Garvey's Choice

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

★ ”Some of Grimes’s original tanka poems have been adjusted, but the novel in verse adapts beautifully to the graphic novel format, and Taylor’s art emphasizes the imaginative, ­poignant, painful, and joyful aspects in turn. Starry night sky illustrations, with characters outlined in white, are striking. Taylor often shows Garvey regarding himself in a mirror, and readers can see how Garvey’s feelings about his appearance change throughout. This format will attract new readers to a poetic, powerful story of growth. Highly recommended.” —School Library Journal, starred review

★ ”The verses are given a new visual life with excellent page designs and clever illustrations…An unusually effective use of the graphic novel format to bring poetry alive. —The Horn Book, starred review

“Grimes’ acclaimed novel in verse sees new life in comics format. Grimes’ tanka poems…pair nicely with Taylor’s straightforward illustrations, bringing to life Garvey’s story of newfound self-possession. The energetic illustrations playfully depict his rocky journey toward a truer version of himself, providing levity at times but never shortchanging the most poignant moments…These charming, reflective poems are an ideal match for Taylor’s endearing first graphic novel endeavor.
An adaptation that expands the world of a captivating, much-loved character.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Grimes wrote the original version of Garvey’s Choice in a type of Japanese non-rhyming verse called tanka. Although she slightly modified the text for this graphic novel, the effect still comes through: The story is broken into bite-size pieces, each page or spread depicting a single moment. Taylor’s art has a minimum of detail but plenty of emotional impact.” —School Library Journal

“Grimes’ award-winning tanka poem narrative about a boy struggling to find a place for himself in his family and the world is adapted in this captivating, visually impressive graphic, which looks at Garvey from a slightly different perspective.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books