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J vs. K
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Expected 6 May 25Created by real-life rivals and #1 New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, this hilarious illustrated story about a rivalry between two talented fifth graders celebrates comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.
J and K are the most talented and creative fifth graders at Dean Ashley Public School (DAPS). J loves to draw and his wordless stories are J-ENIUS! K loves to write and his stories are K-LASSIC!! Both J and K are determined to win the DAPS annual creative storytelling contest or at least get in the top five. And when they find out that they are both entering The Contest, it's the beginning of one of the most intense rivalries the world has ever seen.
It’s artist vs. writer with plenty of shady double crosses as J and K plot their way to the top.
J and K are the most talented and creative fifth graders at Dean Ashley Public School (DAPS). J loves to draw and his wordless stories are J-ENIUS! K loves to write and his stories are K-LASSIC!! Both J and K are determined to win the DAPS annual creative storytelling contest or at least get in the top five. And when they find out that they are both entering The Contest, it's the beginning of one of the most intense rivalries the world has ever seen.
It’s artist vs. writer with plenty of shady double crosses as J and K plot their way to the top.
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 6, 2025
126 people want to read
About the author
Kwame Alexander
73 books3,068 followersKwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf's Up, a picture book; Booked, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 14, 2025
4 stars
Like many prospective readers, I came to this book because of my ongoing appreciation for the co-authors. This incoming knowledge of both writers' works also led me to have specific expectations about what I'd find here. While those expectations were somewhat challenged, I am still finishing the read satisfied.
J and K are fifth graders who badly - and I mean badly - want to win The Contest. Both kids realize that they have serious competition in each other, and this evolves (devolves!) into a pretty extreme and often amusing rivalry.
The basic plot of this - even for a middle grade novel - is almost too simplistic, and I did struggle with that at times. What I absolutely loved throughout is the constant interjecting from both authors, who also serve as characters in their own ways, sharing regular brief asides about their choices and each other. They really take the J vs. K bit to a whole other level, and it is a lot of fun to encounter that part.
This is labeled as a graphic novel in some spaces, and that is not quite right in my estimation. There are vital illustrations, but these illustrations do not accompany or replace the written text throughout. This is more accurately a middle grade novel with fun illustrations on the side.
An original and fun conversation between two characters and authors, this book brings something fresh. to the middle grade circuit, and it's all the more exciting that it's coming from two proven and respected writers.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Like many prospective readers, I came to this book because of my ongoing appreciation for the co-authors. This incoming knowledge of both writers' works also led me to have specific expectations about what I'd find here. While those expectations were somewhat challenged, I am still finishing the read satisfied.
J and K are fifth graders who badly - and I mean badly - want to win The Contest. Both kids realize that they have serious competition in each other, and this evolves (devolves!) into a pretty extreme and often amusing rivalry.
The basic plot of this - even for a middle grade novel - is almost too simplistic, and I did struggle with that at times. What I absolutely loved throughout is the constant interjecting from both authors, who also serve as characters in their own ways, sharing regular brief asides about their choices and each other. They really take the J vs. K bit to a whole other level, and it is a lot of fun to encounter that part.
This is labeled as a graphic novel in some spaces, and that is not quite right in my estimation. There are vital illustrations, but these illustrations do not accompany or replace the written text throughout. This is more accurately a middle grade novel with fun illustrations on the side.
An original and fun conversation between two characters and authors, this book brings something fresh. to the middle grade circuit, and it's all the more exciting that it's coming from two proven and respected writers.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
March 25, 2025
Note: I received a DRC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
“Created by real-life rivals and #1 New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, this hilarious illustrated story about a rivalry between two talented fifth graders celebrates comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.
J and K are the most talented and creative fifth graders at Dean Ashley Public School (DAPS). J loves to draw and his wordless stories are J-ENIUS! K loves to write and his stories are K-LASSIC!! Both J and K are determined to win the DAPS annual creative storytelling contest or at least get in the top five. And when they find out that they are both entering The Contest, it's the beginning of one of the most intense rivalries the world has ever seen.
It’s artist vs. writer with plenty of shady double crosses as J and K plot their way to the top”.
