The Mystery Boxes Series

Book 1

Explorer: the Mystery Boxes

Published 1 March 2012

Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box?Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels—or mayhem—inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.Praise for Explorer: Mystery BoxesSTARRED REVIEW"An outstanding out-of-the box anthology from renowned comics veteran Kibuishi. With eye-popping full-color art and palettes ranging from candy-colored to ethereal earth tones, this is both a visual feast for the eyes and a healthy helping of thought for the soul. Superb.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewSTARRED REVIEW"Coherent for all its variety, there will be something here for most readers."–School Library Journal, starred review"This standout anthology will leave its audience with a fresh appetite for more from both the series and the individual contributors."–The Horn Book"Award-winning comics creator and editor of the celebrated Flight anthologies, Kibuishi offers yet another great anthology geared toward middle-school readers. Always clever and never boring, these diverse stories run the gamut from creepy to sarcastic to witty to cute to Zen to wacky to thoughtful. While the pieces feature different artists and styles, each one is complete and so well composed that the transitions from one to another do not seem jarring or out of place. A great introductory title for young or struggling middleschool readers starting to explore the world of graphic novels."–Booklist