Get a Sneak Peek at ROSE, the prequel to BONE

If you thought BONE, the graphic novel series by Jeff Smith, was over when book 9, Crown of Horns, came out, well then you'd be . . . only sort of right. On August 1st, the prequel to BONE, ROSE, comes out. (That's the story that happened before the story.)

BONE is the story of the three little Bone dudes who get lost in the woods, and wind up battling the Lord of the Locusts to help Thorn reclaim her family's kingdom. Their story is over.

But how was the kingdom lost? When did the Lord of the Locusts assume power? And how did a princess named Rose become the Grandma Ben we know in BONE?

You can find out all that in ROSE. And you can get a head start on the book by checking out the sneak peek right here on Ink Splot 26!

—Carly H., STACKS Staffer

Bone in Color

A while back we received this question on the Graphix message board, from DrVSP:

Q: I loved the Bone books, "Out of Boneville" and "The Great Cow Race". I especially liked the color schemes. In the bookstore, I saw a thick version with a lot of Bone books together, but there was no color. Do all the smaller paperback versions have color? It's really hard for me to tell with on-line bookstores because they only show the cover. I don't want to buy the big book (in black and white) if I can get the small ones in color. Please let me know.

A: Well, Hi DrVSP (and Graphix fans all over) — I can, in fact, let you you know! Jeff Smith, the writer and illustrator of BONE, wrote ALL 9 books a while ago in black and white — and Scholastic decided that BONE is so cool, it should be in color! (Well, except for the Bone cousins . . . they are white. Literally.) So, any BONE book that is published by Scholastic is in color. All 9 of the books are currently available from Scholastic as individual books in full color.

AND! Coming this August, the BONE Prequel: Rose will also be available from Scholastic in full color.

If you haven't seen what the books look like in color, you can go to the BONE website and click on "SEE INSIDE!" to get a preview.

— Nancy, STACKS Staffer

The Buzz on Queen Bee

Queen Bee is a cool graphic novel for ages 12 and up about two middle-school girls with psychokinetic powers . . . and a major rivalry! It's been out for a while now, but we're still getting questions about it. Check out the Queen Bee website for sneak peeks, and here are some burning questions from some fans:

Q: How old are each of the kids in Queen Bee? — angelbaby
A: The kids are all about 12 years old.

Q: the second book of queen bee out?? — sweetlucy11
A: At the moment, we don't have another Queen Bee book scheduled.

Onward!
— Sheila, Scholastic Graphix Editor

Women in Comics and Books

When I was a kid, I pored over the Sunday funnies. Brenda Starr was my hero! She was a feisty, beautiful newspaper reporter who uncovered the dirt on all sorts of dark conspiracies, dangerous criminals, and dirty politicians. It was a tough job, but Brenda with all her smarts -- not to mention her sparkly eyes -- was on it! I thank Brenda for being the inspiration that eventually led to me being part of the Graphix team that won the 2006 Lulu of the Year Award (Graphix is a line of graphic novels published by Scholastic, in case you didn't know). The Lulu is a great honor, given for promoting women in comics and women comic artists.

So you can imagine how happy I am to answer this question, submitted by a fan on the Graphix message boards.

Q: What is a good book for a girl to read? Because i have read a lot of books but they aren't really that great so i was hoping you would have some in mind. — Girljustwant2havefun

A: There are so many wonderful books for girls to read that it's hard to choose! At Scholastic we publish the Queen Bee Graphix (for teens) and The Babysitters Club Graphix. And some of my favorite books that I'd recommend are Paint The Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke, and the paperback series How to Survive Middle School.

Onward!
— Sheila, Scholastic Graphix Editor

Book Review: The Graveyard Book

Imagine that you're growing up without any parents. Imagine that a kindly group of strangers have taken you in and are raising you. Now imagine that all of those strangers have been dead for centuries. Halloween came and went a long time ago, but if you find yourself in the mood for something a little spooky — or just a really, really good story— I’ve got just the thing.

