Bone by Jeff Smith

Type of Read: 
Graphic Novel/Adventure/Fantasy

Plot Summary:
The three main characters of this series are Bones, but they don't really look like normal bones. (stay with me!) The three cousins, Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, and Fone Bone, are run out of their hometown Boneville and get lost. Stumbling into a valley, they meet new friends and foes, and they soon find themselves at the center of an epic adventure. There are dragons and secrets, great evil and hidden sects sworn to fight it. All the while, the three bones are trying to find their way back home.

Strengths:
The biggest strength is the fact that the graphic novel is perfect of kids who love fantasy. The language is clean (except for the occasional 'stupid'), it's funny for all ages, and there is plenty of action and fantasy. While working in a bookstore, I would have kids ask me all the time for graphic novels. Part of me would cringe because I knew quite a few series that were not appropriate for kids (they either had adult language, images, or concepts). Bone is different. It is a great way to introduce graphic novels to kids without it being too "baby-ish."

Also, this series is an epic fantasy. Bone takes place in a different world with a different mythology. There are power struggles and political intrigue with an overarching evil. Jeff Smith did a fantastic job in his story pacing. He had to stretch the adventures of Bone over 9 volumes (from 1991-2004) and still keep the reader interested in what Fone Bone and his cousins were up to next. It shows the talent and skill of Smith to keep the series popular for so long. (Not to mention the numerous awards he won along the way).

Weaknesses:
Without ruining the series, I have to say the weakest point was the ending. It was almost anticlimactic compared to the build up over the past eight novels in the series. I had to go back and re-read the last few pages just to make sure I didn't miss anything. I didn't. It was just a let down.

Opinion and Recommendation:
I spent an entire weekend holed up in a blanket fort reading all nine graphic novels in the series. It was wonderful! I laughed (and might have cried) throughout the whole thing. The black and white version is great, but I would highly recommend the colored version. I checked them out from the library because I feel that graphic novels take so little time to read that it's almost a waste to buy them. This series is an exception. I would love to go back are re-read it and even introduce it to my future children. So I will be the nut that spends a good amount of money on the all-in-one volume in color and hardback. But you don't have to. If you like fantasy graphic novels that are pretty clean, I say check it out!