Caleb and his brother Bobby Gene are having an average summer, playing in the woods behind their house, when they accidentally trade their baby sister for a bag of illegal fireworks. Shortly after, they meet Styx Malone, a 16 year old boy. He offers to help them get something better for the fireworks, but it requires some trickery: namely, an elevator trade, where they keep trading things for bigger and bigger things. Their father doesn’t like them to leave their small town of Sutton, Indiana, fearing what could happen to them in a place no one knows them, but quickly, their friendship with Styx has them doing riskier and riskier things…like swimming in the lake in the woods, hitching a ride on a train, and “trading,” or stealing depending on who you ask. Caleb has always wanted to have an adventure, and he practically idolizes Styx, who doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Styx is mysterious and charming and seems to have learned how to get people to like him, but also won’t get too attached to anyone or any place.It’s how he has learned to survive as a foster child. The Season of Styx Malone is an adventure story with laughs and trouble-making, as well as family and friends and the difficulties some people face.
Book reviewed by Claire B., Youth Outreach Librarian
This lively graphic novel features unique settings: a boarding school and a large ghostly crypt underneath a nearby cemetery. While sisters Katia and Victoria begin a challenging adjustment to a private boarding school, Little Ghost, a sensitive ghost, discovers that Modie, a kind Frankenstein-type boy, is being kept alive by his father through nefarious means. One fateful and stormy night, the paths of Katia, Victoria, Modie, and Little Ghost suddenly intersect with dramatic results.
It’s always been my thought that it’s nice for people to collect things. And while we see that some people collect coins, and some collect stamps or art, little Jerome collected words. All kinds of words. Words that he read, words that he saw. And as Jerome built quite a mighty collection of words, what he did with those words is part of what makes his story so amazing. As you read this story, maybe think of what you would like to collect, and just what you might want to do with your amazing collection.
