Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

Written and illustrated by Graham Annable

First Second

978-1-250-19503-6

368 pp.

Ages 8-13

July 2023

School has never been so scary and it's all courtesy of the scary stories told by the kids in Eerie Tales from the School of Screams. Or is it?

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

As child after child is called to tell their eeriest story, Davis and his sister Emily are far more reluctant. So, Alvin goes first with his story of "The Village That Vanished." His story involves two government officials looking for the village of Wattersburg to collect unpaid taxes. The men end up in a field of sheep where an elderly man finds them and invites them to a lone cabin where he tells them what happened to the 232 people of Wattersburg. It's a story about a town that made a pact with the original amphibious people with whom they trade livestock for fish until an unfortunate accident ruins everything. 

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

After Alvin tells his tale, his classmates critique it before Janine tells her story of "The Face in the Forest." Now told in shades of orange–the classroom scenes are greenish, and Alvin's story was coloured in olive drab–Janine's story focuses on little Luanne who lives with her abusive uncle and aunt since her father died, leaving his lottery winnings to her which would become available on her 18th birthday. One day as she gathers wood, she discovers a head who speaks to her. He doesn't remember much but he helps her locate his limbs and more. Determined to sew him back together, she goes to fetch a needle and thread but is accosted by her aunt and uncle from whom she defends herself. Distraught, she returns to the forest, where she does a good turn for the man with the separate body parts and he in turn for her.

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

Bernie's story, "The Ghastly Ghost Chase", illustrated in red, features some kids, a ghost and a drone, while Emily finally tells her science fiction story, "The Infinite Loop of Lunacy", about an alien breach on a spaceship. Finally, Davis is ready to tell his story "The Door to Demons" which the teacher criticizes for not being fictionalized. The kids find out soon enough how right she is.

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

A cover in black and red generally signals a book of horror to me and Eerie Tales from the School of Screams does deliver on the scariness of horror and the creepiness of monsters, aliens, the unknown and more. But, Graham Annable who has delighted young readers with his graphic novels about sloths Pete & Ernesto, always keeps it light and droll. There's a cheekiness to the individual stories and to the big story in which they are embedded. A head propped up in the woods looking to be reunited with its limbs, a grandfather with wild tufts of hair, and kids chasing a scaredy ghost tone down the revulsion of multi-limbed monsters, amphibious creatures, and body-swapping aliens. And he gives them saucy lines like the head telling Luanne "Don't be a stranger!" (pg. 107), Janine telling Alvin that she's not buying his story (pg. 76), or Poppi declaring "Stupid diabetes" (pg. 282) as he looks at his vegetable snacks. For lovers of scary stories, Graham Annable delivers multiple tales that surprise and chill without being gruesome. And his illustrations match that balance of frightening with entertaining. He keeps the landscapes austere whether it's a space ship, a field, a house or a classroom. The characters, human and not, are the stars, with their clothes boldly coloured compared to the backgrounds and their expressions and actions propelling the stories on. 

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams might become a hit for Halloween but really it's a weirdly fun read for anytime a middle-grade reader might like to be entertained with some fast-paced stories, quirky characters and the very familiar task of getting up in front of a class to tell a story. OK, it's a little different from most classroom activities but you'll only know how very different when you read the book. Do read it. It's worth the spine tingles.

Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair

Written and illustrated by Jo Rioux

First Second

978-1-250-62538-0

256 pp.

Ages 8-12

June 2023

When we met twelve-year-old Suri, the would-be monster tamer, in Jo Rioux's first Cat's Cradle book, The Golden Twine, she had purchased a dragon's tooth that she hung from some golden twine she'd discovered. She believed that tooth gave her incredible powers and would enable her to become the monster tamer she was destined to be. 

