Hey, Kiddo
Ratings16
Average rating4.3
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.
Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly important memoir about growing up in a family grappling with addiction, and finding the art that helps you survive.
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1 primary bookHey, Kiddo
Hey, Kiddo is a 1-book series first released in 2022 with contributions by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
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Surprised this was published by Scholastic's Graphix, becuase it is solidly YA and not MG. Really apprecited how his art told the story as much or more than the text and his adding in explanations of how he conceived of the art and his choices. He's brutally honest with his family, and you fall in love with a grandmother that's an alcoholic and abusive but also incredibly loving and caring. His is a complicated story and I appreciate his sharing it with readers.
The author's note..really made me emotional. This book was phenomenal.
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Reread #1: This book is just..so touching and you actually feel like you're growing up with the author. It's an emotional story for sure, and rereading it was definitely a journey.
Very engaging, well-paced and plotted. I wasn't a fan of the muted palette throughout; different colour choices for different eras would have made artistic sense and given a stronger feeling of time passing.
