Your Throne Volume One by Sam

This month, I seem to be hitting quite a few graphic novels, especially in the young adult direction...which is fine by me, since time is tight this time of year. We planted corn this week and now, I have to hit my upper garden beds, since my tomatoes are slowly taking up my living room windows and really, really, really need to make it outdoors. And then, there's the zucchini. 

I'm going off on a tangent here...zucchini is usually a plant that can feed a village. But not here. We have squash bugs, which destroy the plants right before they produce. (Stupid bugs!) BUT I finally got my hands on diatomaceous earth. This contains 80-90% silica, which is said to dry out the bugs and make it impossible for them to chomp away at the stem and roots. So, I'm praying for tons of zucchini this year. I'll get back to you on how that all works out. 

Anyway, graphic novels fly by faster on the reading end than traditional ones, so I was happy to see so many in my pile. Today's looks like one I'll either love or hate...and if I hate it, then I'll try the diatomaceous earth on it? Maybe not.

Do any of you know how to pronounce diatomaceous?

YOUR THRONE, VOL. 1

by Sam

WEBTOON Unscrolled

Young Adult Fantasy

288 pages

COMING...

OCTOBER 1st!!!

A powerful noblewoman has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival. Your Throne Vol. 1 collects the first 12 episodes of the stunning fantasy WEBTOON comic by SAM, which has over 830 million reads worldwide.

Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros but resolves to do whatever it takes to win back what's rightfully hers. However, she’ll have to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Revenge and evil-queen-vibes sink into an unexpected game, where everyone plays their own strategy while unknowingly taking the role of someone else's pawn.

Medea should have been queen but lost her place when the prince chose the other girl instead. Now, she's out for revenge, but before she can take it, the craziest thing happens, and she wakes up to find herself in her rival's body. While she quickly regains her footing and has all intentions to continue with her initial goal, her new and different perspective of the situation reveals a much more complicated scheme. What started as a simple plan to destroy one person has warped into a battle to save the entire kingdom.

I went into this hoping for a darker, cliche story, which would offer a bit of fun...my expectations weren't high. But this gives quite a bit more and promises to lead into an exciting series of intrigue and many hidden agendas. The beginning shows Medea in a terrible light as a vengeful young woman, who embodies the villain. It made her very hard to like or connect with, especially when juxtaposed with the angelic rival. During the first pages, I did wonder if I'd made a bad grab. Also, not much time is spent sinking into the situation or world, leaving a bit of confusion especially since Medea's hate seems very unfounded. But this ill-balanced beginning does end up setting off the tale better than first appears.

While this starts with an overly cliche atmosphere, the twists and turns flip everything on its head to create an original and grabbing read. There is a lot of room for character growth, and even in this first volume, that arc comes across well. To say that there's quite a bit going on is an understatement, and that guarantees quick pacing throughout. With all of the webbed intentions, this could quickly grow confusing but flashbacks root the background and keep things from flying out of control. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of such back-and-forth, but it works well because the reader gets hit with a truckload of information in this first volume. While it seems to border on confusing at times, it manages not to go too far, but instead, sets the base for so much more to come during the upcoming volumes.

The art style fits the story. The color tones match the atmosphere and subtly portray each 'queen' in a way, which supports how the reader is supposed to see them at that moment. The visual changes match the plot and balance well with the text.

I am looking forward to the next volume, especially since this beginning has laid such an intricate base. There are more than a few questions as to the intent and goals of several characters, and it will be exciting to see where this all might lead.

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook for Kids by David Borgenicht and Justin Heimberg

Today's read caught my attention right away.  I loved such reads as a kid, my siblings enjoyed them, and my own kids would have gobbled up survival facts. I am curious to see how detailed this read gets and hope it's a lot of fun, too. 

THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK FOR KIDS!

by David Borgenicht and Justin Heimberg

Illustrated by Wenke Kramp

Quirk Books

Middle Grade Nonfiction

128 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING SEPTEMBER 17th!!!

The best-selling (and wildly hilarious) Worst-Case Scenario series is back with 40 extreme survival tips for kids ages 8-12, great for adventurous fans of the I Survived books.

Erupting volcanoes. Ravenous sharks. Pooping in the woods. The great outdoors is a weird, wonderful, and scare-your-pants-off terrifying place. Whether you’re freezing in the Arctic, escaping quicksand in the jungle, or befriending tarantulas in the desert, this guide has you covered. (Figuratively, not literally. We didn’t have the budget for a blanket-sized book.) Bust this guide open and discover step-by-step instructions for surviving the most extreme situations that Planet Earth can throw at you. 

