Cardboard

TenNapel, Doug. (2012). Cardboard. Scholastic Inc., New York.

 This graphic novel has all the elements of a good adventure story: likable hero, despicable villain, romantic interest, a bit of unexplained magic, a true friendship, an exciting climax and a nice, neatly tied up finish -very satisfying. Having purchased a lot of graphic novels for the collection lately, but only read a few of them cover to cover, I was not sure what to expect from this one.  Its shadowy, angular illustrations vary from full page spreads to multi- frame pages with story advancing details and lots of dialog. Cam's out of work father buys Cam a cardboard box for his birthday from a strange road-side vendor who warns him to return every scrap that he doesn't use. The two stay up late into the night working together cutting, gluing and painting to create a life-size boxer. When the boxer comes to life in the middle of the night, Cam's adventures begin.  A jealous neighbourhood bully steals some of the cardboard and begins creating creatures of his own who soon turn on their evil master. Cam's honesty and kindness shine through throughout the story helping to bring the adventure to its proper conclusion (after many close calls).

Late Primary/Intermediate