Middle Grade Monday: Realm of the Blue Mist by Amy Kim Kibuishi.

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Realm of the Blue Mist by Amy Kim Kibuishi. The Rema Chronicles #1. 266 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., April, 2022. 9781338115130. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy rainy Monday! There was even a bit of thunder early this morning! Thankfully, I was able to get the hounds out between showers and only had to dry their undersides. They hate getting wet, but really do enjoy getting toweled off! I hope your weekend weather was as gorgeous as mine. I got a lot of yard work done.

Middle Grade Monday features Realm of the Blue Mist by Amy Kim Kibuishi. This is book one of a new graphic novel series called The Rema Chronicles. Fifteen-year-old Tabby Simon is still determined to discover what caused her scientist father's death some years earlier. Day after day, she ventures into the woods to Yggdrasil, the tree that he was studying when he died. The site is now off limits, but Tabby doesn't care. She's hoping to see the ghost that appeared to her father before he died. Instead she spots a beautiful, blue-haired boy disappearing into the tree. A hand reaches out from the portal as she approaches and Tabby finds herself face-to-face with the ghost woman, and she's terrifying. The portal leads to another world called Rema. The boy, Philip takes responsibility and promises that he will help Tabby find her way back, but that she must keep his secret.

The art in this fantasy graphic novel is utterly gorgeous. The worlds are richly colored and manga-styled characters are fully realized. The action is fast-paced, leading to a surprising twist and a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers panting for the next installment.

I found this graphic novel at the PTO/ Scholastic Book Fair and it's one of the books donated to the library by the PTO. I am the lucky recipient of many book fair books thanks to the PTO. Fans of graphic novel fantasy are going to love this.