Summary. After their dad dies in a tragic car accident, Emily and her brother, Navin, move with their mom to their great-grandfather's ancient house. Neighbors claim the place is haunted, but Mom is determined that this will be their new home. As they struggle to clean up the mess, Emily wanders off and finds Grandpa Silas' library ... and then discovers a small and beautiful amulet. Soon afterward, strange creatures (which the reader has seen inhabiting the house) kidnap Mom. Emily and Navin, determined to save her, take instruction from the strange and powerful amulet as to what they must do. Thus begins their daring adventure into the unknown. Citation. Kibuishi, Kazu. Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper. New York: Graphix/Scholastic, 2008. Print.
My Impressions. It looks like the kids are going to have to save the world, with the help of a talking stone, a rabbit-like creature named Miskit, and a lot of luck and daring. I'm not a fan of the graphic novel genre, but to me this one has all the classic comic book style hallmarks: lots of action (complete with "Zap!" and "Skree!"), monsters and other strange creatures, heroic protagonists with a life-or-death mission, and of course Good Versus Evil. There's a lot of unexplained background in this story that I suppose will be covered in upcoming installments of the series. Personally, I won't be going back to the series to find out what happens. Grades 4 and up.
Library Uses. I'd have the kids read the book ahead of our program, then choose from many puppets the library owns to create a puppet show for upper elementary age kids. They'd have to figure out how to stage the action, and how to fit everything on the (small) puppet stage, plus how to adapt the language and condense the story to accommodate a half-hour show format. I think they'd have fun!
Reviews. (Publisher Weekly) Almost too clever and poignant, Amulet is, 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 Amulet is 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 Amulet isn'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 2008 Reed Business Information.
(School Library Journal) 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 Rutherford, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA. Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
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