Viminy Crowe's Comic Book

Gr 4–6—Wylder Wallace, an avid comic book fan, lives in Toronto under the constant surveillance--often via text message--of his overprotective mother. At a comic book convention, Wylder meets guarded but plucky Addy, whose uncle, Viminy Crowe, is the creator of the "Flynn Goster comics," and Wylder's personal hero. Wylder, Addy, and Addy's pet rat Catnip find themselves mysteriously thrust into the pages of Viminy's steampunk comic book universe where all manner of magic and technological wonders astound them. While the protagonist is thrilled at the prospect of rubbing elbows with the comic's gallant hero Flynn Goster, Addy is determined to find a way back to the real world. Every time the kids flip through the pages of the comic, however, they inadvertently begin to alter its story, leaving a wake of catastrophe in the imaginary and real world. The two must somehow outsmart villainous madman Aldous Lickpenny and escape a myriad of other dangers like crocodiles and deadly robots, while also saving Viminy's beloved series from utter disaster once they find the porthole back to present-day Toronto. The numerous black-and-white comic panels help bring the story to life for traditional and graphic novel fans, also bridging the two settings and the story-within-a-story narrative structure. Comic geeks or not, many are likely to enjoy this humorous and action-packed adventure.—Elly Schook, Jamieson Elementary School, Chicago