Garvey's Choice follows Garvey as he navigates the tense relationship with his father and body image. It's a solid tale. Comparing it to the original work, I think the graphic novel uplifts the original and puts the concerns on display. A solid title about learning to speak up and be who you truly are.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the review copy 🌼

I loved reading Garvey's choice! While lyrical novels often take a lot of effort in my case, the story was so sweet and educative that I didn't mind spending the extra minutes.

Garvey's story is one I'm familiar with. It strongly reminded me of my passionate younger brother, who is equally shy and first degree obese , for which people have been bullying him for years. Hence, books surrounding body image and insecurities are very precious to me. I have read many of them over the years but this is the first time I read one focused on a male protagonist. Recommended ♥️

Garvey's Choice the novel in verse has become a graphic novel. Garvey struggles to be himself as his father has different opinions about what Garvey should be interested in. Garvey tries new things on his own and finds new interests and friendships. Recommended for grades 5-8

I loved the original Garvey's Choice novel in verse. Although this version sticks closely to the origin text, I prefer the original. Part of Garvey's struggle is that he is overweight, but the illustrated Garvey doesn't really seem to be quite what I would picture. But, many students will enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel and I think it would be a great addition to any youth services department. Garvey's journey of trying to close the distance between him and his father, deal with bullies at school, and find himself through his passions are displayed beautifully in this art style and stanzas. I hope a lot of kids and students get their hands on this read!

I loved the original book and its powerful poetry. I thought this was a decent adaptation, and hopefully will draw more readers to this wonderful story. However, readers who identified with Garvey's weight struggle will be disappointed to see that he is depicted as just barely bigger than average in the illustrations. Manny's appearance also seems to be watered down and he just looks like a white kid, not someone with albinism. There were many things I did like about the illustrations, and I do think many readers will relate to this that might not have picked up the original book. I also liked that the back included the same notes she had in the original, but her powerful lines that I LOVED in the book didn't seem to carry as much strength in the graphic novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Garvey's Choice is a wonderful book about a boy named Garvey and his relationship with his father and himself. The graphic novel version brings new imagery to the story I loved before. I can see Garvey come to life. It is a hard read because of the struggles that the character faces, but I cannot wait to get this for my classroom library.

I would give this book a million stars if it was possible. I loved this book so much. I know graphic novels are super popular in the younger readers club so this book would be a great book to add to circulation.

What can I say, this was an absolutely wholesome graphic novel!
This is the beautiful story of Garvey, a book that is being bullied because of his weight. On top of that, his father wants him to be an athlete (both because he loves sports but also because he believes it will help Garvey lose weight), but Garvey isn't interested in sports. At all. He's more interested in science fiction and dominating at chess.
This is a wonderful coming-of-age story all about friendship, being brave, expectations that are placed on young individuals and how it can shape their self-image.
The illustrations are beautiful and enhance the overall flow of the story.
Cannot recommend this heartwarming graphic novel enough!

If you have ever butted heads with your parents over your own passions and hobbies and what they want you to do... this is the novel for you. Garvey is at odd's with his dad's dream for him: his dad wants him to be athletic like his sister, but Garvey is content to be reading his science fiction novels at home. As a coping mechanism, Garvey turns to food. This spirals into being self-conscious about weight and being bullied for it. This is a struggle so many people can relate to. I love that Garvey literally finds his voice by singing in choir at his school.

I really loved the messages in this graphic novel. This was made for middle schoolers.

We really liked this graphic novel but the children could not understand why Garvey was considered an overweight child. Maybe the drawing were a little too kind to him. The story itself though was delightful and about being yourself regardless of the pressures put upon you by the world.

A beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel about being true to yourself. This perfect for middle grade readers on up!

I have not read the original Garvey's Choice, but this graphic novel makes me want to read it. As in the original book, the text of this graphic novel is in a tanka poem format. This format is explained in the notes at the end, but it is similar to haiku except with 5 lines.

I loved Garvey himself! We need a lot more graphic novels featuring African American middle schoolers. I love that Garvey feels so real - he's overweight, sad, and eats his feelings. It's so important that readers see themselves in the books they read, and I think many middle schoolers will identify with Garvey.

I love the honest family dynamics. Garvey's dad loves him, but he doesn't understand Garvey. He wants Garvey to play sports and lose weight and basically be someone else entirely. Garvey loves music and singing, and thankfully, that's how he and his dad bond in the end.

Older sister Angela also loves Garvey, but she doesn't realize her "teasing" words about his weight are hurtful. I love that once Garvey tells her this, Angela stops the words immediately. This family is totally normal! So many families have these kinds of dynamics, and it's important that family members speak up and respect each others' wishes. As happens in this story.

The Luthur Vandross references may cause students to look up Vandross's music and hook a new generation of fans.

In the end notes, I liked the short section about challenges in creating a graphic novel but keeping the tanka poem format. Grimes talks about how part of the original tanka poems included "he said" or "she said" as part of the poem. But in the graphic novel, those lines are not necessary because the illustrations show who is speaking. So she had to tweak the poems to fit the format without including the speaker's name.

One thing I didn't understand--Garvey doesn't look very overweight in the illustrations. I haven't read the original material, so maybe he is supposed to be just a little overweight?

I loved the original novel in verse. I felt the graphic falls a little short. I imagined Garvey as a really big kid.... the picture of him is not what I had imagined. He seemed mostly like a regular kid

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I think it has a good message and offers hope when it comes to finding commonality with parents.

Grimes’s beautiful verse about Garvey’s life as he combats expectations versus passions combined with Taylor’s illustrations brings this story to a whole new level. I loved how it was done.

This is the graphic novel version of Poet Nikki Grimes’ book. I really loved this. The art is super accessible and vibrant and the combination of the poetry in the words with that sort of art make this a book I’m really excited about giving my kid. Garvey’s story about trying to relate to his dad, and never really fitting the mold expected of him, was relatable and I loved seeing him go on a journey from trying to change - his appearance, his interests - to just accepting who he is and finding his “thing”.
Thank you to NetGalley and Astra publishing house for the advanced review copy of this book.

Garvey’s love for music, astronomy, and books are far from the interests of his sports obsessed father. Food and music are Garvey’s love languages and his weight makes him a target for bullies. His best friend’s encouragement lands him in chorus where he meets a new friend and gains some self-confidence. He only hopes his father doesn’t further distance himself when he finds out he kept it a secret.

A graphic novel version of the 2016 kid's novel. It's written in verse and presented as little one page comics into Garvey's life. Garvey isn't like the rest of his family. He's sedentary and smart and becomes interested in music as the book goes along. His father doesn't get him at all because he doesn't like sports.

The biggest problem with the book is with the art. Garvey's is supposed to be overweight even though he's drawn exactly the same as every other character in the book. The book is supposed to be about Garvey finding out who he is and making better choices as a result. All of that is lost in the art. At the end, Garvey doesn't look any different than he does at the beginning. It makes me wonder if the artist even read the story they drew.

Garvey's Choice is a beautiful coming of age novel about Garvey, who prefers reading sci-fi and playing chess instead of playing sports like his dad and sister. Over the course of the novel, Garvey gains self-confidence, new friendships, and discovers a new talent. Nikki Grimes' poems pair perfectly with Theodore Taylor III's illustrations. I truly loved getting to know Garvey as a character, and thought the graphic novel medium was a great choice for retelling this story. A great read!