Spooky sisterly storytelling sure to scare and charm.
In this graphic novel inspired by the 1990s kids’ horror show Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a pair of feuding siblings tell stories influenced by West African folklore.
Izzy’s twin sister, Grace, has been acting differently lately, so Izzy sneaks out one night and follows her into the woods. Turns out Grace belongs to the Midnight Society, a group of kids who meet to tell campfire stories. Grace is irritated at Izzy’s meddling; Izzy’s annoyed that Grace has been keeping secrets. The members break up the argument, offering the sisters the opportunity to compete in a “scare-off.” Their terrifying stories, influenced by the twins’ Ghanian Gramma Ama, are illustrated in full, frightening color by several different artists. Masuku relies on discordant colors for “The Tale of the Bushwalkers,” which transports readers to a dangerously competitive school in Accra where bad grades might have monstrous consequences. Murakami wields a more muted palette for “The Tale of the Spirit Drum,” in which a wish-granting magical drum is deployed in increasingly selfish and disastrous ways. Judging them is a tough task, so the two girls collaborate on the third, titular tale, which serves as a tiebreaker. Izzy and Grace’s rivalry adds dimension and emotion to the framing story, while the individual entries ramp up the tension. Grotesque imagery will keep readers shuddering as Brown explores how everyday tensions such as jealousy or sibling conflict can unleash our darker sides.
Spooky sisterly storytelling sure to scare and charm. (Graphic paranormal. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781419763588
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Abrams Fanfare
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Problem-solving through perseverance and friendship is the real win in this deeply smart and inspiring story.
Leaving Brooklyn behind, Black math-whiz and puzzle lover Bree starts a new life in Florida, where she’ll be tossed into the deep end in more ways than one. Keeping her head above water may be the trickiest puzzle yet.
While her dad is busy working and training in IT, Bree struggles at first to settle into Enith Brigitha Middle School, largely due to the school’s preoccupation with swimming—from the accomplishments of its namesake, a Black Olympian from Curaçao, to its near victory at the state swimming championships. But Bree can’t swim. To illustrate her anxiety around this fact, the graphic novel’s bright colors give way to gray thought bubbles with thick, darkened outlines expressing Bree’s deepest fears and doubts. This poignant visual crowds some panels just as anxious feelings can crowd the thoughts of otherwise star students like Bree. Ultimately, learning to swim turns out to be easy enough with the help of a kind older neighbor—a Black woman with a competitive swimming past of her own as well as a rich and bittersweet understanding of Black Americans’ relationship with swimming—who explains to Bree how racist obstacles of the past can become collective anxiety in the present. To her surprise, Bree, with her newfound water skills, eventually finds herself on the school’s swim team, navigating competition, her anxiety, and new, meaningful relationships.
Problem-solving through perseverance and friendship is the real win in this deeply smart and inspiring story. (Graphic fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: May 17, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-305677-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls.
Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud’s new post-Bartimaeus series.
Narrator Lucy Carlyle hopes to put her unusual sensitivity to supernatural sounds to good use by joining Lockwood & Co.—one of several firms that have risen to cope with the serious ghost Problem that has afflicted England in recent years. As its third member, she teams with glib, ambitious Anthony Lockwood and slovenly-but-capable scholar George Cubbins to entrap malign spirits for hire. The work is fraught with peril, not only because a ghost’s merest touch is generally fatal, but also, as it turns out, as none of the three is particularly good at careful planning and preparation. All are, however, resourceful and quick on their feet, which stands them in good stead when they inadvertently set fire to a house while discovering a murder victim’s desiccated corpse. It comes in handy again when they later rashly agree to clear Combe Carey Hall, renowned for centuries of sudden deaths and regarded as one of England’s most haunted manors. Despite being well-stocked with scream-worthy ghastlies, this lively opener makes a light alternative for readers who find the likes of Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series too grim and creepy for comfort.
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls. (Ghost adventure. 11-13)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4231-6491-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
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