Recess Warriors

May 1, 2017
A caped crusader, a quick-witted adventurer, and a solitary cowboy face off against zombies, pirates—and scariest of all—cooties in a trio of comics set in a schoolyard. Emerson, creator of the self-published Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series, taps into the imaginations of children who come together for fantasy adventures that feel entirely real, skillfully moving his story back and forth between the fantastical and the mundane. While Bryce/Scrap (the superhero), Caitlyn/Yoshi (the adventurer), and cowboy Clinton are at the center of the stories, Emerson cleverly keeps readers up to speed as their classmates provide backstory through faux news broadcasts, Twilight Zone–esque monologues, and more, as well as serving as villains. Dramatically angular cartooning, a vivid palette, and dynamic shifts in perspective keep the focus on the over-the-top action; the school and playground make rare appearances, occasionally reminding readers of the “real world” that underpins the kids’ adventures. While it’s hard to compete with recess, this book serves up enough excitement to be a close second. Ages 7–10. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

Starred review from April 15, 2017
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* Kids live for recess, but at Armstrong School, it's not taken lightly. The schoolyard is divided by different and menacing factions: the pirates, the cowboys, and kids who play house. This first book focuses mainly on Bryce and his alterego, Scrap, an ambitious yet often cowardly superhero. Scrap and his friends must evade or ally themselves with the different recess groups, all while curing a cooties epidemic. Emerson creates a rich world full of epic adventures and hilarious one-liners, all following the rules and inner workings of real-life recess and play, which the characters take deadly seriously. While two kids are fighting at the end of the book, one of them announces that the floor is lava; the scene instantly changes to a bubbling field of molten rock that ups the stakes dramatically. It's highly imaginative and strikingly similar to the games kids really play. Emerson's story is matched by his artwork; richly detailed and textured, his stylized figures are imbued with dynamic movement, and the variety of skin tones among the kids on the playground is refreshing. This archly funny, spot-on comic adventure will hit home for elementary school kids far and wide.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

April 1, 2017
Gr 3-6-An imaginative tale of a recess hero who rescues the playground from a zombie infestation. Bryce (aka Scrap) is a superhero determined to save recess. His classmates are dropping like flies as they become infested with cooties, a virus that has mutated and is now transforming them into zombies. All areas of the playground are affected, and Scrap will stop at nothing to put things right. This book is filled with colorful, appealing illustrations, from the playground map that opens the narrative to the explanation of how this graphic novel was created at the end. Character introductions appear as each protagonist makes an entrance. Vibrant images keep the action flowing throughout this story, which is filled with pirates, cooties, cowboys, and zombies-something to please every reader. VERDICT Give to fans of Doug TenNapel's Cardboard or Judd Winick's -Hilo- series.-Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2017
Update that cootie shot: zombies have taken over the playground. In this graphic series opener, Emerson introduces Bryce, aka Scrap, a plucky, young superhero who, with the help of his jump-rope-wielding cohort, Yoshi, must battle a group of cootie-infested ashen-faced zombies who have taken over their playground. Suddenly, the fight changes course, and Yoshi and Scrap find themselves facing a fierce pirate who wants to take over the entire schoolyard. These events, however, are one big, constantly morphing game of pretend that takes place outside at recess on an average day. Through busy and expressive panels, young readers are transported into a world where kids play outside without mention of any electronic devices and with only imaginations to propel the action. Bryce and his friends visit all the well-established tropes of pretend: zombies, superheroes, cowboys, pirates, and playing house. Age-appropriate silliness runs rampant; for example, as the zombie horde clamors for brains, one is continually reprimanded for moaning "Briiians." The denizens of the schoolyard are a gently diverse gang, and though race is never overtly stated outside of naming conventions (readers are likely to assume Yoshi is Japanese-American, for instance), the spectrum of skin tones among Emerson's characters should be varied enough to help most readers self-identify. A welcome throwback to the way recess should be. (Graphic fiction. 7-11)

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