Bone #1: Out from Boneville

Not Appropriate for ages 9-12!!!

I took my 8 year old son to pick up some new books yesterday and he really wanted to get the Bone Series of books. He says 'all his friends have them'. My husband and I looked through the book and were shocked to see the graphic images that were in a book that is marketed for 9-12 yr olds. Two of the characters smoke and the female character is drawn with her shirt falling down and her cleavage busting out. I am surprised to hear that this book is "appropriate for 9-12". As a parent, I don't want my sons reading these books due to the images portrayed. The story may be about some ghostly cousins on some great adventures, but it is not illustrated appropriately.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Why cigarettes???????

I am a very liberal person but can not understand why a series marketed to children allows for the characters to be smoking cigarettes. My 9 year old agrees. Is the author getting a kick-back from the cigarette companies??

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Content Truly Acceptable for ages 9-12?

Let me start by saying that I have no problem with the Bone series or it's writer, but as a parent I do have issues with the age rating of this book. It is promoted as being appropriate for ages 9-12. Can you tell me why then, two of the characters are featured as smokers? We can't have cigarette commercials, or magazine ads but it is okay for a book labeled as being okay for children? What criteria was used when making this judgment? I think it is a fine book for an older crowd, don't get me wrong. I am not on a witch hunt or ready to burn this book. I just think with all the other great children's books out there, this isn't one I would consider for the 9-12 set. Young teen? Yeah. Older kids that like comic books and graphic novels, sure. I just have issues with my child bringing it home from the elementary school library. If it had been written 50-60 years ago when smoking had still been considered glamorous I might not have thought much of it. And, I would be able to explain to my kids that smoking wasn't considered to be bad for you then. Now days we all know better, so why promote it? When my 9y/o brought this book home from school and was so excited to read it, I wanted to know why. After reading it myself, I sat down with him and explained why I wasn't thrilled about the content. And in reading it with the eyes of a parent there was other innuendo that concerned me but I know those were things he probably wasn't picking up on. These things combined make me personally question the 9-12 y/o ratings. Being that is started out as an underground comic, I doubt it's original audience was intended to be young children. Even the school Librarian told me that one of the books in the series is not put into circulation at the elementary level. Because I don't think books should be banned, I am struggling with feeling like an overreacting mom. But, at the same time I think somewhere along the line someone needed to put more thought into who these books are appropriate for. I know we can make the same argument for so many other books so why this one? Because this is the one that my son brought home from school and caught my eye.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended for ALL AGES

First, a note to parents: many of you have been saying that there is material in this book that is not appropriate for children. In many interviews the author has addressed this say that while he did not write Bone for a children's audience (the comic books were originally released in black and white starting in the 90's) he says that the comics do not promote smoking and drinking. Neither Thorn or Phone Bone, the main characters partake in either activity. Plus none of the characters are seen getting drunk. I find it hard to believe that a child does not see people smoking on the sidewalk or people having a beer or glass of wine with their dinner. If it makes you more comfortable I would encourage you to read the stories with your child and explain to them that like in the comic, these activities are only for adults. Anyway, moving on.

REVIEW:
Bone was the first graphic novel I ever read and I was floored. Expecting a light, funny story I found myself caught in what exploded into an epic fantasy. Well told, and though it is, like the author says, Tolkien crossed with Bugs Bunny, the story is very original. When the color editions came out I introduced them to my brother who was struggling with reading, and he was hooked. These graphic novels, comics, books, whatever you want to call them are definitely a great way to get kids to start reading, and are an intriguing adventure for readers of all ages.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is the greatest book I have ever read!

It was very entertaining. Once I started reading I couldn't stop reading it. After I was done with the first one, I bought #2 the next day.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This was our "breakthrough" book for reading. Prior t

This was our "breakthrough" book for reading. Prior to the Bone series, my son had virtually no interest in reading, nor the desire to further his reading abilities. After checking this book out from the school library the first time, my son didn't put it down until he'd read it from cover to cover, which was a first for him with any reading material. And yes, two of the characters smoke, but it isn't glamourized, just rather something they shady characters do. I would highly recommend this series of books to any parent who is looking to get their son hooked on reading; it did a whole world of wonder for ours!!!

BN bookseller reccomends for 6 year old?

Went in to look for a book for my 1st grader. The bookseller brought me to this series. I specifically asked if it is content appropriate for a 1st grade reader. She said, "Yes, it's very popular!" I repeated as I thumbed through the book, "but is the content appropriate?" Again she said, "Yes." I purchased, read it and have serious concerns. Not only does it show characters smoking, but also asking for a beer. This content is not appropriate for any child below the teen level. It should not be in the children's section. I returned it.

Rilly good book

Small and white and thoroughly clueless, the bone brothers strike out from Boneville to seek their fortune. Well actually they get kicked out but are determined to make the best of it in a large unknown world. That is the beginning of the book Bone written by Jeff smith. What comes next is an epic tale of adventure and Tom foolery as the Bone cousins get lost, meet new friends, find a Dragon and find, not so nice, rat creatures.
The three Bone cousins, Smiley Bone, Phon Bone, and Phoney Bone are happy residence of Boneville. Life is going according to plan until Phoney Bone, the con artist of the three, gets booted for running a scam on the other towns people. They find themselves lost in a desert where they get separated by a swarm of locusts. Phon Bone heads off into the Valley, meets Thorn, a mysterious girl who he becomes friends with. Phon is very helpful and tends to do the right thing or the nice thing in most situations. His cousins Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone have a different approach to most situations. Phoney tends to take advantage of other people and run scams as often as possible. Smiley is not too bright and tends to follow other people's example. This puts them in trouble a lot, especially when it is their time to meet Thorn and her Grandma.
The author is trying to teach his audience that there is more than one way to handle a situation. The three Bone cousins show you three different approaches. Phon Bone is smart and tries to be nice to everyone and also tries to do the right thing. Usually everything turns out alright. Phoney Bone, on the other hand, is also smart but tries to take advantage of other people he meets and it tends to get him into trouble. Smiley Bone follows either Phon or Phoney and it usually goes well with Phon but not so well with Phoney. Phon actually spends more time getting his cousins out of trouble than anything else.
Bone is a fun and entertaining book with a good message and an even better ending.

