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Tales of a seventh-grade lizard boy
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2022
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Publishers Weekly Review
In this spirited graphic novel by Hill (Odessa), 12-year-old Booger Lizk't and his lizard family have fled the underground city of Elberon for the human town of Eagle Valley amid resource scarcity. Now donning a fake human mask to cover his scaly green skin and going by the name Tommy Tomkins, he struggles to adjust to human life and finds it difficult to make friends, especially after getting caught eating a bug at school. When Vietnamese new student Dung Tran is harassed for his name and manner of speaking English, he and Tommy become fast friends. Even as Tommy becomes more comfortable in the human world, however, he internalizes harmful reptilian pop culture representation, which portrays lizard people as invaders (they're not trying to invade, they're "trying to survive," he argues) as well as implies that they're covering up their presence in the media. Employing a bright and energetic palette, uncomplicated paneling, and a cast comprising varying skin tones and body types, Hill keenly portrays the effects this othering has on Tommy and Dung, and how connection, mutual support, and earnest understanding can bridge even significant differences. An author's note contextualizes Hill's Vietnamese American upbringing. Ages 8--12. Agent: Alex Slater, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Sept.)
Kirkus Review
Tommy wants to fit in, but middle school is tough for a lizard person. Tommy Tomkins is really Booger Lizk't of Elberon, a community of lizard people living deep beneath the surface of the Earth. Humans' overuse of natural resources took a toll on the Lizk't, and Tommy's family was forced to leave Elberon or perish. They disguise themselves and go to live among the humans. Unfortunately, moving somewhere new isn't easy. Disgusted by human food, Tommy gets caught eating a bug at school, and the bullying begins. When Dung Tran, a new student from Vietnam, gets bullied for his name and way of speaking English, the two bond over their experiences as outsiders. Wanting to be accepted for who he is--a refugee, not an alien trying to take over the world like the lizard people demonized on a popular TV show--Tommy reveals his true identity to Dung. But friendship can be fragile; Tommy is filled with insecurities after Dung finds another friend, new student Scarlett who is socially excluded because her father is the school custodian. This funny, entertaining graphic novel centers friendship and self-discovery as it skillfully balances comedy with serious topics like identity and belonging. Informed by his Vietnamese relatives' immigrant experiences and his own childhood, Hill writes with thoughtful insight. His dramatic, full-color illustrations use gradient backgrounds of purple, blue, and green, giving them a retro feel. Engaging and thought-provoking. (author's note) (Graphic science fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary
Drawing on the experiences of his Vietnamese American family and his love of '80s sci-fi shows, Jonathan Hill crafts a funny, insightful graphic novel about the immigrant experience and the perils of middle school.

Threatened with diminishing resources, Booger Lizk't and his family flee their lizard community deep below Earth's crust to survive above among humans. The Lizk't family of Elberon now passes as the Tomkins family of Eagle Valley. "Tommy Tomkins" wears a human face to school but can't seem to fit in no matter how he looks. The basketball team becomes a pipe dream when bullies label him a bug eater, and only Dung Tran, an immigrant from Vietnam and fellow outsider, sees Tommy for who he is inside, which is nothing like the outer-space lizard invaders on TV's hottest series. Can their friendship survive the truth? In his first solo middle-grade book, award-winning creator Jonathan Hill perfectly captures the sometimes dystopian drama of middle school while reminding readers of the universal need for belonging.
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