This book was really charming and fun, and I loved the rivalry between J. and K. The illustrations by Jerry Craft are charming, and I loved the debates between Jerry Craft and Kwame Alexander. I really enjoyed all of the references to other authors and books sprinkled throughout this book as well. The story was also charming and funny. I really liked this book, and would recommend it to kids ages 8-12.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Created by real-life rivals and #1 New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, this hilarious illustrated story about a rivalry between two talented fifth graders celebrates comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.
J and K are the most talented and creative fifth graders at Dean Ashley Public School (DAPS). J loves to draw and his wordless stories are J-ENIUS! K loves to write and his stories are K-LASSIC!! Both J and K are determined to win the DAPS annual creative storytelling contest or at least get in the top five. And when they find out that they are both entering The Contest, it's the beginning of one of the most intense rivalries the world has ever seen.
It’s artist vs. writer with plenty of shady double crosses as J and K plot their way to the top”.
This book was really charming and fun, and I loved the rivalry between J. and K. The illustrations by Jerry Craft are charming, and I loved the debates between Jerry Craft and Kwame Alexander. I really enjoyed all of the references to other authors and books sprinkled throughout this book as well. The story was also charming and funny. I really liked this book, and would recommend it to kids ages 8-12.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 4, 2025
J vs. K, Jerry Kraft and Kwame Alexander
Two talented men, well-known for their art work and written word, teamed up to write an adorable book about two friends in fifth grade. One is an author, “K”, and the other is an artist, “J”. The boys don’t get along at first, since each one resents the other’s talent, fearing that one would be considered more talented than the other. Then, instead of competing with each other in a contest that was never won by a fifth grader before, they, J and K, decide to team up to compete in the school competition to see if there is strength in numbers.
They discovered that there was more power in their combined effort and friendship. Working together, not against each other, they felt empowered and unstoppable. The story about the boys and how their relationship grows is delightful. It is light and easy to read. It embraces the themes of healthy competition, good sportsmanship, friendship, adjusting to and accepting differences with grace, knowing your own strong points and not resenting the strong points of others, and also the importance of learning about new ideas. J and K are great examples for other friends who might squabble on occasion but soon will learn that there is more about themselves that is the same than different.
The book very wisely teaches the reader about fellowship, how to get along with others, how to be polite, how a family and friends treat and respect each other, how important it is to have an open mind and to learn something every day, and it teaches the very important lesson of research. If you don’t know something, look it up and you will know it next time. The family unit and work ethic is also stressed, even when each idea is treated in a different way by different groups. All healthy ideas have merit.
When I was young, decades ago, and taught young children in special service schools, I tried hard to teach children how to respect each other, their individual skills and their hopes and dreams. A book like this would really have helped get the message across in a wonderfully, palatable way.
Two talented men, well-known for their art work and written word, teamed up to write an adorable book about two friends in fifth grade. One is an author, “K”, and the other is an artist, “J”. The boys don’t get along at first, since each one resents the other’s talent, fearing that one would be considered more talented than the other. Then, instead of competing with each other in a contest that was never won by a fifth grader before, they, J and K, decide to team up to compete in the school competition to see if there is strength in numbers.
They discovered that there was more power in their combined effort and friendship. Working together, not against each other, they felt empowered and unstoppable. The story about the boys and how their relationship grows is delightful. It is light and easy to read. It embraces the themes of healthy competition, good sportsmanship, friendship, adjusting to and accepting differences with grace, knowing your own strong points and not resenting the strong points of others, and also the importance of learning about new ideas. J and K are great examples for other friends who might squabble on occasion but soon will learn that there is more about themselves that is the same than different.
The book very wisely teaches the reader about fellowship, how to get along with others, how to be polite, how a family and friends treat and respect each other, how important it is to have an open mind and to learn something every day, and it teaches the very important lesson of research. If you don’t know something, look it up and you will know it next time. The family unit and work ethic is also stressed, even when each idea is treated in a different way by different groups. All healthy ideas have merit.
When I was young, decades ago, and taught young children in special service schools, I tried hard to teach children how to respect each other, their individual skills and their hopes and dreams. A book like this would really have helped get the message across in a wonderfully, palatable way.
March 11, 2025
With these two powerhouses, you know it’s going to be good. If I have one teeny complaint, it’s that I wanted more of a 50/50 split between graphic panels/illustrations and prose, but I enjoyed the back and forth between the characters and authors.
