The Midnight Palace

Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life.

The two babies are left with their grandmother, who quickly decides that the twins must be separated for their own safety. So she keeps the girl (Sheree) with her, and delivers the baby boy (Ben) to St Patrick's orphanage, which is run by an old friend. She leaves the boy there with
a letter, which explains the danger of revealing the boy's identity. The man who murdered his parents is searching for the twins, determined to murder them and all their descendants. He visits the orphanage but the director keeps his promise and the mysterious dark stranger promises  he will return in sixteen years, when the orphans leave to start their adult life.

Years later, on the eve of Ben's 16th birthday, Sheree and Ben meet and finally discover they are twins. With the help of his 7 friends, Ben and Sheree must face and battle the evil villain that has been waiting to destroy them. Ben and his friends belong to a secret organization called The Chowbar Society. They have had a pact to learn about the world and protect each other until death.

I really enjoyed the tension and dark mystery surrounding the villain. It wasn't totally predictable, and I appreciated the ending because it wasn't tidy. I also liked the voice of the narrator, who was one of the Chowbar Society members. The members were interesting - an artist, a smart girl, a brainiac, the quiet nervous boy... they only had each other at the orphanage, so they were a family. And they were fiercely loyal and protective of each other, but not without their flaws.

This is great storytelling for readers who enjoy dark mysteries with a supernatural touch.

The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

The Kite Runner is a powerful story about the friendship between Amir and Hassan, two very different boys, growing up together in Kabul in the 1970s.  Hassan was the son of Amir’s father’s servant.  Even though he was illiterate and poor, Hassan was a true best friend to Amir.And he was an amazing kite runner.   He always defended Amir, encouraged him and never resented his family’s wealth and position in society.  But when something horrible happens to Hassan, Amir turns his back on his friend.

The Kite Runner has touched millions of readers through its story of two boyhood friends torn apart by situation and war.   The original novel is such a deep exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and redemption , that I really wondered if this format would work. 

 I think this adaptation makes it more accessible for struggling readers, and it does cover all of the important pieces of the plot.  Even though there isn’t enough room to really illustrate the depth of the characters, the framework for discussion is there.  I read the original story and loved it.  This graphic novel reminded me about all of the parts I loved in the novel.  And I really liked the illustrations. 

I think this graphic novel deserves a place in all high school libraries.

Order The Kite Runner graphic novel from tinlids.ca