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

Now Suri is heading to the Monster's Cradle, the land of the giants, to help find a giant for whom her companion Byron, the monster-dog, could be a lap dog. Created by a greedy imp named Caglio, Byron is a lovable but massive dog with few monster tendencies, but he is threatening enough for the prince and his entourage to pursue for monster-hunting sport. But, not only is the trio being followed by the hunters, there are also three caitsiths named Siska, Toska and Mouska who are following them, determined to retrieve the golden twine Mouska had dropped.

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

When Suri, Caglio and Byron are confronted with a monster, Byron takes off and Suri and Caglio hide in a mountain cave which Suri believes must belong to the Mole King, according to her monster guidebook. She tries to use the power of her dragon tooth to ward off the Mole King but it's only when Byron reappears, and she feels intensely that it works for her. They soon meet Kolya, a young thief, who had been stealing from the Mole King's treasure room filled with gold coins–this gets Caglio's attention–which explains the Mole King's anger. But when they open Kolya's one bag they realize all he grabbed was a small, three-legged table.

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

Suri and her companions now head into the tunnels of the Mole King's lair, but their motives are all a little different. Suri just needs some gold to pay for food as they journey. Caglio just wants money. And Kolya is stealing so that he might redeem himself with the leader of his thieving ring. But Kolya is also drawn to the golden twine he saw in Suri's bag. If he is a caitsith, that golden twine would be handy in disguising his monster-ness. 

 

But going after the treasure is not as simple as finding their way to the treasure room. The prince is still determined to hunt a monster and is now accompanied by Toska, Siska and Mouska as his trackers and by the people of the impoverished town of Tancredi who'd lost many families and friends to the mines of the mountain. It's now a race to the treasure and to capturing a monster while a ball of gold twine draws attention from the caitsiths and Kolya. Who can work together and who cannot will undoubtedly determine the outcome for Suri and others in The Mole King's Lair, and in Book 3, Suri's Dragon.

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

Jo Rioux has given us a full range of characters from spunky Suri who wants to be a monster tamer, to the freaky Caglio who is all about himself, the cuddly Byron, the farcical prince and his courtiers, the caitsiths, and new characters like Kolya and his leader Lutrov. There's more coming with hints of a relationship between Lutrov and Toska and someone called Baron Grim. There's a lot of story here and Jo Rioux weaves it together flawlessly, taking us from Suri and her group to the prince and his entourage, from the Mole King's lair to the town and the forests. The story is engaging and will keep middle-grade readers engrossed with who is doing what and why and do they know what the others are up to. Nothing is straightforward except Suri who just wants to be a monster tamer and do the right thing, whatever that might be.

 

Like The Golden Twine, The Mole King's Lair is a delight for graphic-novel fans. It has a little bit of everything, from sweet characters and monsters, and idiots and villains, to dark scenes and humour, and a pursuit or two that keeps the action strong and the adventure compelling. Jo Rioux's artwork gives us all of this with expressive faces that show fear and trepidation, suspicion and affection. Readers will laugh when Byron gobbles up Caglio when he insults the dog, or when Caglio explains his origin–"I congealed in a cauldron of bone soup that spoiled on the fire" (pg. 86)–and cheer when the prince is trampled by Byron. There is so much to engage the young reader and all with a degree of innocence and humanity, even for monsters.

I don't know when Suri's Dragon comes out but, after The Golden Twine and The Mole King's Lair, I know there's lots more story to come and adventures and laughs from Jo Rioux. I'll be cheering for Suri and Byron–not so much Caglio–and hoping that their dreams come true.

 

Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine (2022)

Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair (2023)

Cat's Cradle: Suri's Dragon (still to come)

Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine

Written and illustrated by Jo Rioux

First Second

978-1-250-62535-9

128 pp.

Ages 8-12

June 2022

 

Discovered as a foundling by some merchants in a travelling camp, Suri is both sheltered, by most of the merchants, and vilified, by the leader Leon. Like other kids in the camp, she tries to earn her keep, and telling stories is one of her occupations, though her aspiration is to be a monster tamer. In their valley of Galatea, protected by the mountain range called the Giant's Belt through which monsters occasionally enter via a gap named the Monster's Cradle, there are those who capture monsters for bounty. In fact, there is currently a monster being held captive, ready for sale to the Prince, in the wagon of a strange little man who clangs when he walks. (It is said he has a cold, dead heart that clangs in his chest.) But while telling her story to her paying customers, Suri takes them to the wagon to show them she isn't afraid of the monster. She not only approaches the creature who is only visible by its glowing eyes but she communicates with it and learns that, like her, it's lonely. That connection will serve her well.

From Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine by Jo Rioux

After her encounter with the monster, she purchases a dragon’s tooth which she is assured will awaken great power within her. Still, while evading Leon, she meets a boy with a package of fish doughnuts and a pile of pillows he sells. When she starts telling him that she is a monster tamer and can recognize a caitsith–even when in human form they have a tail–the boy races away from her, leaving behind several items including a ball of golden twine which she uses to secure her dragon’s tooth as a necklace.

From Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine by Jo Rioux

Later Suri is pursued by the boy and his friends for the return of his property. Convinced they want her dragon’s tooth, she takes shelter in the monster’s wagon before escaping with the creature’s help and beginning a new adventure away from the camp and heading into the land of the monsters to do a good deed and hopefully stay ahead of some nasty beasts, both human and monster, and become the monster tamer she aspires to be. 

 

This is Jo Rioux's first graphic novel as author and illustrator, having previously provided the compelling artwork for picture books like The Legend of Lightning and Thunder and graphic novels like The Daughters of Ys and A Sam and Friends Mystery series. Some may recognize the title, Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine as a previous publication (Kids Can Press, 2012) but this edition has been reimagined and completely redrawn by Jo Rioux, making it fresh and new and ready to complete Suri's adventures in the remaining books of this trilogy. 

 

Middle-grade graphic novels are always a hit and especially when they include fantasy elements like jackalopes, leshii and basilisks, mythological creatures from across cultures. Then add a young protagonist who must deal with being abandoned and trying to find her place in the world and working towards a goal that others think impossible for a girl, and you've got a full story of empowerment, fantasy, and action. With Book 2, The Mole King's Lair, in the works, young readers should know soon enough how successful Suri is in her quests.

From Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine by Jo Rioux

Poesy the Monster Slayer

Written by Cory Doctorow

Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller

First Second

978-1-62672-362-7

40 pp.

Ages 4-7

July 2020

 

Her parents may be typical in their frustration with a little girl who just won't go to sleep but her reason is very atypical: she has monsters to slay.

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

With Halloween only days away, there may be much talk of monsters and creatures of the night. Some children will be frightened just as many already are of those horrors that tend to come out when the lights are dimmed. But for Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Russell Schnegg, whose parents use her full name the more frustrated they become with her, it's her parents who frustrate her. 

"Parents! Always with the bedtimes!"

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

After her father finally leaves with a "PLEASE stay in bed tonight" Poesy is ready. She's been reading her monster book and she knows about all of their weaknesses. When the werewolf appears, she's ready with her wand and Princess Frillypants silver tiara. Of course, her father hears and chastizes her for playing with her toys. (She doesn't explain about the werewolf.)

Then there's the Great Old One who "made a noise like a frightened teakettle in a blender rolling down a hill" which she swiftly dispatches with her bubblegum perfume in its eye. This time it's her tired mom yelling at her to get back to bed.

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

Kindly Poesy realizes she must "take care of the rest of the monsters more quietly" though, of course, her parents hear her as she disposes of a vampire and Frankenstein's monster. When morning finally comes around, it's her parents who look the worse-for-wear.

