Jay is a poet and a budding musician. He has a hard time fitting in anywhere. There’s a promising change when he stumbles across a group of three girls who are practicing their Double Dutch jump roping routines with the team name of SKIP!

Jay is not very good at jump roping, but he enjoys finally having friends. This doesn’t last long when differences among group members (especially tough minded, Beah) cause a split. Broken friendships are not always repairable, but Jay and Beah hope otherwise.

The artwork is colorful and bold and the text flows nicely from one panel to the next. It often swirls across and down the page like a jump rope.

Although the story doesn’t delve deep enough into the character backgrounds, the tale will still please graphic novel enthusiasts. SKIP! is a quick read with themes of isolation and friendship. Double Dutch jump roping is a rare pursuit in MG books so it was fun to have it featured here. The sweet ending was worth the wait.

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It’s almost time for another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. Won’t you join us? It’s here I share highlights from other individuals blogging about middle grade books. Many of the posts will have reviews, interviews, and tips on writing. Take a look at PAST MMGM POSTS.

It’s easy to get a spot in the lineup. All you have to do is email me the title of the book or feature and a link to your blog at gpcolo[at]gmail[dot]com

Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and don’t forget to say what you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.