School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-In this funny and heartfelt graphic memoir by the author of the popular "Amelia Rules" series (Atheneum), Gownley introduces readers to his 13-year-old self. With excellent grades and strong skills on the basketball court, Jimmy is a star at his school until a nasty bout with chicken pox and pneumonia force him to miss over a month of classes and the championship game. While bedridden, the young artist rediscovers his love of comics and soon sets about creating and publishing his very own-a task that is easier said than done. Jimmy's struggle through that awkward divide between childhood and adolescence, the palm-sweating excitement of a first girlfriend, his growing disillusionment with school and homework, and his desire to escape the confines of his small Pennsylvania town and find his own special talent is authentically portrayed and will resonate with kids. Jimmy is at times boisterous and overconfident, while secretly struggling to reconcile the kid he was with the young man he is growing into. His relationships with his parents, his friends, and even some nuns at his strict Catholic school are portrayed with realism and humor. Gownley's energetic cartoons keep the overall tone light and upbeat, while subtle shifts in palette appropriately reflect the story's emotional highs and lows. This charming and inspiring tale will be enjoyed by fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile (Scholastic, 2010) and aspiring comics creators everywhere.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Like the superheroes he's so fond of, cartoonist Gownley's own "origin story" has its share of tragedy and triumph, though his doesn't involve any dead relatives. As a teenager in a Pennsylvania small town, Gownley excelled at school and basketball (less so, at least initially, with getting girls to like him), but his true passion was drawing. His mantra-like refrain, "I still have my desk... some pencils... some paper," centered the budding cartoonist, who wrote, drew, and self-published his own comic book at age 15, a task he found both trying and rewarding. It takes a few years and a couple dashed hopes, but eventually Gownley realizes that drawing inspiration from his own life into his comics is his life's calling (and he learns not to neglect his personal relationships in the process). As in his Amelia Rules! series, Gownley plays it pretty straight visually, relying on an accessible, Peanuts-influenced style accompanied by effective hand lettering. It's a deeply personal and genuine work of autobiography, and an open letter of assurance to aspiring artists everywhere. Ages 10-12. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency. (Mar.)? (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Before making it big with the Amelia Rules! series, Gownley was a normal teenager in a small Pennsylvania town. He starred on the basketball court and in the classroom, but an untimely bout of chicken pox at age thirteen caused Jimmy to miss his team's championship game and a ton of school. As Jimmy's grades began to slide, his love of comics and drawing grew. Eventually -- with a great deal of support from his parents, Catholic school friends, and girlfriend Ellen -- Jimmy published his first graphic novel when he was fifteen, and the rest is history. The cherub-faced, clean-living teens aren't the most scintillating characters; however, Jimmy is a likable (if "big-headed") kid, and the visuals are strong. Gownley's art is clean and simple. The overall feel is similar to that of old Archie comics: entertaining, but not much going on under the surface. That likely won't deter tween readers, who will fall for -- and possibly try to emulate -- Gownley's story. sam bloom (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gownley is well known for his Amelia Rules series, full of crafty storytelling and emotional sensitivity. In his latest offering, he shows what made him the graphic novelist he grew up to be. At 13, with supportive parents and friends and teachers who gave him intellectual tools and encouragement along with hard reality checks, Jimmy creates his first (self-) published comic book, to impressive acclaim. Two years later, with a little more worldliness under his belt, as well as some heartbreak and rocky times with his best friend, Tony, Jimmy turned back to the drawing board to create a much better, more accurate story of his creativity, his dedication, and what shaped him as a successful artist. Gownley's cartoonish and expressive illustrations send the reader into Jimmy's world and thoughts, from his early fascination with superheroes right through the bittersweet afterword, in which Gownley reveals that he was able to deliver the completed story of his adolescence to Tony soon before his early death. This is an excellent example of autobiographical sequential art at its most deeply felt.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2010 Booklist
