Don Wood

Comic book-style illustrations enhance this adventurous tale about a quest for a treasure, family betrayal, and a dangerous rescue deep within the heart of a volcano.

A Graphic Novel

Into the Volcano

Sarah Sammis

Into the Volcano by Don Wood is the last of the graphic novels that made it to the short list of the 2008-9 Cybils. It's an oversized graphic novel aimed at readers ages 9 to 12.

Sumo and Duffy Pugg are whisked away from school to spend ten days with an aunt on a south Pacific island called Kocalaha. What looks like a simple but unexpected vacation from school quickly turns unnerving and perilous. Auntie has plans for them to take part in an expedition inside the no longer dormant volcano.

The characters are well established. As things become dangerous for them it is easy to worry about them. There are some "edge of your seat" scenes. If you like adventure films, you will love Into the Volcano.

The illustrations are colorful and dramatic. The lava looks hot and menacing. The ocean churns with greens and other murky colors.

Unfortunately this book is oversized. It is awkward to hold. It isn't a book that can be slipped into a purse or read in bed. Most graphic novels are slightly smaller than a trade paperback. If they are oversized, they are thin and light weight. This book is neither. It is large and heavy.

Into the Volcano A Graphic Novel

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