A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups. Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!
Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.
As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior―a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.
They call for Bea Wolf.---from the publisher
208 pages 978-1250776297 Ages 8-12
Keywords: graphic novel, retelling, humor, adventure, Norse literature, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old
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I've seen movie adaptations of the Beowulf story, and read the epic for literature courses, but this graphic novel retelling is a total romp. There is the treehouse feasting hall, the terrible Grinchy neighbor with his spidery looking arms and legs who is out to destroy all fun, and Bea Wolf herself - ready to kick butt and take names. The jubilant antics of the children eating sugary snacks, darkening the sky with innumerable Nerf darts, and swapping comics make for excellent reading. But the evil fate which can befall these heroes - to be sucked dry of all joy and turned into an adult focused on the trouble with Congress or bank appointments - is almost too terrible to mention. The original Grindle may have eaten people's heads, but at least he didn't make them suffer through stock market reports!
Illustrations capture the action with plenty of detail and make the change from happy treehouse warriors to loathsome adults glued to their cell phones terribly tragic. The expressive eyes of the children contrast sharply with the blank gaze of Grindle's eyeglasses and their motley gear of pajamas, Halloween costumes, and Underoos make his dull business suit seem even more drab by comparison.
The afterword explains the history of the original Beowulf story and how it has been passed down over the centuries to us. It also discusses the original poetic form of the epic and how some of those tricks have been used in this version. Specifically the use of alliteration (such as "fighters of fun-killers, fearing nothing, fated for fame") and kennings (like calling Grindle "hall-wrecker") appear throughout the book, giving it the feel of an epic poem being recited.
Besides offering a delightful reading experience, this would make a great mentor text for a lesson on using alliteration or figurative language. Imagine the kennings today's young bards could produce. The author mentions that his daughter came up with "diaper-stinker" to describe her little brother.
Recommended by: Suzanne Costner, Teacher Librarian, Tennessee USA
See more of her recommendations: https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/2023/04/spring-reading-2023-bea-wolf.html
