As the tagline says: When fear tells you to hold on, let go…and I recommend that people let go of the outdated idea that graphic novels are not proper reading as this one is a must.
I adore the visual medium of graphic novels as I graduated from the standard DC/Marvel comics of my childhood to appreciate the wider world of creators telling stories for everyone. Marlyn Spaaij’s focus on the interactions of a family of females is a great example of that.
The Frygea Forrest is a bit of an odd place with trolls, root goblins and a mist that seems to be something to fear most of all. With the souls of adventurers, a trio of sisterly siblings visit their granny to enjoy a summer of spying on the weird and wonderful…or so they thought.
When eldest Margot begins to act differently, her younger siblings start to worry. Has she been lured by the Fog Furies? Will she stay like this forever? Kyra, headstrong and relentlessly brave, sets out to help her sister anyway she can.
The artwork is top class with the main characters having a familiar cartoony style to them on a backdrop of beautifully painted water colours. The way each character’s personality is shown within the art highlights what a talent Marlyn Spaaij is. The cute array of living root vegetables is a winner for me. Give me a sequel of their adventures!
Now for the teacher bit (guest spot)! When I read this, there was a section I thought would be worth sharing with every Y6 female. It addresses Margot having her first period, so I asked a colleague if she agreed.
‘I think we do the biology side of period talks well. Answer questions. But the reality of periods is very different. It hurts. You can have leaks. Normalising it like this means girls won’t feel ashamed of that they’ve done periods ‘wrong’ somehow.’ – Ceridwen Eccles (@Teacherglitter)
I think that more than covers why those 3 pages are a must to share. The only other thing is there is some language that you might need to check first, before sharing. Not quite swear words, but as teachers it is always best to make the judgement call yourself.
A enjoyable fantasy romp with the importance of family at its core.
The Great British Bookworm 