Praise for Freestyle:
Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year
Washington Post Best Book of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Children
American Booksellers Association Indie Next Pick
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens
Recipient of four starred reviews
★ "The cartooning instincts on display are superb, always making room for setting, emotion, movement, and color for great visual variety... This inviting, heartfelt story will get readers into the groove of self-expression and lasting friendships." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Galligan's timing both comedic and emotional is impeccable, and dynamic paneling paired with vibrant technicolor hues artfully complement the flow and energy of the Eight Bitz’s routines and Sunna’s yo-yo prowess… A thoughtfully rendered portrayal of friendship, growth, and joyful self-expression." Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "A visually kinetic, emotionally complex story of finding a sense of self while navigating relationships and expectations. Fun and full of heart." School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Galligan's crisp, bouncy, cartoonlike style captures the story’s constant motion, making for a fast-paced visual experience with yo-yo strings or b-boying limbs constantly busting out of panels." The Horn Book, starred review
"Fans of Galligan's Baby-sitters Club comics will find similar themes of friendship and community in this engaging story, beautifully colored in candy hues by Czap." Booklist
"Kids who like graphic novels will enjoy this story of friends working through challenges." Kid Reporter Shaan Glazer, TIME for Kids
"Brilliant... Readers will build visual literacy skills and encounter well-developed diverse characters. They will also get swept up in Galligan's amazing storytelling, achieved through expert use of the format. A must-purchase." School Library Connection
★ 10/01/2022
Gr 5 Up—Galligan, already a cartooning sensation thanks to their emotionally nuanced, endlessly entertaining work on Ann M. Martin's "Baby-Sitters Club" graphic adaptations, brings that same gleeful energy to their first original graphic novel. A commitment to representing the joys and ultra-specific struggles of adolescence shines through in this story about break-dancing, bad grades, and yo-yo masters. The main story is that of Cory, a so-so student who's part of a high-achieving dance team. When it becomes clear that his grades are tanking, his dance dreams are put on hold, and he's paired up with Sunna, a quiet, overlooked classmate, for tutoring. Initially resistant, he discovers that she has her own avocation—the yo-yo—and begins to take an interest in her passion too. As the story moves through family expectations, middle-school social negotiations, and questions of doing your best versus doing what you love, Galligan's manga-influenced visual language for characters' emotions and a brightly colored urban universe mean each moment resonates without dragging the story down. It doesn't hurt that in dancing and yo-yo, someone is always on the move. Galligan's diverse cast includes Cory, coded as Filipino, and Sunna, who wears a hijab, and depicts a mixed-gender friend group free from romantic entanglements, which is a breath of fresh air. VERDICT A visually kinetic, emotionally complex story of finding a sense of self while navigating relationships and expectations. Fun and full of heart.—Emilia Packard
★ 08/29/2022
In an uplifting tale from Galligan (the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel series), the Eight Bitz dance crew seeks to make the most of their eighth grade year before splitting up for different N.Y.C. high schools. Tan-skinned Cory and his crew, portrayed with varying skin tones and body types, plan to win an epic annual dance competition, Bronx Kids Battle. Brown-skinned captain Tess Reyes, who sports a backward cap and braid, requires a strict practice regiment, and her austere routines, which leave no room for improv, put her at odds with the freewheeling crew. When Cory’s grades slip and his parents hire hijabi classmate Sunna Ahmad to tutor him, extra study sessions cut into his practice time. But after Sunna shows him her superb yo-yo throwing skills, the pair become fast friends, and Cory is caught between established relationships and newfound joys that could split up the Eight Bitz for good. Galligan’s timing—both comedic and emotional—is impeccable, and dynamic paneling paired with vibrant technicolor hues artfully complement the flow and energy of the Eight Bitz’s routines and Sunna’s yo-yo prowess. Supporting characters’ individual troubles are empathetically captured alongside Cory and Sunna’s emotional hurdles, and the cast is given space to experience and navigate big feelings via open and vulnerable communication, making for a thoughtfully rendered portrayal of friendship, growth, and joyful self-expression. Ages 8–12. Agent: Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary. (Oct.)
★ 2022-07-27
Two kinds of performance arts are better than one in this feel-good comedy.
The eighth grade dance crew known as Eight Bitz are stuck between styles. Their captain, Tess Reyes, runs a strict routine with an eye toward the upcoming Bronx Battle tournament. Cory Tan, a skilled improviser, wants to play fast and loose for maximum style. High school looms over the dancers. Cory’s parents recruit his classmate Sunna Ahmad to tutor him in hopes of his getting into an elite school. Sunna becomes a friend and confidante once Cory discovers her secret talent, and he learns yo-yo throwing tricks from her. The cartooning instincts on display are superb, always making room for setting, emotion, movement, and color for great visual variety. Welcoming urban community spaces are highlighted throughout, including parks and public transit. Middle school emotional turmoil is expressed more than once in the form of written and deleted texts. At the same time, mutual appreciation between friends and love from family form positive, affirming bonds. While the story focuses most on Cory and Sunna, everyone gets moments to shine. The cast is cued as broadly diverse through names, physical appearance, and other contextual clues.
This inviting, heartfelt story will get readers into the groove of self-expression and lasting friendships. (bonus comics) (Graphic fiction. 10-13)