Blindspot [Paperback]

Kevin C. Pyle (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

An evocative graphic novel about a boy growing out of childhood

Dean and his friends have created an entire world in the woods behind their suburban housing development. In their army fantasy, they're at war, and Dean is the daring captain leading his troops through episodes of intrigue and danger.
But no fantasy can last forever. A run-in with a homeless man in the woods snaps the boys back to reality, and little by little the real world pervades their imagined universe and drives them apart.

Award-winning illustrator Kevin C. Pyle makes the popular graphic novel format accessible to middle-grade readers in this skillfully drawn and candidly written book. Blindspot tells the story of one boy's transition from childhood to adolescence in a way that will appeal to children and adults alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The forest outside Dean Tollridge's new home is filled with traps, ambush sites, and enemy outposts that are ideal for 11-year-old Dean to launch war campaigns with his friends. In school Dean ignores his teacher in favor of planning war strategies. Using expressive panels in the green and brown tones of camouflage, writer-artist Pyle looks at a boy's fascination with war and adventure--and, like many boys, his ignorance of danger and consequences. The mission that Dean and his friends undertake, which is highlighted by full-color panels depicting the soldiers the boys imagine themselves to be, eventually leads the kids to destroy an old shack in the woods. In an instant, the boisterous fun becomes serious, and adult life intrudes on a boy's world. This perfectly captures a shining moment of boyhood, even as it leaves readers with much to think about. Pyle's work has appeared in the Village Voice , the New York Times, and the New Yorker. Jesse Karp
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"With this graphic novel, Kevin Pyle has eloquently mapped out the line between youth and adulthood. He captures pivotal moments of transformation through pitch-perfect dialogue and surprising graphic inventions. Blindspot is everything that is great and unique about this art form."

 

--Peter Kuper, author/artist of Sticks and Stones

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (March 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080507998X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805079982
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,328,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Calling all boys!, May 26, 2007

By 

Ann Fallon (Norfolk, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blindspot (Paperback)

In Blindspot Kevin Pyle has captured the heart and inner voice of adolescent boys in a form that is completely accessable to them. This beautifully executed graphic novel is deceptively simple. The world of play for a young boy and his friends becomes a learning platform for the complex lessons of life they will soon confront.
The lessons they learn and the decisions they make are powerful and important, but they are presented in a way that is never heavy handed or patronizing.
There is a great deal of research out now about the difficult adolescence of boys. This novel captures the challenges that are part of this fragile age in ways that will resonate very well with the subjects of this research.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very heartfelt and true to life, May 25, 2007

By 

Brian P. Stack "BPS" (Sleepy Hollow, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blindspot (Paperback)

This is a very well written graphic novel that is also beautifully drawn. I related to it a lot, and I think many other people will, too. I think it captures many of the good, bad, confusing, and enlightening feelings that come along for most people during the transition between childhood and adolescence. And it's very entertaining, too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Storytelling style detracts from the story, April 27, 2008

By 

Steven Saus (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blindspot (Paperback)

This story is told through a series of short (1-5 pages) vignettes. The story itself - once you've put it together - is fairly solid, but there is a disjointed feel between each of the abruptly-ending vignettes. That really jolted me, and made it difficult to lose myself in Dean's world.

The story holds a lot of promise, but the execution ultimately left me a bit aloof. I can appreciate the idea of the story, but had a hard time caring about the characters. Not a bad read - there's lots of bad indie graphic novels out there - but not a great one either.