The Lost Hero: The Graphic Novel

Gr 4–8—Riordan's ever-popular mythology series that resonates so strongly with reluctant readers and those who yearn for action-packed adventure now have the option to follow the story in graphic novel format. If the traditional narrative version of The Lost Hero (Disney-Hyperion, 2010) hit the ground running, it is nothing compared to what awaits readers in a sequential art format. It takes fewer than 10 pages for the story to start with a [quite literal] bang, and it relents very infrequently thereafter. Powell does an excellent job of adapting the original story into pictorial format, hitting all of the high points and representing all of the major details in the drawings, so little is lost. For those unfamiliar with Riordan's storytelling, they will receive a healthy introduction to his easy-to-follow story lines that teach with great accuracy the mythologies that students will undoubtedly learn in the classroom but with such fun and ease that it will hardly feel like school. Readers who are new to reading comic books will be no less entertained; there are a few pages here and there that may make following the panels in order a touch challenging, but they will catch on quickly. It goes without saying that this book will fly off the shelves; Riordan, of course, has a ready-made audience, but he always does a good job of welcoming new readers, so this one is a must for both school and public libraries.—Trina Bolfing, Westbank Libraries, Austin, TX