Red scare

Title:

Red scare

Author:

Walsh, Liam Francis, author, illustrator.

Summary:

In the aftermath of the Korean War, Peggy's small hometown is rife with anti-Communist hysteria. But Peggy has bigger problems: She's struggling to recover from polio. Taunted by her classmates, Peggy just wants to be a normal kid, until she stumbles across a mysterious object that gives her the power to fly. Unscrupulous operatives from the American and Soviet governments seek the object to overturn the tense political stalemate, and Peggy finds herself smack in the middle of the Cold War arms race. -- Provided by publisher.

General Note:

"In 1953, fear runs deep" -- Cover.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

236 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

Genre:

Historical comics.

Comics (Graphic works)

Graphic novels.

Subject Term:

Preteen girls -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Poliomyelitis -- Patients -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Ability -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Flight -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Cold War -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Geographic Term:

United States -- History -- 1945-1953 -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Publisher:

Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9781338167092

9781338167085

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, 2022.

Call Number:

J WALSH

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003622001	New Juvenile Graphic Novels	WALSH	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A page-turning sci-fi adventure set in 1953, featuring a clever girl who, against all odds, must outsmart bullies, the FBI, and alien invaders during the height of the communist Red Scare.

The New York Times Book Review calls Red Scare a "masterly graphic novel debut... tightly wrought, intense, unpredictable... breathtaking action sequences... pacing is remarkable... a virtuosic performance."

" Red Scare is a brilliant, fast-paced adventure. Action, history, and a tiny bit of fantasy collide in eye-popping panels, loaded with heart." -- Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth series

Peggy is scared: She's struggling to recover from polio and needs crutches to walk, and she and her neighbors are worried about the rumors of Communist spies doing bad things. On top of all that, Peggy has a hard time at school, and gets taunted by her classmates. When she finds a mysterious artifact that gives her the ability to fly, she thinks it's the solution to all her problems. But if Peggy wants to keep it, she'll have to overcome bullies, outsmart FBI agents, and escape from some very strange spies!

Author Notes

Liam Francis Walsh is an award-winning cartoonist, writer, and illustrator. He was born in northern Wisconsin and grew up on a dairy farm with lots of siblings and books and a pet crow. His work has appeared in the New Yorker , the Guardian , and Reader's Digest , and he is the author of two pictures books, Make a Wish, Henry Bear and Fish . He lives in Switzerland with his wife and daughter.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Set in 1953, Walsh's debut is an action-packed, period-oriented thriller that follows student Peggy, who is recovering from polio and uses forearm crutches, as she finds a glowing red object that allows her to fly--and draws FBI interest. Alongside her family's struggle to make ends meet and the bullying that she endures at school, Peggy's white-presenting community obsessively fears communism's potential impact. Government emissaries pursue a purported Russian agent locally, and tensions rise when new kid Jess is outed as being the daughter of a communist. Walsh takes on complex themes, but a lack of nuanced characterization undercuts key scenes, as when Peggy's largely off-page veteran father, who lives with PTSD after losing two legs and an eye in the Korean War, defends Jess's father from a mob with a sudden monologue about the dangers of abandoning American principles--one that paints violence as inconsistent with U.S. history. The story nevertheless maintains a strong tempo throughout, mixing polished Tintin--style characterizations with a feel of classic comic noir to communicate the era's unease. Back matter provides further context about the time period, polio, and the artist's process. Ages 8--12. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (May)