The Cardboard Kingdom #3: Snow and Sorcery

The Cardboard Kingdom #3

by Chad Sell, Jay Fuller-Ng (contributor), David DeMeo (contributor)

The kids of the Cardboard Kingdom go on a new adventure! This time, they are in search of new friends—but what they discover is a lot more like enemies ...

It’s winter break in the Cardboard Kingdom, and kids from the town across the park want to play together! But according to the evil Sorceress, not just anyone can join the kingdom… So it’s not long before the two communities spiral into battle.

Will the Sorceress realize the error of her ways before all hope is lost? Will friendship still manage to win the day?

The Cardboard Snow and Sorcery was created, organized, and drawn by Chad Sell with writing from seven other Jay Fuller-Ng, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Barbara Perez Marquez, and Jasmine Walls.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, LGBT, Childrens, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

Sell exemplifies the new career path in comics: he started out making comics on his own, then did webcomics and self-published his work. His first graphic novel, The Cardboard Kingdom, is a series of short stories by different writers, all illustrated by Sell.

He lived in a neighborhood much like the Cardboard Kingdom, where he and his friends bounded through backyards in imaginative games and outfits. He also drew a lot and came up with all kinds of colorful characters. His favorites were often the villains, because despite being different and misunderstood, they were powerful and confident, and they got the best costumes.

Chad lives in Connecticut with his husband and two cats.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn picked up this graphic novel from the library and tore through it - he was totally engrossed. He recommended it to me when he was done and though it is #3 in the series, it was easy topic up without reading the first two. This was a great book, especially for an 8 year old, but there was a lot I liked about it as well. The group dynamics of the neighborhood, the imagination, diversity, and themes of friendship. This is a great series for a young kid and also enjoyable if you wanted to do it as a read aloud!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow and Sorcery is a cute read that compliments the prior books in the series. The kids are back, and the Cardboard Kingdom is still going strong - even in the snow. However, new kids from across the bridge have emerged and the Cardboard Kingdom crew isn't too sure what to make of them. The book is written in a series of stories, told from the different perspectives of the kids and each contribute to the wider storyline. The short stories could feel a little confusing at times because of the wide cast of characters, but they very much reflected the challenges faced by this age group - making new friends, solving problems as they come up, and figuring out how you fit into the bigger picture. The artwork in this series is fantastic and really makes the story come alive. Overall, I really enjoyed this new addition to the series!

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is WONDERFUL! This series is a testament to the power of creativity and imagination. I absolutely LOVE all the ways cardboard comes to life on these pages! The costumes and props are incredibly detailed and super fun.
In this volume, the kingdom is under attack! *Gasp* The kids from the other side of the bridge have banded together and created their own trio of copycats to take on the Cardboard Kingdom. Can the prince defend his kingdom or will he attempt to unite both realms?
What I loved most: the themes of friendship and making friends, the lessons about leadership and what it means, the betrayals and how to overcome them. These are the message that students need to read about! I love the different adult reactions to the cardboard kingdom and how the friends cope with some of the reactions, the colors and beautiful and creative ways this story this story is portrayed on the page.

One of my favorite graphic novel series

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love coming back to the Cardboard Kingdom. This volume in the series really expanded the kingdom literally and figuratively. Everything wrapped up a bit too tidily for my taste, but it was a lovely and enjoyable read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute series.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful series. If you enjoyed the first two, you’ll love this one too. Who wants to start a cardboard kingdom with us???

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I regularly read YA and middle school/upper elementary graphic novels, because I actually enjoy them and find that I can read them both for myself and with the target audience in mind. And I genuinely want to like the Sell books because they have such great artwork from start to finish. Doodleville has been okay, with the latest book moving up to a 4 star rating for me. I had high hopes for Cardboard Kingdom, but I realized quickly that this was the series my son, when he was in the right age demographic did not like at all and asked me to skip in the future. I had never read any of them because of that, and going into the third book cold was probably a mistake. But in the end, I'm not sure being caught up on the stories would have helped me to enjoy this any more.

The book is more of an anthology of short snippets that tie together into a bigger story, and that just didn't work for me because you got very little real character development. Sure, there are some characters who emerge quickly, but all in all, I just got really confused and felt that things were disjointed. Adding in the kids from the other neighbourhood didn't help because they were trying to mimic the Cardboard Kingdom crew and thus made me have to second guess who was who. Now, that could be clever on the part of Snell because then you realized that the kids are the same no matter where they live. But I think that would be hard for the age group to really pick that nuance up.

There are some really good lessons to be learned in the story, and if your kids liked the earlier books, then they won't be disappointed (I hope). Just not for me and definitely not for my son. I gave it a 2 star because the artwork is still really nice. But I didn't give it a 3 star because the robots drove me batty.

* I received an ARC via NetGalley.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to charm me! The first book in this series was a collection of vignettes about children realizing fantastic adventures through cardboard and imagination, while also coming to terms with who they are and their family lives. The second book was a more coherent story that still helped to develop the characters further. And with the third book, we see more development of the kids of the kingdom... and a new threat.

Winter has come to the Cardboard Kingdom, and the Sorceress, the Banshee, the Robot, the Prince and his Rogue, the proprietors of the Dragon's Head Inn, and the other citizens of the kingdom are continuing their games and adventures. But the kids' home lives are by no means on hold, and the holidays means dealing with family on top of the threats to the kingdom. And that threat is no ordinary threat... but kids from the other side of town determined to spoil their games! Can the Cardboard Kingdom stand up to the menace of the Billionaire, the Necromancer, and the Copycat? And can the Science Squad stop an all-out war from destroying the kingdom?

