Welcome to Feral (Frights from Feral)

How many kids will go missing before this small town admits it’s haunted? Find out in this freakily fun new graphic novel series!Feral has everything a town should have: Main Street, City Hall, a population just over sixteen thousand . . .But Feral also has secrets. Mysteries. Unexplained disappearances. In five spooky stories, an intrepid resident invites readers to look a little closer at this scenic rural town. Are you game to investigate what’s going on in Feral? If you pay attention, you might notice something where it shouldn’t be. Be careful, though. Whatever you do, do not go into the Messner Mansion. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!With vibrant art, clever humor, and heaps of unsolved mysteries, animator Mark Fearing conjures a fearsome saga out of small-town terrors. The first entry in this inventive new series is sure to scare young readers silly. Don't miss the next adventure: Last Exit to Feral!Named to the Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading ListA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

From School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up-In this wild and weird graphic novel about the supernatural small town of Feral, many a terrifying tale is told as Fearing sets a city-sized stage on which to spin tall tales of youthful demise. A flannel-clad narrator frames stories of sinister playground slides, a soul-sucking sweets seller, and a campfire vampire. Fearing's illustrations are sketchy, infused with the energetic spirit of childhood, and the characters' expressions are almost goofy, so it's something of a surprise when the yarns he weaves nearly all end in protagonists trapped, transformed, or blasted to space. For newcomers to scary stories, it's a slightly discombobulating, and thus perfect, way to introduce the psyche-rocking roots of horror-terrifying concepts, parceled out in manageable morsels for more timid readers. VERDICT An amusing, just-scary-enough graphic novel for young genre fans and perhaps even those hesitant to try spookier fare.-Emilia Packardα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal

"An amusing, just-scary-enough graphic novel for young genre fans and perhaps even those hesitant to try spookier fare."

Booklist

"Fearing's sketchy, full-color cartoon artwork nicely balances the horror of monsters, portals, and ghosts with a kid-friendly style that tones down the scares just enough. . . . A perfect choice for kids who love anything by R. L. Stine, this will thrill kids who like to get a little scared."

Kirkus Reviews

"Thrill-seeking readers will be eager to visit."

About the Author

Mark Fearing has never been bitten by a werewolf, a zombie, or a vampire. But he was bitten by the creative bug which is far more dangerous. Books he's illustrated include The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot, by Margaret McNamara, and Ben Franklin's in My Bathroom!, by Candace Fleming, as well as The Great Thanksgiving Escape, which he also wrote. He lives in Oregon with his family.

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