Akiko in the Sprubly Islands (Akiko)

Rating:
Summary: The Quest Continues.....
Review: Akiko, Mr. Beeba, Poog, Spuckler, and Gax return for another chapter in their quest to rescue the kidnapped Prince Froptoppit from the clutches of Alia Rellapor.

With characters and situations based on his long-running Comic Book Akiko, Writer/Illustrator Mark Crilley does a good job of presenting the reader with the information they may have missed by not reading the first book, but also manages to keep the plot moving forward. He also seems to be getting his children's-book writing chops built up, as I thought this book had a much better style than the first one. The art is great too; simple, yet detailed. The characters are fun, and the story is pretty gentle, so younger readers shouldn't find anything too scary.

Rating:
Summary: The Quest Continues.....
Review: Akiko, Mr. Beeba, Poog, Spuckler, and Gax return for another chapter in their quest to rescue the kidnapped Prince Froptoppit from the clutches of Alia Rellapor.

With characters and situations based on his long-running Comic Book Akiko, Writer/Illustrator Mark Crilley does a good job of presenting the reader with the information they may have missed by not reading the first book, but also manages to keep the plot moving forward. He also seems to be getting his children's-book writing chops built up, as I thought this book had a much better style than the first one. The art is great too; simple, yet detailed. The characters are fun, and the story is pretty gentle, so younger readers shouldn't find anything too scary.

Rating:
Summary: Part 2 (of 4) of the Akiko adventures
Review: This book continues where the first in this series of 4 left off: Earth-born fourth-grader Akiko and her interstellar adventurer friends are on an exciting mission to rescue a young prince who has been kidnaped by the story's as-yet-unseen villain, Alia Rellapoor. Akiko's journey takes her to the Sprubly Islands (hence the title), where she must confront the Sprubly monarch, Queen Pwip, for help in their quest. But danger and surprises lurk in the Sprubly Islands, and Akiko finds herself in an amazing adventure before she realizes it.

Mark Crilley, the author and illustrator of the Akiko novels (and comic from which the novels derive), is in better shape with this second book of the series, mostly because the necessary exposition has already been dealt with in book one. The plot flows quickly, and there is plenty of excitement to keep the story moving, without being too frightening for young children. Being part of a series may make the story hard to follow for those who don't know the story, but there is enough adventure and great storytelling moments to amuse even newcomers.

This book can be enjoyed as a group read with children (there are enough pictures and descriptions to captivate a young audience), or for solo readers who can handle a third- or fourth-grade reading level.

Rating:
Summary: a good read for a nine year old, fast-paced and entertaining
Review: This second in the Akiko series is a pleasure in that it features a strong female figure as protagonist, a rarity in fiction for this age group. Yet just as the Harry Potter series appeals to girls despite the fact that its main character is a boy, my son enjoyed this book, and the previous one, even though Akiko is a fourth grade girl. The story is not particularly original, with parts reminding me of Star Wars, Gulliver's Travels, and The Wizard of Oz, but it kept my son's attention and made him want to read on.