Mightier Than the Sword #1 - Softcover

Callander, Drew; Harrison, Alana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 059309364X ISBN 13: 9780593093641

Publisher: Penguin Workshop, 2019

Synopsis

"Hilarious, fun, and wonderfully insane! It's more than just a book--it'sa book you can play!"     - Kristen Schaal of Gravity Falls, Bob's Burgers, The Muppets, CaptainUnderpants and Toy Story 3 & 4   Wildly funny and inventive, this interactive book pulls you, the reader,into the action. Yes, YOU!    You wake up in the fictional land of Astorya, where stories from our worldcome to life. You're a real human being (we assume), and in this fictionalworld, that makes you a superhero. Armed with your trusty pencil, you havethe power to create: what you write, draw, or scribble in the book becomespart of the story!    Only you can rescue Prince S. from the evil Queen Rulette. Aided by theCouriers--a French stoat with dangerous dance moves, a giant dung beetle, afire ninja, a Pegasus-centaur-cowgirl and a super-intelligent femalienchameleon--you must write, draw, and puzzle your way through a hilariousadventure and prove that the pencil is mightier than the sword.   Readers and reviewers praise Mightier for being "wholly original," "in acategory all its own," "not like any book I've ever read before," and "anexperience like no other." Others compare it to:    ·       Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll  ·       The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster  ·       A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket  ·      The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch ·      A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle  ·      The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams  ·      The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell  ·      The Day My Butt Went Psycho by Andy Griffiths  ·      Captain Underpants and Dog Man by Dav Pilkey  ·      Choose Your Own Adventure Books  ·      Mad Libs    Reviewers have also hailed Mightier as a "great gift book," saying "kidsare going to love it" and "grab it for birthday gifts."

About this title

About the Author:

Alana Harrison and Drew Callander have spent their lives telling stories and cracking jokes. Alana graduated from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Comedic Writing and Performance. Drew graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Fiction Writing. Together they have created cartoons and short films with Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, John Oliver, and Kristen Schaal. Their work as writers and improv comedians has aired on Sirius XM Radio, NBC, and Comedy Central. Mightier Than the Sword is their first full-length middle-grade novel.

They live with their baby daughter and exquisitely talented cat (neither of whom help with the dishes).

Ryan Andrews lives in the Japanese countryside, with his wife, two kids, and their dog, Lucky. A friendly Kodama or two have been known to take up residence in the giant acorn tree that shades the house. Ryan often works at his drawing desk in the early-morning hours, to the sound of rummaging wild boar and badgers, who come from the surrounding forest seeking out shiitake mushrooms and fallen chestnuts.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

A Note to the Reader
 
This book is unlike any other book you’ve ever read before. What’s written on these pages is happening right now. To you.
 
That’s right, you.
 
This book is about you and what you’re doing right now—but not what you think you’re doing and not where you think you’re doing it. It’s about another you in another world.
 
Confused? That’s natural. We don’t fully understand it, either. Scientists are still trying to get to the bottom of how one thing can be in two places at once. If you’re curious about how such things work, we encourage you to read up on quantum physics and then explain it to us.
 
But not now! You’re already too deep into this book. One hundred twenty words deep, to be exact! And now even more! But don’t waste your time counting words to find out if we can count or not—your life hangs in the balance!
 
Sorry, did we forget to mention that? Well, it’s true. The other world you are in right now is a bizarre and dangerous place. Nothing is as it seems. Survival is not guaranteed. It will take every ounce of your courage, wit, and luck to get back home in one piece.
 
Scared? Tempted to put this book down and never touch it again? We don’t blame you. It’s scary to be fighting for your life in a strange world filled with terrifying creatures and unbearable puns. But to that we say: Too bad. Deal with it. Someone has to do it, and that someone is you.
 
And this isn’t just a ploy to make you keep reading. Although that is a good idea. We wish we had thought of that. We can’t think of everything. What did you expect? Omniscient narrators? Hardly! We don’t know everything about everyone, but we do know what’s happening to you. And right now you need your help.
 
So go grab your pencil and keep it handy. You will need it. It just so happens that in this other world, a pencil is all you have to draw the line between life and death. We suggest you don’t use a pen for three reasons:
 
1) You have a pencil in this other world, so show some solidarity with yourself. If you don’t, who else will?
 
2) You may want to write incredibly gross, rude, or otherwise socially unacceptable things. We encourage you to do so, if you’re into that sort of thing, but you may want to erase the evidence, so no one knows what a sick mind you have.
 
3) You may want to write down your most ingenious ideas. It’s a good idea to be able to erase them in case the prying eyes of lesser minds want to borrow your brilliance without paying you for it.
 
Regardless, we’re out of time. The clock is ticking, and you’re about to wake up!
 
 
 

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Workshop
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 059309364X
• ISBN 13: 9780593093641
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320
• Illustrator: Andrews Ryan