The Lost City

August 1, 2019

Gr 3-7-Edison Beaker returns to the Underwhere in this sequel that lives up to the first installment. When Edison and Tesla's grandmother tells them to find the lost city of Pharos, they don't know where to begin looking. With the gift of a journal and a creature-finding bracelet, the kids make their way back to the Underwhere with the help of their old friend Knox, who is just as prickly as before and missing the family she never knew. Tesla befriends a tiny Underling named Smudge, whose alliances are unclear. Edison doubts his abilities as a Creature Seeker, especially since Uncle Earl doesn't think he's ready to help in the family business. With Baron Umbra and his minions hot on their trail, Edison and company must make unexpected friendships and take a few major risks. The action is easy to follow, and the plot moves along at a steady clip. Cammuso's exaggerated, cartoonish comics focus on the characters and their reactions. VERDICT This latest outing in the series expands the world and lore of the Underwhere just enough to make readers feel as though they are being let in on a secret. Graphic novel fans will eat this one up.-Gretchen Hardin, Bee Cave Public Library, TX

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2019
After sealing off The Night Door (2018) in his first adventure, young Edison Beaker and his plucky little sister, Tesla, think their monster-hunting days may be over. But then their cherished great-grandma Gigi falls ill and, from her nursing-home bed, warns Edison and Tesla they must return to the Underwhere to find both the lost city of Pharos and the Spark, then relight its snuffed torch. She gives Tesla a monster-detecting bracelet called the Creature Beeper and tells Edison to look for her Underwhere journal at her old home. Once at Gigi's house, the siblings discover it teeming with Underlings, monsters usually only found in the Underwhere. Luckily, they are saved by their friend Knox and transported back to the Underwhere on the back of a giant, snarky, vegetarian cat named Alexander. Once there, the race is on to find Pharos and the Spark before evil Baron Umbra can defeat them. Cammuso's graphic offering should easily delight young readers with its zippy pacing, generous humor, and approachable characters. Although it's a lively and exciting portal fantasy of otherworlds and monster fighting, themes of bullying, acceptance, and family are explored, giving this a solid layer of depth alongside the fun. This series only builds momentum with each volume, so expect a monstrous demand for subsequent adventures. Edison, Tesla, and Gigi present white; Knox is purple. A series to watch. (Graphic fantasy. 7-11)

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