Chasma Knights

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

With a pastel palette and anime-style illustrations and spare text, this graphic novel will appeal to emerging readers, but the scientific concept of elements catalyzing may perplex them and would be better for an upper elementary-aged or middle grade reader. In Beryl's world, toys are all-important. There are knights who can use the elements to catalyze, transform into other things. But Beryl is a Neon Knight and therefore unable to catalyze. Instead, she uses her tools and her ingenuity to transform toys from one thing to another. When she meets Coro, an Oxygen Knight (the most powerful kind) who is having trouble with her catalyzing skills, the two work together to show people that hard work and stick-to-itiveness can overcome the lack of natural ability. The message is great for STEM lessons though the book should be read once and then again to ensure that readers understand the concepts.

Overall Book Score: good