Mark Tatulli
Little Brown, Oct. 2018 249 pages
Grades 3-7
Graphic Novel
In this semi-autobiographical graphic novel for kids Tatulli
traces the pivotal summer of 1977 where he finds his place in the world.
Mark feels as if he is the shortest and skinniest boy in his middle school. He
has no confidence, cannot talk to his crush, is a flop on the swim team, and
does not know how to combat the school bullies who pick on him mercilessly.
Finally, in the back of one of his comics he finds his answer: wonder products
that will build up his muscles and stimulate growth. Mark sends away for all of
them and waits for the magic to happen. The products don't produce the goods,
but something magical does happen: Mark sees the movie Star Wars and
it changes his life. He takes his cartooning skills and designs a storyboard,
creating a spoof on this super-popular film. Mark casts all of his family
members and friends and creatively hustles ways to produce sets, costumes,
and special effects. Now he only needs an editing machine to make his dream a
reality, but they are expensive. How we he raise the cash? Meanwhile, Mark
gains in confidence, if not girth, and earns a win over of the bullies,
although at the price of a tragic loss.
Naturally I loved Short & Skinny, because I was a child in 1977 and related to many of the cultural references. Although it is firmly set in the 1970's, current readers will still relate to Mark's dilemmas and enjoy the first person view of the release of Star Wars, which is still wildly popular. The success of the Sunny graphic novels by Jennifer Holm proves that kids will not be deterred by stories set in this decade. Mark's troubles are universal and are shared by many young kids today, who also may find an escape in drawing and film making. It is refreshing to see this popular genre of autobiographical graphic novels start to offer more choices featuring male characters. Much of the story is humorous, yet when Mark's most prized possession turns up stolen I let out an audible gasp, even though I saw it coming a mile away. The reader will come to care about the goofy characters in the book and feel like they are friends. I love that Tatulli includes a "where are they now" section at the end of the book where we can see what happened to everyone. As heartwarming as watching an episode of the Wonder Years, this book will be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.
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