Graphic novelist extraordinaire Svetlana Chmakova returns to the Nightschool with the latest installment in her middle grade graphic novel series for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
THE WEIRN BOOKS, VOL. 2: THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN DRAGON
By Svetlana Chmakova
Beloved illustrator and critically-acclaimed graphic novelist Svetlana Chmakova returns with the second installment in her graphic novel fantasy series for middle grade readers: The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon (JY, an imprint of Yen Press | October 15, 2024 | Ages 8-12). In the Night Realm, shifters, vampires, weirns (a particular kind of witch), and other night things passing for human may prowl the streets, but school is still in session—and you still have to do your homework!
In The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods (released June 2020), Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students, but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they’re the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears. To get him back, she has no choice but to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!
Just in time for Halloween, The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon takes readers back to Chmakova’s supernatural world full of magic, adventure, and… dragons! After her terrible adventures in the Silent Woods, Na’ya’s world seems to have returned to normal… that is, except for the nightmares that keep haunting her. What she needs is the power to protect everyone, and she has the perfect solution—she’ll turn into a dragon, once and for all! With help from Ailis and Jasper, everything seems to be going according to plan. But what’s that dark shadow slithering around the spell-casting range?
School Library Journal hailed The Weirn Books, Vol. 1 as a “sweet, not-too-scary coming-of-age story that feels like a young read-alike to Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” while Publishers Weekly praised Chmakova’s signature art style: “Classic manga visuals enrich Chmakova’s charming, full-color art: sweeping magic amid serene concentration, shadows accentuating fear-inspiring retorts from authority figures, and facial contortions add humor to life-and-death stakes… Chmakova smartly keeps the focus on family, friendship, and the relatable struggles of fitting in.”
About the Author
Svetlana Chmakova was born and raised in Russia until the age of 16, when her family emigrated to Canada. She is an internationally published, award-winning author and illustrator, with more than 10 published books and her work translated into over 13 languages. Svetlana has drawn and written for animation, how-to-draw books, toy designs, and most of all, comics and manga. Her full-length manga/comics series include the fan-favorite romantic comedy Dramacon, the award-winning urban fantasy Nightschool: The Weirn Books, and the hit Berrybrook Middle School series, as well as the manga adaptation of the New York Times bestselling Witch & Wizard by James Patterson. She graduated from Sheridan College with a three-year Classical Animation Diploma, and was a Master Comics Artist-in-Residence at Atlantic Center for The Arts. Find her online at www.svetlania.com.
Praise for Svetlana Chmakova
“Chmakova maintains her signature anime-influenced style, as seen in the “Berrybrook Middle School” series, and adds a touch of whimsy through visual worldbuilding around the eerie, desolate woods… VERDICT Relationships take center stage in this sweet, not-too-scary coming-of-age story that feels like a young read-alike to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
—School Library Journal (The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods)
“Classic manga visuals enrich Chmakova’s charming, full-color art: sweeping magic amid serene concentration, shadows accentuating fear-inspiring retorts from authority figures, and facial contortions add humor to life-and-death stakes… Chmakova smartly keeps the focus on family, friendship, and the relatable struggles of fitting in.”
I have never heard of Weirn books before but my kids have and they are very interested in reading them.