The Erratic Journey

"Journey to the Center of the Earth", originally written by Jules Verne, was retold by Davis Miller and Katherine Brevard. Otto, Axel and Hans embark on a journey to the center of the earth, following the path of one Arne Saknussemm. They find the entrance to the cave and begin a trek downward. They encounter several challenges including no water, large (thought to be extinct) predatory animals, Amazing cyclones, lightning storms, and 10 foot prehistoric cattle-herding men just to name a few. They travel hundreds of miles to finally be launched out of a volcano 300 miles away from the volcano they started in.

I was interested in seeing how well this book would be retold in graphic novel form. The story was engaging and exciting, but it was told in a very rushed manner. There were no smooth transitions between finding out how to journey to the center of the earth and then journeying there. The book almost seemed composed of mini stories placed end to end and tied together with a string. I believe the most serious flaw of many graphic novels is the idea that the pictures tell what the words don't. Unfortunately, this book feels like something is missing in every stage of the story. Even though I didn't really enjoy this retelling, it is very possible that the exciting pictures and quick progression of the story could get some otherwise uninterested tweens excited about a literary classic.

Let Down Your Hair... and Kick Some Butt!

"Rapunzel's Revenge" by Shannon and Dean Hale is based off the famous fairy tale, Rapunzel. Rapunzel finds out the woman she believed to be her mother, Mother Gothel, is actually an evil dictator who controls the growth of all vegetation for miles and miles. Rapunzel was stolen from her real parents as a young girl and her mother forced to work in the mines. Once Rapunzel finds out the truth, Mother Gothel locks her in the top of a tall tree tower. Rapunzel's Revenge follows Rapunzel as she fights for her freedom, her mother's freedom, and the freedom of all those who live under Mother Gothel's evil rule.

The Hale's are from Utah and people here love them, so I had heard a lot of hype about this book. I think it lived up to the hype. The Hale's dialogue is snappy and funny, and I appreciated that the story was clear cut and coherent. I have read some graphic novels where the storyline seemed convoluted and secondary to the pictures. Not the case with Rapunzel's Revenge, and Nathan Hale does a terrific job with the illustrations. Also, Rapunzel is such a great heroine. She doesn't rely on others to save her, she saves herself. She is kind, honest, and loyal. And funny! I also loved Rapunzel's sidekick, Jack, of Jack and the Beanstalk fame. The camaraderie that grows between Jack and Rapunzel is pretty terrific, and Rapunzel's pluck and moral courage bring out the best in Jack. Fun read for both boys and girls. Here is a creative book trailer created by Gaijr.

Do You Dare? Alison Does...

"Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden" by J. Torres and J. Bone is about Alison and her two friend's experience in catholic school. Alison's mom is a famous archeologist who is often called in to provide "expert opinion". Alison, who has an indomitable adventurous spirit, tells her class mates in class of the fantastic adventure she had with her mother over the summer. It turns out the tale is true, but exaggerated a bit. After class, Alison and her friends then notice some nuns disappearing behind a statue and follow them to find a secret hidden chamber where the nuns are discussing a powerful relic called the Heart of the Maiden. It seems all sorts of nefarious groups are looking for the Heart and the nuns are stewards overseeing its protection and the protection of a map that leads to the Heart. Alison and her friends are often right in the midst of the nuns and the nefarious groups, and after the nuns successfully apprehend the bad guys, they use a special sleeping gas on Alison and her friends. This happens multiple times. Eventually, Alison's keen perceptions lead everyone to the map.

The story is fun and interesting. I found myself enjoying the progressions of the plot but being confused a lot of the time. The start of the book tells about how Alison super-exaggerated a story. We then go on the rest of the book where some pretty fantastic things are happening. Are these things exaggerations too? Are we experiencing this story from Alison's narrative? I just wasn't sure. The dialogue also seemed very fragmented and hard to follow. Aside from this confusion, the book as a lot of fun.

Holy Cow!

The second book in the Bone series by Jeff Smith, "The Great Cow Race"carries on the saga of the Bone cousins, Smiley Bone (clueless), Fone (smart and honest), and Phoney (lying schemer) after they've been kicked out of Boneville. They've found their way to a valley where Fone is living with Grandma Ben and her grandaughter, Thorn, who Fone has a crush on. Phoney and Smiley are working for Lucius, the village Bartender, because of bad behavior, but are far from reformed--they're too busy trying to con the whole village out of their life savings by setting up a betting racket for the big cow race. The Bone cousins are also being chased by rat creatures, although they have yet to figure out why, and Thorn has a mysterious past that she is slowly starting to remember that might be the answer to everything.

This has a little something for everyone. There is humor galore, some more sophisticated, but definitely humor kids can appreciate, too. Although the Bones aren't human, their plights are very relatable. Fone's crush on Thorn and his desire for her to know, coupled with his insecurity about his looks are something that most kids (and adults) feel at some point. There can also be a moral of sorts taken from the Phoney and Smiley storyline, that cheaters never prosper, although I'm not sure kids would just think of this on their own. Overall, a fun, engaging read for tweens...and their parents!

Frankie Pickle

"Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000" by Eric Wight. Frankie Pickle is a kid with an overactive imagination. He is a member of the possum scouts and this scout meeting they were passing off knots. Unfortunately Frankie did not pass off the knot like he was supposed to and did not get enough possum points, or awesome points as Frankie puts it, to advance in rank with the rest of his troop. Frankie desperately wants to advance with everyone else and realizes that if he wins the Pun Run 3000 that weekend he can get enough points to advance. His dad offers to help him build a car, but Frankie wants to do it alone. The car Frankie made is destroyed in a race at school and Frankie then asks his dad for help after Frankie learns his dad was a Pine Run 3000 champion himself. Frankie and his dad make an awesome car and he races in the Pine Run 300 to win his points.

Frankie Pickle is a lot like I was as a kid, always off in another world. I really enjoyed how Wight seamlessly transitioned from reality to the imaginative world as Frankie was seeing it. The graphic aspect of the book was excellent which conveyed some rather hilarious scenes, especially the one where Frankie's car is destroyed. The story, although simple and somewhat predictable, gives a good lesson about doing things right the first time. Overall it is a very well written book.