Lumberjackula

by Mat Heagerty (Author) Sam Owen (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

For fans of The Okay Witch and Fake Blood, this hilarious middle grade graphic novel follows a half-vampire, half-lumberjack boy who feels torn between his parents and just wants to be a dancer. Jack is in a pickle. His lumberjack mom wants him to go to Mighty Log Lumberjack Prep to learn how to chop wood and wear flannel. His vampire dad wants him to go to Sorrow's Gloom Vampire School to learn how to turn into a bat and drink blood-orange juice. And Jack has a secret: what he really wants to do is dance.

When he finds out about Tip Tap Twinkle Toes Dance Academy from new friend Plenty, Jack feels he's finally found the place where he can be his true self. But he's too afraid of disappointing his family to tell them. What's a half-lumberjack, half-vampire boy to do? To summon the confidence to pursue his dreams, Jack will have to embrace every part of himself--his lumberjack toughness, his vampire eeriness, and most especially his awesome dance moves.

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 3-6--Meet Jack! He's an 11-year-old lumberjack vampire who just graduated from "under school" and must decide where he will go to school next: Sorrow's Gloom Vampire Academy or Mighty Log Lumberjack Prep. His lumberjack mother and vampire father say the decision is his to make, but he's definitely feeling pressured to not let anyone in his family down. Worse still, neither school seems to be right for him. With his pointy ears and fangs, he doesn't look like any of the other lumberjack kids, but his fear of heights makes it impossible for him to keep up with the other vampire kids in bat flying lessons. Feeling like a failure in addition to being overwhelmed with deciding his future, Jack turns to the one thing that makes him feel better: dancing! It's during one of these impromptu dance moments that Jack meets a new friend who tells him about Tip Tap Twinkle Toes Dance Academy! For Jack, it's a dream come true, but how can he follow his dreams if it means disappointing the family he loves? Owen's vibrant and expressive illustrations add an extra layer of whimsy and liveliness to an already humorous story with engaging and creative worldbuilding. While characters are depicted with an array of skin colors, Jack's lumberjack family are light-skinned. VERDICT A delightful romp through a magical world of fangs and flannel sure to keep young readers on their (twinkle) toes.--Amanda Melilli

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Mat Heagerty
Mat Heagerty is a comic book writer, rad dad, and all-around chipper dude. He's the writer of Martian Ghost Centaur, Unplugged and Unpopular, and the graphic novel Lumberjackula, among others.

Sam Owen is a freelance comic artist and character designer with a focus on making fantasy and science fiction art geared towards young adults and kids. He's also the illustrator of Lumberjackula, a middle grade graphic novel.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534482586
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date
July 19, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV031020 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Dance
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
JUV008110 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Humorous
Library of Congress categories
Dance
Identity
Identity (Psychology)
Families
Family life
Schools
Vampires
Cartoons and comics
Comics (Graphic works)
Loggers
Vampire comics

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