| Kirkus Reviews - Starred review |
| 07/15/2009 |
| circ=10,000 |
| Author/illustrator Phelan's first graphic tale is part historical mystery, part fantasy thriller. The pencil-and-watercolor panels are cinematically framed and often wordless, advancing the plot and delineating character with careful strokes... This is not to be missed. |
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| Publishers Weekly |
| 08/17/2009 |
| circ=19,068 |
| "The big novelty here is the Dust Bowl setting, and Phelan's art emphasizes the swirling, billowing clouds of fine grit that obscure even nearby objects...kids will identify with Jack and appreciate his success." |
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| Horn Book, The - Starred review |
| 11/01/2009 |
| circ=15,000 |
| "Measured, masterful panel pacing. . . use of color is simply stunning. . . potent subtext informs both Jack's climactic showdown with the rain figure and the book's tender, triumphant resolution." |
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| Booklist |
| 01/10/2010 |
| circ=24,150 |
| "Phelan's first graphic novel is a potent homage to storytelling and displays a reathtaking mastery or the form. Top of the List winner-Youth Fiction" |
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| Booklist - Starred review |
| 08/01/2009 |
| circ=24,150 |
| Superb graphic-novel evocation of childhood's yearning and triumphs. Phelan turns every panel of this little masterpiece into a spare and melancholy window into another era, capturing an unmistakable sense of time and place... All the more impressive is how he balances fleet pacing (thanks to low word density) with a thoughtful, contemplative homage to storytelling and storytellers, which, in the tradition of the greatest tall tales, presents an empowering message that all a child needs to change the world is courage and ingenuity. |
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| Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Starred review |
| 11/03/2009 |
| circ=4,000 |
| "The spare, sketchy lines and soft washes of the mixed-media illustrations underscore the haziness of the dust-filled air...Phelan sensitively conveys the growing despair of the community as they watch their land languish...With its appealing format and touch of fantasy, this tale of coming of age in hard times will entice readers who may otherwise be indifferent to historical fiction." |
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| School Library Journal - Starred review |
| 09/01/2009 |
| circ=31,635 |
| "Children can read this as a work of historical fiction, a piece of folklore, a scary story, a graphic novel, or all four." |
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| VOYA |
| 10/01/2009 |
| Voice of Youth Advocates, a fully annotated list for middle and junior high students. circ=7,500
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| "Phelan's panels, which stretch on wordlessly for pages at a time, evoke both the majestic sweep and crushing loneliness of the bone-dry praries during the Great Depression, and his mastery of facial expressions and body language allow him to communicate in just a few pen strokes what could take paragraphs of text." |
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| Library Media Connection |
| 11/01/2009 |
| circ=18,000 |
| "This is an excellent book to suggest to reluctant readers and a must have for the elementary graphics novel collection." |
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| Writing and Ruminating |
| 07/09/2009 |
| Writing and Ruminating |
| Something new and terribly exciting indeed… The artwork in the book is stunning… This book is a must-have for all libraries everywhere. |
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| Historical Novels Review |
| 11/01/2009 |
| Historical Novels Review |
| "The text is minimal, with many wordless panels, letting Phelan's drawings masterfully convey characters' emotions with just a few changes of line. The soft edges are suited to the dusty setting and evoke a real sense of place." |
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| A Patchwork of Books |
| 08/27/2009 |
| blog |
| "A suspenseful and nicely written story that will pull you in from the beginning and keep you strung along, all the way to the end. The illustrations are done beautifully and really will be what makes this book stand out from other graphic novels." |
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| Looking Glass Review |
| 09/01/2009 |
| "Combining historical fiction, folklore, and fantasy, Matt Phelan tells a gripping story that readers will find irresistible. With images that are often startling and even painful, this is a graphic novel that readers off all ages will appreciate." |
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| Free Lance-Star |
| 02/16/2010 |
| (Fredericksburg, VA) |
| "An intriguing blend of historical fiction, folklore, and horror." |
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| Boys Read |
| 08/13/2009 |
| blog |
| "With phenomenal pacing, sensitivity, and a sure command of suspense, Matt Phelan ushers us into a world where desperation is transformed by unexpected courage." |
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| Welcome to my Tweendom |
| 06/05/2009 |
| blog |
| Raw emotion on every page from the atmospheric storms, to the drawn and wan faces of the people living through this incredible time in American History. |
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| Notes From the Horn Book |
| 09/09/2009 |
| e-newsletter |
| "Folklore-infused, beautifully visualized tale." |
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| Ingramlibrary.com |
| 05/01/2009 |
| online |
| A magnificent example of graphic novel storytelling at its best, one in which the illustrations carry the story and allow all the action, drama, and emotions to unfold... a dramatic confrontation that's part thriller and part tall tale. |
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| Shelf Elf |
| 07/17/2009 |
| blog |
| Matt Phelan is a tremendously gifted illustrator. The emotion that he can convey with the most understated colors and simple lines is remarkable… The Storm in the Barn will take your breath away. I cannot wait to read the rest of the graphic novels floating around in Matt's head. Absolutely stunning. |
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| Newsarama.com |
| 10/17/2009 |
| .com |
| "An engaging coming of age story with a fairy tale accent, set in one of more dramatic moments in twentieth century America." |
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| Guys Lit Wire |
| 08/11/2009 |
| blog |
| The artwork in the book is stunning… The menacing form in the barn is well-done indeed, conveying secrets and power more than creepiness… Interested in graphic novels? Or history? Or tall tales? This is the book for you. |
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| Beta Blog (Scholastic) |
| 08/02/2009 |
| blog |
| I think teachers will find this title another useful avenue to interest their students in history. |
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| Comic Book Resources.com |
| 09/26/2009 |
| Web |
| "Devastatingly good...A wonderful comic, with a beautiful, haunting story and art. Phelan tells a story full of fabulous moments, quiet ones between people who care about each other and bigger ones between our hero and the larger-than-life creature in the barn. It's exciting and thoughtful." Comic Book Resources.com, 9/26/09 |
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| Graphic Novel Reporter.com |
| 10/01/2009 |
| Web |
| "Quiet and pale, Phelan's tale is as deceptively simple as dust itself. There is not a lot of dialogue; the characters' words have dried up even as their town has. But the few words that are spoken have the power to either strip a soul bare like a dust storm on the rampage or to quench the thirst of a soul in need." |
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| Graphic Classroom |
| 12/05/2009 |
| blog |
| "Phelan expertly captures the open plans of Kansas and the despair of the farming families with his washed out water colors in this fantastic book. His use of pacing with the story and opening up the world with the art (perspectives play a big role in the illustrations here) perfectly capture the time period and the eeriness of the Storm spirit." |
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