I thought my family was a little crazy, but this family is REALLY complicated. Why would anyone send two young boys inside of an erupting volcano? This graphic novel combines incredible artwork with a survival story and family mystery full of suspense. It's awesome. ( )

Very Disappointing after hearing so much praise for this book. Clunky plot, stiff dialogue and unattractive artwork - I ended up skimming the last half of the book because I was so disinterested in what was happening in the story and because the book is just so incredibly text heavy to its detriment. Its a fine book to use in conjunction with any curriculum on volcanoes but as a pleasure read, not sure if this would go over so well. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. I was engrossed in the action and captivated by the illustrations. Great for ages 7+ who struggle with reading.

Brothers Duffy and Sumo Pugg are a little confused when they’re sent to stay with Aunt Lulu and their cousin Come-and-Go (that's really his name) for 10 days while their parents are away on business, but that’s nothing compared to how confused they’ll be later on. Amid earthquakes and volcano eruptions, the boys are forced to evacuate with trusted family guides into the maze of tunnels under the volcano itself. It’s soon evident, though, that the guides are looking for something… and the boys are the bait they need to find it. With the volcano about to blow any minute, it’s a terrible time for the boys to get separated from the group—but how else will they find out for themselves what their family is searching for?

The art is nice to look at, and the story could be interesting, but it jumps around too much. Parts of the narrative are disjointed, leading this reader to wonder if pages or panels had been edited out and the information not replaced. Chapter transitions are weak—the beginning of a chapter is the same scene and conversation as the end of the previous chapter, or there’s an unexplained shift from one place to another so the reader spends several panels trying to catch up on the action. The brothers are twins, presumably (they’re in the same class at school), but one is written far younger than the other.

Wood has won several illustration awards, but the ability to illustrate a story is not necessarily related to the ability to tell a story in pictures. Wood’s author bio says that he was “fascinated by the possibilities of the graphic novel” and that he worked on this book for five years—but his strength is not in sequential art narrative. Had he collaborated with a writer instead of doing it all himself, it could have been a much stronger book. It’s pretty to look at and the adventure can be compelling, but overall the story doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Recommended for collections where boys are clamoring for more adventure books. ( )

Book: Into The Volcano
Author: Don Wood
Characters: Sumo, Duffy, Come-And-Go, Mom and other family members
Setting: Island of Kocalaha
Theme: Adventure
Genre: Graphic Novel
Audience: ages 10 - 15
Curriculum: Language arts, natural science class, English
Summary: Two young bothers are pulled out of school unexpectedly to go with a counsin they have never met to the island of Kocalaha, where their mother is from and has been for the last few months. They are then go to on an excavation with their newly introduce extended family members to find their mother. Little did they realize they would be on an adventure through the quakes, lava flow of an active volcano, boiling water and survival.
Personal Response:
I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would. The relationship between the brothers is a great dynamic to watch unfold and realistic to read. I also enjoyed the colors and imagery that Woods adds to the pictures to help the reader understand the environment the characters are in. This also ends up being a book of family and finding yourself as a member of the family not just the child to be taken care of. ( )