The Boys in the Back Row

by Mike Jung

Best friends Matt and Eric are hatching a plan for one big final adventure together before Eric moves away: during the marching band competition at a Giant Amusement Park, they will sneak away to a nearby comics convention and meet their idol—a famous comic creator. Without cell phones. Or transportation. Or permission. Of course, their final adventure together is more than just that—really, it’s a way for the boys to celebrate their friendship, and their honest love and support for one another.

That’s exactly what we love so much about The Boys in the Back Row: it’s an unabashed ode to male friendship, because love between boys, platonic or otherwise, is something to celebrate. And of course, because this is Mike Jung, we’ll be celebrating it with hilariously flawed hijinks and geekiness galore!

Type: Middle Grade Novel
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback 
Publication: June 14, 2022
ISBN: 9781646141593

Type: Middle Grade Novel
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover 
Publication: October 6, 2020
ISBN: 9781646140114

Praise

★ “[An] utter rejection of toxic masculinity.”

—Booklist (starred)

★ “A touching, honest depiction of male friendship.”

—School Library Journal (starred)

About Mike Jung

Mike Jung is the author of Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities and Unidentified Suburban Object. He is a library professional by day, a writer (and ukulele player) by night and was a founding member of #WeNeedDiverseBooks team. He lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and two children.

Follow Mike on Twitter at @Mike_Jung.