Starred review from April 8, 2024
Lincoln (the Billy Bones series) delivers an illuminating ode to the enduring power of storytelling in this freewheeling graphic novel adventure through the stacks. In this world, the New York Public Library is not just a bastion of knowledge but the epicenter of a unique magical reality in which books wield a tangible power, necessitating night librarians to manage their unpredictable force. When twins Page and Reed Turner bring their father’s first edition of Dracula to the NYPL for appraisal, they inadvertently trigger a literary upheaval, unleashing iconic characters into the library’s corridors. Together with the night librarian, the twins must round up all the rogue heroes and villains of literary legend before they turn everything upside down. Thin, intricate linework paired with a monochromatic palette that shifts between warm and cool tones to demarcate day and night impart mood and tension to the supernatural chaos. Via playful interweaving of literary references and puns, Lincoln pays homage to classic tales and the characters who populate them. All told, it’s a heartening tale of personal growth, mutual appreciation, and the unbreakable bonds of family, wrapped in a visually captivating package. Characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12.
June 1, 2024
Grades 3-6 Turner and Page have been feeling neglected by their parents lately. Rather than spending time together, they are often left at home with their nanny while their parents are off traveling for work. Page decides to take their father's most prized possession, a first-print copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, to have it appraised by one of the many talented librarians at the New York Public Library. Unfortunately, at the library, the book mysteriously disappears before they are able to deliver it to Ms. Literati, the library's night librarian, for appraisal. But when they ask for her help, they're ushered into a secret world deep below the stacks, where something truly strange is going on with the library's oldest and rarest books. With the help of some familiar figures from literary history, the two young sleuths help Ms. Literati get to the bottom of it. In his graphic novel debut, Lincoln has created a wonderfully madcap story with engagingly stylized artwork jam-packed with both literary and library love. Middle-grade bookworms will eat it up.
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May 1, 2024
Gr 4-6-When twins Page and Turner lose their father's first edition copy of Dracula in the library, they both must partner with the Night Librarian to try and find it. But first, they must use her magic to recapture some of the most dangerous book villains who are loose in the library while befriending other characters like Peter Pan and Alice along the way. It's Night at the Museum, but you know, a library. A subplot involving Page and Turner's absent parents helps with adding some backstory and motive, but doesn't really pay off in any major way. Overall, it's a wonderful adventure filled with fantasy high jinks, snarky middle grade comments, and plenty of literary references that any library lover will appreciate. But the real star is Lincoln's artwork-his classic yet cartoony Quentin Blake-inspired style brings the book to life with its many illustrations. The vintage feel of the character design pairs well with the many classic literary elements and gives a timeless feel to the piece as a whole. VERDICT Magical and inventive-a great adventure.-Peter Blenski
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from May 15, 2024
Twins discover a whole new world at the New York Public Library. Page and Turner Reed are library-loving Manhattanites with jet-setting parents and an absentee nanny. On a whim, they decide to take their father's beloved first edition of Dracula to the main branch of the NYPL in hopes of learning its value. After they lose the precious volume, they seek help from the enigmatic Night Librarian, Ms. Literati. During their ensuing adventure, the twins learn that "magic builds in books." The Night Librarian helps vent the tomes in order to prevent "a catastrophic KABLOOEY." However, it seems that despite Ms. Literati's best efforts, characters are escaping, perhaps with their own sinister motives. Both a love letter to libraries and to literature, Lincoln's absolutely delightful graphic tale incorporates influences from many recognizable literary works: Nana, the dog from Peter Pan, helps Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island and Alice (of Wonderland fame) track down baddies from Poe, Stevenson, and more. Book lovers will be inspired by the dazzling number of classic and contemporary books that are name-dropped and will certainly prowl their local libraries seeking checkouts and investigating whether Night Librarians are indeed real. The fluid artwork features scribbly lines, interestingly laid-out panels, and creative use of a strikingly unusual color palette. Page and Turner read white; Ms. Literati presents Black. Charming, highly original, and sure to secure its own place in the graphic canon. (Graphic adventure. 8-13)
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