A fun, bright story for young fans of time-hopping hijinks.
A fast-paced SF graphic novel by writer Damián and artist Fuentes about a group of students who find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly thrown into the past.
A class field trip to the ruins of a castle of the Knights Templaris an exciting prospect for friends Arnold, Sara, Mei, and Driss, but Piero, the class bully, uses it as an opportunity to torment. While trying to scare the trio, Piero’s actions send them all into a pit, where a sudden flood carries them into what appears to be a jungle, where mythic and perhaps prehistoric creatures reside. They escape the predators and soon run into a knight, who offers help but also keeps whispering to other people in his village about “the portal.” He explains that the Knights Templar created an escape path through time to evade persecution and have been living in secrecy for centuries. What starts as an opportunity for the kids to explore an ancient world turns sinister when they learn about the disturbing secret of the villagers’ survival. The kids’ predicament leads to some impressively realized chase sequences by Fuentes, who has a sharp eye for character detail and engagingly variable color motifs, which move from bubblegum pink to bright blue to candlelit orange. Although the main characters are feature clear visual signifiers (Sara, for instance, uses crutches), their personalities don’t consistently come through as distinct, other than Piero and a young guide who’s introduced late in the narrative. This may bother some readers, but others will be swept along by the story’s brisk pace, rising stakes, moments of humor, and beautiful artwork. The tale ends on a somewhat abrupt cliffhanger, but one hopes that the central characters will receive more development in future installments.
A fun, bright story for young fans of time-hopping hijinks.Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781545812204
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Papercutz
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism.
Stories of Buddha’s past lives help a young boy “find [himself] in the moment.”
Binh and his siblings, who are of Vietnamese descent, can’t believe they’re spending the weekend at a silent meditation retreat. Binh would rather play his Game Boy so he doesn’t have to meditate and inevitably think about the bullies at school. It is only when Sister Peace tells stories about the Buddha and his past life that Binh is able to imagine himself entering a video game–inspired world and thus process his feelings of shame, isolation, and anger. With each Jataka tale, Binh’s awareness expands, and so, too, does his ability to be present for and helpful to those around him. A welcome addition to the handful of middle-grade stories featuring Buddhist protagonists, this exploration of identity and Buddhist principles will find an audience with young readers who love Raina Telgemeier but aren’t quite ready to level up to the complexity and nuance of Gene Luen Yang’s epic American Born Chinese (2006). The video game elements are compelling, although they understandably diminish as the story progresses and the protagonist’s inner life grows. Warm fall colors and luscious black lines anchor the story as it transitions among flashbacks, stories, and the present day. Filled with talking animals, the parables can be a little heavy-handed, but the witty banter between Binh and the narrator during fantasy sequences provides levity. (This review was updated for accuracy.)
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism. (bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780759555488
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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