Voice of Youth Advocates

In this graphic novel trilogy, middle schoolers Max, Theo, and Noah team up with Rebecca the day her Grandpa Gabe is buried. They decide to explore his house, rumored to be haunted. Their visit is cut short when they are frightened by a noise in the dark and worried parents summon them home. The next day, they return only to discover a movie projector, one of Grandpa Gabe's many inventions, that leads them into a whole other world through the light from the lens. Suddenly they find themselves on a journey in this other world with a cast of characters trying to battle the Shadow Spies who abhor the light. Fantasy, play, and reality are well mixed in these short books. The reader tries to escape the next attack from the Shadow Spies right along with the foursome as each page unfolds another heart-stopping discovery. The pictures are rich, with well-defined colors and expressions that accurately reflect the characterÆs state of mind. A brief summary of the previous book is captured at the beginning of books two and three, and a hint of the next episode is given, including the third book, which finishes with ôThe End?ö Developmentally appropriate, the camaraderie between the characters emulates real lifeùboredom, inquisitiveness, adventure seeking, and imaginations sometimes out of control. The ElseWhere Chronicles are a solid exploration for younger teens for whom things may still go bump in the night.ùKelly Czarnecki.

School Library Journal (Fri May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

NYKKO The Master of Shadows Bk. 3. ISBN 978-0-7613-4461-2 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-4744-6 . LC 2008039444. NYKKO The Shadow Spies Bk. 2. ISBN 978-0-7613-4460-5 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-3964-9 . LC 2008039443. ea vol: illus. by Bannister. 48p. (The ElseWhere Chronicles). CIP. Lerner/Graphic Universe 2009. PLB $27.93; pap. $6.95. Gr 4-8 Upon the death of a neighborhood recluse, Max, Theo, and Noah meet the mans adopted granddaughter, Bec. In her grandfathers effects, they find the means to travel to another world thats filled with strange plants and peoples and deadly shadow creatures. Unable to return the way they came, they must fight their way to other gateways. The three volumes comprise one story arc, introducing the characters and the world, and ending with the dangling promise of future adventures. And while there are fun and beautiful moments, the primary story objective is survival, and there is a continual sense of peril. The action sequences are clear and suspenseful, providing an interesting contrast to the charming figure work. There are frequent cute touches, which occasionally prevent the young heroes from expressing some of the tension and depth required in the more intense sequences, but overall the books effectively grab readers and create a compelling emotional landscape to complement the alien one. Its therefore a pity that the third volume feels rushed as it arrives at its conclusion. Due to the open-ended final panel, it makes sense to retain some dangling threads, but the key antagonist is never fully realized, and the sacrifice of a major character happens without sufficient explanation. Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

ALA Booklist (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2009)

The plot in this first book in the Elsewhere Chronicles French-import graphic-novel trilogy simple enough: the four friends discover a door to another world in a spooky house (which is architecturally quite modern, in a nice twist), and then two of them get stuck there while the other two try to figure out how to get them back. A few of the details along the way are introduced with little explanation, such as light guns and a projector that somehow opens up the Shadow Door, and readers will have to wait until the next volume to truly get a handle on what's going on in this other world of menacing shadows and monsters. That said, this is an undeniably attractive offering, as the artwork, with deep darks and effervescent lights splayed across large, glossy pages, is strikingly rendered. Indeed, there are times when the textual interference on the story is rendered unnecessary by the action occurring in the panels. A cryptic, light-horror opening that should have no problem gaining an appreciative readership.

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Four friends discover a passage to a dangerous new world (Book One). Rebecca and Max are stranded there; back on Earth, Noah and Theo work to rescue them (Book Two). Book Three finds the four together and in trouble again. Readers who aren't sticklers for logic will find this dramatically illustrated graphic novel series a diverting vision of a dark and magical world.