Book Review:

 

Bibliography-

Krosoczka, J. J. (2018). Hey, kiddo. Graphix Publishing.

ISBN 0545902487

 

Plot Summary-

The powerful, unforgettable graphic memoir from Jarrett Krosoczka, about growing up with a drug-addicted mother, a missing father, and two unforgettably opinionated grandparents. In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery, Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents, two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along. Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being said to him about what's going on. Only as a teenager can Jarrett begin to piece together the truth of his family, reckoning with his mother and tracking down his father.

 

 

Critical Analysis-

This is a heavy topic, and a lot of authors would try to avoid it. However, Krosoczka handles it fantastically. I think this book is the perfect outlet to help reach any other kid in a similar situation. Krosoczka uses the theme of art as solace to show to the reader how he, as the author, and protagonist of the memoir, found his profession though facing a challenging childhood as the child of a drug addicted mother. He establishes the importance of this theme early in the story. This theme shows the reader that these negative odds can be overcome if you work hard and follow your dreams. Krosoczka also uses this theme to show readers how his artwork helps him get through his challenging childhood traumas and helped him with his relationships with his family and others. Lastly, Krosoczka writes this graphic memoir, his autobiography, to show how he interprets the world, and the importance of this theme to his life and identity.

 

Review Excerpts-

National Book Award Finalist

2021 Odyssey Award Winner

2020 Audie Award for Young Adult Winner

"Honest, important, and timely." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Krosoczka has meticulously crafted a severely honest portrayal of addiction, resilient familial love, and the healing power of art..." -- The Horn Book, starred review

 

Connections-

-Create a lesson about how incidents in a story propel the action or provoke a decision. Hey, Kiddo is rich with visual incidents that inform the reader about how Jarrett defines “family” over time. Divide students into groups and have them create a visual chart of incidents throughout the story and how Jarrett’s feelings change.

-Have students use Padlet or Canva to create a digital one pager at a few different parts throughout the book. Students can “stop and jot” or “brain dump” their thoughts and feelings about what is happening at that point in the story.

 

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