The Stonekeeper (Amulet Series #1)

by Kazu Kibuishi, Kazu Kibuishi (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This gateway into the fantastical Amulet series is a whimsical portal adventure that sprawls into one of the most addictive graphic novel series out there.

The first book in Kazu Kibuishi's #1 New York Times bestselling series that features a beautiful but dangerous world of new friends, giant robots, and shadowy enemies!

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather. The strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a tentacled creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into a fantastical world inhabited by robots, mysterious plants, and talking animals. It's up to Em and Navin to figure out how to set things right and save their mother's life!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780439846813
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2008
Series:	Amulet
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	9,636
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	GN310L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kazu Kibuishi is the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Amulet series, which is available in more than twenty languages. He is also the creator of Copper, a collection of his popular webcomic that features an adventuresome boy-and-dog pair. Kazu also illustrated the covers of the 15th anniversary paperback editions of the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. Visit Kazu online at boltcityproductions.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Amulet:

#1 New York Times Bestselling Series

"Five — no, three pages into Amulet and you'll be hooked." — Jeff Smith, creator of BONE

"[The] action-packed adventure sequences move at an exciting clip." — Booklist

"A richly drawn graphic-fantasy series following in the footsteps of BONE and a must for all fantasy fans." — Kirkus Reviews

"Stellar artwork, imaginative character design, moody color and consistent pacing." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Almost too clever and poignant, Amuletis, on the surface, about navigating the murky waters of adolescence and, beneath that, an exploration of abandonment and survival. Emily and Navin are lost children, literally lost in a dark, new world and struggling to save their mother, who has been kidnapped by a drooling, tentacled beast. With stellar artwork, imaginative character design, moody color and consistent pacing, this first volume's weakness lies in its largely disjointed storytelling. There is the strong, young, heroine; cute, furry, sidekicks; scary monsters-all extraordinary components, but pieced together in a patchwork manner. There is little hope in his dark world as Kibuishi removes Emily and Navin's frame of safety. Their hopes rest in a magic amulet that seems to be working in the interest of the children-until it suddenly isn't. The most frightening element of Amuletis the sense of insecurity we feel for Emily, fighting her way through uncharted terrain with no guide and no support system. This first volume of Amuletisn't a disappointment, but it does feel like a warmup to the main event. If anything, it's a clear indication that Kibuishi has just begun skimming the surface of his own talent. (Jan.)

Copyright 2007Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4 Up
Hurrying to pick up her brother, Emily and her parents have a tragic accident, and her father dies. After this dark beginning, the story skips forward two years to when the remaining family members are forced to move to an ancestral house in a small town. Rumored to be haunted, it is unkempt and forbidding. The first night there, Emily's mother goes down to the basement to investigate a noise and doesn't return. The kids search for her and discover a doorway into another world, where their mother has been swallowed by a monster and is being taken away. An amulet that Emily found in the house tells her that together they can save her, but her brother isn't so sure that this voice can be trusted. Still, what other choice do they have in this strange place? Gorgeous illustrations with great color bring light to this gloomy tale. Filled with excitement, monsters, robots, and mysteries, this fantasy adventure will appeal to many readers, but it does have some truly nightmarish elements.
—Dawn RutherfordCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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