Michael Jung (Children's Literature)
Dubbed to be a series of “illustronovellas” that merge elements of graphic novels, chapter books, and picture books, G.P. Taylor’s The Doppleganger Chronicles pulls readers into a fantastic world of secret conspiracies and daring escapes. For identical twins Saskia and Sadie Dopple, each day at Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children brings new opportunities to torment their headmistress Miss Rimmer. But when Saskia is adopted by the mysterious Muzz Elliot, Sadie finds herself alone against Miss Rimmer’s sadistic enforcer Mr. Martinet. With the help of former thief Erik Morrissey Ganger, a desperate Sadie escapes and heads for Muzz Elliot’s mansion. Meanwhile, Saskia uncovers a plot to murder her new guardian and meets an enigmatic friend who might be an angel. As Sadie and Erik try to lose Mr. Martinet, who is in hot pursuit of them with his giant bloodhound, Saskia must outwit a gang of would-be killers, leading to a climax involving hidden treasure, bold rescues, and a very unusual donkey. While the plot has plenty of funny and exciting moments, the real star is the book’s design. Readers begin by reading a prose novel but find the book shifts into a graphic novel format every few pages. Some pages are built like picture book spreads with black-and-white illustrations, digital photos, and lines of oversized text that become their own type of artwork. Designed for today’s visually-oriented audiences, this series can keep the interest of even the most reluctant readers. 2008 (orig. 2006), SaltRiver/Tyndale House Publishers, $19.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Lisa Martincik (VOYA, October 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 4))
The bratty Ganger twins might live in a wretched girls' orphanage, but at least they have each other. Until, that is, an heirless and reclusive author adopts Saskia. Separated, each girl seems to find even more trouble than they did together, and when Saskia stumbles into a burgeoning murder mystery, Sadie somehow knows she needs to reach her. The school's only boy, Erik Ganger, spirits Sadie away on a chase through city and across heath toward the looming Elliott mansion. Previously released as The Tizzle Sisters and Erik (Markosia Enterprises, 2007), this volume is now packaged to be the first in a series of Dopple Ganger Chronicles. The book's most striking aspect is its mix of text and art; pages of prose segue into a few eye-catching words in a different font and then switch to several pages of essentially color, comic-book narrative. These formats do not overlap but simply move the story forward as if nothing has changed. A statement by the original publisher claims that it is an attempt to hold children's attention. The story is certainly packed with enough elements to grasp a wandering mind, including dog chases, a creepy magician, and lots of exclamation. Amongst the hijinks and brisk pacing, the characters get short shrift, especially Sadie. Presumably later books will slowly flesh them out; likely this flaw is also why the characters start out as rather unlikeable. Daniel Boultwood's interior art is serviceable, complementing the manic drama and darkly slapstick story rendered in Taylor's crisp but uneven prose. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J G (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Graphic Novel Format). 2008, SaltRiver/Tyndale, 278p., $19.99. Ages 11 to 15.