The Lost Boy - Hardcover

Ruth, Greg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439823315 ISBN 13: 9780439823319

Publisher: GRAPHIX, 2013

Synopsis

Some mysteries are too dangerous to leave alone.

Nate's not happy about his family moving to a new house in a new town. After all, nobody asked him if he wanted to move in the first place. But when he discovers a tape recorder and note addressed to him under the floorboards of his bedroom, he's thrust into a dark mystery about a boy who went missing many, many years ago. Now, as strange happenings and weird creatures begin to track Nate, he must partner with Tabitha, a local girl, to find out what they want with him. But time is running out, for a powerful force is gathering strength in the woods at the edge of town, and before long Nate and Tabitha will be forced to confront a terrifying foe and uncover the truth about the Lost Boy.

About this title

About the Author

Greg Ruth has written and drawn stories for Dark Horse Comics, DC/Vertigo, Fantagraphics, and The New York Times. His first picture book, OUR ENDURING SPIRIT, was written by Barack Obama. He is currently working on the graphic novel by Ethan Hawke. THE LOST BOY is his debut graphic novel for Scholastic. He lives and works in Western Massachusetts. Visit his website at www.gregthings.com.

Reviews

Gr 4–7—Nate has recently moved to town. He's resistant to his new situation until he finds an old reel-to-reel tape recorder under the floorboards. Through a series of recordings, he learns about Walt, who once lived in the house. Soon Nate and his new friend, Tabitha, are in the middle of a sinister web that began with Walt's disappearance 50 years ago. The friends have no choice but to venture into The Kingdom, a dangerous world populated by talking animals, "buglings," worn-out toys, and the evil Vespertine. The first part of the story alternates between the present-day world and the recordings made by Walt in the 1960s. Nate and Tabitha's journey into The Kingdom comprises the second part. The fast-moving plot has several scary elements, and many of the characters have unsettling dark sides. The story culminates with a satisfying battle between good and evil, but also reveals that there are more evil forces to be dealt with and that this is the start of a series. Although the fantasy elements are intriguing, the dialogue often seems contrived and the attempts at sarcastic humor are uneven and forced. The detailed and realistic black-and-white illustrations use a variety of angles to create a visually exciting, cinematic atmosphere. Though the shifts in perspective can be sudden, confusing, and disruptive to the flow of the story, this creepy volume will still find an audience among tweens.—Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public Library

Nate has discovered a reel-to-reel tape recorder hidden in the floorboards of his new room in a new house in a new town. The tapes are narrated by a tween named Walt, a lonely boy with a dead mother, a deadbeat father, and a dangerous gift for seeing magical creatures. Walt disappeared from the town decades and decades ago, but what happened to him? And why has Nate started seeing some of the creatures described in Walt’s tapes? With the help of Tabitha, his neighbor, will Nate be able to solve and survive this mystery and keep his new town safe from the Shadows? As they get deeper into Walt’s tapes, they travel to a mysterious land full of odd creatures and take on a dangerous quest to protect the town. Ruth’s gorgeously illustrated black-and-white drawings tell a complex, creepy, and compelling story that melds fantasy and realistic fiction and forces readers to ask themselves—which one of these characters is truly the lost boy? Grades 3-7. --Candice Mack

Edition details

• Publisher: GRAPHIX
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0439823315
• ISBN 13: 9780439823319
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192