Shake, rattle, and roll: Bone: Out from Boneville

Smith, Jeff. Bone: Out from Boneville. Graphix, 2005. 138 pages. 2005 Hardcover $22.99, ISBN 978-0-439-70623-0; 2015 Hardcover $12.79, ISBN 978-0-545-80070-9; Tr. $11.09, ISBN 978-0-439-70640-7; PLB $17.61, ISBN 978-1-41557-850-6

 

TL;DR: Do I recommend this? Yes

 

Genre: Fantasy (Graphic Novel)

 

Part of a series? Yes — the Bone series

 

Plot Summary:

Fone, Phoney, and Smiley Bone find themselves stuck in a desert. Smiley and Fone have helped their cousin Phoney escape from the mob that ran him out of town. Phoney, enraged by the townspeople’s attitude towards his wealth, refuses to accept the situation while Fone tries to stay on task and Smiley tries to keep everyone calm (these opening actions help readers to know how each will handle the adventure ahead!). The cousins end up separated, and Fone winds up in a magical valley in uncharted territory. There, he meets big bugs, rat creatures, a dragon, and more. Will he be able to make it home, or does something have it out for him?

 

Critical Evaluation/Reader’s Comments:

This one is mega-popular at my library. Volumes are either checked out or being perused in-library constantly. Since I’ve also heard that it’s one of the most challenged books in schools, I wanted to know how those two things lined up. As I read, I really couldn’t see why it has been challenged as often as it has, so I turned to Google. Apparently, Smiley and Phoney’s smoking and drinking were the source for a lot of parental concern, as was “violence or horror” (“Case Study: Bone,” n. d.). I was surprised that Thorn’s depiction has not yet garnered enough complaints to count … if anything was going to jump out at me, it was how Thorn is illustrated. In any case, I don’t really “get” why this was banned, and I think it’s a fun adventure for readers. While I don’t plan to continue reading the series just yet, I was so sad that it ended on the cliffhanger that it did! The adventure is nonstop, and the intrigue unfolds slowly enough (but excitingly enough) to maintain tension throughout the book.

 

Curriculum Ties/Library Use:

This would be a great book to hand off to a student who enjoys fantasy and historical fiction. While the Bones are clearly not realistic characters, the setting of the novels is reminiscent of a late 1800s or early 1900s town; Phoney’s schemes and plots sound like an Industry Baron’s attempts to scam his town out of money. It would be fun to read this alongside a unit on the Industrial Era if only to make those connections. I also think this is a great recommendation for any kid who is looking for another fantasy read after finishing Land of Stories or Gregor the Overlander. (Idea from myself)

 

Grade Level: 3-6

 

Awards and Starred Reviews:

n/a

 

References:

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. (n. d.). Case study: Bone. CBLDF. Retrieved from http://cbldf.org/banned-comic/banned-challenged-comics/case-study-bone/

John (screen name). (2013, March 1). Bone — parent content review (Review of the book Bone: Out from Boneville). The Eclectic Dad. Retrieved from http://eclecticdad.com/2013/03/01/bone-review/

Neary, L. (2014, Sept. 24). Too graphic? 2014 Banned Books Week celebrates comics. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2014/09/24/350881667/too-graphic-2014-banned-books-week-celebrates-challenged-comics

Monsters at Midnight: Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper

Kibuishi, Kazu. Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper. Graphix, 2008. 185 pages. Hardcover $21.29, ISBN 978-0-439-84680-6; Tr. $11.09, ISBN 978-0-439-84681-3; PLB $17.61, ISBN 978-0-329-65428-3

 

TL;DR: Do I recommend this? Yes

 

Genre: Fantasy (Graphic Novel)

 

Part of a series? Yes — the Amulet series

 

Plot Summary:

The Stonekeeper tells the story of the story of the Hayes family. When Emily and Navin lose their father in a tragic car accident, their lives are changed forever. The children and their mother must move to an old family home far away … one that has not been lived in for many years due to the rumor that it is haunted. The rumor, based on the story of Emily’s great-grandfather who locked himself somewhere in the house and was never seen again, does not prevent the Hayes family from starting extreme renovations. On their first night, they hear a mysterious sound in the basement, and find carnivorous creatures who snatch Mrs. Hayes and take her to a mysterious world. Will Emily and Navin be able to save their mother? What is the necklace that Emily found in the library? Will they ever be able to be a whole, safe family again?

 

Critical Evaluation/Reader’s Comments:

This is the first in a series of graphic novels that never stay on the shelf long in my library. Students are forever wanting the next book on hold; while we have duplicates of many of the volumes, the whole series is usually checked out by different patrons. After spending a full week fielding requests for various volumes from the series, I decided to check out the first one for myself. It’s a fast-paced story, and the book itself is a quick read, leaving me with a third of my bus ride with nothing to read! The stakes are high, and while some plot developments feel a little too convenient, the story is extremely engaging and ends on a major cliffhanger (now I understand my students’ anguish when the second Amulet is not available!).

