Another action-packed installment that will delight existing fans and earn new ones.
Young Kali’s adventures in the mystical world of the Mannamong continue in the second volume of Lengyel’s graphic novel series.
Kali Teal thought she was in enough trouble when the Mannamong nature spirit Tontorus hid himself inside her to escape punishment for a horrible crime. Now, as time is running out to separate them, she’s being pursued by the terrifying Scorch, a Mannamong of immense power, and Blitzstreak, a mischievous Mannamong with motivations of her own. Although she’s saved in the nick of time by the mysterious Hawk, his advice that she try to learn more about Tontorus isn’t easy for her to follow. Gisenes, the leader of the Mannamong, warns her that if Kali becomes too upset over what’s happening, she and Tontorus will fuse together even faster. Somehow, Kali and Tontorus have to start working together. Meanwhile, Kali’s mother still refuses to see what’s happening to her daughter and seems more confused and forgetful every day. Their friends at the ranger station, Trent and Jewel, often fight about Trent’s preoccupation with finding the Crimsong Pearl—an artifact that might be the key to saving Kali and Tontorus. As Kali gets to know the spirit within her, she begins to suspect there may be more to the story of his alleged crime—but then Blitzstreak’s meddling sends them on a new path. Lengyel ably ramps up the intensity and worldbuilding in this second volume of his Mannamong series. The book dives headlong into the action, and the result is consistently exciting, if sometimes a bit hard to follow. There’s clearly much more that’s yet to be revealed about the various players’ true intentions, and readers will share Kali’s frustrations about being kept in the dark about what’s really going on. Lengyel’s bold, vivid art style continues to impress, whether he’s dazzling readers with wild battle scenes or retelling ancient Mannamong legends. Overall, this series continues to be great fun; it’s a particularly good fit for young readers, who will relate to a hero with faults and big emotions.
Another action-packed installment that will delight existing fans and earn new ones.Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781732563247
Page Count: 204
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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