A prolific writer, Toronto-born Cory Doctorow is better known for his science fiction and tech non-fiction writing. Though he has written for YA readers, this is his first picture book and I suspect the premise of getting a child to bed, especially one whose name is almost identical to that of his own daughter, may be a very personal one. But with much humour, about how Poesy sees her parents–"He was so tired that he stepped on a Harry the Hare block and said some swears. Poor Daddy! Rotten monsters!– and how she slays the monsters, Cory Doctorow takes something from the scary side to the funny side. Matt Rockefeller's illustrations, rendered in pencil, graphite powder and coloured digitally, have a cheekiness to them, surprising because of the dark nature of the story. But together, words and art suggest that those monsters in the dark can be handily taken care of by a child.

Poesy the Monster Slayer will empower your little ones if they have any fears about the monsters that may lurk in their rooms after dark, though it might not hurt to ask them politely to keep the noise down so their hard-working caregivers can get some well-earned sleep.

 

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night

Written and illustrated by Graham Annable

First Second

978-1-250-21130-9

128 pp.

Ages 6-10

April 2020

Peter and Ernesto, the two sloths from Graham Annable's first two books, A Tale of Two Sloths and The Lost Sloths, return to bring us another wonderfully heart-warming tale of friendship from deep in the tropical jungle.

From Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night by Graham Annable

Peter, the more cautious of the two sloths, is trying out his new wind sock, made from fabric their sloth tree mate Bernard had found. Sadly there is no wind but Ernesto, always up for an adventure, wants to go check out a dragon that the motmots assure him has been seen at the spooky old temple by the river.  Not surprising that when the sloths discover Bernard is missing, Ernesto is convinced their friend has gone to see the dragon because, of course, that's what Ernesto wants to do.

From Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night by Graham Annable

Even though the cautious Peter isn't convinced, he and the other three sloths (Stu, Rodrigo and Lola) follow Ernesto, meeting a swooping bat who warns them to be careful in the Dark Glades on the way to the temple. Though an owl, who thinks the sloths are very large mice, causes some consternation for the five sloths, a meeting with a polka-dot tree frog becomes a magical experience when he and his friends light the way for the sloths through the blackness of the Dark Glades.

From Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night by Graham Annable

But getting through the Dark Glades is but one step in their search for Bernardo and/or the dragon at the temple, and it takes a turn when Peter falls from a broken zip line.  As Ernesto and the three sloths find their way to the temple and make the acquaintance of a different kind of dragon, Peter is meeting a river otter who is rebuilding a boat.  When everyone finally comes together, with new friends made, new alliances forged, and songs sung to ease their journeys, Peter and Ernesto and friends discover Bernard had found shelter and comfort far closer to home than anticipated.

Because the text is very light and much of the story is carried by the illustrations, Sloths in the Night is a great reading bridge between early reader and middle grade. Regardless of the austerity of his words, animator and cartoonist Graham Annable approaches the big issue of fears–of the darkness, of the unknown and even the known–with sensitivity, acknowledging that fears are very personal and cannot be disregarded just because another finds them unbelievable. As different as Peter and Ernesto are, they recognize the strengths and weaknesses in each other, appreciating attributes they themselves do not possess and accepting these differences as strengths. Even more endearing is the empathy they show to others, whether it be a homesick dragon or an otter with wanderlust, as well as to each other.

From Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night by Graham Annable

Graham Annable has created another modest story in Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night. It's modest in its messaging and matrix of story i.e. words and art. But it's also bold and assured in addressing the nature of fear and the power of friends to help. Like the polka-dot tree frog, Sloths in the Night illuminates the way through.

• • • • •

 

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths (2018)

Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths (2019)

Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night (2020)

• • • • •

One Year at Ellsmere

Written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

First Second

978-1-250-21910-7

176 pp.

Ages 10-14

July 2020
Reviewed from advance reader's edition

Thirteen-year-old Juniper is pleased for the opportunity to attend private school Ellsmere Academy for Girls, though being identified as its first scholarship student does pose some problems. Despite the fact that she tells her roommate Cassie that she's there to learn and not make friends, it soon becomes clear that the two will need to become allies to survive the year at Ellsmere.