April 13, 2025
Real-life rivals collaborate in this MG illustrated novel.
✍🏾
J is the best artist at Dean Ashley Public School. He loved drawing his wordless stories and comics because he hates writing. Enter K—a new kid (ha, get it?!) who adores writing and wants to enter the annual creative storytelling contest alongside J. When they each find out the other is submitting The Contest, they become the greatest rivals since Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali!
📝
If you’ve ever had the privilege of seeing @kwamealexander & @jerrycraft together in person you would see how hilarious they are at the back and forth teasing and how much fun it is to watch them be “rivals”. This book perfectly encapsulates their unique and hysterical friendship. I’m so glad they wrote this #illustratednovel together. It has a mix of writing, illustrations, vocabulary, arguing in parentheses, change ups in the story to show the benefits of revision and many Author’s Notes throughout. It also shows how healthy rivalries can be, how to respect one another’s work and put in your best effort so at the end of the day you can be proud of your endeavor, win or lose. This title is distinctive to these two authors and will be such a hit when it releases May 6 from @littlebrownyoungreaders I could even see this being a series for many volumes to come!
✍🏾
J is the best artist at Dean Ashley Public School. He loved drawing his wordless stories and comics because he hates writing. Enter K—a new kid (ha, get it?!) who adores writing and wants to enter the annual creative storytelling contest alongside J. When they each find out the other is submitting The Contest, they become the greatest rivals since Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali!
📝
If you’ve ever had the privilege of seeing @kwamealexander & @jerrycraft together in person you would see how hilarious they are at the back and forth teasing and how much fun it is to watch them be “rivals”. This book perfectly encapsulates their unique and hysterical friendship. I’m so glad they wrote this #illustratednovel together. It has a mix of writing, illustrations, vocabulary, arguing in parentheses, change ups in the story to show the benefits of revision and many Author’s Notes throughout. It also shows how healthy rivalries can be, how to respect one another’s work and put in your best effort so at the end of the day you can be proud of your endeavor, win or lose. This title is distinctive to these two authors and will be such a hit when it releases May 6 from @littlebrownyoungreaders I could even see this being a series for many volumes to come!
April 24, 2025
I loved the banter between J and K along with the dad jokes and sidebars. And the story is perfect f budding writers and artists. Excellent story
February 9, 2025
I love the previous work of both of these authors, so I was fairly certain I’d enjoy this, and I was not disappointed. Readers are going to love this humorous story as two rivals join forces to enter a storytelling contest, and the characters’ voices will make this a fabulous read aloud choice (or “first chapter Friday” choice). The authors’ notes along the way are quite funny, and I am sure this book will lead new readers to previous books by both of these Newbery-winning authors. Middle grade librarians and teachers- plan to buy several copies!
February 12, 2025
Someone tell Jerry Kraft that I think he’s hilarious. He really needs a kid’s show. In my head he’s very animated lol. This was a hilarious book. A great example of what healthy competition looks like. Also, someone please find out Kwame’s rap name please 😂
April 7, 2025
The perfect example of what to expect when the Newbery Award winning authors team up - literally and figuratively. J & K are each vying for first place (or at least a top five placement) in their school’s prestigious Storytelling Contest. Can they win independently, with (underhanded) help from each other, or as a team? The story is wonderfully supported by strong yet deceptively simple illustrations. Pay close attention to every character, author’s note, and additional author’s note for teasers in the plot!
Exposing students to this upcoming book tour would be a phenomenal treat with two dynamic and clever authors.
Exposing students to this upcoming book tour would be a phenomenal treat with two dynamic and clever authors.
March 24, 2025
Funny and creative kids’ book that all ages can enjoy
March 17, 2025
This book is absolutely hilarious! I love the illustrations and the authors’ notes throughout the story. The best part was how little details were sprinkled into the book like calling someone a “class act” (which is the title of one of Jerry Craft’s books) or my favorite character, Geoffrey Kenny (Jeff Kinney), who made me actually laugh out loud. This is the type of book that kids will love and teachers will enjoy, too!
