THE ADVENTURER'S GUIDE TO DRAGONS (AND WHY THEY KEEP BITING ME)

Name: THE ADVENTURER'S GUIDE TO DRAGONS (AND WHY THEY KEEP BITING ME)
Author: Wade Albert White
ISBN: 978-0-316-30531-0

From the Adventurer's Guide series , Vol. 2

by Wade Albert White ; illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017

Fans of the first will not be disappointed with this humorous sequel

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In this sequel to The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes (2016), Anne, Penelope, and Hiro are back for a second round of hilarity and impossible adventures.

After their last quest nearly destroyed the world, the three friends are settling in at St. Lupin’s Quest Academy. Their peace is shattered when a boy named Valerian steals Anne’s gauntlet at the Quest Academy Awards and the trio find themselves thrown into yet another quest. Their mission is to kill the dragon queen—which is illegal and could result in war. Anne and her team don’t intend to kill the queen, but Valerian is in cahoots with the Copper Knights (8-foot-tall, terrifying hunks of metal), who will stop at nothing to make sure she dies. It is up to Anne, Penelope, and Hiro to stop them. This quest takes them through a series of dizzying escapades that include searching for the legendary Three-Handed Sword, fighting for their lives in the dragon trials, and looking for a pair of eyes on the slopes of an active volcano. While White extricates the adventurers from scrapes with overly convenient solutions, readers will still find pleasure in his sense of humor. The sequel also offers more clues to Anne’s mysterious background. Anne is black, Penelope is white, and Hiro appears to be Asian in Epelbaum’s illustrations.

Fans of the first will not be disappointed with this humorous sequel . (Fantasy. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-316-30531-0

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

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THE LION OF LARK-HAYES MANOR

by Aubrey Hartman ; illustrated by Christopher Cyr ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023

A pleasing premise for book lovers.

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A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.

When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)

A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9780316448222

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE WRATH OF THE PAPERCLIP

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THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE WRATH OF THE PAPERCLIP

From the First Cat in Space series , Vol. 3

by Mac Barnett ; illustrated by Shawn Harris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2024

File under “laugh riot.”

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A rogue spell-check program’s bid to transform all life-forms into that eminently useful office item, the paper clip, touches off a fresh round of lunar lunacy.

Predicated on the entirely reasonable premise that eliminating all spelling and grammar errors everywhere would logically lead to the necessity of exterminating carbon-based life in the universe, this third series entry combines high stakes with daffy banter and daring exploits. CheckMate—a chipper, jumped-up editing program—has invented the Transmogratron, a giant laser that will fulfill its ultimate goals in both the cyber world and “meatspace.” Facing challenges as random as prankster lunar unicorns and a disarmingly motherly Motherboard, scowling First Cat joins a motley crew of diversely carbon- and silicon-based allies, led by the pearlescent Queen of the Moon. They’re in a race to the finish—diverted occasionally by, for instance, a relentlessly punny comic-book interlude featuring a pair of literal and figurative Pool Sharks. They ultimately triumph thanks to teamwork and moxie. Following a celebratory party and toasts to “new friends…and steadfast comrades” (and, of course, “MEOW”), the story’s energetic, brightly colored panels close with a reveal of the next volume. (“I always hate it when comics end by announcing a sequel. SO CRINGE!” declares an authorial stand-in.) It can’t come too soon.

File under “laugh riot.” (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)