It's like Downton Abbey meets Lord of the Flies, in plaid skirts and navy sweaters. (pg. 79)

From One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks

From their first assembly, it's evident that Cassie wants to make friends, even with the arrogant and privileged Emily, who loves to call others hurtful names. But when Juniper stands up to Emily, asking her what made her so broken that she feels compelled to pick on others, she makes an enemy of a girl who can and does make life very difficult for the new Ellsmere student.

From One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks

As Juniper works hard, determined to do well so that she can fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor, Cassie completes her schoolwork with little enthusiasm. That is, until Juniper encourages Cassie to write a personal story for a competition and she wins. Emily is not pleased with anything that disrupts her status at the top and finds ways to bully the girls to re-establish her dominance.  When she threatens to destroy the only memento Juniper has of her late father, Juniper punches her in the nose and is put on probation. Worse yet, Emily plays herself as benevolent, asking that Juniper not be expelled, all with the intent to assert herself and crush Juniper further.

From One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks

But after Cassie discovers Emily's plot to get Juniper expelled, a showdown in the forest between the three girls reveals a fantastic forest element that turns things around for Juniper and Cassie and puts Emily firmly where she belongs.

Though Faith Erin Hicks has been honoured with a White Pine nomination for her YA novel Comics Will Break Your Heart, it's her graphic novels for which she is best known. From Bigfoot Boy to Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Nameless City, Faith Erin Hicks tells stories of fantastic worlds of ancient civilizations, superheroes and fierce characters. Though One Year at Ellsmere may appear as realistic fiction based in a boarding school, rife with bullying, schoolwork and fitting in, Faith Erin Hicks slips in a little bit of the supernatural to keep things interesting and let us know that there's always something more than meets the eye.  

I'm so glad that Faith Erin Hicks has reimagined her earlier The War at Ellsmere (SLG Publishing, 2008) into One Year at Ellsmere, especially as all her characters seem more familiar now, like kids and adults you'd see in a school. There are the mean girls and the strict administrators, the friendly and the aloof, those who struggle and those who are high achievers. There are even hard-working parents supportive of their kids and those who overvalue their children. Faith Erin Hicks's illustrations embed readers in a boarding school atmosphere of austere dorm rooms, uniforms and conventional studies while showing them a world that is both familiar and foreign, where a mythical creature can come to the defense of a girl and where the bully doesn't win.

Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths

Written and illustrated by Graham Annable

First Second

978-1-62672-572-0

128 pp.

Ages 6-10

April 2019

The sloths from Graham Annable's first graphic novel in this charming series, Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths (First Second, 2018), have returned with a greater problem than managing their differences. Ernesto, the beige-coloured sloth, is filled with

From Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths by Graham Annable

music and joie de vivre and lots of optimism compared to his friend Peter, the grey sloth who is more cautious and realistic and certainly a homebody. But when a hurricane hits and their home tree, along with many in the area, is destroyed, the two and their sloth friends must search beyond their comfort zone and familiar grounds for a new home. Of course, Ernesto leads the way.

From Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths by Graham Annable

But the world outside of their own area has many unknowns and the group of six come across peccaries shouting about a jaguar, tree vines that are actually snakes, biting ants, a cave full of bats, and a river of crocodiles. But they also make friends of some armadillos, have a fun mud fight with an anteater and find a new home and roommate.

From Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths by Graham Annable

I was captivated by these two unlikely friends and their search for a new home. They might handle each new set of circumstances differently, one ready to plunge right in and sing his way through while the other focuses on logistics and making good choices, but they are together all the way.  And, as they find that new tree and tree-mate, everyone is reminded that communities are built with unity and support.

From Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths by Graham Annable

While animation and film fans may be more familiar with Graham Annable as one of the directors of the Academy Award-nominated animated film The Boxtrolls, I think the Peter & Ernesto graphic novel series will win him new fans, middle grade ones, who will appreciate the humour, the graphics and the relationship between the two lovable sloths. Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths has the right blend of those important story elements for this age group: uncluttered artwork, unambiguous dialogue, and a linear story line with the perfect balance of surprise bumps and hilarity along the journey. (The jaguar is not what is expected!) There are life lessons about friendship and acceptance and finding strength from others. Enjoy to your new home, Peter & Ernesto, and I hope to visit with you again.

The Divided Earth: The Nameless City, Book 3

Written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

Color by Jordie Bellaire

First Second

978-1-62672-161-6

269 pp.

Ages 8-13

September 2018

The Nameless City, Book 1 in Faith Erin Hicks's graphic novel series, introduced young readers to the Nameless City, a metropolis of Ancient China conquered repeatedly and changing names with each new occupation. Currently the Dao people, under the rule of the General of All Blades, are in power. Young Dao Kaidu arrives to take his warrior training at the palace and meets a roof-jumper Rat who lives at the Stone Heart monastery after her parents are killed. Learning of the divided nature of the people of the Nameless City–the conquered and the conquerors–Kai and Rat try to help make things right, especially after the General of All Blades is assassinated by his own son, Erzi, and a struggle begins to possess an ancient text in The Stone Heart, Book 2 of the series. The conclusion of that struggle for the power over the city and of that text is the story of The Divided Earth.

From The Divided Earth by Faith Erin Hicks

The ancient manual which harbours the secret of Napatha, the sacred fire which was used by the Northern People to tunnel through the mountain to create the Nameless City, is now in Erzi's possession. He has had the document translated and has his right-hand person, the formidable Mura, begin preparation of the formula. Meanwhile, outside the city, Kaidu's father, Andren, and monk Joah are attempting to enlist the help of the Yisun people, those who ruled the city before the Dao took it. With their help, Andren and his wife Kata, hope to compel the current General of All Blades to form an alliance amongst all peoples in a council of nations, a premise his father had supported before his murder. Kai and Rat are also at work, but within the city, determined to retrieve the book that Erzi stole from the Stone Heart monastery.

From The Divided Earth by Faith Erin Hicks

The Divided Earth is resolved via a series of altercations, including one in which Erzi surprises the Yisun army with weapons enhanced with Napatha, extraordinary chase scenes and some tricky negotiations, leaving the fates of the city and the ancient text settled fittingly.

From The Divided Earth by Faith Erin Hicks

I know The Divided Earth and all books in The Nameless City series are fiction but the history embedded within make it compelling text for teaching everything from ancient civilizations and the development of gunpowder to the nature of conquest and class structure and struggles. That's very impressive for a graphic novel. But that's me wearing my teacher hat. Young readers won't care about that.  They'll be too enthralled with Faith Erin Hicks's illustrations, coloured by Jordie Bellaire, that take them to an expansive city in a formidable mountain landscape where battles are for survival and land occupation, for power and for control, are the order of the day.

Though Faith Erin Hicks's The Divided Earth is a fast read, even as a graphic novel, its life lessons are long-lasting, impressing children with the need to get along and find room for all. There may be knife fights and arrows flying, all with the intention of subduing the enemy, but the message that we all deserve a place in the world is clear.

Please, stop the cycle of war and invasion. We can all live here side by side. (pg. 228)

No one needs to be nameless. We all belong.

The Stone Heart: The Nameless City, Book 2

Written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

Colored by Jordie Bellaire

First Second

978-1-62672-159-3

243 pp.

Ages 8-13

2017

Yesterday I jumped on The Nameless City bandwagon with my review of the first book in this trilogy (The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks, First Second, 2016) and am fortunate to have been able to read the second book The Stone Heart immediately. Now I just wish September 2018, the release date for Book 3 The Divided Earth, wasn't months away.

