Publishers Weekly
07/06/2015
While D.J. Lim’s friends and family are all “awesome at something,” the 10-year-old sees himself as average and boring. That’s until Hilo, a boy with superpowers, crash lands on planet Earth, making D.J.’s life anything but dull. Although Hilo can fly and shoot lasers from his hands, he’s clueless when it comes to normal things like food and clothing, forcing D.J. to look after the shaggy-haired dynamo like he would a puppy. Hilo can’t recall where he came from, but his memories slowly return as he, D.J., and D.J.’s friend Gina contend with giant robotic insects that herald something more sinister. Winick keeps the action flowing while giving his characters authentic motivations and including numerous jokes and recurring gags (Hilo’s favorite human greeting is the terrified “Aaahh!” he and D.J. exchanged when they met). Though Winick’s comic-strip lookalike cartoons are a tad generic, he creates a rousing adventure with a diverse cast (D.J.’s family is of Asian descent, while Gina’s is African-American), and a cliffhanger ending should leave readers anticipating the next book, due in spring 2016. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for the Series:
* Children's Choice 5th-6th Grade Book of the Year
* Nominated for multiple State Awards—including the Pennsylvania's Young Reader's Choice Award
* A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids
“High energy and HILARIOUS!” —Gene Luen Yang, winner of the Printz and Eisner awards and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
“I LOVE this book. HILO is alive, action-packed . . . and amazing fun.” —Brad Meltzer, bestselling author
"HILO is delightful, silly, tender, and most importantly: funny.” —Jeff Smith, bestselling author of the Bone series
"Fast paced, FURIOUSLY FUNNY, and will have kids waiting on the edge of their seats for more."—Jeffrey Brown, bestselling author of Jedi Academy
"HILO is loads of slapstick fun with a touch of tenderness that kids will love."—Dan Santat, Caldecott Medal Winner
“Solid. Expect this series to receive the same reverence as Jeff Smith's Bone.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Diverse characters, good friends, and humorous dialogue coupled with colorful illustrations and plenty of action makes this A MUST-HAVE for all children’s graphic novel collections." —School Library Journal, starred review
“[A] lively and entertaining ADVENTURE with enough risk to give it heft and plenty of solid friendship to keep readers buoyed… Lush, bright colors and a freewheeling approach to panels create an immersive environment.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"My students are obsessed with this series. OBSESSED!"—Colby Sharp, teacher, blogger, and co-founder of Nerdy Bookclub
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-06-29
Hailing from a big family of overachievers, D.J. feels largely unexceptional until he meets a strange boy who falls from the sky and helps him realize his potential. D.J. isn't good at anything. He has two brothers and two sisters who have miles of accomplishments among them, and the only thing he considers himself adept at was a friendship with neighbor Gina…but she moved away three years ago. One day, D.J. meets a peculiar, sunny, towheaded boy who has apparently landed on Earth wearing nothing but silver underpants and recalling nothing of his previous life. D.J. immediately befriends him, and the duo becomes a threesome when Gina moves back to town. Over time, the boy's memory starts to return. He recalls his name, Hilo, and how he came to Earth—and that there are dangerous robots that could annihilate the entire planet. Although D.J. may not have a list of skills he can tick off on his fingers, he learns something more important: not only is he loyal, he is brave. Winick has concocted a universally appealing tale with bright, expressive illustrations that gently reminds readers that in this era of overscheduling and insistence on perfection, sometimes just being true to yourself is important enough. D.J. and his family are Asian-American, Gina and hers are African-American, and Caucasian-looking extraterrestrial Hilo nicely rounds out the graphic novel's diversity. A wholeheartedly weird and wonderful tale of friendship, acceptance, and robots. (Graphic science fiction. 7-12)
