A review by shayemiller
The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung

5.0

Matt and Eric are the best of friends. But when they discover that Eric will be moving away, they decide to pull off a sneaky jaunt to a comics convention while their school is on a field trip to a nearby amusement park. Over the course of this story, a number of modern issues are addressed, like racism, sexism, bullying, and homophobia. For example, Matt plays the flute/piccolo, so some boys make fun of him for playing a “girl instrument.” They also make fun of him for reading Two Naomis, which they’re claiming is a “girl book.” The bullies also refer to Matt as “Chicken Chow Mein” and his female friend as “Sky Ho.” Due to the boys’ close relationship, they’re mistaken as a romantic couple on more than one occasion, but they don’t let that prevent them from remaining close and talking about the implications of the claims. Y’all, EVERYONE needs a friend like Eric! He’s smart. He’s loyal. And his quick wit and sarcasm gave me the giggles. Why am I not hearing more about this book?! Please give me more stories with sweet, misunderstood, dorky boys who aren’t scared of meaningful, male friendships!

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