Bone:Out From Boneville by Jeff Bone

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bone, Jeff. 2005. BONE:OUT FROM BONEVILLE. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 0439706408.


2. PLOT SUMMARY
Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, three cousins from Bonevill, are run out of town because of Phoney Bone's less than ethical financial schemes. The cousins get separated and evenually lost in the desert and then a forest filled with terrible creatures. Each finds his way back to the others and meet up at GranMa Ben's farm where trouble ensues.

3. IMPRESSIONS
I kept waiting for this book to get better, but I just never got into it. I found the plot lacking and thin and I could not quite grasp the concept. Certainly this may be due to the fact that this is written for a different audience and I accept that. Young adults love graphic novels and this book seems to resonate with that age group. It was good for me to read this to see what the YA audience is reading, but this will be the last "Bone" book I will read.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS from http://www.amazon.com/Bone-1-Boneville-Jeff-Smith/dp/0439706408/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225456015&sr=1-2

* Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "A whimsical journey, cunningly told. It combines fable with American legend in a tale of greed, friendship, and struggle. The story follows three cousins who have been thrown out of their town for cheating the citizens. Shortly thereafter, they are separated. Each Bone stumbles into a mysterious valley full of odd creatures that reveal strange happenings. The story is well paced with smooth transitions. It is dark, witty, mysterious, and exciting. The full-color art reflects that of classic comic books; one glance at the comic cels and one is reminded of old Disney and "Peanuts" cartoons. However, the animation and fresh story line put Smith in a league of his own."

* Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Smith's epic concerns three blobby creatures who have stumbled into a valley full of monsters, magic, farmers, an exiled princess and a huge, cynical dragon. The story is something like a Chuck Jones version of The Lord of the Rings: hilarious and action-packed, but rarely losing track of its darker subtext about power and evil. This volume is the most lighthearted of the bunch, though, featuring some of the wittiest writing of any children's literature in recent memory--a few of Smith's gags are so delicious that he repeated them for the rest of the series. It also introduces the Bone cast's unforgettable supporting characters: the leathery, tough-as-nails, racing-cow-breeding Gran'ma Ben; the carnivorous but quiche-loving "rat creatures"; a spunky trio of baby opossums; and Ted the Bug, whose minimalist appearance (a tiny semicircle) exemplifies Smith's gift for less-is-more cartooning. The way his clear-lined, exaggerated characters contrast with their subtle, detailed backgrounds is a product of his background in animation, and so is his mastery of camera angles and choreography. This is first-class kid lit: exciting, funny, scary and resonant enough that it will stick with readers for a long time."

Amazon.com (2008). http://www.amazon.com/