The Extraordinary Voyages, Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up–A nonstop swashbuckling adventure in an alternate World War II universe that features fantastical steampunk machines. Precocious students Naomi and Everett, both children of renowned inventor/explorers, are pulled out of school when Everett’s father gets abducted by shady characters while preparing for the international Jules Verne competition. The novel’s fast-paced action plot, partly inspired by Verne’s own work, has readers traveling from England to Paris to New York as Naomi, Everett, and a host of adult characters race against time to find Everett’s father—and also to win the Jules Verne competition with their amphibious steampunk machine. The illustrations pop with color and intricate details, making effective use of full-page panels to generate an appropriate sense of awe for these characters’ creations and surroundings. Some sexual innuendo, along with an animation style for human faces that occasionally borders on grotesque, combine to make this a good fit for teen readers and older. Fans of Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock will find much to enjoy here, including shots of a giant robot climbing the Eiffel Tower. Lead characters are white.