Me on Lumberjanes: The Moon is Up

Title: Lumberjanes: The Moon is Up
Author: Mariko Tamaki
Illustrator: Brooklyn Allen
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: Amulet Books (Abrams imprint)

Welcome to Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. The five scouts of Roanoke cabin—Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley—love their summers at camp. They get to hang out with their best friends, earn Lumberjane scout badges, annoy their no-nonsense counsellor Jen... and go on supernatural adventures. That last one? A pretty normal occurrence at Miss Qiunzella's, where the woods contain endless mysteries. As the camp gears up for the big Galaxy Wars competition, Jo and the gang get some help from an unexpected visitor—a Moon Pirate!

Lumberjanes: The Moon is Up is more fun and adventure with the ever-popular and ever-unique Lumberjane scouts of Roanoke cabin.

While the books are about everyone, all 5 girls get their moments, there's a little more focus on Jo this time around, like there was with April in the previous book. Jo's the quiet thinker, the practical scientific one in their group with a love of math and science. She's smart and resourceful. She knows who she is, even when some thought she was someone else when she was younger (Jo is transgender). Her days are spent having adventure after adventure with her friends, but then a letter arrives. A serious one. A letter that could mean great opportunities for her. But it would mean leaving camp. Leaving adventure and fun behind. Plus, there's the whole missing cheese and a sudden appearance by a Moon Pirate to deal with.

As with the previous book, I love the idea of this, of more stories about the girls of Roanoke cabin and the bizarre situations they often fall into, of little prose adventures that work alongside the comics. It's certainly not a series you can go into without at least reading a couple of the collected trade volumes of the comics, but the tone is the same. The adventure and the friendships, the awesomeness of young girls supporting other young girls. The worry if you're doing the right thing. The puns when it comes to badge names and the references to famous women. A must-read for the middle grade crowd of Lumberjanes fans.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Amulet Books through NetGalley.)

Me on Lumberjanes Volume 2

Title: Lumberjanes Volume 2: Friendship to the Max!
Writers & Artists: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke Allen & Marta Laiho
Release Date:
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are not your average campers and Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types is not your average summer camp. Between the river monsters, magic, and the art of friendship bracelets, this summer is only just beginning. Join the Lumberjanes as they take on raptors and a sibling rivalry that only myths are made of.

Lumberjanes Volume 2 is the further adventures of the Lumberjane scouts, the continuation of the mystery they first discovered in the forest.

The girls are back. Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley. They're still bright, still ready to save the camp from evil creatures. Still falling into dangerous situations, acting too quickly and not thinking everything through. But still helping each other out, saving each other when they're trapped or captured. There's a fair amount of thinking about others and not about their own safety, which is reckless but shows how important they find their friends to be.

The art is still wonderful. Still bright and fun. The lines are a little sketchy, a little rough around the edges, and that only adds to the charm. To the frantic running and chasing that happens so much in this volume. And the over-eager excitement that seems to spread out from Ripley. I love the colours of this series, bright and bold, highlighting the peak of summer hijinks.

This is definitely the end of the story arc that started in volume 1. The mystery behind the creatures with the glowing eyes, the secret messages/anagrams. But there are still questions to be asked. And, considering the dynamic of the five girls and how quickly they, but mostly Ripley, get into trouble, the adventures to come are bound to be just as wild, magical, and complicated. A great read for the summer, or for any time of year. Would definitely recommend to middle grade and teen readers looking for comics with excitement and mystery.

(I borrowed a copy of this book from the library.)