Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel

by Kwame Mbalia

Overview

The best-selling and awarding-winning novel about a Black boy who helps folk heroes and gods through storytelling is now a dynamic graphic novel!

"This graphic adaptation of the children's novel that began the 'Tristan Strong' trilogy will have plenty of appeal for readers who are interested in African and African American characters and folklore. The illustrations pop with energy and color."—School Library Journal

The talented team of Robert Venditti and Olivia Stephens brings to glorious full color the novel that best-selling author Jason Reynolds called "A brilliant action adventure rooted in African American lore."

Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy.

But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it—is that a doll?—and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world.

Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price.

Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves? Find out by diving into this stunning graphic novel adaptation of the original book.


Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Complete your graphic novel collection with these fan favorites:

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, adapted by Robert Venditti
• The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, adapted by Orpheus Collar
• The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, adapted by Robert Venditti
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, adapted by Michael Moreci, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, adapted by Joe Caramanga, illustrated by Anu Chouhan

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368075008
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/09/2022
Series:	Tristan Strong Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	73,767
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kwame Mbalia is the New York Times best-selling author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, for which he received a Coretta Scott King Author Honor award. The book was also named to best-of-the-year lists compiled by Publishers Weekly, the Chicago Public Library, and the New York Times. The second book in the trilogy is Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is the third. Kwame also co-wrote Last Gate of the Emperor with Prince Joel Makonnen and edited the instant New York Times best-seller Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood. Kwame lives with his wife and children near Raleigh, North Carolina, where he is currently working several projects, including a new middle grade series. Follow him on Twitter @KSekouM.

Robert Venditti is a New York Times best-selling author whose characters and concepts have been adapted to film and television. He has written the monthly comic book series "X-O Manowar" and "Wrath of the Eternal Warrior" for Valiant Entertainment, "Green Lantern," "The Flash," and "Justice League" for DC, and the children's novel series Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape. He has also adapted Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus graphic novels. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia and can be found on Twitter @robertvenditti.

Olivia Stephens is a graphic novelist, illustrator, and writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is the author of Artie and the Wolf Moon, a supernatural graphic novel. Olivia has also created work for a number of sites and publications, including the New York Times, The Guardian, and FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction. When not drawing, she enjoys eating spicy foods and losing her voice at rock concerns. Visit her website at www.olivia-stephens.com.

Editorial Reviews

"This graphic adaptation of Kwame Mbalia's groundbreaking adventure fantasy hits all the major plot points. . . . Venditti's adaptation is an impressive feat of storytelling efficiency and artist Stephens visualizes . . . many memorable characters . . . The original's popularity will have readers queuing up for their turn with this version, and the graphic-novel space remains in desperate need of more Black representation. Stock up."—ALA Booklist

"This graphic adaptation of the children's novel that began the 'Tristan Strong' trilogy will have plenty of appeal for readers who are interested in African and African American characters and folklore. The illustrations pop with energy and color, and the off-kilter panels will pull readers into the surreal story. The creative reimagining of classic folktale characters will keep readers entertained, and may also inspire them to learn more about the originals. For fans of Rick Riordan-style mythology stories, this features plenty of action and diverse characters."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

07/01/2022

Gr 4–7—Tristan Strong is living with grief and guilt because he survived a bus accident that killed his best friend, Eddie. When he is sent down to stay at his grandparents' farm in Alabama, he brings Eddie's journal along, but he doesn't realize until it's too late that this journal makes him a target. Soon Tristan meets many of the characters from his grandmother's folktales, such as Brer Rabbit, John Henry, and Anansi the spider, and he finds himself in the middle of a battle that could destroy the world. This graphic adaptation of the children's novel that began the "Tristan Strong" trilogy will have plenty of appeal for readers who are interested in African and African American characters and folklore. The illustrations pop with energy and color, and the off-kilter panels will pull readers into the surreal story. The creative reimaginings of classic folktale characters will keep readers entertained, and may also inspire them to learn more about the originals. VERDICT For fans of Rick Riordan–style mythology stories, these feature plenty of action and diverse characters.—Andrea Lipinski

School Library Journal