READ: 5 WORLDS: THE SAND WARRIOR for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. PDF, EPUB online free reviews.

A reluctant reader once told me the reason he didn’t like to read books was it took too long to turn the page. What he meant to say was slogging through 250 words without any visual treats equated to torture. Thank goodness we have graphic novels.

The new 5 Worlds series should be a welcome sight for all readers who enjoy a good story along with gorgeous images. Your eyes move across the panels and the pages turn quickly as you learn about the fate of the 5 Worlds.

There are exciting scenes when the sand gets out of control and war erupts. Each character faces their own realities of who they are and what their purpose is in this universe.

Tuck this one in the back seat for those long car rides this summer. You’ll never hear anyone say “Are we there yet?”

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017 PAGE COUNT: 256

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): The Five Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. When war erupts, three unlikely heroes will discover there’s more to themselves—and more to their worlds—than meets the eye. . . .

• The clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, Oona Lee is a fighter with a destiny bigger than she could ever imagine.

• A boy from the poorest slums, An Tzu has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.

• Star athlete Jax Amboy is beloved by an entire galaxy, but what good is that when he has no real friends?

When these three kids are forced to team up on an epic quest, it will take not one, not two, but 5 WORLDS to contain all the magic and adventure!

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: 5 WORLDS: THE SAND WARRIOR by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel (Illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, & Boya Sun)

A girl hero who emerges into a confident fighter. Great choice for this adventure rather than have another male protagonist leading the way like we usually find.

The amount of work that went into the graphics is stunning. Each page comes at you with new images from different perspectives. You can see for yourself at the 5 Worlds website.

The story is destined to become more intriguing in future installments but for me the characters are what

will bring readers back. They are each different with a set of skills sure to come

in handy in their continuing adventure.

The fact that we are dealing with five worlds makes the possibilities and adventure quotient even greater as the series continues.

An Tzu has a mysterious disease and Jax is more than just a boy. I’m anxious to find out more about these two.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Mark Siegel has written and illustrated several award-winning picture books and graphic novels, including the New York Times bestseller Sailor Twain, or the Mermaid in the Hudson. He is also the founder and editorial director of First Second Books.

Alexis Siegel is a writer and translator based in London, England. He has translated a number of bestselling graphic novels, including Joann Sfar’s The Rabbi’s Cat, Penelope Bagleu’s Exquisite Corpse, and Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese into French.

Xanthe Bouma is an illustrator based in Southern California. When not working on picture books, fashion illustration, and comics, Xanthe enjoys soaking up the beachside sun.

Matt Rockefeller is an illustrator and comic book artist from Tucson, Arizona. His work has appeared in a variety of formats, including book covers, picture books, and animation. Matt lives in New York City.

Boya Sun is an illustrator and coauthor of e=the upcoming graphic novel . Originally from China, Boya has traveled from Canada to the United States and now resides in teh charming city of Baltimore.

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Make a comment below if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.