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Time to "Bone" up on Essential Graphic Novels

Thursday, Oct 02, 2008 at 5:43pm

Join McNally Robinson Booksellers for the 2008 Manitoba Comic Convention at the Winnipeg Convention Centre October 11 & 12, 2008. We'll have tons of young adult fantasy books and graphic novels at the convention, but here are a few favourites on our shelves right now.

Jeff Smith has released book eight in his now vibrantly coloured and grandiose saga of Bone, entitled Treasure Hunters. For the uninitiated, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, have been separated and now embark on a journey of hilarity, self-discovery and fantastical creatures that will change their lives. The book is a must-read with exceptional illustration and content that is both deeply intense and cheerfully triumphant. The ninth and final installment of these newly coloured editions, Crown of Horns, is scheduled for a February 2009 release.

Danger lurks and cool explosions boom at every page turn in the new Indiana Jones Adventure Volume One. No disappointments here!

Crruuunch! Umph! Zot! Smaaaaash! If these are some of your favourite words, check out the Marvel Adventures of Iron Man, The Hulk and Spiderman. These action-packed gems are perfect for getting the blood pumping and imaginations soaring. Lou "The Hulk" Ferrigno will be one of the many special guests at the convention.

Need a bit more fantasy? Try The Stonekeeper, the first book in the stunning Amulet series with its down-to-earth characters and unbelievable situations that come together for a truly magical ride.

The Artemis Fowl series combines superior graphics, sneaky fairies and ingenuity for an intelligent read.

The adorable and precocious Jellabyis an inventive story of a ten-year-old girl and her new (secret) best friend, a hungry and lost purple monster. The dreamlike quality of the lavenders and purples used to colour the illustrations is accented with dashes of reds and yellows that make this one exceptional.

Who said learning wasn't fun? Read Houdini: The Handcuff King and find out the escape artist's secrets and tricks. Snappy graphic panels and loads of bite size information make this one a real treat. Or go undercover with Hatshepsut, Mulan and five other exceptional women from around the world that prove they are more than meets the eye in No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed as Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure.

Perhaps you would rather explore Egyptian mythology with brilliant colour and deceptive kings and queens in Isis and Osiris: To the Ends of the Earth.

The Invisible Man and Frankenstein make the classics accessible to a young, curious mind. They are exciting, dark and mysterious. The graphic novel genre explores many classics that have endured the test of time.

Horror of the Heights is a gripping contemporary thriller that tells of a diving champ, his brother and a circle of deceit that proves the strength of family unity. This series has fast, loose graphics that focus on the plot in digestible chapters.

Wild Ride is a Canadian graphic novel that is more of a survival manual for indoor thrill-seekers who would rather devour books than confront a bear. Bright graphics with witty text, this one is filled with smart logical tips should you decide to venture into the great outdoors. Watch for Graphic Guides' next book, Ramp Rats, coming soon.

Meet Jo Jo Wigman and her bully LuLu Deederly in The Magic Pickle. In a laboratory deep underground an ordinary pickle undergoes a molecular structure change and realizes his destiny now is to fight a gang of Evil Produce. The ultimate lunchroom food fight ensues helping JoJo with her problem and puts an end to a villainous vegetable gone bad.

Heroine Baby Mouse is back with her scariest graphic novel yet - Monster Mash. Will she survive Halloween and all of its thrills, chills, toothbrushes and toilet paper tricks? I dare you to find out!

The Clockwork Girl is a touching new graphic novel about love, robots and family. Gorgeous colour panels tell a modern story of Romeo and Juliet with feuding scientists, a wind-up girl and a devoted wolf boy.

Last, but certainly not least, it is the 70th anniversary of the creation of Superman. The Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ross Macdonald tells the story of two mild mannered teenage boys who came up with Clark Kent and his crime-fighting secret identity, Superman. This picture book for young readers celebrates two friends, one a storyteller and the other an artist, who brought the Man of Steel to comic books and kids' hearts world wide.

Look for me at the convention: I'll be wandering around wearing the purple SHE-HULK t-shirt!

Go to Manitoba Comic Con for more information on the all ages Manitoba Comic Convention.

