Review sponsored* by Penny-Farthing Productions
The Children’s Book Review | January 29, 2018
Audrey’s Magic Nine
Written by Michelle Wright
Illustrated by Courtney Huddleston
Graphic Novel: 144 pages
Age Range: 10 and up
Publisher: Penny-Farthing Productions (2017)
ISBN: 978-0984214358
What to expect: Alien creatures, foster care, adoption, magical worlds
In Audrey’s Magic Nine, author Michelle Wright has crafted a story about a talented little girl who uses her imagination and courage to find ways out of precarious situations. The graphic novel begins with a glimpse into Audrey’s life at the Mercer family foster home. This somewhat harsh depiction of life in foster care, and the consequences of not following the rules, may be difficult for younger children to process. However, it is a perfect backdrop to be introduced to young Audrey and her coping methods. As she draws she is transported away from her troubling reality to a happier, more peaceful place.
Audrey eventually finds her forever family and tries to adjust to her new schedule of school and activities, including ballet, violin, aikido, and soccer. Her new parents want to provide her with all sorts of opportunities and Audrey tries her best to make them happy. But her imagination and need to draw keep her up late at night and lead her to a magical, alien world. The inhabitants of this world have special powers but somehow, they have been transported to earth as puppets. Audrey sets out on a quest to find all the missing puppets and reunite them so they can find their way home.
Audrey’s intelligence and imagination shine in this colorful and well-drawn graphic novel. The images are crisp and inviting and will delight fans of traditional comic books. The shifting points of view, flashbacks and parallel stories provide non-stop action and the fast pace will keep readers entertained and ready for more. Audrey’s story and unique perspective are sure to be in great demand!
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About the Author
Michelle Wright’s first love was the unicorn, and she has spent her life thus far trying to find her very own. Along the way, she has funded her exploration by working as an editor, a fiction writer, a comic book writer, an academic essayist, and a university lecturer after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Writers. She has been published in a wide variety of literary journals, including Story South, Louisiana Literature, PANK, and Bitter Oleander, and her work in comic books includes Li’l Red Stitch and Decoy: Origins. Wright lives with her husband, the poet and essayist William Wright, and their fractious dog, Poppy, in Marietta, Georgia. Along with Poppy, she searches the North Georgia mountains for a unicorn, but Wright has the sneaking suspicion that their mythical pursuits have decidedly different purposes. Wright wants a unicorn as a second house pet; Poppy would like to eat one.
About the Illustrator
Before he was the artist and creator of such fanciful comics as A Bit Haywire, The Bully’s Bully, Decoy, and Luci Phurr’s Imps, or the talented Project Coordinator at Penny-Farthing Productions, or even an adventurous world traveler with a penchant for wearing kilts and eating Swiss fondue, Courtney Huddleston was a precocious young storyteller who regaled his mother with imaginative tales while dangling upside down from a concrete stairwell in Tupelo, Mississippi. His love for creating and encouraging creativity in emerging talent, has never waned. Nor has his love for dangling from dangerous stair wells. He currently lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife Brandee, a kindergarten teacher, and their two daughters, in a one-story house devoid of stairs of any kind.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. Penny-Farthing Productions sponsored* this non-biased review of “Audrey’s Magic Nine,” by Michelle Wright and Courtney Huddleston. Learn more about getting a book review …
