In The Manliness of Peanut Butter & Jelly, four young boys battle one another in a culinary competition as stomach-churning as it is heart-warming. Struggling to identify as men, these boys build their confidence in victory and the bonds established with others in a story that unfolds when the school cafeteria serves a dreaded pizza. Ink wash illustrations by Mark Rice highlight standout moments, as the tension in this essay by Travis Blankenship builds.