Mightier Than the Sword #1 (Mightier Than the Sword, #1)

by Drew Callander and Alana Harrison

Ryan Andrews (Illustrator)

"Hilarious, fun, and wonderfully insane! It's more than just a book--it's a book you can play!"--Kristen Schaal

Wildly funny and inventive, this interactive book pulls you, the reader, into the action. Yes, YOU!

You wake up in the fictional land of Astorya, where stories from our world come to life. You're a real human being (we assume), and in this fictional world, that makes you a superhero. Armed with your trusty pencil you have the power to create: what you write, draw, or scribble in the book becomes part of the story!

Only you can rescue Prince S. from the evil Queen Rulette. Aided by the Couriers--a French stoat with dangerous dance moves, a giant dung beetle, a fire ninja, a Pegasus-centaur-cowgirl and a super-intelligent femalien chameleon--you must write, draw, and puzzle your way through a hilarious adventure that is unique to every reader! And most importantly, you must prove that the pencil is mightier than the sword.

• ISBN10: 059309364X
• ISBN13: 9780593093641
• Publish Date: 16 July 2019 (first published 10 July 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin Workshop
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593093641

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

What a great and engaging way to get young readers involved in the story. First, you allow them to write in it not just by the person who gave them the book but as they read the authors tell them to get a pencil and fill out mad libs, draw and even submit ideas to them for the story. The second thing that makes it engaging for kids is their basically the main character in the story. It is rare, at least from what I have seen, for an author to write in this POV. It works well in this case, as you are fully engaged in what happens in the story.

It took me back to my childhood when I would fill out those mad lib books with the most outrageous things I could think of, or when I would spend days trying out all the twists and turns in a choose your own adventure story. Engagement with a book for young readers, heck, even me as an adult reader, makes the information fly by, bonus points that the story ends with a cliff hanger, so you indeed want to jump into the next book.

Teachers would find this the perfect book to engage with their students to read the story aloud. You can have various students contribute answers; the letter-writing would be a great exercise, and then the drawings of different things like your car, what you think the villain looks like, and contribute your version of the flip book. A unique series that any kid would thoroughly enjoy.