It’s called The Graveyard Book, and it’s a children's novel written by Neil Gaiman. Neil usually writes for adults (older readers of The Splot should check out the Sandman graphic novels, Neverwhere, American Gods, or Fragile Things, a collection of short stories), but he’s written for kids in the past — Coraline, his first novel for a younger audience, is being made into a movie by the guy who did The Nightmare Before Christmas.

(Check out the trailer below! It actually gives a pretty good idea of what Mr. Gaiman’s writing is like: stylish, slightly twisted fairy tales.)

The Graveyard Book is the story of a young boy — called Bod, short for Nobody — who’s adopted by the (deceased) (obviously) inhabitants of a local graveyard after his parents are murdered. Like I said — it’s a little scary. It’s never gory or gruesome, but some parts might give you shivers. Some of us like that, though . . .

To say any more would give too much away, but the book manages the impressive and difficult feat of advancing an exciting overarching plot through a series of short vignettes (self-contained stories or scenes) about Bod as he grows up and learns the ways of the world. Each chapter up until the last could actually probably be read on its own and still be a great story, and I’m impressed that Neil managed to pull that off while still linking them all to the very cool plot of the book as a whole.

And his prose (his style of writing, the words he chooses, the way he structures his sentences, etc.) is great. He’s got this sly sense of black humor — I lost count of the number of puns he made on the word “grave” — and a very theatrical, visual way of writing. You can definitely see the action playing out in your head.

If you liked watching Katniss change and grow up in The Hunger Games, or seeing our world given a little twist in Harry Potter, or the dark, fantastical elements of Twilight, then you’ll love The Graveyard Book. It’s a quick, easy read, but it’s a lot of fun. Especially if you miss Halloween already.

Till next time, Splotters!

— Jack, STACKS Staffer

Author SPLOTlight: Raina Telgemeier

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who loved The Baby-sitters Club series. Then she grew up and became an artist, creating graphic novels and comic books, winning award after award. Meanwhile, a publishing company was in the midst of creating a new line of graphic novels, called Graphix. They had heard a lot about this artist, and they invited her in to see what kinds of ideas she could contribute. They asked her what books she read as a kid, and of course, she mentioned the BSC (that's the acronym for The Baby-sitters Club, for all you newbies!). And the rest is history!

Raina Telgemeier is the artist behind the awesome graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin's The Baby-sitters Club books: so far, she's done Kristy's Great Idea, The Truth About Stacey, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and Claudia and Mean Janine. Instead of just reading the words on the page, fans of the BSC now get to see them and watch all the baby-sitting, middle-school-ing adventures of the BSC members rendered in Telgemeier's charming, detailed drawings.

As a big BSC fan myself, I re-discovered the books in new ways once I saw what Telgemeier did with them. In the just-released graphic novel edition of Claudia and Mean Janine, Telgemeier's drawings are playful and captivating. The depictions of the BSC members are true to character, and the super-expressive, totally energetic illustrations practically leap off the page. Whether you're a BSC fan or not, Telgemeier's graphic versions are just plain fun to read.

What's even cooler is that Telgemeier's BSC versions have now gotten me interested in other graphic novels, particularly her upcoming SMILE: A Dental Drama, which Scholastic Graphix will publish in 2010. Until then, I'll just occupy myself with discovering other graphic artists! Any suggestions?

— Morgan, Scholastic Staffer

Art © 2006 by Raina Telgemeier

A Sneak Peek into Suburbia

If you haven't checked out The Arrival, then you are missing out. It is a beautiful wordless book by Shaun Tan about the arrival of an immigrant man to a bizarre new world. Well, Shaun Tan has created another masterpiece called Tales from Outer Suburbia that publishes in February 2009. This collection of (sub)urban legends for ages 12 and up is a random walk through a strange and fantastical world. Tan's idiosyncratic drawings take mundane suburban life and give it an unconventional makeover. There are all kinds of stories:  some of them with clearly defined outcomes, and others that, in my opinion, are meant to be enjoyed for what they are, with no requisite moral lesson.

