Locke and Key

Locke and Key:  Welcome to  Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

158 pages

Publisher:  IDW Publishing; October, 2008

ISBN:  1600102379

Level/Lexile:  9th grade and up/NA

Genre:  Fantasy

Annotation/Teaser:  After their father is brutally murdered by a former student, the Locke family moves to Keyhouse in Lovecraft.  What mysteries and secrets will the family uncover? 

Plot Summary:  When a former high school students kills Rendell Locke in front of his family, the Locke kids and their mother , move to Lovecraft with their Uncle Dunk.  They move in to Keyhouse, the Locke family homestead.  Bode, the youngest of the three children, finds a magic door and when he goes through it turns into a ghost.  No one else in the family believes Bode and thinks that he is playing pretend  Meanwhile, he meets a creature that is trapped in the bottom of a well at Keyhouse.  This creature seems to be the one who instigated Rendell's murder and wants Bode to help free it.  And Rendell's murderer is still fixated on  the Locke family and wants to find the key to unlock the mysterious doors inside the house. 

About the Author: 
Joseph Hillstrom King (born 1972) is an American writer of fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill.  Hill is the the second child of authors Stephen King and Tabitha King. His younger brother Owen King is also a writer. He has three children.
Hill's first book, the limited edition collection 20th Century Ghosts published in 2005 by PS Publishing), showcases fourteen of his short stories and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, together with the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection and Best Short Story for "Best New Horror". In October 2007, Hill's mainstream US and UK publishers reprinted 20th Century Ghosts, without the extras published in the 2005 slipcased versions, but including one new story.Hill's first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, was published by William Morrow/HarperCollins on February 13, 2007 and by Victor Gollancz Ltd in UK in March 2007. Simultaneous to these two editions, a limited edition of Heart-Shaped Box was also released by Subterranean Press; it sold out several months prior to publication. The novel reached number 8 on the New York Times bestseller list on April 1, 2007.  His new novel Horns was published in 2010.  Hill chose to use an abbreviated form of his given name (a reference to executed labor leader Joe Hill, for whom he was named) in 1997, out of a desire to succeed based solely on his own merits instead of as the son of Stephen King. After achieving a degree of independent success, Hill publicly confirmed his identity in 2007 after an article the previous year in Variety broke his cover (although online speculation about Hill's family background had been appearing since 2005).

Joe Hill Bio (n.d.)  Retrieved from www.goodreads.com

Critical Evaluation:  Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of graphic novels.  I have tried to like them because of their popularity but I have never found one I enjoyed until now.  Locke and Key is fabulous.  Joe Hill has a splendid talent for developing an exciting plot and  Gabriel Rodriguez's illustrations are awesome.  The plot of this story grabbed me but the illustrations are what kept me interested.  So let's start with the story.  This story line could be any other medium, as well as graphic novel.  The story is written in such detail and so well that it could be told well even without the illustration. Locke and Key reminds me of an adult version of Alice In Wonderland or The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  It uses imaginative language and the flashbacks sprinkled throughout the story give the reader a great look at what has happened.  
Now, for my favorite part, the illustrations.  Gabriel Rodriguez is a genius.  Most illustrations in graphic novels are very simplistic.  Rodriguez's artwork is gorgeous.  It is detailed down to the correct facial expressions and humanizing poses.  This graphic novel is the beginning of the series and is a great set up for what is to come.    

Curriculum Ties:  N/A 

Book Talk Ideas:  What would happen if your dad is murdered and you move to a mansion that has keys that unlock strange things. 

Controversial Issues:  Murder, Violence, Language , Sexual Content

Defense: 

*I will keep the library's selection policy on hand and memorized with a good understanding  of the standards and policies to show that the selection meets the standards. 

*I will keep good and bad reviews (both electronic and print) and make sure they are from reliable and respected sources such as School of Library Journal, Booklist, and YALSA. I will have copies of these reviews to give away. 

*I will confirm the library's position to provide intellectual freedom as stated in the Library Bill of Rights and keep a copy of this.

*I will keep a written rationale to justify the reasons this material is included in the collection, such as educational significance and curriculum ties.

*I will be respectful and calm and practice "active listening".

*I will make sure I read the material and are very familiar with it.

* I will keep a reconsideration form on file in the event that my other strategies don't work. 

Why I Chose This Book:  I chose it because of its interesting story line and brilliant illustrations.  I also chose it because it is different than any other graphic novel/comic book I have read.