lives. They leave behind the Catholic school where JJ was bullied as well as his older sister-rarely mentioned, for reasons that JJ, who is cued as autistic, doesn't yet understand. One of the few White students at his new middle school, JJ observes: "Things / That / Make / No / Sense. // One out of twenty kids / in the school / but one out of four kids / in honors class." There he meets Pierre "Pi" Velez, a Puerto Rican and Congolese "genius kid" and graffiti artist who struggles to care for his mother, who has mental illness, and younger half sister in the predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood of Los Sures. The boys become friends via their shared love of art: For JJ, it's music, especially the Clash, and for Pi, it's artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. An encounter with the police highlights the differences between them, threatening their friendship. The coauthors' equally strong contributions evocatively bring the characters and setting to life through visual poetry. The even pacing makes for an engrossing read, and the characters' pain and promise will remain with readers.A stellar, hauntingly beautiful narrative. (authors' notes, sources) (Verse novel. 11-15)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In a 1980s-set verse novel told in alternating voices, collaborators Elliott (the Dragons in a Bag series) and Miller-Lachmann (Rogue) write a tender, engrossing tribute to art and close interpersonal bonds that explores themes of neurodivergence, mental health, and institutional prejudice. After his father is blacklisted from air traffic control work on Long Island following a strike, Joseph John -JJ- Pankowski, who-s Polish and reads (under today-s diagnostic criteria) as autistic, moves with his family to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. There, he bonds with Puerto Rican and Congolese classmate Pierre -Pie- Velez, a graffiti artist who cares for his younger sister and mentally ill mother in nearby Los Sures. A love of art-JJ-s for the Clash and Pie-s of Jean-Michel Basquiat-proves an effective bridge between the middle schoolers- worlds, until a harrowing police encounter shows just how different those worlds are. Concrete poetry that weaves in occasional images and historical and pop culture references (Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, The Chocolate War) lends a clear historicity to a narrative rooted in time and place. Authors- notes contextualize the story-s origins. Ages 10-14. Agents: Johanna Castillo, Writers House (for Elliott) and Jacqui Lipton, Storm Literary (for Miller-Lachmann). (Apr.)