5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun

Summary from Goodreads:

Oona and her friends face their ultimate challenge in the final installment of the graphic sci-fi fantasy series that's Star Wars meets Avatar: The Last Airbender!

In the epic conclusion to the 5 Worlds series, the final battle looms as Oona, Jax, and An Tzu travel to the treacherous world of Grimbo (E)! There, Oona must light the last beacon to save the 5 Worlds, but first she has to find it! When Jax saves an old friend, Oona is given a clue to the green beacon's location.

Unfortunately, the journey to lighting it on this strange, watery planet is the most dangerous yet. Meanwhile, Stan Moon has one more trick up his sleeve as his frightening powers and mysterious connection to An Tzu continue to grow. How can Oona ever hope to beat him? Can she count on her friends or will a terrible betrayal mean the 5 Worlds will be lost to evil forever?

Review:

These books are so good. I’m trying to remember how I stumbled upon the first one, years ago. But, I can’t recall what drew me to it. I’ll have to look up my review. It doesn’t really matter though. Over time, these books not only hold up; they improve. The character development, the world building, the stunning artwork, and the layered adventurous plot all make for one remarkable series.

I was not disappointed in the last installment. I guess I’m just disappointed that it’s over….There were a few things I saw coming, but there were some classic sci-fi tropes here, so it was hard for me not to see where the book was going. That being said, there was one shocking component for me at the very end that really impressed me. I wish I had friends or a book club or something who has read all these books, so I could go into detail  with someone about this ending!

This last book is the kind of last book that will have you gasping in shock, smiling with success, and cheering for your friends. It will also make you want to go back to the beginning and read them all over again. So, I guess it doesn’t get too much better. The writers have really developed  well thought out worlds with various cultures, religions, peoples, sports, and plant life. These books would make a fantastic tv show.

All in all, I highly recommend these books to graphic novels fans, particularly to fans of the Amulet series. But, also, I can see these books appealing to fans of Star Wars, Avatar the Last Airbender, and just any really fun adventure story reader really. I give this last one a 9/10.

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac

Summary from Goodreads:

From the U.S.'s foremost indigenous children's author comes a middle grade verse novel set during the COVID-19 pandemic, about a Wabanaki girl's quarantine on her grandparents' reservation and the local dog that becomes her best friend

Malian was visiting her grandparents on the reservation when the COVID-19 pandemic started. Now she's staying there, away from her parents and her school in Boston. Everyone is worried about the pandemic, but on the reservation, everyone protects each other, from Malian caring for her grandparents to the local dog, Malsum, guarding their house. They always survive together.

Malian hears stories from her grandparents about how it has always been this way in their community: Stories about their ancestors, who survived epidemics of European diseases; about her grandfather, who survived a terrible government boarding school; and about Malian's own mother, who survived and returned to her Native community after social services took her away to live in foster care as a child. With their community and caring for one another, Malian and her family will survive this pandemic, too.

Review:

I wrote on Goodreads: This book was a brief, but beautiful. It's a little window into the life of a kid on a reservation during the pandemic. It's also an ode to dogs and stories. It's written in verse, so it moves quickly. It's truthful and doesn't sugarcoat racism or Covid, like some of the other "current" books today do. I loved it. We need more honest books like this. But, also, it's just full of beautiful stories.

I’m not really sure what I was expecting this book to be. Maybe more dog story, less real world in the now. But, I got a little bit of both. And I feel a little bit of a hypocrite because I literally just told someone a couple days ago that reading for me, these past few months has been my escape from the “now.” But, sometimes reading stories in the “now” are good too. And there are not a lot of kids books that do it. Most current Middle Grade books pretend the pandemic never happened or that it’s over now….and there’s something so refreshing about how honest this book is. Kids don’t need to be lied to. This author gets that. The teacher in the novel got that. And the grandparents in the story definitely got that too.

How can we lie about something so big? And Bruchac’s answer: we can’t. But, he tells his truth with such power and wisdom. There were stories about dogs wearing clothing mixed with the fear we all had at some point being around someone coughing. It’s the magical kid befriending a dog story mixed with the reality of the pandemic that is still going on, mixed also with stories of racism and the history of Mailan’s family.

I found this book to be special. It resonated with me in a way I wasn’t expecting it to. I sat on my sofa, next to my dog, reading about the connection humans have always had to dogs. But, also just loving this main character and how much compassion she had for her family. I think this is something that can be read in the classroom years, decades even from now, when hopefully this pandemic will be in the rearview mirror and this moment in time can be someone else’s history lesson. I give this a 10/10.

5 Worlds: The Amber Anthem by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun

 Summary from Goodreads:

Think Star Wars meets Avatar: The Last Airbender ! Kazu Kibuishi (AMULET) says this graphic novel adventure is "a magical journey, as fun as it is beautiful!"

In book 4, Oona Lee arrives on Salassandra determined to light the yellow beacon and continue her quest to save the Five Worlds from the evil Mimic's influence. But the beacon is encased in amber! An ancient clue says that Oona and her friends must seek out the Amber Anthem to succeed. Meanwhile, Stan Moon sends an evil Jax robot to assassinate Oona and hunts down An Tzu himself. Turns out, as An Tzu fades away from his Vanishing Illness, he's becoming someone else--someone who could tip the scales in the battle for the Five Worlds!

Review:

I was a little nervous going into this one because it’s been so long since I had read book 3, and I’ve forgotten a few things. But, thankfully, the author thought of this and had a “The story so far….” section! If only all series had this! Seriously, what a help this made. I didn’t have to scratch my head for the first quarter of the book; I could just enjoy it. And enjoy it, I did.

I forgot just how stunning these books were. I also picked up book 5, which is already out….and I can’t wait to get started on after the ending of this one. This one had the most revealing storyline yet. You finally learn about who one character truly is, what the vanishing sickness really is, and why the Mimic is so bent on stopping the characters from lighting all the beacons. Plus, I think the 5th book is the last one? 5 Worlds and 5 books, right?  

I also loved the overall message of togetherness in this book. Everyone has to come together for the beacon on this planet to be lit. Everyone has to sing together in an overall message of hope and equality, despite so much propaganda and fake rumors spreading about the beacons. I also just love how much stronger and tougher the characters are now. They have come so far. Oona has so much more faith in herself to light the beacons. AnTzu knows he can do more then he’s given credit for. And I love that none of the main characters like the unfair treatment of the giant characters throughout the whole planet.

All in all, this was a fantastic 4th installment. I cannot wait to start reading book 5. I was intending to read a couple of books before that but I’m not sure I can wait that long. I give this one a 9/10.