January 23, 2025
This was so much fun. Loved the real and fictional competition between Kwame and Jerry. And, I loved how they inserted themselves into the book. Kids of all ages will love their smack talk and how they learned to balance their skill sets to bring the best out of each other. Two great authors combined to be one winning book!
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
March 2, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this notebook novel, we meet J Ennis, who loves to draw, and whose stories have taken Dean Ashley Public School by storm. He's not a fan of reading, but enjoys making books like his J-Man superhero comics. When a storytelling contest is announced, he is worried that the new kid, K Wright, will steal his thunder. He's already stolen J's singular initial name, and J doesn't care for his white framed glasses, bald head, use of long words, or dad fashion sense. Even more distressing is the praise that fellow students heap on his for his poems. The two talk to each other, but try to give each other bad advice about writing stories, like using the "6th person" viewpoint. The whole school is buzzing about the contest, and Mr. A, one of the cafeteria workers, even comes up with a literary themed menu including Rolls of Thunder, Spuds, not Spuddies, and Hot Dog Man. J and K eventually figure out that they have more in common than they thought, and team up on a graphic novel entitled Croak and Dagger (which is sadly not included in the E ARC). They place second, losing to a fourth grade, Geoffrey Kenny, but have a newfound friendship as well as a renewd interest in story telling.
This reminded me a bit of Barnett and Scieszka's Battle Bunny, with all of the inside jokes and breaking of the fourth wall with notes from the authors, or Reynold's Stuntboy. There are plenty of nods to other middle grade writers as well as Craft and Alexander's work. Language arts teachers will love all of the discussions of literary devices, and Craft's fans will enjoy the illustrations. Dad jokes and puns abound. There's even Mrs. Yang (after author Kelly?) the librarian, who catches up on her reading during lunch because students fail to come to the library.
Has its moments, but will probably attract more elementary readers, especially since the boys are both in fifth grade.
In this notebook novel, we meet J Ennis, who loves to draw, and whose stories have taken Dean Ashley Public School by storm. He's not a fan of reading, but enjoys making books like his J-Man superhero comics. When a storytelling contest is announced, he is worried that the new kid, K Wright, will steal his thunder. He's already stolen J's singular initial name, and J doesn't care for his white framed glasses, bald head, use of long words, or dad fashion sense. Even more distressing is the praise that fellow students heap on his for his poems. The two talk to each other, but try to give each other bad advice about writing stories, like using the "6th person" viewpoint. The whole school is buzzing about the contest, and Mr. A, one of the cafeteria workers, even comes up with a literary themed menu including Rolls of Thunder, Spuds, not Spuddies, and Hot Dog Man. J and K eventually figure out that they have more in common than they thought, and team up on a graphic novel entitled Croak and Dagger (which is sadly not included in the E ARC). They place second, losing to a fourth grade, Geoffrey Kenny, but have a newfound friendship as well as a renewd interest in story telling.
This reminded me a bit of Barnett and Scieszka's Battle Bunny, with all of the inside jokes and breaking of the fourth wall with notes from the authors, or Reynold's Stuntboy. There are plenty of nods to other middle grade writers as well as Craft and Alexander's work. Language arts teachers will love all of the discussions of literary devices, and Craft's fans will enjoy the illustrations. Dad jokes and puns abound. There's even Mrs. Yang (after author Kelly?) the librarian, who catches up on her reading during lunch because students fail to come to the library.
Has its moments, but will probably attract more elementary readers, especially since the boys are both in fifth grade.
April 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy of J vs. K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft. All opinions are my own.
Wow! This is fun! Admittedly I was drawn to it based on author/illustrator name recognition alone, but boy did they deliver. Written indirectly as a how-to for writers, artists, and story tellers, this book is engaging and fun and will be well received by its target middle grade audience. Oh how I wish I had my own fifth grade class so we could enjoy this as a whole class read aloud.
While the overall plot is rather simple, it would work as a great mentor text for showing kids story structure, tension, humor, and resolution. I particularly enjoyed the "author's note" banter between Kwame and Jerry throughout the story and thought their bios at the end were the cherry on top.
This illustrated novel will absolutely become an addition to our elementary library and will be one I'll be recommending to teachers and students alike.
