ParaNorman

September 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-Adapted from the screenplay for the animated movie, ParaNorman works as more than simply a novelization. For as long as he can remember, 11-year-old Norman Babcock has seen and heard ghosts of both the human and animal variety. During his grandmother's funeral a year ago, he finally decided to talk back. This makes him something of an outcast in his small New England town, but he doesn't really mind. One ghost Norman has never had contact with is the witch who was executed centuries ago by the townspeople. On the eve of the 300th anniversary of her trial, Norman receives dire news: her curse will raise an army of undead and destroy the town unless he uses his power to stop her. While supporting characters are painted with fairly broad strokes-the boy-crazy older sister and dim-witted bully, for example-Norman is more fully developed with an interesting character arc as he learns he can rely on friends and family. Humor abounds with only mildly scary action, and the plot is augmented by some solid secondary themes including the fear of differences and the danger of mob mentality. Stylized, monochromatic illustrations introduce each chapter, and a "report" on the Blithe Hollow witch trial by one of Norman's classmates is included.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Grades 3-6 The novelization is not an acclaimed genre, but Kimmel (the Suddenly Supernatural series) has labored to get this version of the forthcoming animated feature to stand on its own. Norman is an 11-year-old citizen of Blithe Hollow, a fictional New England town that held witch trials 300 years ago. Like his crazy-seeming great-uncle, Norman can communicate with dead people. (And dead animals, too.) Trying to defend the town against a witch's curse, Norman teams up with the usual unlikely band of allies. Judging from this book and the movie trailer, the film (due out in August from the producers of Coraline) will impress viewers with the visual surprises of its stop-motion animation rather than with its plotting or characterizations. Kimmel tries hard to fill in the blanks and extend the story, but it often reads more like a friendly cannibalization than a creative enterprise. Which is probably fine for a kid's movie-turned-book about zombies, ghosts, and witches.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)