On the Shelf: The Golden Twine

THE GOLDEN TWINE (BOOK #1 OF CAT'S CRADLE) | JO RIOUX | KIDS CAN PRESS | 2012

To most, Suri is just an orphan in a traveling caravan. But Suri is determined to prove she has the mettle of a monster tamer. When she unknowingly takes something valuable from a caitsith -- a cat monster -- she will have to quickly harness her powers... if she even has them!

The Golden Twine is a children's graphic novel about Suri, a young orphan who tags along with a traveling caravan even though the owner tries his best to get rid of her. Suri makes money by telling stories about monsters whenever the caravan makes a stop on its tour. However, her real dream is to become a monster tamer. Suri's dream is looked down upon because she is a young girl -- no one believes she has the talent or the strength to perform such an important task. After helping a stranger, whom Suri assumes to be a human boy, carry some material through the woods, she picks up a ball of golden twine that he drops on the ground. She uses this twine to create a necklace, complete with a dragon tooth amulet that, Suri believes, holds special powers. Little does she know, the golden twine is the real magical part of her necklace, causing a trio of caitsiths (one of the monster breeds in the story) to hunt her down in order to get back their magical string.

This graphic novel is targeted to readers aged nine to twelve, but as an adult reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It will appeal to fans of fantasy, adventure, and mystery stories and it is the perfect book to introduce young readers to the graphic novel format. The characters in the story are unique and often adorable. You discover that the monsters really aren't as scary as they seem (well, except for the caitsiths...) and Suri is a protagonist that young readers are sure to love.

I've given this book five stars simply because it's as close to perfect as a children's book can get. The Golden Twine has completely changed my perception on how graphic novels fit into the literary world of a child.

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Excerpt borrowed from jorioux.com.