Wow! This is fun! Admittedly I was drawn to it based on author/illustrator name recognition alone, but boy did they deliver. Written indirectly as a how-to for writers, artists, and story tellers, this book is engaging and fun and will be well received by its target middle grade audience. Oh how I wish I had my own fifth grade class so we could enjoy this as a whole class read aloud.
While the overall plot is rather simple, it would work as a great mentor text for showing kids story structure, tension, humor, and resolution. I particularly enjoyed the "author's note" banter between Kwame and Jerry throughout the story and thought their bios at the end were the cherry on top.
This illustrated novel will absolutely become an addition to our elementary library and will be one I'll be recommending to teachers and students alike.
April 8, 2025
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
3.5 stars - Good+
Kids will love this! But the authorial asides and constant rivalry - the parents, the boys, the authors - got a bit old for me. The authors also do a couple of writing-based/storybuilding-based asides - and I didn't love those interruptions. I think kids will hang with it though - and the voice of this and the approach is going to appeal, and that will overcome a lot. While it's not a personal favorite, I would absolutely recommend this for classrooms and libraries and for home reading if kids are interested in storytelling or art or writing.
3.5 stars - Good+
Kids will love this! But the authorial asides and constant rivalry - the parents, the boys, the authors - got a bit old for me. The authors also do a couple of writing-based/storybuilding-based asides - and I didn't love those interruptions. I think kids will hang with it though - and the voice of this and the approach is going to appeal, and that will overcome a lot. While it's not a personal favorite, I would absolutely recommend this for classrooms and libraries and for home reading if kids are interested in storytelling or art or writing.
April 18, 2025
J vs. K is fun, silly and quick to read. Each author brings their own humor and talent to the story, and both are excellent authors for kids, so it's no surprise. I enjoyed the back and forth dialog, and the twist ending, although sometimes the back and forth dialog went on a tad too long. I enjoy a good aside to the audience in a kids book, I think they make kids feel part of the story, but in this instance, particularly where previous bits of the story are changed or discussed, things get a little confusing. Some of the authors' notes to the reader and to each other could have been eliminated and it would not have made the book any less funny.
April 18, 2025
I will admit that I already knew that I was going to love J vs. K before I ever even pulled it up on my kindle. Jerry Craft and Kwame Alexander are two of my favorite authors and they have long been an immediate buy for me (and my libraries!)- so when I saw they were teaming up I was all in.
This book was so good- from the plot, to the double-crosses, the artwork and especially the interjections from Craft & Alexander, I was dying (of laughter!) the entire time. Plus theres a good message!? I can't wait to buy this one and add it to all my shelves.
This book was so good- from the plot, to the double-crosses, the artwork and especially the interjections from Craft & Alexander, I was dying (of laughter!) the entire time. Plus theres a good message!? I can't wait to buy this one and add it to all my shelves.
April 24, 2025
When two successful middle grade authors team up to coauthor a book you end up with an entirely new type of reading experience! The fun story is told from two characters, J and K, different views, but also interwoven with lots of humorous author notes that leave you feeling like the authors are right there with you in the reading experience. With great themes of learning to work with a perceived rival and discovering ways to establish friendship during differences, kids will love reading this hilarious new book with fun illustrations!
November 16, 2024
Why haven't there been more books where the fourth wall is broken? Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft are masters of their craft, directly addressing readers with side notes and adversarial quips. These real life friends and authors explore the importance of working together in their latest MG book J vs K. Middle grade readers will love finding out whether it is possible for adversaries to become allies.
March 10, 2025
Kids are going to love this mash-up of Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, told as a feud-turned-friendship. I'm looking forward to seeing the final version with all the art, including the comic book J and K make together.
A little sweet and predictable, but likely to be popular with art kids and word kids alike.
A little sweet and predictable, but likely to be popular with art kids and word kids alike.
April 26, 2025
Whether or not you are already familiar with the friendly rivalry between authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, this MG tale will have you HOWLING. J and K are fifth graders entering a storytelling contest, sabatoging each other along the way. Readers of previous works of Alexander and Craft will discover the hidden Easter eggs with glee. Their signature humor (ranging from 5th grade boy to dad jokes and back again), will keep both kids and adults cackling at the hijinks and author's notes, interjected throughout. I give this book five DAPS - IYKYK.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews