Boy vs. Shark [Hardcover]

A hilarious middle-grade graphic memoir about boyhood, toxic masculinity and a shark named Jaws. For fans of Guts and New Kid.

In the summer of 1975, 10-year-old Paul Gilligan doesn't have a whole lot to worry about other than keeping his comic books untarnished, getting tennis balls off roofs and keeping up with the increasingly bold stunts of his best friend, David.

And then Jaws comes to town.

Suddenly everyone is obsessing over this movie about a shark ripping people to pieces. And if you haven't seen it, not only are you missing out, you're also kind of a wimp.

Needless to say, Jaws leaves young Paul a cowering mess, and underlines the growing gap between him and David as well as the distance between where he stands and the world's expectations of a boy's manliness.

And when Jaws himself becomes a kind of macho Jiminy Cricket for Paul, what is a scared and overwhelmed boy to do?Tundra’s Best Books of 2024 as chosen by Kirkus Reviews
One of the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens, Spring 2025

PRAISE FOR Boy vs. Shark:

An authentic and funny look at masculinity and growing pains that resonates across the decades. —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

Gilligan powerfully explores shifting middle-grade friendship, exquisitely illustrating feelings of fear, anxiety, and joy in simple but expressive cartoon artwork. —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

This hilarious look into life as a kid in the summer of 1975 is a must-havel£