There is the story of Eric, for example, an unusual foreign exchange student. Eric had a tendency to sleep and study in the kitchen pantry. He kept to himself, and rarely had questions for his hosts. When he did ask something, it would be about an object or subject that his hosts took for granted. There is a picture of Eric looking curiously at the underside of a postage stamp, and pointing out the serial number on an electrical plug. His hosts would dismiss his strange demeanor as being a "cultural thing." Then, one day, Eric left with just a wave and a good-bye. His hosts didn't even know that he was leaving for good. He did leave them something though . . .

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Then there's a story about a discontented family who always complained about their lives, until they found a secret inner courtyard in their house! The family started having picnics in their inner courtyard, and they enjoyed the privacy and the special secret that only their family knew about . . . or so they thought.

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Another great story is about a place where every household has their own missile. They were just sitting there, in the backyard, waiting for the time when the government may need to use them. Eventually they became so commonplace that people started decorating their missiles. Soon everyone was painting their missile, or using it to grow plants, or store things.

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The artwork in this book is stunning. Tan's style is such an eclectic mix of the real and surreal. Some illustrations are with color, some without, and some juxtapose vibrant hues against a shaded backdrop. The illustration about the inner courtyard looks like a painting that you might see at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Shaun Tan has let his imagination run wild once again, and I love it! I hope you'll love this book as much as I do. What's the story that your imagination would tell about your neighborhood?

— Nick, STACKS Staffer

Casting Call! The Good Neighbors by Holly Black

Which graphic novel has the potential to be produced into a blockbuster film? Well, since talks have already been made for Kazu Kibushi's graphic adventure series, Amulet, I vote that next up should be The Good Neighbors, a graphic novel series for teens written by Holly Black and illustrated by Ted Naifeh. Holly Black's best-selling series The Spiderwick Chronicles proved to be a hit on the big screen, so I say . . . make The Good Neighbors into a movie!

Here's who I would cast as the Good Neighbors characters:

Rue Silver
1st choice:
Natalie Portman – She is a well-established actress with the ability to perform great dramatic scenes.

2nd choice: 
Alexis Bledel – I loved her in Gilmore Girls, and she has the right look, but may be too innocent to play Rue.

Thaddeus Silver
Harrison Ford – He's a legendary actor and the original Han Solo. Oh yeah, not to mention perfect for the role of Rue's father.

Nia Silver
1st choice:
Cate Blanchet – Not only is she beautiful, but she's already played a mystical being in Lord of the Rings.

2nd choice:
Michelle Pfeiffer – She has barely aged throughout the years! That suits a faerie quite well in my book.

Amanda Valia
Angela Bassett – Winner of multiple awards, including one Oscar nomination... The Good Neighbors would be lucky to have Ms. Bassett in its film version.

Aubrey
Johnny Depp – Do I even need a reason to cast him?

Tam
1st choice:
Zac Effron – He's one of the "IT" boys at the moment! Tam may be a little out of character for this normally pretty boy, but I think he'd be up for the challenge.

2nd choice:
Shia LaBeouf – Transformers, Eagle Eye, and the latest Indiana Jones film...Nope, not tired of him yet.

Dale Rice
1st choice:
Taylor Lautner – He's in the upcoming highly anticipated movie Twilight as Jacob Black, so better snatch up this up-and-coming actor before his schedule is too busy.

2nd choice:
Drake Bell – This guy already has the cool factor down, and I'm betting he can pull off dark and mysterious too.

Justin Smythe
Jonah Hill – One of the funniest young actors to make me laugh in a while...He's got the part! Plus, who wouldn't want to be his best friend?

Lucy Chan
This one's a tie:

Zhang Ziyi – In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, she wowed audiences with her amazing martial arts and acting skills, and I'm betting she'd make an awesome friend. Not only does she have the look, but she can kick butt too.

Jamie Chung – Speaking of another girl who can kick butt, how about Jamie Chung of Samurai Girl? Casting this part will be difficult!

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Illustrations copyright 2008 Ted Naifeh.