 

Curriculum Ties/Library Use:

The action never stops, so this is a great one for readers who want intense adventuring. This is a great book to hand to a reluctant reader due to its action-packed storyline in such a slim volume. It is also a great book for those readers who just want to immerse themselves into some thrilling fantasy. If this were a book club book, the club could have puzzles be our main activity for the book, including a focus on “escape” puzzles (see this post from Teen Librarian Toolbox, referenced in an earlier entry of mine). (Idea from myself)

 

Grade Level: 3-6

 

Awards and Starred Reviews:

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) starred 12/1/07

 

Reviews referenced:

Berry, M. (n. d.). The stonekeeper: Amulet, book 1 (Review of the book The Stonekeeper). Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-stonekeeper-amulet-book-1

Hogan, J. (2008, Jan. 1). Amulet, book one: The stonekeeper (Review of the book The Stonekeeper). Kidsreads. Retrieved from http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/amulet-book-one-the-stonekeeper

 

Tags for my blog: graphic novels, amulet, magic, monsters, elves, puzzles, different worlds, grief and loss, fantasy

AAARGH! Frazzled

Vivat, Booki. Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom. Harper, an Imprint of HarperCollins, 2016. 225 pages. Hardcover $11.09, ISBN 978-0-06-239879-6

 

TL;DR: Do I recommend this? Yes

 

Genre: School Story/Realistic Contemporary Fiction (Illustrated Novel)

 

Part of a series? No.

 

Plot Summary:

Abbie Wu is not excited about middle school. Instead, she’s terrified. Adding to the stress of middle school is the fact that she is the Great Peter Wu’s little sister. Reluctant to be seen as a mini-Peter, she desperately wants to find her Thing so that she can make her own identity.

 

Critical Evaluation/Reader’s Comments:

Really sweet read about wanting to find/craft one’s own identity. The style is very similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Popularity Papers, and Dork Diaries series. Illustrations and text work together to tell the story, but this is not a picture book or graphic novel.

 

Curriculum Ties/Library Use:

This would be a really fun book club pick. We could hold our very own “snack swap” (modeled on Abbie’s lunch swap) in order to be in the mood for Wu’s story. (Bonus points for cheese puffs!) (Idea from myself; allergies will definitely be taken into consideration.)

 

Grade Level: 3-6

 

Awards and Starred Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews starred 7/15/16

 

Reviews referenced:

Erik (screen name). (2016, Sept. 29). Review! Frazzled by Booki Vivat (Review of the book Frazzled). This Kid Reviews Books. Retrieved from https://thiskidreviewsbooks.com/2016/09/29/review-frazzled-by-booki-vivat/

Kirkus Reviews. (2016, June 28). Frazzled (Review of the book Frazzled). Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/booki-vivat/frazzled/

Ms. Yingling (screen name). (2016, Sept. 24). Saturday morning cartoons- Frazzled (Blog post). Ms. Yingling Reads. Retrieved from http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2016/09/saturday-morning-cartoons-frazzled.html

 

Once Upon a Time: The Wishing Spell; The Land of Stories, Book 1

Colfer, Chris. Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. Little, Brown, and Company, 2012. 438 pages. Hardcover $16.20, ISBN 978-0-316-20157-5; Tr. $8.54, ISBN 978-0-316-20156-8; PLB $13.71, ISBN 978-1-48985-276-2

 

TL;DR: Do I recommend this? Yes

 

Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale Retellings

 

Part of a series? Yes — The Land of Stories series

 

Plot Summary:

Twins Alex and Conner Bailey couldn’t be more different. Alex loves school and homework, and Conner struggles with classwork, accidentally napping instead of listening when his teacher talks. To make matters worse, life at home continues to drag the twins down. After losing their father the year before in a car accident, the kids have had to move out of their beloved home and into a rental down the street. Their mother has to work long hours to pay bills, and their grandmother cannot spend as much time with them as they would like. To their surprise, they get a real birthday treat when their grandmother comes to visit. She gives them her beloved copy of The Land of Stories, a book filled with the fairy tales that had united the family when they visited her at her home. Within the week, however, the book begins glowing and vibrating, and the twins find themselves literally pulled into the book! Will Conner and Alex ever get back home, or will they live in the Land of Stories forever? Furthermore, will the characters in the book be just like they’ve always imagined, or will they be more complicated?

 

Critical Evaluation/Reader’s Comments:

An engaging read, The Wishing Spell is the first in a series that I literally cannot keep on my shelves. Kids are always checking out a volume, and I am peppered with questions during library time about whether or not I have certain books (and when they’ll get back!). With such enthusiasm for the series in my own library, I knew I had to give it a shot. Colfer’s use of familiar fairy tale figures is inventive, and readers with any familiarity with these characters will enjoy new interpretations. Conner has a smart mouth that provides comedic relief as well as getting them out of tough spots, and Alex’s cleverness helps them escape risky moments, too. The text could be clunky at times, and events were either much more complicated or resolved far too quickly for the story’s demands, but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

 

Curriculum Ties/Library Use:

This would be a super fun book club book, especially since so many readers at varying levels have read the books. Rewriting our own fairy tales would be a great activity, especially if we could connect them or have the same protagonists moving through each story on their own question. It wouldn’t be quite an “exquisite corpse” game, but rather, we could assign the group the names and basic qualities of our protagonists, and use those characters in each of our retellings. (Idea from myself)

 

Grade Level: 3-6

 

Awards and Starred Reviews:

n/a

 

Review referenced:

Eisenhart, M. (n. d.). The wishing spell: The Land of Stories, Book 1 (Review of the book The Wishing Spell). Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-wishing-spell-the-land-of-stories-book-1#