Beetle & the Hollowbones

A Stonewall Honor Book

An enchanting, riotous, and playfully illustrated debut graphic novel following a young goblin trying to save her best friend from the haunted mall--perfect for fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time.

In the eerie town of 'Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity.

Then there's twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who's caught in between. She'd rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle's old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle's quickly being left in the dust.

But Kat's mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn't escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she's been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing.

Author: Aliza Layne
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 08/04/2020
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.65lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781534441538
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3
Point Value: 1
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 509120 / Beetle & the Hollowbones


Award: Stonewall Book Award - Honor Book


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2020
School Library Journal 06/01/2020 pg. 67
Publishers Weekly 06/08/2020 pg. 94
Booklist 06/01/2020 pg. 58
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2020 pg. 50
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2020 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Aliza Layne is a cartoonist, illustrator, and storyteller. She is the creator of Demon Street, a long-form fantasy webcomic for all ages. Her Halloween costumes have elicited the phrases "theatrical," "don't you think you're going a little overboard," and "oh, we remember you from last year." Beetle and the Hollowbones is her first graphic novel and a Stonewall Honor Book. Visit Aliza at AlizaLayne.com.