Doodleville (Paperback)
$12.99
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Staff Reviews
Welcome to Doodleville, everyone!!! This beloved author, Chad Sell, brings us to his next fabulous graphic novel, Doodleville, which grabs the reader, heart and soul!! Doodleville brings us into a normal school, to a normal group of kids, in a normal art club.....except that these kids' doodles come alive!!! Drew loves her doodles dearly, but when one of her doodles goes rogue and hurts the other student's characters, she is wisked away on an adventure that teaches her so much: the complexities of friendship, the strength that lies in trusting yourself, and the power of working together with friends that can save the day!! Chad Sell's trademark combo of fun, vibrant artwork and deeply emotional and human storytelling makes you smile throughout, and reminds you that "being different can make you powerful." Sell's work is also a perfect example of representation as it should be: people of all types existing together, just like in real life. And while having a blast visiting Doodleville, you may even learn a bit of art history! No matter what, you'll surely be smiling till the very last page.
Be sure to check out this author's first wonderful graphic novel too, Cardboard Kingdom!
(Graphic Novel, Ages 8+) - From Staff Picks by Isabel
Description
For fans of Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward and Raina Telgemeier's Smile comes an inventive new story from Cardboard Kingdom creator Chad Sell about a group of young artists who must work together when one of their own creations becomes a monster.
Drew is just a regular artist. But there's nothing ordinary about her art. Her doodles are mischievous . . . and rarely do they stay in Doodleville, the world she's created in her sketchbook. Instead, Drew's doodles prefer to explore the world outside. But after an inspiring class trip to the Art Institute of Chicago--where the doodles cause a bit too much trouble--Drew decides it's time to take her artistic talents to the next level.
Enter the Leviathan--Levi, for short. He's bigger and better than anything Drew has ever created before. He's a monster, but a friendly one. That is, until Levi begins to wreak havoc on Drew's other doodles--and on the heroes her classmates have dreamt up.
Levi won't be easily tamed, and it seems there is a link between the monster's bad behavior and Drew's feelings. With the help of her loyal art club friends, will she be able to save Doodleville--and Levi--before it's too late?
About the Author
Chad Sell's first children's graphic novel was The Cardboard Kingdom, which he illustrated and co-wrote with a team of ten collaborators. Doodleville is his first full-length solo project, and it is set in Chicago, where he lives with his husband and two cats. Much of the story takes place in Chad's neighborhood of Lincoln Square and at one of his favorite places in the world: the Art Institute of Chicago.
Praise For…
"A masterpiece." —Lincoln Peirce, New York Times-bestselling author of the Big Nate series
“A tender yet action-packed tale of a young girl who uses her creativity as an outlet for her emotions.... Lovers of graphic novels, and anyone struggling with friendship will appreciate Sell’s newest tale.” –School Library Journal
"[Sell] tells an engaging story that uses a fantastical idea to ponder real-world dilemmas: How do you cope when things feel out of control? How do you reduce harm, and how do you make amends for harm that you’ve caused?" —Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will definitely respond to the idea of large emotions that are hard to control, as well as the therapeutic joy of art—likewise Sell’s use of encroaching darkness and his luminous figures, warmly rounded but imbued with wonderfully emotive features." —Booklist
"Sell’s caricatured illustrations provide strong action, and... highlight emotionally charged moments." —Publishers Weekly
Staff Picks
This book is vastly important. It deals with one of the darkest parts of American history that is so often left untaught and overlooked: the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. This graphic novel tells George Takei’s story of going through that dark time as a child, with the strangeness of growing up in an interment camp, the weight his parents carried for the family, and the deep cultural and personal trauma left behind by the internment-- but also the inspiration this experience gave him to be an activist for change. This book is heavy but oh-so necessary and very moving, and it is truly a very engaging and enthralling read.
(Young Adult Graphic Novel, Ages 12+) - reviewed by Isabel
