- Extra Large
- by Tyler Page
- First Second
- Publication Date: March 11, 2025ISBN-13: 978-1250851567
It’s the beginning of seventh grade and Tyler is starting to notice that things have changed. There are more bullies in school and more people paying attention to how they look. Tyler is changing too, he’s gained some weight and is a little self-conscious about it. When some of his friends take the teasing too far, Tyler realizes that maybe they aren’t his friends after all and finds a new group of people that appreciate him for who he is and don’t care what he looks like.
In this graphic memoir follow-up to Button Pusher, Page explores body image in boys that is rarely seen in other middle-grade titles making this graphic novel unique. Tyler’s experiences dealing with bullying, hiding his body while changing for PE class and seeking acceptance are relatable topics for most middle school students. While Tyler isn’t perfect, in fact he is the perpetrator of some bullying himself, he does come to the realization that kindness and removing himself from harmful situations is beneficial, which many readers will also relate to. The colorful, cartoon-esque illustrations work well with the late 1980s time period depicted and are visually appealing.
This graphic memoir is a great addition to a long list of other graphic novels about young people looking to fit in but still wanting to express their own identities, such as Four Eyes by Rex Ogle, Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr. and A-Okay by Jarad Greene.
–—Loren Spector