When we left the Nameless City in Book 1 of the series, Kaidu and Rat had helped save the ruler, the General of All Blades, and his son Erzi from assassination.  It is three months later and the General is proceeding with the plan of General Andren, Kaidu's father, to unite the factions of the Nameless City and beyond in one council.  Erzi believes the plan absurd but more so because he had always envisioned himself as the city's next ruler.

"You promised it to me." (pg. 19)

From The Stone Heart 

by Faith Erin Hicks

The secret of how the Northern People tunnelled through the mountain is at the heart of the power struggle and peace in the Nameless City and it seems everyone wants to learn all they can. There are legends of a great fire that could burn through rock and flesh but it is generally accepted that, even if the formula were discovered, perhaps hidden by the monks at the Stone Heart, no one now has the ability to translate their language.  Through back stories, we learn that Erzi's bodyguard, Mura, once lived at the monastery at the Stone Heart and was turned out after which she was rescued by Erzi.  She obviously harbours much bitterness towards the monks and this comes to play after Erzi becomes the new General of All Blades and the search for the formula drives them to storm the Stone Heart for answers.

From The Stone Heart

by Faith Erin Hicks

The clash of peoples who want different things for the Nameless City and for themselves is at the core of The Stone Heart.  Erzi's father is attempting to embrace all who live within the city and outside to help rule but Erzi will not have it, knowing the power he would lose.  How to balance the needs of a few over the greater good is key in The Stone Heart, and, needless to say, there is much violence, discrimination and power struggles as this balance is set askew. Faith Erin Hicks's story is both adventure and character study, a fine mix of "What's going to happen next? and "Did he really do that?"

It is only in The Divided Earth that we will learn how the Nameless City will be saved, and saved it will be surely with Kai and Rat at the front of the pack.

The Nameless City

Written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

Color by Jordie Bellaire

First Second (Roaring Brook Press)

978-1-62672-157-9

232 pp.

Ages 8-13

2016

It's time for me to join the growing fan base of Faith Erin Hicks's The Nameless City graphic novel series before the final book, The Divided Earth, comes out in September 2018.  There is lots to applaud in this first book of the middle grade trilogy (and even more in Book 2, The Stone Heart, which I will review next), not least of which are its diverse cultural landscape and strong characters.  Oh, and did I mention Faith Erin Hicks's vivid artwork inked and coloured by award-winning artist Jordie Bellaire? 

The Nameless City, the place, is probably the most important character in The Nameless City, the book.  It is an incredible metropolis, albeit one akin to that of 13th c. China, that has many names but all those given by outsiders, hence its moniker by those in the know as the Nameless City. Because of a tunnel, created mysteriously by the long-gone Northern People, through the mountain to the ocean, the city has been conquered time and time again. For the past 30 years, the city has been dominated by the Dao whose warrior leader, the General of All Blades, rules over the city.  Kaidu, a thirteen-year-old boy from the Dao homelands, has just arrived at the city's palace to train as a Dao warrior along with other boys under the tutelage of Erzi, son of the General of All Blades, and Erzi's bodyguard, the strange Myra.

From The Nameless City

by Faith Erin Hicks

When Kaidu gets lost outside the palace, he meets Rat, a spry runner and roof-jumper who, in exchange for food, teaches him to race and climb. Rat, who lives at the monastery at the Stone Heart, harbours much anger towards the city's invaders but she warms to Kai and he to her as they attempt to find a way to bring peace to the city and its people.  Of course, there are plots emerging both to bring the city together and to tear it apart, including an assassination attempt on the General and his son, but Kai and Rat are at the heart of trying to make things right for all the inhabitants of the Nameless City.

From The Nameless City 

by Faith Erin Hicks

Faith Erin Hicks may have used ancient China as an informal blueprint for the setting of The Nameless City, but the book is its own story, both in plot and characters, though some scenarios are all too familiar.  The Nameless City may be rich in cultural diversity but, with the numerous groups within the city and outside vying for place, whether to dominate or to live amicably with others, there comes much intolerance and discrimination, mostly between the invaders and the conquered.