Categories: Reviews, buzz, Winnipeg, Graphic Novels

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Treasure Hunters

- Jeff Smith

Children's paperback $13.99
Reader Reward Price: $12.59

The Bone cousins, Gran'ma Ben, and Thorn finally reach the city of Atheia, where they reunite with old friends and plan to thwart The Lord of the Locusts. The Pawan army has joined forces with Briar and the rat creatures, and danger increases as Thorn's visions get stronger. Meanwhile, Phoney Bone is convinced Atheia is a city rich in gold, and he is determined to find it!

The Stonekeeper

- Kazu Kibuishi

Children's paperback $15.99
Reader Reward Price: $14.39



The first book in Kazu Kibuishi's #1 New York Times bestselling series that features a beautiful but dangerous world of new friends, giant robots, and shadowy enemies!

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather. The strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a tentacled creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into a fantastical world inhabited by robots, mysterious plants, and talking animals. It's up to Em and Navin to figure out how to set things right and save their mother's life!

No Girls Allowed

- Susan Hughes , Willow Dawson

Trade paperback $12.99
Reader Reward Price: $11.69

A female pharaoh? A woman general in the Kahn's army? A female Viking raider? No way, you say? Look again. Appearances can be deceiving ...

Based on legends, poems, letters and first-hand accounts, these seven biographical tales tell of women who disguised themselves as men. From ancient Egypt through the Middle Ages to the 19th century, this historically accurate graphic treatment is perfect to transport readers back to bygone eras. The lives of these daring women were often filled with danger and the fear of discovery. However, for the sake of freedom, ambition, love or adventure, these women risked everything. No Girls Allowed brings a contemporary edge to a part of history largely untold - until now.

Isis & Osiris

- Jeff Limke, David Witt

Trade paperback $12.99
Reader Reward Price: $11.69

Osiris is the greatest king and god of the Land of the Nile. He is a generous ruler, and the people love and worship him--along with his wife and queen, the goddess Isis. But Osiris's jealous brother Set has a terrible plan to get rid of Osiris forever and take his place on the Egyptian throne. Will Egypt suffer under an evil tyrant? Or can Isis use her magic and her love to save Osiris and conquer Set?

Magic Pickle

- Scott Morse

Trade paperback $10.99
Reader Reward Price: $9.89

Meet the Magic Pickle, a dilly of a superhero who's fighting the food fight against a brotherhood of evil fruits and vegetables who are plotting to take over the world!

The full-color graphic novel version of the Magic Pickle legend! Magic Pickle, or "Weapon Kosher," as his creator, Dr. Jekkel Formaldehyde likes to call him, is the product of a top-secret U.S. Army lab. Unfortunately, the 1950s experiments to turn vegetables into soldiers went wrong. Sure, they created Magic Pickle, the flying dill soldier, but they also let loose a bunch of rotten vegetables, like the Romaine Gladiator, Chili Chili Bang Bang, the Phantom Carrot, and Peashooter. This Brotherhood of Evil Produce is out to take over the world and they've started

Babymouse #9

- Jennifer L Holm, Matthew Holm

Trade paperback $7.99
Reader Reward Price: $7.19

Meet Babymouse--the spunky mouse beloved by young readers for more than a decade! Halloween is here and Babymouse wants to have the best costume party ever! What spooky surprises could be in store? This groundbreaking young graphic novel series, full of humor and fun, is a bestseller that's sold more than three million copies!
 
"Move over, Superman, here comes Babymouse!"--The Chicago Sun-Times

It was a dark and scary Halloween. . . . This year, Babymouse is determined to have the best Halloween costume and the best Halloween party ever. Will Babymouse be the monster of her dreams? Will Felicia Furrypaws come to the party? And is that really the creature from the black lagoon living in Babymouse's locker? Find out in Monster Mash--the 9th hilarious, action-packed installment of the beloved Babymouse graphic novel series!

DON'T MISS The BIG Adventures of Babymouse: Once Upon a Messy Whisker, the newest, brightest, and BIGGER THAN EVER graphic novel from BABYMOUSE!