Friday Graphic Novel Double Feature: Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks. Short & Skinny by Mark Tatulli.

Sanity & Tallulah

STEM girls in space?!?! Mad science? A three-headed kitten? Yes. Yes. And Yes!

Wilnick space station can be a pretty boring place for Sanity and Tallulah, especially when you have to wait for the latest vid shows to travel lightyears to get to you. So… what do you do while you’re waiting? Maybe experiments on some carnivorous vertebrate life? Gotta have something to feed it too! So, baking up some fake meat seems to be in order. But when your parents find out and you get grounded, the only thing worse is if your experiment escapes.

Smart science-y lingo, solid representation, and middle-school troubleshooting at its best make this one a winner. I truly hope that Brooks has another adventure in store for these two young ladies.

Definitely recommended!

Short & Skinny

An autobiographical work about the turbulent time of middle school. Bullies, friendships, and a love of Star Wars. From gym class to the school hallways to the his own house, Mark is reminded every day that he’s one of the smallest kids at Memorial Jr High in Willingboro, New Jersey. There are some people who have his back: his PE teacher, his best pals, and his mom. But they won’t say hi to his crush Lisa Gorman for him. Confidence is fleeting, especially when his times don’t even count on the swim team races and his parents take him on vacation to the one place he’ll have to take his shirt off: the beach. There is one thing that sparks his imagination, the premier of Star Wars. It starts a project that will consume him for the rest of the summer…

Told with great humor and touching honesty, Short & Skinny is a memorable graphic novel that any kid can gain inspiration from. Tatulli’s drawings don’t stick to the any one panel organization, but break out all over the page. Full of expression and color, this is one that I honestly loved.

Recommended!