From The Nameless City 

by Faith Erin Hicks

Fortunately, Faith Erin Hicks has created a world of possibilities for peace and tolerance, and she's done it with flair and detail, illustrating a passion against bad and for good.  The Nameless City, nominated for a 2017 Silver Birch Fiction award, could promote itself as historical fiction with the credibility of place and time but, for young readers, it's the composite of story and graphics that have made it a hit which inevitably will sustain it through Books 2 and 3.

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Check back for my review of Book 2 in The Nameless City trilogy, The Stone Heart (First Second, 2017).

Bera the One-Headed Troll

by Eric Orchard

First Second / Roaring Brook Press

978-1-626721067

128 pp.

Ages 7-14 

August 2016

With today being Halloween and Bera the One-Headed Troll being filled with pumpkins and trolls and witches, it seems only fitting to review this graphic novel today.  Written and illustrated by Eric Orchard, the illustrator of the recently reviewed If I Were a Zombie (Kate Inglis, Nimbus, 2016) –am I sensing a monstrous theme here?–Bera the One-Headed Troll is atmospherically perfect for a fun but teensy bit scary read.

Bera, who lives on an isolated island with her owl companion Winslowe, is the official pumpkin gardener of the Troll King. (There’s the pumpkin connection for Halloween,  and, except for the cover and an occasional candle burning yellow, it’s the colour scheme of all the book’s graphics.)  When Bera rescues a human baby from three evil mermaids (they are not of the lean and lovely variety), she takes upon herself the task of returning the baby to its humans.  But that is contrary to the wishes of the malevolent Cloote, former  head witch of the Troll King, who wishes to use the baby to return to the good graces of the Troll King.

From Bera the One-Headed Troll 

by Eric Orchard

Bera who feels unprepared for dealing with the baby decides to seek a hero from her books, specifically choosing Wulf the Dragon Masher.  On their journey, Bera and the baby, with Winslowe scouting from above, encounter the mermaids again, as well as the Guardian, a sea monster as big as an island, and a bunch of hedgehog wizards.  Thankfully this last group whose mandate it is to protect the creatures of the wood already know firsthand of Cloote’s destruction and offer to steer Bera to Wulf’s tower.  Wulf, a troll of epic proportions and light-spirit (“Hey, is that a baby?”, “Well, look at that” and “Imagine that!”; pg. 52), has not been on an adventure in a very long time and, though willing of spirit, he succumbs to his epic sleepiness.

So Bera goes in search of another hero, finding both Duke Otig, the two-headed troll hero of the troll-giant war, and then the three-headed Nanna the Great.  But the reader will soon realize that heroes are not just those who undertake adventures and engage in battles.  Heroes are also those who make extraordinary sacrifices to do ordinary things, making their own quests in the spirit of goodwill, not glory.

From Bera the One-Headed Troll 

by Eric Orchard

Bera the One-Headed Troll is a offbeat graphic novel filled with trolls (one-, two- and three-headed varieties), goblins, witches, and rats (Vince is particularly helpful) and positive messages about offering assistance to those in need.  With only her want to do the right thing, Bera takes herself out of her comfortable pumpkin patch island and discovers new strengths and instincts, while making some new friends and good karma in the process.  I thought Bera the One-Headed Troll was going to be a dark, dark tale for a Halloween night, and its graphics would’ve supported that notion.  Eric Orchard’s trolls and witches and other creatures could be seen as darkly unnerving, as are the settings of straggly trees and murky swamps and stone edifices.  But Bera the One-Headed Troll is neither dark nor frightening.  It is a positive message wrapped in a dark cloak festooned with pumpkins.  Read it for Halloween but take its guidance beyond the day.