KIDS REVIEW - I LOVE FUNNY COMICS AND ADVENTURE BOOKS

Bone is an adventurous book about a lost trio that got split up in a dessert. The 3 bones Smiley, Phoney, and FoneBone (he is talked about a lot) are chased from their hometown Boneville and stuck in the mountains. They are separated in a swarm of locusts. Fone Bone has to find his friends before two furry monsters eat him! It Is Hilarious! If you like funny comics and strange adventures this is your book! 138 pages of eye-pulling comics are a hysterical way to start your day.

Fantastic graphic novel for any age!

Fone Bone's cousin, Phoney Bone, has been thrown out of town...again. And again Fone and his other cousin, Smiley Bone, have joined him in his exile. Only this time they're lost, and just as they begin to try and find their way back home, the cousins are separated. Now Fone Bone is on his own in a strange valley filled with talking bugs, a dragon, a beautiful maiden...and furry, big-eyed monsters that want to kill him. Can he find his cousins and keep the monsters from overrunning the entire valley? Jeff Smith's graphic novel Out From Boneville is a lot of fun to read, not least because of his wonderful illustrations. Several times in the novel, the frames "read" like scenes from a movie, conveying loneliness, humor, love, and fear so clearly the reader can almost hear a movie score playing in the background.

Must read it!

I have read all of the books but the first one is very good becausr you are just getting to know all the charactres and don't know what the bone creatures are! When the 3 bones get kicked out of Bonesvill they end up getting lost and breck up with each other.Bone just meets Thorn and cunferts her and tells her about the rat creatures that tryed to ..... him. He even sees a dragon but no-one will believe him untill Thorn sees it too and dosen't know what to do.

awesome book

The name of the story is called Bone I read the fist one in it seiners. The author name was Jeff smith. It was about a person named bone his and his friends got kick out of Bonneville and then they gat lost so now there are try to get back to there. Went they got lost they got they got attect by some thing bone fall off the cliff .and he woke up in a frosty were he almost step on a bug name tad witch help him to see a person name torn .I save the rest to you to read ,

It was a page -turner because you nave know what would happens on the next page .It is not a very hard book to concentrate. I myself I do not have connect what so ever with bone. Yes I do like this kind of genre. I like this book because it he lots stuff. There is one part of the book that surprises me that the old lady has a fist name. The whole book was a cliff hanger. At the end of the book it said" to be continue" it makes me mad when it said that. It was not boring because you can nave guess what was going to happen next. I would have to say that my mind wonder a lot in this book. I would stop in the middle of the page and just wonder what would happen if I turned the page or kept reading on. I would also wonder about if I was bone what I would do.

ITS AN AUSOME BOOK!

This review is for the book Bone Escape from Boneville by Jeff Smith
Fone bone and his two cousins are run out of town thanks to phoney bone and his bad ideas. The three cousins are split up in the middle of the desert by a swarm of insects.Fone bone makes it into a valley and it doesn't take long for him to find thorn and her grandmother. Soon the rat creatures find him and phoney thorns grandmother buy them some time they were ambushed. Then the dragon comes and saves them. And with the rat creatures out of the way the set out to find there cousin.
I recommend this book because the plot was unbelievable from when the story started and ended. It had a really good setting and the characters were easy to connect with the characters.

Great Series

My 8 yr old doesn't really like to read but he loves the Bone series. He would take it everywhere with him. All his spare time was spent reading. The story is fun and engaging. He now has all the boys in his class reading Bone.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

NONSTOP ACTION + GREAT CHARACTERS + AN AWESOME VILLAIN = BONE!

This is the first (and best!) graphic novel I have ever read! The beginning is grabbing and you are soon pulled right into the book! I have read Books 1 - 8 and Book 9 is due to come out soon! This is a perfect book for all reluctant readers and readers looking for something new and exciting!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Kool Komic

Great comic! I got into reading it when my school had a bookfair, I really like comics and I liked the look of it and the review. Now I really love this series of comic. It's a can't put down kind of book and the drawings are really good to. If you like suspenseful fictional comics you'll love this series! :)

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Really Good Book

Phoney Bone tries one of his money scams, but it back fires on him. Him and his two cosins get ran out of town to a really wierd place.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing book (s)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bones are little creaturers always surching for adventure. In the bone series it talks about three bones inpaticular. There's smiley bone who's always happy and ecited. There's Phoney bone who is the scam artist and is always getting into trouble. And probably my favorite bone Fone bone. Fone bones the nice sensitive bone that always trys to stay out of trouble and help but he constantley has to keep his cousins out of trouble. Ther are 9 action packed Bone books in the series. Bone books are super enjoyable and keep you want to reading. But all in all bone books are a quick, awesome really good short read!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

funny!

This is a great start to a hilarious series! the only reason I rated it 4 was because I read through it too quickly! I bought the full series as a book instead so I could read it through. Does that make sense?? probably not...

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book was really interesting

This book was a really interesting kind of comic book because of the weird looking characters and the way each character acts.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.