First Second Novel with Banned Book Theme Appears First on Web, Later in Stores
A book-loving boy from the small Oklahoma town of Americus grapples with the travails of high school and takes a stand when it looks as though his favorite fantasy series, starring a young sorceress who hunts monsters and tyrants, might be banned from the local library. That’s the storyline of Americus, written by MK Reed and illustrated by Jonathan Hill, due from Roaring Brook’s First Second Books in fall 2011. This graphic novel is making an earlier, serialized appearance on the Web, where new installments have been posted three times a week since early June. Given the theme of the book, the publisher plans an online promotion to tie in with Banned Books Week, which this year takes place September 25-October 2. Here's how the book--and the serialization--came to be.
