Spring 2025

The Big Tournament

Book 1

From the Series Magda, Intergalactic Chef

  • Interest Level: Grade 5 - Grade 8
  • Reading Level: Grade 5

Can a little chef with a big heart save the galaxy with the communal spirit of cooking?

Twelve-year-old Magda was born on Azuki, a tiny moon with incredible plant life. Magda may be a bit of a mess, but she’s also a gifted chef—so gifted her unique and delicious dishes earn her a spot in the centuries-old Intergalactic Cooking Tournament! Kids from all over the galaxy hope to win honor for their home planet—as well as the Nector, a precious resource that can reshape entire worlds . . . or even save dying ones. But when Magda discovers an intergalactic conspiracy, only the kind-hearted chef can stop a secret society from stealing the Nector—and with it, control of the entire galaxy.

Format Your Price Add
979-8-7656-4321-1
$22.99
979-8-7656-4322-8
$15.99
979-8-7656-5215-2
$34.99
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Interest Level Grade 5 - Grade 8
Reading Level Grade 5
Genre Graphic Novels
Category SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2025
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Graphic Universe ™
Language English
Number of Pages 152
Publication Date 2025-04-01
Text Type Fiction—Science Fiction/Fantasy
BISACS JUV008140, JUV050000, JUV008040
Dewey 741.5/973
Dimensions 7 x 9
Guided Reading Level W
Features Original artwork and Reviewed

Reviews

Shelf Awareness

“Wouters is an ingenious storyteller, inserting mysteriously provocative hints throughout. . . In explosive full-color images, Van Gheluwe creates worlds bursting with imaginative flora and fauna. . . Author and artist embolden tenacious Magda, a vegan force of nature poised to save the whole galaxy.”—Shelf Awareness

Booklist

“This Belgian import boasts wildly imaginative artwork, looking something like Spirited Away via Tintin: lush colors and crisp linework reveal inventive flora and fauna on every planet and architecture teeming with whimsy.”—Booklist

Publishers Weekly

“Gheluwe pairs imaginative depictions of alien ingredients and futuristic kitchen tools with expressive character designs; dynamic compositions heighten both the tension of time-bound cooking challenges and the joy of artistic expression, while color shifts underscore the story’s emotional beats. With its humor, inventive premise, and eco-conscious messaging, this graphic novel celebrates resilience and creativity.”—Publishers Weekly

Foreword Reviews

“A whimsical graphic novel in which a girl who hopes to be a great chef helps others in the process of pursuing her dreams.”—Foreword Reviews

School Library Journal

“A colorful and engaging graphic novel about a young girl who uncovers a nefarious plot and finds the courage to fight.”—School Library Journal