Realm of the Blue Mist: A Graphic Novel (The Rema Chronicles #1)

by Amy Kim Kibuishi

Overview

Enter the rich and fantastical world of Rema in the first installment of this middle-grade graphic novel series with sweeping adventure and light romance!

Tabby Simon is determined to learn what happened to her father, who was found dead after researching a tree that leaks a mysterious mist in her neighborhood. She is unexpectedly led to Rema, a distant world of magic and beauty that is periodically invaded by a nearby planet desperate for resources. While Tabby searches for the truth surrounding her father's death, she meets a handsome blue-haired boy named Philip. He has his own dangerous secrets, but has promised to help Tabby get home. As she learns more about this strange world, Tabby discovers that she is destined for something far greater than she ever could have imagined.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338115130
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	195,162
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	GN300L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Amy Kim is the author of The Rema Chronicles, Volume 1: Realm of the Blue Mist, which was named an American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Children. She is also the creator of Sorcerers & Secretaries, a graphic novel duology, and many short stories, including an adaptation of Deep Trouble for Goosebumps: Terror Trips by R.L. Stine. Amy has been drawing in earnest since age ten and strives to tell stories that touch the heart, inspire the imagination, and pay homage to her roots in South Korea, New York City, and her childhood home of Upstate New York.

Editorial Reviews

Instant Bestseller

American Library Association Best Graphic Novel for Children

"Rarely have I come across a middle-grade graphic novel that has pulled me in so deeply. This is world-building at its best, with artwork that is more cinematic than most actual cinema." — Dav Pilkey

"Thrilling action sequences, compelling characters, and gorgeous art and colors all ensure readers will wait impatiently for the next volume in the series." — Booklist

"The full-color, Japanese manga-flavored art style is fluid and natural, highlighting expressiveness, action, and alien-world details with ease. A fast-paced journey through an engrossing new world." — Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will be captivated... successfully combines action, fantasy, romance, and manga-style artwork." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/14/2022

Gr 4–8—Readers will be captivated by this first installment in the "Rema Chronicles," which successfully combines action, fantasy, romance, and manga-style artwork. Tabetha lives in a town that is home to a giant tree called Yggdrasil. The tree emits a mist that is rumored to give eternal life. A lab was created to study the mist, and Tabetha's father, who worked for the lab, became consumed with learning more about the tree. A week after talking to a mysterious ghost in front of the tree, he died. Ever since, Tabetha finds refuge in the forest where Yggdrasil stands, waiting for the ghost to appear so she can get closure. One day, she sees a boy with magical powers, and upon following him—and the ghost—through a portal, she finds herself trapped in another world. Rema is a world created by five gods. Some people, known as geists, have the ability to tap into godly power, creating friction between those with and without powers. Tabetha later learns her arrival in Rema wasn't an accident, and she must figure out her destiny there if she wants to return home. Through her art and text, Kibuishi proves herself to be an expert storyteller. Beautiful dome architecture, a purple and blue color scheme, intricate clothing designs, and a detailed creation myth take readers directly into the magical world of Rema. VERDICT A first purchase for middle grade and middle school collections, this series opener is sure to be a hit.—Marissa Lieberman

School Library Journal

2022-03-02
A girl seeking answers is drawn onto another world entirely.

Fifteen-year-old Tabetha “Tabby” Simon is drawn to Yggdrasil, the anomalous tree with bizarre, immortality-granting properties that her scientist father was researching before his mysterious death years ago. Hoping to see the ghost that her father spoke with before dying, she instead spies a gorgeous, strangely dressed boy with blue hair and eyes who appears Asian. Following a mysterious light, she sees the boy go through a portal—and then is pulled through it herself by the ghost. Tabby finds herself on Rema, a faraway planet; the boy, Philip, takes responsibility for her predicament, telling her that he will get her home, but in the meantime, her presence must be kept secret. Tabby learns that she’s not Philip’s only secret as she gets a taste of the other planet and its complex mythologies. A lot of highly concentrated background is delivered via a book she finds, while things she sees and experiences imply even more complications—and dangers—beneath the surface. The full-color, Japanese manga-flavored art style is fluid and natural, highlighting expressiveness, action, and alien-world details with ease. The story ends with a crucial shift that will leave readers eager to continue. Rema’s denizens are illustrated with varying skin tones. Tabby and her father have black hair and light skin; Tabby’s mother is pale skinned with light brown hair.

A fast-paced journey through an engrossing new world. (sequel sneak peak, map) (Graphic fantasy. 9-15)

Kirkus Reviews