Learn how  Dodge a charging rhinoceros, ride out a sandstorm, navigate by the stars, build a snow cave, cross piranha-infested waters…and much more. Yeah, the outdoors can be scary, but big deal. You’ve got this indispensable, laugh-out-loud survival guide. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get out there.

GOODREADS     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Survivalist and adventure fans hit information for hardcore situations, and that with tons of humor tossed in.

From ice landscapes to jungles...from Africa to South America and more, this read visits dangerous and sticky situations, which readers may or may not ever face, from all ends of the globe. Surviving a shipwreck on an island, facing down a mountain lion, or even understanding the first hints of a tsunami no longer count to secret skills after hitting these pages. The chapters divide up the possible predicaments by settings (jungle, ice, etc.), give a one paragraph introduction, and then dive into several scenarios and how to deal with them with short tips and hints. 

Some skills are useful and good-to-know. Others are interesting but probably will never arise...which doesn't mean the information is useless, though. Each situation is delivered with a sense of adventure and humor, which never underplays the true danger but keeps it light-hearted and fun. The information holds general, easy tips (nothing overly technical) and will have readers proud that they know some things others probably don't. The information is also correct, which does add to the all-around-knowledge aspect and really can help out if the need arises. It's an extremely varied mix, which adds to the fun.

The writing is very fitting for the middle grade audience. The reader is directly addressed, and while the authors 'play' with each scenario and add jokes, they never talk down to the readers, either. It guarantees smiles and also helps the information sit better in the memory. There are added questions toward the end of each chapter, which hold a bit of real information checking but also offer ridiculous answer possibilities to bring snorts and giggles. The illustrations also add humor but do help readers understand the information given in the text (like how to construct emergency shelters). 

It's a fun read with tons of information, too, and I do see readers enjoying this one quite a bit.

Morgana and Oz Vol. 1 by Miyuli

Today's read doesn't hit until September, but I've been too curious to see if it's any good to wait that long. It's a graphic novel for the teen audience and should be a light, fun read. This one is going to play around the relationship between a witch and a vampire...and now that I think about it, I haven't read a vampire story for a very long time! Wow. It was just a couple years ago that vampires and witches were all over YA literature. Interesting how things constantly change.

Anyway, I'm hoping this one isn't all gushy and swoony but rather packs some humor, adventure or something along those lines, too. So, off we go!

MORGANA AND OZ

Volume 1

by Miyuli

WEBTOON Unscrolled

YA Paranormal

320 pages

COMING...

SEPTEMBER 3rd!!!

What happens when a struggling witch meets an angsty vampire? Either love or war.

Morgana belongs to a long line of witches, and Oz to the rival vampire clan. After a chance encounter . . . and maybe a few stray spells . . . these two need to find a way to work together, or risk all-out war between coven and clan.

It's a Romeo and Juliet story where a boy and a girl from two rival clans, one a vampire and one a witch, meet cute, like each other, but then the girl makes a serious mistake and turns the boy into a cute kitty.

Collecting episodes 1-19 of the hit fantasy WEBTOON series

GOODREADS    /     WEBTOONS

MY TIDBITS

Take a accident-prone witch, a lost vampire turned cat, and a coven/clan war, and chaos is guaranteed.

The witches are determined to finally find peace with the rival vampire clan after generations of fighting and invite them over for a first dinner. No magic is allowed, but Morgana can't stand the color of the dress her mother chose for her. When her magic backfires—again—, it doesn't unleash chaos but she does run across someone lurking outside on her way to the dumpster. As her and the vampire, Oz, exchange first greetings as awkwardly as possible, the dinner inside erupts into chaos. Soon, the house is standing in flames, the vampires swear deadly war, and Morgana ends up with a vampire-turned-kitty in her arms. Somehow, everything needs to be fixed, but Morgana is the last witch, who can be expected to achieve that job.

I was expecting quite a bit more romance, and I'm so glad that this aspect didn't hit nearly as strong as it might have. Instead, this read takes on a sweet, funny, and chaotic tone with just a touch of secret agendas to add a dash of mystery...but very slight. The tale concentrates more on Morgana and her inability to control of her magic as she desperately wants to meet expectations and become a good witch. Her super kind personality and willingness to overlook others' negative points, makes her a heroine to root for. She's naive but not stupid and has quite a bit of potential for growth during the series. Oz doesn't come across as strongly in this first volume, which works fine and simply lays the groundwork for more to come on his end. He does add the needed grit to create smile-worthy situations, though.

