The Mystery Boxes (Explorer #1)

Like the lesson of Schrodinger's Cat, what exists within a box is possibilities--when opened, we all have to face the reality of that decision. The tales in this anthology--which add up to a kind of Twilight Zone for younger readers--offer characters who encounter the mystery boxes of the title, with no unification beyond their geometry and their role as catalysts to unexpected narrative turns. Gathering multiple creators to work within that concept, editorial dynamo Kibuishi (the author of the Amulet series) creates a mixture of laughs and creeps, with some philosophy thrown in, as well as the kind of graphical triumphs expected from Kibuishi's previous Flight collections. Outstanding among the contributions are the spooky tale of a sinister doppelganger invading a girl's life by up-and-coming comics star Emily Carroll; Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier's comedy of wizarding errors and online bidding wars; and Rad Seachrist's romp involving a teenage girl, an introduction to the basics of Shintoism, and a manic butter thief driving a grandma to the brink. All the stories offer top-notch storytelling while providing readers with something more to think about without being overbearing in their intellect. Ages 9-up. (Mar.)

Gr 3-6--A brief anthology edited by the organizer of the "Flight" anthologies (Villard, 2008), these kid-friendly shorts vary in tone from light horror to cheerful adventure. They continue the "Flight" collective tradition of artwork that has a painterly animated quality. While the artists vary in individual style and the stories vary in tone, the thematic connection to a mysterious box is highly effective, perhaps particularly so because of the slim length and tight focus of the stories. A box is a container, and therefore inherently holds potential and revelation. From Pandora to Santa Claus, it has represented the push-pull of compulsion and anxiety. Emily Carroll's opening tale and the cartoony romp by Saymone Phanekham deserve special mention for immediately establishing tone and a reader-friendly world, and the mythological underpinnings of Rad Sechrist's story provide it with a compelling base. Coherent for all its variety, there will be something here for most readers.--Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH