The Stonekeeper

Last updated
The Stonekeeper
The Stonekeeper.jpg
Cover art by Kazu Kibuishi
Author Kazu Kibuishi
Cover artist Kazu Kibuishi
LanguageEnglish
Series Amulet
Genre Young adult
Graphic novel
Science fiction
Horror
Publisher Graphix
Publication date
Jan. 1 2008
Publication place United States
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages192
ISBN 0-439-84681-1
Followed by The Stonekeeper's Curse  

Amulet: The Stonekeeper is a 2008 children's graphic novel written and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi. [1] The book concerns the adventures of Emily Hayes, who must try to rescue her kidnapped mother with the assistance of her younger brother Navin, a mysterious amulet, and helper robots such as Miskit.name=Karp2012>Karp, Jesse (2012). Graphic Novels in Your School Library. Chicago: American Library Association. pp. 70–71. ISBN   978-0-8389-1089-4.</ref> [2] it is the first book in the Amulet graphic novel series.

Contents

Plot

Two years after a car accident that killed her husband, Karen has difficulties as a single mother. She and her children, Emily and Navin, move to the old house of Karen's grandfather Silas near San Francisco. Karen says Silas was a "puzzle maker" who disappeared after locking himself in the house. While exploring Silas's library, Emily finds a stone amulet that had been hidden in a table, and Navin helps tie it around her neck. The amulet begins speaking to Emily in her thoughts, giving suggestions beginning that night.

The amulet tells Emily that her family is in danger. A noise from the basement awakens the family from where they have sleeping on the floor of the house until it can further be renovated, and as they enter to investigate, Karen is kidnapped by a large beetle-like monster with tentacles. The children go downstairs to look, but when they reach the bottom of the stairs they are trapped in a different world and are confronted by the monster that swallowed their mother. The monster grabs the two children and swallows Navin, but with the amulet's assistance Emily is able to break free, and Karen is able to push Navin out of a hole in creature's side.

As the children hide from the monster, the amulet tells Emily that to save their mother they must find the house where Silas lives. It gives her clear directions but as they try to follow them, the monster runs after the children. The amulet then helps them escape.

Now deep underground, the children see a house on a column of rock surrounded by water, at the bottom of an enormous hole overhead leading to the surface. An elf with an amulet like Emily's tries to attack them, but a large humanoid uses a ray gun to stun the elf and then rows the children across the water to Silas's house. They discover their rescuer is Silas's assistant, and is a small rabbit-like robot named Miskit who had been controlling a large humanoid robot. The children find Silas on his deathbed. Silas says to Emily the amulet has great power and can allow her to rule the land of Alledia, and even has the power to turn back time, making Emily think of when her dad was alive and the possibility that she can use the Amulet to bring her dad back. Lastly, Silas tells Emily she must either accept or reject the amulet's power. Then he passes away.

After Silas dies, the lights turn off and the amulet glows and tells Emily to become the new stonekeeper and accept its power, which she does against Navin's wishes. The robots place Silas in a "sleep chamber" and locate Karen with a computer that shows them where the monster, an Arachnopod, currently is.

The children and Miskit board a flying vehicle to reach Karen. They struggle to pass through a tunnel with walls lined with tentacled monsters and then see several Arachnopods. One in the pack of Arachnopods is the one carrying their mother. The heroes are unable to rescue her before their vehicle crash lands.

As Emily goes after the beast, the elf they saw earlier uses his amulet to destroy the Arachnopod who has Emily's mother and holds her captive. The elf then captures Emily with his power, demanding that she help kill his father the Elf King. With her amulet, Emily repels the elf. Then her own amulet tells her to kill the elf, and she refuses. Instead, Emily tells the elf to never come near her family again. The elf leaves; Navin and Miskit catch up with Emily and they take Karen back to Silas's house.

Silas's old helper robots determine that Karen was poisoned and needs an antidote, but the nearest city is 300 miles away. To take her to the city as soon as possible, the robots cause the entire house to be transformed into a giant robot. The giant robot, with everyone inside, walks through the water surrounding Silas's house, climbs out of the hole to the surface and starts walking across the landscape to the city, leading them to the antidote.

Reception

The book received mostly positive reviews. Upon the book's release, Booklist stated that the "action-packed adventure sequences move at an exciting clip," but that there were "dark elements in the tale." [3] Kirkus Reviews found the author "a dab hand at portraying freaky monsters." [2] In 2013, a reviewer for The Guardian "couldn't stop reading it." [4]

On the other hand, one reviewer for School Library Journal felt a "sense of déjà vu in some scenes" and concluded that the book was "serviceable, but not extraordinary." [5] Another School Library Journal review of the first three books in the Amulet series opined that the storyline was "a little too drawn out and chaotic." [6]

Among other recognition, a 2008 article in Book Links listed it as one of 26 "high-quality graphic novels … [for] elementary-school students." [7] The Young Adult Library Services Association named it one of its "2009 Best Books for Young Adults." [8] In 2010 it won a Rhode Island Children's Book Award and was included in a Library Journal list of 33 "Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers." [9] [10] In 2011 it received a Young Reader's Choice Award in the Junior Division from the Pacific Northwest Library Association and an Oregon Reader's Choice Award in the Junior Division from the Oregon Library Association. [11] [12] As of 2013, it ranked fourth on a list of "Best Graphic Novels for Children" on Goodreads. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</i> 1999 fantasy novel by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the Harry Potter series. The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Along with friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry investigates Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, the wizard prison, believed to be one of Lord Voldemort's old allies.

<i>Artemis Fowl</i> (novel) First book in the Artemis Fowl series, 2001

Artemis Fowl is a young adult fantasy novel written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. It is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series, followed by Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident. Pitched by its author as "Die Hard with fairies", the novel follows fairy LEP reconnaissance officer Holly Short after she is kidnapped by twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II for a large ransom of gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazu Kibuishi</span> Japanese-born American graphic novel author and illustrator

Kazuhiro "Kazu" Kibuishi is a Japanese-born American graphic novel author and illustrator. He is best known for being the creator and editor of the comic anthology Flight and for creating the webcomic Copper. He is also the author and illustrator of the Amulet series.

Copper is a 2002 webcomic by Kazu Kibuishi. Consisting of a series of short stories, Copper has a very irregular schedule, with a long hiatus that lasted from 2009 to 2016. Kibuishi's webcomic was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic, and the work was compiled into a print volume in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Stroud</span> British author

Jonathan Anthony Stroud is a British writer of fantasy fiction, best known for the Bartimaeus young adult sequence and Lockwood & Co. children's series. His books are typically set in an alternative history London with fantasy elements, and have received note for his satire, and use of magic to reflect themes of class struggle. The Bartimaeus sequence is the recipient of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards. Stroud's works have also been featured on ALA Notable lists of books for children and young adults. In 2020, Netflix announced a TV series based on Lockwood & Co., with filming initiated in July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raina Telgemeier</span> American cartoonist, illustrator, and writer

Raina Telgemeier (, was born on May 26, 1977 and is an American cartoonist. Her works include the autobiographical webcomic Smile, which was published as a full-color middle grade graphic novel in February 2010, and the follow-up Sisters and the fiction graphic novel Drama, all of which have been on The New York Times Best Seller lists. She has also written and illustrated the graphic novels Ghosts and Guts as well as four graphic novels adapted from The Baby-Sitters Club stories by Ann M. Martin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Kim Kibuishi</span> American author and illustrator

Amy Kim Kibuishi née Ganter, is an American author and illustrator of original English-language manga.

<i>The Graveyard Book</i> 2008 young adult novel by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is a young adult novel written by the English author Neil Gaiman, simultaneously published in Britain and America in 2008. The Graveyard Book traces the story of the boy Nobody "Bod" Owens, who is adopted and reared by the supernatural occupants of a graveyard after his family is brutally murdered.

<i>Emily Windsnap</i>

Emily Windsnap is a series of children's fantasy novels written by British author Liz Kessler, inaugurated by The Tail of Emily Windsnap in 2003 and continuing as of 2020. It is illustrated primarily by Sarah Gibb and published by Orion Children's Books in Britain, and Candlewick Press in America. The series originated as a poem that Kessler was writing about a "little girl who lived on a boat but had a big secret"; an editor recommended that Kessler turn the poem into a book.

Kean Soo is the Canadian creator of the children's comic character Jellaby. Born in Romford, England, but raised in Hong Kong, Soo is currently residing in Canada and was formally trained as an engineer.

<i>Stranger with My Face</i> 1981 American young adult horror novel by Lois Duncan

Stranger with My Face is a young adult horror novel by Lois Duncan, first published in 1981. The novel is about Laurie Stratton, who is seen by others in places she knows she could not be. She discovers that she has an identical twin sister named Lia who has been visiting her town using astral projection, which involves sending her soul outside her body. Laurie learns astral projection and uses it to look for her sister. During this time, Lia's spirit takes control of Laurie's body. The story describes Laurie's struggle to take back control of her body. The novel explores themes of appearance versus true self and the idea of a double, someone similar but not quite the same as someone else. Duncan got the idea for the book after hearing about the concept of astral projection, which she thought would make a great plot for a novel. In 2011, the novel was updated with text to modernize the content.

<i>The Red Pyramid</i> Childrens fantasy-adventure novel by Rick Riordan (2010)

The Red Pyramid is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in The Kane Chronicles series. The novel was first published in the United States on May 4, 2010, by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. It has been published in hardcover, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions, and has been translated into 19 languages from its original English.

<i>Smile</i> (comic book) Graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier

Smile is an autobiographical graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier. It was published in February 2010 by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. The novel provides an account of the author's life, characterized by dental procedures and struggles with fitting in, from sixth grade to high school. The book originated as a webcomic, which was serialized on Girlamatic. It is most appropriate for readers between fourth and sixth grade. Smile has had a pedagogical impact, and reviews have been written on this novel.

<i>Amulet</i> (comics) Cartoon novel series

Amulet is a graphic novel series illustrated and written by Kazu Kibuishi and published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic. It follows the adventures of Emily, a young girl who discovers a sentient and autonomous magical circular amulet in her great-grandfather's house, and consequently is tasked with protecting an entirely new world from a ruler known as The Elf King.

<i>Anyas Ghost</i> Graphic novel by Vera Brosgol

Anya's Ghost is a coming-of-age ghost story in graphic novel format. The first book by cartoonist Vera Brosgol, Anya's Ghost was published on June 7, 2011.

<i>Wonder</i> (Palacio novel) R. J. Palacio novel

Wonder is a contemporary children's novel written by R. J. Palacio and published on 14 February 2012. Wonder is in part inspired by an incident where the author's son started to cry after noticing a girl with a severe facial deformity. Inspiration was also pulled from Natalie Merchant's song of the same name. Several spin-offs have been published, including 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts, We're All Wonders, Auggie and Me, and White Bird. A film adaptation was released in 2017, and a spin-off sequel film followed in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cece Bell</span> American author and illustrator

Cecelia Carolina Bell is an American author, cartoonist, and illustrator. Most well known for her graphic novel El Deafo, Bell's work has appeared in The Atlantic, Vegetarian Times, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, Working Woman, Esquire and many other publications.

<i>The Stonekeepers Curse</i> Fantasy comic by Kazu Kibuish

The Stonekeeper's Curse is the second volume in the Amulet series. The fantasy comic is written by Kazu Kibuishi, and is a successful bestseller. It was written in 2009.

<i>The Cloud Searchers</i>

The Cloud Searchers is a fantasy graphic novel which was written in 2010. It is the third volume in the Amulet series. It was written and drawn by author Kazu Kibuishi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. J. Palacio</span> American author and graphic designer

Raquel Jaramillo Palacio is an American author and graphic designer. She is the author of several novels for children, including the best-selling Wonder, which was adapted into a 2017 film starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.

References

  1. ↑ Kibuishi, Kazu (2008). Amulet. Book 1, The Stonekeeper. New York: Graphix. ISBN   978-0-439-84680-6.
  2. 1 2 "The Stonekeeper: Amulet, Book One (review)". Kirkus Reviews . November 15, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  3. ↑ Karp, Jesse (December 1, 2007). "The Stonekeeper (review)". Booklist. American Library Association. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  4. ↑ BookZombie (January 22, 2013). "Amulet: The Stonekeeper: Book One by Kazu Kibuishi - review". The Guardian . Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ Bird, Elizabeth (September 24, 2008). "Review of the Day: Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi". School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  6. ↑ Wildsmith, Snow (December 23, 2010). "Review: Amulet, Vol. 1-3". School Library Journal "Good Comics for Kids" blog. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ Teale, William H.; Kim, Jung; Boerman-Cornell, William (May 2008). "It's Elementary! Graphic Novels for the K–6 Classroom". Book Links. 17 (5). American Library Association. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  8. ↑ "YRCA Past Winners". Young Adult Library Services Association. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Past RICBA Nominee Lists". Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  10. ↑ Cornog, Martha (March 18, 2010). "Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers: 33 Titles". Library Journal. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ "YRCA Past Winners". Pacific Northwest Library Association. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Past ORCA Winners". Oregon Reader's Choice Award. Oregon Library Association. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Best Graphic Novels for Children". Goodreads. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.