Topside
A wild outer-space fantasy about fixing your mistakes and the friends you meet along the way.
When Jo, a headstrong maintenance technician, makes an error that destabilizes her planet’s core, she only knows one way to fix things: leaving her underground home for a trip to the planet’s dangerous, unruly surface. Soon she’s wandering through deserts, riding on the backs of giant beasts, and cutting deals with con artists and bounty hunters. Meanwhile, agents of the core are in hot pursuit. J. N. Monk and Harry Bogosian (co-creators of the web-comic StarHammer) present a wild outer-space fantasy about fixing your mistakes and the friends you meet along the way.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
978-1-5415-7285-0
|
$14.99 | |
|
978-1-5415-6502-9
|
$37.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 7 - Grade 12 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 6 |
| Genre | Graphic Novels, Young Adult |
| Category | Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning |
| Copyright | 2019 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Graphic Universe ™ |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 200 |
| Publication Date | 2019-10-01 |
Author: J.N. Monk
J. N. Monk is a Midwesterner with a song in their heart. They’ve lived in a lighthouse, an active volcano, and Florida but always return to the heartland. They love travel, superheroes, food, and cats and wish that everyone knew the lyrics and steps to the musical number in their soul. They live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Illustrator: Harry Bogosian
Harry Bogosian is a freelance Illustrator and comic artist from New York City. Since graduating Pratt Institute in 2009 he has drawn monsters for video game companies, done freelance work for books, and nowadays primarily makes comics and graphic novels. There is nothing he enjoys more than making new fantastical worlds, and filling them with his creations.
Awards
- 2021 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens Nominee
Reviews
School Library Journal
“This compelling, offbeat journey will resonate with future Douglas Adams fans.”—School Library Journal
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Monk and Bogosian skillfully use the conventions of the graphic novel to convey both the universality of a quest story and the specific and utter weirdness of Jo’s home planet.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Kirkus Reviews
“Immersive, mysterious, and just the right amount of trippy.”—Kirkus Reviews
Booklist
“As quest stories go, the world building in this one is impressive. . . . A dystopian sf graphic novel perfect for readers new to the genre.”—Booklist
Jeff VanderMeer
“An intriguing mix of adventure and wonder and the mundane, both quietly epic and very personal. Wonderful art. Highly recommended.”—Jeff VanderMeer, Annihilation
Kristen Gudsnuk
“Topside is an engrossing adventure buoyed by lush sci-fi landscapes and unlikely friendships. Monk and Bogosian have crafted an imaginative odyssey that calls to mind the works of Hayao Miyazaki.”—Kristen Gudsnuk, Making Friends
Zander Cannon
“Thoughtful, woke, and enjoyably propulsive. The world Monk and Bogosian describe is terrible, but such an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.”—Zander Cannon, Kaijumax
Katie Shanahan
“Vibrant and fun, Topside blasts off on a colorful journey across an alien world.”—Katie Shanahan, Silly Kingdom