Escape with great stories
Kids need escape, and what better way to get there than with books? These are a few fun lighthearted tales sure to put a smile on any young reader’s face.
“Bera the One-Headed Troll” by Eric Orchard; First Second Books; 126 pages; $17.99.
Graphic books are all the rage among youngsters. This one is keen with its appeal to girls and boys and mentalities of all ages. Eric Orchard’s droll and sly but hopeful tale introduces Bera the One-Headed Troll, an introvert who’s happily tending to her island pumpkin patch in solitary when a human baby arrives. No one knows where it comes from. The worried-looking baby has plenty of enemies, but Bera does a good job of protecting him from Cloote, the former head witch of the troll king.
Various oddball characters weave in and out of this low-key Norse-like adventure, but the highlight is the unique feel and otherworldly appeal it possesses. Readers will cheer on the fearless Bera, as her quest becomes more and more strange and magical. Orchard’s comics are appropriately drab-colored, but the silliness and humor still shine through, especially with characters like tree spirits, a two-headed clownlike figure, a talking gargoyle door knocker and a young scarecrow. It’s cool and different indeed!
“Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor” by Rick Riordan; Disney Hyperion; 468 pages; $19.99.
The second book in Rick Riordan’s new Norse mythology series sends Magnus and friends off to help Thor, the god of thunder, find his missing weapon before all Muspelheim breaks loose. As witty and cool as the Percy Jackson series, Riordan’s newest series for kids ages 8 to 14 is also full of crazy villains, likable and relatable heroes, tons of action and a groovy new hip Norse-mythology setting. This thick page-turner will send kids off to a land that’s effervescent and high-energy with humor that’s needed right now and always.
You can’t go wrong with Rick Riordan books for reluctant readers. This one packs a wallop and will be a surefire hit.
“Snow White: A Graphic Novel” by Matt Phelan; Candlewick Press; 190 pages; $19.99.
Matt Phelan is an award-winning graphic novelist whose books include “The Storm in the Barn,” “Around the World” and “Bluffton,” to name a few. This moody, dramatic, nearly all black-and-white graphic tale begins in 1928. A little girl named Samantha is sent away by her cold stepmother during the Great Depression era. When she returns, the market has crashed, her father is gone and her stepmother is more desperate for wealth and attention than ever.
With some characters that are pure of heart and others that are pure evil, Phelan has turned a classic fairy tale on its head to showcase vivid personalities and the Depression dynamism. Feels a bit like film noir, too. Kids ages 7 to 14 should enjoy this tale, which is mostly cartoons and not much text.