Summary
Mrs. Dagger, the evil principal at Camelot Middle School, only needs the school to lose one more Battle of the Bands and she will get all the money for the program to use however she wants. But, if Artie and his friends can find the legendary Singing Sword, maybe they can break a 27-year losing streak and save the school from Mrs. Dagger's plans.
Review
Another fun entry in this graphic novel series loosely based on the King Arthur legend. This is the one graphic novel series that I buy without hesitation as soon as a new book comes out.
4 out of 5 stars
AR level of 2.4
Recommended for: readers 7 and up, graphic novel fans, fans of the other books in the series, could be a good draw for reluctant readers.
Cautions: none
Artie is back and this time he is trying to prepare for the Dragon Duel - a robot duel taking place at the Dragon Day fundraiser for his school.The Evil Horde has forced one of Artie's friends to help them win the contest, but Artie wants to win to help pay off the $300 they owe the principal for an unfortunate accident with a bowling ball. Artie ends up not only wrestling with the construction of a robot, but wrestling with dragons of the internal sort. Should he do the easy thing to win the duel, or should he do what he knows is right? Artie's friends, Gwen, Percy and Wayne are back, as are Mrs. Dagger the principal, Mr. Merlyn the science teacher and locker number 001XCL.
I may have said before that I don't always enjoy graphic novels. Some, honestly, give me a headache. But this series is a delight to read. (targeted to ages 9-12) The illustrations are colorful and enhance the story. The look of the book caught my son's eye and he keeps asking what the story is about. I think he is almost ready for these. I enjoy Artie and his friends and I look forward to reading more of their adventures. Be sure to check out the author's blog here.
I have not been much of a graphic novel fan - trying to follow the illustrations in some volumes have given me a headache. But the first book in this series called The Dodgeball Chronicles (for kids ages 9 to 12), was great fun to read.
The star of the story is Artie King, a student at Camelot Middle School.... [Do you see where this is going?] Artie opens the un-openable locker - 001XCL - and his adventures begin. With the help of his friends, Percy and Wayne, and his science teacher, Mr. Merlyn, he just might survive his dodgeball battle with Joe, the school bully, and his posse, "The Horde."
I am a big fan of re-imagined fairy tales and classic stories and this one did not disappoint. I have already put the sequel, The Dragon Players on my wish list for September 2009.
