MIDDLE GRADE FICTION/GRAPHIC NOVELS : Diana: Princess of the Amazons by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale & Field Trip Disaster by Derek Fridolfs & Dave Bardin
ABOUT THE BOOK
Eleven-year-old Diana leads an idyllic life on the island of Themyscira. Cut off from the rest of the world, she's beginning to feel more and more isolated. Though she has a loving mother and many "aunties," she is an only child. THE only child on the island, in fact.
After an escapade goes wrong, Diana gets in trouble for not living up to the Amazonian standard. She just can't seem to measure up no matter what she does. Every other person on the island is an adult proficient in their trade and mighty in body, while she is gangly, sometimes clumsy, and not particularly good at anything. She's not Wonder Woman ... yet. What Diana needs is a friend; someone her own age whom she can talk to. But when she decides to take matters into her own hands, she may just make a monster instead of a friend.
REVIEW
If you have a Wonder Woman-loving middle grade reader at your house, this new book by the Hales is a must have. The Hales introduce us to Diana as an eleven-year-old who is searching for where she belongs on a island of grown-ups. She loves her mother and 'aunts', but as the only child she feels overlooked and undervalued. Everyone is so busy working that she rarely has companions to play with. After making a clay playmate in hopes of having a friend, Diana is shocked when said playmate seems to come to life. As Diana and Mona get to know each other, Mona encourages Diana to get into mischief, playing pranks on the other Amazons and skipping tutoring. Eventually, Mono leads Diana to the island where Doom's Doorway resides. She convinces Diana to unlock the door to Tartarus to prove her identity as an Amazon. But these actions have horrible consequences and Diana is left to decide just who and what she is and if friendship is worth betraying her family.
The story is action-packed and moves quickly. Yet there is more depth here than one might expect as Diana wrestles with her conscience and her self-esteem. The Hales have created a version of Wonder Woman that is bound to be as popular as the grown up one. Ying's illustrations are bright, adorable, and appealing. A sure-fire winner with the graphic novel, superhero crowd.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The first EVER Secret Hero Society volume narrated by Diana Prince (Wonder Woman)!
When a foreign exchange student arrives at Justice Prep, Diana is excited to greet him! While Clark (Superman) is also curious to meet this shy student, Bruce (Batman) is wary. Bruce's suspicions are warranted when they are unable to find any record that this student even exists. When the three confront her, an accident transports them all the way to the 31st century! Now Diana, Clark, and Bruce get to meet the heroes of tomorrow... the Legion of Super Students!
Our displaced time-traveling heroes will struggle to grasp future technology, homework assignments, and most importantly — bullies. Futuristic bullies who have a plan to go back in time and change the course of history! It's up to Clark, Diana, and Bruce to stop their villainous plan before it happens, and find their way back home in this newest Secret Hero Society adventure!
REVIEW
Field Trip Disaster takes Diana, Bruce, and Clark a thousand years into the future to prevent a disaster caused by someone from Justice Academy. It turns out that one of their classmates swiped a time machine and is using it to wreak havoc, specifically on Diana's past. And if the classmate succeeds, Diana will not only never meet Bruce and Clark, she'll never even leave the island of the Amazons. Using their skills and the help of their friend from the future, Diana, Bruce, and Clark set out to stop their pasts from being forever altered. I quite enjoy this series, despite the fact that it's all in black and white and I prefer color. It's fun to listen to Diana, Bruce, and Clark debate while texting and the different ways the story is told (advertisements, journal entries, homework assignments, etc.). I do find the story hard to follow sometimes, and I'm pretty sure that one panel has a mistake in it--it doesn't make sense otherwise. But in general this is a fun series for young readers who can't get enough superhero stories and who enjoy seeing their favorites trying to save the world as kids.
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