Escape from the Lizzarks (Nnewts Series #1)

by Doug TenNapel, Doug TenNapel (Illustrator)

Overview

A little hero faces big challenges in the first book of this totally unique fantasy-adventure series.

The first book in the Nnewts series follows the story of Herk, a lovable Nnewt who longs for stronger legs, something his mother and father wish they could give him. When his quaint village is attacked by the reptile Lizzarks, he's forced to flee his home and leave behind the only life he's ever known. Now, all alone and on the run, Herk navigates a dangerous world filled with strange creatures and mysterious wonders, where friends are few and an evil lord is in hot pursuit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545778701
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/06/2015
Series:	Nnewts , #1
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	102 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Doug TenNapel was raised in the town of Denair, California. In 1994, he created the popular Earthworm Jim. Doug's graphic novel GHOSTOPOLIS was a 2011 ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novel for Teens, and his follow-up, BAD ISLAND, was a 2012 ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens as well as one of School Library Journal's Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2011. Doug lives in Franklin, Tennessee.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2014
Gr 4–8—In the quiet village of Nnewtown, live the Nnewts, a happy community of amphibians. Herk is a young Nnewt confined to his home's spawning pool because his legs are not strong enough to support his body. When Nnewtown is attacked by the evil Lizzarks, Herk's parents are killed and he is forced to flee. Alone on this journey and pursued by the Lizzarks, he encounters several characters who help him grow and confront the Snake Lord, the villain who replaced his original strong legs with weaker ones while Herk was still an egg. The first volume of a new graphic novel series by the creator of Bad Island (2011) and Cardboard (2012, both Scholastic), this originally appeared online as a web-comic. While Tennapel creates a generally uplifting story, there are several inexplicably strange turns and occurrences. Most notable among these is in Herk's victory over the Snake Lord when the constellation Orion, which the book does establish as a focus of worship for Nnewt culture, suddenly takes an active role in the story's events, deus ex machina-style. There's also a potential tone-deafness toward students with disabilities, presenting Herk's originally weak legs, described at one point as "withered," as an obstacle that must be fixed in order to achieve completeness. Tennapel's cartoonish illustrations are the work's strength, and its intended audience will find them exciting and humorous. It may be best to wait and see how the story progresses in the next installment before adding this to a graphic novel collection.—Ryan F. Paulsen, New Rochelle High School, NY

School Library Journal

Praise for GHOSTOPOLIS* "TenNapel's colorful illustrations are filled with energy and life."—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review"TenNapel is a terrific cartoonist and in fine form here."—BOOKLISTPRAISE FOR BAD ISLAND*"A clever, old-fashioned adventure with some modern twists and a light-hearted tone, this, like TenNapel's previous work, is not to be missed."—BOOKLIST, starred review*"TenNapel has crafted another rip-roaring adventure with wide audience appeal."—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred reviewPraise for CARDBOARD* "An exceptionally seamless blend of action and philosophy, two elements that usually do not mix easily; TenNapel handles this masterfully. Utterly brilliant."—KIRKUS, starred review"A boldly imaginative and ambitious tale."—THE HORN BOOK"[TenNapel] provides moments of great sweetness and heaps and heaps of bizarre fun, a quality that has become his veritable trademark."—BOOKLISTPraise for TOMMYSAURUS REX"TenNapel unleashes an array of charmingly off-kilter characters and has mastered a cartoonish style that preserves a sense of grit while lending some emotional weight to match the story."—BOOKLIST"It's a premise worthy of a loony Saturday morning cartoon, complete with bulgy-eyed characters that nearly bounce off the full-color pages, but underlying the fun is a potent and affecting story about facing death and growing up."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY"Unpredictable and engaging, this will be a popular pick for reluctant readers and graphic-novel fans."—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

From the Publisher