Today's read... A Knight of the Realm by Steve Foxe

I'm super late with today's read...but I definitely don't want to skip on this one. It's the 2nd in a graphic novel series for middle graders (and no, I didn't read the first one). It's supposed to hold magic, portals, amusement parks, high tension, and more. So, I'm expecting a lot of fun. This one comes out in about ten days, too.

Since I'm rushing right along, let's just get going and take a peek!

THE KNIGHT OF THE REALM

Adventure Kingdom #2

by Steve Foxe

Illustrated by Pedro Rodriguez and Shadia Amin

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Middle Grade Fantasy / Graphic Novel

160 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

APRIL 23rd!!!

Adventure Kingdom is back in business! In the second volume of this magical graphic novel series from Epic Originals, Clark and Karoline’s plans to run a seemingly normal park are disrupted when a messenger from the real Adventure Kingdom comes through the portal to summon the land’s one true hero on a knightly quest . . .

With the Iron King safely in exile, the Grand Jerome, Eddie, and the kids reopen Adventure Kingdom with all the magic and none of the mischief. But they soon find themselves back in a world where magic is real and an old foe with a new name has developed a mesmerizing ability to control people’s actions.

To save Adventure Kingdom from this con artist’s clutches, the kids will have face some hard choices about trust, friendship, and what it means to be a hero.

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MY TIDBITS

Knight worthy adventure takes a science fiction twist to create an exciting and very humorous tale.

The amusement park, Adventure Kingdom, is doing great thanks to the extra help of the residents from the magical kingdom. Unfortunately, though, the portal they came through is closed and the residents are stuck. When it suddenly opens again, and it's announced that Clark has been chosen to go on a knight's quest, he's excited...his best friend, Karoline, feels a bit left out, although she can tag along. The quest holds quite a bit of mystery and all sorts of unexpected twists and turns, but if it isn't solved successfully, the entire magical kingdom might fall into chaos.

I did not read the first book in this series, but that didn't matter. It was no problem to fall right into this adventure and enjoy every page. This does take off where the last book ends, but since it begins with a new adventure, it works very well. The characters each have their quirks and problems as jealousy causes tensions between the friends, but this plays a sub-role to the adventure and imagination. And this one is packed with imagination.

It's impossible to guess what obstacles or problems the friends will run across as they head out to discover the secret behind the Snake Oil, which is putting the kingdom into a zombie-like state. They run into dangerous stuffed animals, deadly pits, giant golf balls and more. The situations are original, silly, and somehow, still flow right in to create a well-flowing story. There are new characters to enjoy and, although 'new' to me, old ones as well. It was fun to follow them through the ridiculous scenarios, root for them, and smile at the end. I do hope there are more adventures to come because this is a kingdom, where the possibilities seem endless.

And here he is...

Steve Foxe is the author of more than 50 children’s books and comics for properties including Pokémon, Batman, Transformers, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Grumpy Cat. He lives in Queens, New York, with his partner and their dog. His favorite things in life are creepy movies, comic books, and chihuahuas. Find out more at stevefoxe.com.

Pedro Rodríguez studied illustration at the fine arts school La Llotja in Barcelona, Spain. He has worked on animated films, music videos, and a variety of projects in design, marketing, advertising, and publishing. He now has more than 40 published books and comics books. Pedro lives near the beach not far from Barcelona with his wife, Gemma, and their daughter Maya.