This is a fun, easy read with quick and even pacing the entire way through. While the tensions between the coven and clan members are obvious, darker moments are held at bay by the lighter humor and quirky situations. The over-the-top personalities of most of the characters is endearing, and yet, it's clear that a couple might not hold the genuine intentions as they appear to have. But this side is only hinted at and, I'm assuming, will carry much more importance as the series continues. 

The graphics tend to take darker hues (not always but overall), while the characters...especially Morgana...remain wide-eyed and more open in their style. This fits well with the story's atmosphere, and also allows the hints of darker aspects to maintain present without gaining too much footing against the sillier side. Many scenes also hang toward the individual characters rather than fuller settings and surroundings. This allows the personalities and emotions to shine. When more is needed, the backgrounds are well done, making it easy to slip into every moment. 

It's a fun read, and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes from here because there promises to be several unexpected twists and turns...and tons of character growth.

Happy Book Birthday, Monet Chases the Light by Jenny Gahan!

Happy book birthday! I might be a day early on this one, but the pre-party is always the most fun. Today's read heads in a non-fiction direction and takes a peek at Monet. I don't believe this one will be a boring look at his life, accomplishments, dates, and such. Instead, I'm expecting something a little more general about him and his works. Obviously, it will have, at least, a little bit to do with light. And him running?

Anyway, let's just open the cover and find out.

MONET CHASES THE LIGHT

by Jenny Gahan & Patricia Ward

Little Pink Dog Books

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 6 to 10

COMING MAY 14th!!!

Monet, a French artist, is fascinated by light. He paints at all times of the day, in all seasons, and in all kinds of weather. He chases the light as it frolics through the fields, dances in the treetops, and skips across the water. Eventually the light comes to rest in Monets beautiful waterlily pond.

Monet Chases the Light is a creative non-fiction picture book for children aged 4-6 years. Claude Monet, a French artist, produced paintings that glowed with light and colour.

Monet was fascinated by light and painted at all times of the day, in all seasons, and in all kinds of weather in his endeavour to capture the light in his work. This book introduces children to Monets fascination with light in a playful manner. He chases the light as it frolics through the corn fields, dances in the treetops, and skips across the shimmering water. Monet paints quickly, as the light never stays still for long. When the light is soft and silky, he uses gentle flowing strokes. When the light is harsh and bright, he uses rough, choppy strokes. Monet sometimes paints the same thing over and over, from dawn until dusk, watching the colours and light change as the sun drifts across the sky.

At his home in Giverny Monet creates a splendid waterlily pond. He paints magical pictures of his pond as the light prances through the waterlilies. Then, as an old man, Monet grows tired of chasing the light. He sits quietly beside his pond. Monet has spent his life chasing the light, but now at last the light finds him.

AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER   /    B&N   /    OBLONG BOOKS

MY TIDBITS

Light and art play on every page as Monets' works are portrayed in each scene.

This book is a light, flowing homage to Monet and his works. The reader meets him when he's already older, and he's running with canvas and art supplies across a field as it artistically merges from a painted image of violet to a colorful landscape. This sets a playful tone, which holds throughout the read. But then, this isn't a read about the facts surrounding Monet, but rather, brings across his art style and works in a natural manner, which especially takes a view at his use of light...hence, the title. Every page shows a colorful landscape, which expresses how light changes the appearance. At the same time, Monet is shown as he paints the same scene on his canvas. 

The illustrations are done in watercolor and carry the same colorful style as Monet's works. The scenes keep a very light atmosphere and allow the colorful landscapes to hit with a slightly fantastical impression, which invites to dreaming.

Especially the younger end of the intended age group will enjoy this one, and it works well as a read-a-loud. The light, rhythmic tone leads the reader through the different settings, which even include Monet him painting while sitting on a boat. The entire thing rounds off to a comforting and peaceful end to form a calming read. This would work nicely as an introduction to an art theme or when learning more about Monet. 

And here they are...

