Eowulf

Gr 3--8--Eowulf Wegmund is a middle schooler who enjoys gaming with her friends. She also just happens to be a descendant of Beowulf--yes, that Beowulf. When she's not in school, she trains with her best friend, a magic sword named Roger, to fight monsters that threaten the world. She used to have a much looser definition of fighting monsters until she realized that "if you spend your life hunting creatures because they're different from you…you're the monster." Having spent a summer rescuing unicorns from a pocket dimension and fighting alongside her friend Nico Bravo, she's back in New Jersey playing D&D and trying to make amends with schoolmate Amadeus Hornburg, the student body's punching bag. Right as Eowulf starts getting through to Amadeus, a mysterious monster attacks the town, and the two have to investigate who's really behind the attacks, uncovering family secrets in the process. A fun spin-off of the "Nico Bravo" series, Eowulf stands on its own as an action-packed adventure with witty dialogue and entertaining characters. Cavallaro seamlessly moves the action between fantasy RPG and reality--past and present--giving readers a little bit of everything in this wild tale. VERDICT Graphic novel fans are going to devour Eowulf's first solo adventure, and likely ask for seconds. --Rosemary Kiladitis