Amanda Valia
Angela Bassett – Winner of multiple awards, including one Oscar nomination... The Good Neighbors would be lucky to have Ms. Bassett in its film version.

Aubrey
Johnny Depp – Do I even need a reason to cast him?

Tam
1st choice:
Zac Effron – He's one of the "IT" boys at the moment! Tam may be a little out of character for this normally pretty boy, but I think he'd be up for the challenge.

2nd choice:
Shia LaBeouf – Transformers, Eagle Eye, and the latest Indiana Jones film...Nope, not tired of him yet.

Dale Rice
1st choice:
Taylor Lautner – He's in the upcoming highly anticipated movie Twilight as Jacob Black, so better snatch up this up-and-coming actor before his schedule is too busy.

2nd choice:
Drake Bell – This guy already has the cool factor down, and I'm betting he can pull off dark and mysterious too.

Justin Smythe
Jonah Hill – One of the funniest young actors to make me laugh in a while...He's got the part! Plus, who wouldn't want to be his best friend?

Lucy Chan
This one's a tie:

Zhang Ziyi – In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, she wowed audiences with her amazing martial arts and acting skills, and I'm betting she'd make an awesome friend. Not only does she have the look, but she can kick butt too.

Jamie Chung – Speaking of another girl who can kick butt, how about Jamie Chung of Samurai Girl? Casting this part will be difficult!

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Illustrations copyright 2008 Ted Naifeh.

Book Review: BONE

"Hello, small mammal. Could you step in here for a moment? I've got something to show you."
— The Rat Creatures

I'm usually not into comic books. I mean, I've read my share of Superman, like every other kid, but it was never really a big thing for me. When it comes to light summer reading, I'm a much bigger fan of long sci-fi or fantasy epics: Ender's Game, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. I guess I feel like I just blow through graphics novels too fast. When so much of the action, setting, and characters' emotions are conveyed through pictures — which I tend to just gloss over, rather than examine and dissect — I usually feel like I didn't really get the whole experience when I get to the end. (This is totally my fault for being impatient and not stopping to appreciate the artist’s hard work. I am, officially, a Bad Reader of Comic Books).

So when I tell you that I loved BONE by Jeff Smith and you need to read it, realize that I'm not making my recommendation lightly. It takes a really well-written, carefully plotted, extremely ambitious graphic novel to get me excited about the genre at all, and BONE is all of those things.

I couldn't get into the plot without spoiling some of its great surprises, and I'm afraid if I start talking I wouldn't be able to stop anyway. So . . . lucky you: SPOILER-FREE BLOG POST! Just know that the story ends up as epic and huge as Lord of the Rings (complete with massive battles, dragon fights, feats of bravery, and so on) without ever getting dry or boring. In fact, BONE is one of the funniest books I've read in a while. I'm pretty sure the other riders in my subway cars hated me for the constant chuckling, guffawing, and poorly stifled bursts of laughter, but whatever. Plus it's got great characters. You'll love Fone Bone for his courage and his good sense of humor, you'll die laughing at Smiley Bone's antics, and you will really, really hate Phoney Bone.

And then there's the art. In addition to being a great writer, it turns out Jeff Smith is an awesome artist. The drawings are lush and rich, and Jeff somehow manages to give the little 2-foot-tall bones just as much personality in their faces and body language as his human characters have. As the scale of the plot gets bigger and bigger, his drawings start to cover huge landscapes, exotic towns, and raging battles, and he proves that his talent isn't limited to small, intimate details.

I know all the above probably sounds a lot like a marketing pitch, especially since Scholastic publishes BONE. But trust me — I've been saying the same thing to all my friends. This is one of those times where you discover a book, movie, or CD you love so much that you tell everyone you know about it until they politely ask you to shut up. So do yourselves a favor: pick up Out From Boneville, and if you're not dying to know what happens next at the end, I'll eat my hat.

So now that I've had a graphic novel epiphany . . . is there another one I should read? Let me know in the comments!

— Jack, STACKS Intern