A New York Times and IndieBound bestseller!

Created by real-life rivals and #1 New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft this hilarious illustrated story features two talented fifth graders going head-to-head in a competition for the ages.
J and K are the most 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 epic match-up from Newbery medal winners Kwame Alexander (The Crossover) and Jerry Craft (New Kid) celebrates comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.

Author: Kwame Alexander, Jerry Craft
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 05/06/2025
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.8lbs
Size: 8.10h x 6.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780316582681

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.8
Point Value: 4
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 554705 / J vs. K


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2025
Publishers Weekly 03/03/2025
Booklist 03/01/2025 pg. 105
School Library Journal 04/04/2025 pg. 1
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2025 pg. 90
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2025 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author

Kwame Alexander is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over forty books, including his Newbery Medal-winning novel The Crossover; The Undefeated, winner of the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor; The Door of No Return; and Becoming Muhammed Ali, which he co-wrote with James Patterson. An Emmy Award-winning Producer and the Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts at Chautauqua, he invites you to visit him at kwamealexander.com and on Instagram and X @kwamealexander.

Jerry Craft is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid, Class Act and School Trip. New Kid is the only novel to ever win the John Newbery Medal, the Kirkus Prize, and the Coretta Scott King Author Award. Jerry is also a co-founder of the Schomburg's Annual Black Comic Book Festival. He was born in Harlem and grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City. He lives with his family in Connecticut. You can learn more about Jerry at www.jerrycraft.com.