Jenny Gahan is an experienced primary and special education teacher, passionate  about sharing her love of reading and writing with children. She writes picture books,  both fiction and non-fiction, that encourage children to use their imagination, build  their language skills, ask questions, and engage with the world around them. Jenny's first fiction picture book, A Rainbow of Feathers, was published in 2020. This  beautifully illustrated book features Australian birds including a Rainbow Lorikeet,  a blue Fairy Wren, a Scarlet Honeyeater, a Yellow Robin, and a green Fig Parrot, and  tells the story of a baby lorikeet finding her colours. Jenny lives in Brisbane, and in addition to reading and writing, Jenny's interests include  photography and painting. In the future she plans to visit more of the places that inspire  her creativity. Patricia Ward has a B.A Design and is an emerging children's book illustrator, who is  currently working on her fourth children's book. Patricia is an art director and illustrator  whose work spans television, magazines and publishing. Her illustrations have  appeared on CD artworks, magazine and book covers, in television series and her  animations have won awards both at home in Australia and in New York in the New York  Festivals TV & Film Awards.

The Buddy System by Matthew Cody

Happy Mother's Day! 

THE BUDDY SYSTEM

Time Buddies Book 1

by Matthew Cody,

Colleen A.F. Venable

Illustrated by Chad Thomas

Epic! Creations, Inc.

Middle Grade Science Fiction  /   Graphic Novel

ages 8 to 12

COMING JUNE 25th!!!

Buckle up your chrono-belt and get ready to explore another dimension of the Cat Ninja story! Time Buddies is a history-smashing, humor-packed new graphic novel from Epic Originals!

When Hoot, an adorable, impulsive owlet from the future, meets Bentley, a studious, rule-following kid from the present, neither one quite fits into their own time. But with the accidental click of a sparkly button (or is it a snazzy one?), the two are off on an adventure that winds through ancient Egypt, the Wild West, and even the Renaissance!

Will the history-hopping duo make it back to when they belong, or are these buddies officially out of time?

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Time travel mixes facts with fun twists to create a humorous and adventurous ride.

Hoot is ready to travel with his classmates for a field trip back in time to witness one of Cat Ninja's famous battles, but something goes wrong. Instead, Hoot finds himself landing a day or two after the event and runs into Bentley, a kid who never seeks adventure of any kind. Hoot wants to find his classmates and zips back through time again, but this time accidentally takes Bentley with him. From dinosaurs to Egypt to the Wild West and more, the two hit one adventure after the other, and it doesn't seem they'll ever get back to where they're supposed to be.

While this tale branches off of the popular Cat Ninja series, it's not necessary to have visited the Cat Ninja books before diving into this new series, since it swings off in a very independent direction. 

Hoot is a cute owl, who strongly believes in his abilities and doesn't quite live up to his own expectations. It makes him easy to connect with and root for as he steers through sticky situations, while never giving up and shaking his mistakes off to immediately try again. His self-assurance clashes against Bentley's tendency to be overly careful. This not only leads to fun back-and-forth dialogue and humor but helps each to learn from the other and form an interesting friendship.

The tale enjoyably weaves historic fact with silly fiction to create one grabbing moment after the other. But to make sure the reader learns a bit of history along the way, each historical moment is revisited at the end of the book to point out where facts end and fiction begins. All of this is done in an exciting manner, keeping the adventure and humor front and center.

It's an easy read and the graphics bring every moment to life. The moments run by pretty quickly, keeping the pace high and boredom away. It's especially good for those middle grade readers, who might still need a bit more reading practice before diving into larger novels.

And here they are...

Matthew Cody is the author of several popular books, including the award-winning Supers of Noble’s Green trilogy: Powerless, Super, and Villainous. He is also the author of Will in Scarlet and The Dead Gentleman, as well as the graphic novels Zatanna and the House of Secrets from DC Comics and The Bright Family from Epic/Andrews McMeel. He lives in Manhattan, New York, with his wife and son.

Colleen AF Venable is the author of the National Book Award long-listed Kiss Number 8, a graphic novel co-created with Ellen T. Crenshaw. Her other books include Mervin the Sloth is About to Do the Best Thing in The World with Ruth Chan, The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom with Lian Cho, and the Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye series, illustrated by Stephanie Yue and nominated for the Best Publication for Kids Eisner.

When not bingeing old Twilight Zone episodes, Marcie Colleen is busy writing children's books. She is the author of numerous titles, among them Love, Triangle, Penguinaut!, The Bear's Garden, and the Super Happy Party Bears chapter book series. She lives in San Diego, California. Visit her at www.thisismarciecolleen.com.

Chad Thomas is an illustrator and cartoonist living with his family in McKinney, Texas. He’s worked on books such as TMNT, Star Wars Adventures, and Mega Man and also illustrates activity and educational titles. He loves his family, comic books, and Star Wars and will let his children beat him in checkers, but never in Mario Kart.