Just like the other volumes in this set, the artwork is quite nice. It's a delightful style that suits both the "real" world and the kids' fantasy worlds, and the color palette is vibrant without being garish (and also fits the season with its focus on whites, pale blues, and grays). The panel layout is easy to follow, and the character designs are nicely detailed without overdoing it.

The story and characters are as great as always. It's great to see returning characters and watch their development, and great to see certain stories continued (like the Banshee and her conflict with her disapproving grandmother). The new characters are a little more thinly characterized, but still get their moments to shine. One of the best developments is with the Necromancer and his rivalry with the Sorceress... and their unlikely friendship that develops when they set out to plan their ultimate battle!

This is a great graphic novel series, aimed at middle-grade kids but able to be enjoyed by adults as well. Because who hasn't imagined an alter-ego for themselves, or played with a cardboard box? Fantastic read for kids of all ages.

[AnaLuz Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when I was a kid, there was nothing more exciting than when my parents or a relative purchased a large appliance, the fun we would have playing with the box was larger than the actual box. For days we would decorate it, and use it as a house or a fort or secret hiding place until the cardboard would be falling appart.

The kids from the Cardboard Kingdom series know this, the use their imagination to build exciting characters and settings for their platime. These are kids playing pretend in the best way possible. I was so excited to get to read this new installment in the series.

The kids and their cardboard costumes really come alive on the page, they have great details and all so original and fun.
I love the spirit of collaboration that goes on in the story, the kids now come together to fight a new foe, the other neighborhood kids who want to copy what they do. But do they have to fight with them, or would it be better for everyone to play together?
Just like the characters in the book, the collaboration between the different authors makes everything work, I love how all the different character stories come together and blend in perfectly for the overall seamless feel of the story.

I also love the story touches on themes of friendship, diversity, acceptance, leadership and conflict resolution.

This series is a great one to check out. I’ve enjoyed all three books, and I honestly think this is the best one yet. My 2 oldest kids read it as well, my 9 yo GN loving kid said his favorite part was The Final battle.

The kids in the Cardboard Kingdom each come up with their alter ego character and make their costumes with cardboard. We have The Scientist, The Banshee, The Prince, The Investigator, La Mecánica, The Necromancer, among others.

What would your character be?

I received a digital advance copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blending reality with imaginative play, Snow and Sorcery, takes readers into the lives of a group of children who call themselves the Cardboard Kingdom. The characters from the first two books in the series appear here in short vignettes held together by their imaginative play. Six smaller groups made up of family and/or friends are highlighted by group at the beginning of the book. It would have been helpful to have their names listed as well. The number of characters in the book made it difficult to keep track of all their names sometimes. Nonetheless, the story of the conflict that arises when three kids from across the bridge in Parkside arrive and see the Cardboard Kingdom together having fun in their various costumes is appealing and holds the different sections of the book together. The three kids come back later in costumes of their own that mimic some of the already existing ones which leads to tension. The actions of a mysterious figure cause the conflict to become so bad it may erupt into all out 'war'. Each chapter is written by one of the several contributors with all the art created by Chad Sell. In addition to the conflict between the Parkside kids and the Cardboard Kingdom, each of the children involved also has their own struggles including one who moves back in with his mom, one who doesn't feel she can be herself around her grandmother, and the prince who feels the need to lead but doesn't know how. The illustrations are appealing and bound to draw many readers. The struggles and interpersonal relationships between the characters will be very relatable for young readers. The characters come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with a variety of personalities and interests. Recommended.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love The Cardboard Kingdom, folks. What’s not to love about a collaborative graphic novel that showcases kids learning cooperation and creativity? It’s a perfect match, really. Well, this year is going to see the release of Snow and Sorcery, the third book in Chad Sell’s brilliantly illustrated series. This book, like the others, is a collaboration between Sell and other writers, including Katie Schenkel, Jasmine Walls, and Manuel Betancourt.

It’s winter, and changes are coming to the Cardboard Kingdom. The neighborhood kids face an unexpected interruption of their community-wide imaginary world when three new kids from the other side of the park show up, and one of their own long-time friends finds himself now living behind enemy lines. With intentions and loyalties being called into question, the Kingdom is at risk of complete collapse. Tempers are running hot and the snowballs are flying fast, and the reality of change may be the greatest threat the kids have ever faced. Imagination and friendship hold the Cardboard Kingdom together, but those bonds are being strained.

Like its predecessors, Snow and Sorcery is fully illustrated by Chad Sell, who manages to capture the beautiful shift between the actual cardboard costumes the kids assemble and their imagined selves. It explores the relationships between a remarkably (and realistically) diverse group of children from different backgrounds, different family structures, and more. It’s a beautiful blend of humor, drama, and heart that, despite my best preparations, still managed to get me to cry at several points. In the Cardboard Kingdom, after all, everyone can be who they want to be.

The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery comes out on Tuesday, November 7th. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

My utmost thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/...

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chad Sell does it again!
Join in the neighborhood group of kids who create characters, stories, friendships and lasting memories.
However, there's some new villains in their story! They're not just kids either. Some of the drama of these kids' lives comes from their own experiences at home, including growing pains and familial changes.
Can the Cardboard Kingdom defeat these new foes? Will friendships and families stay taped together or fall apart?

The group of authors and illustrators welcome several new characters to the group of the neighborhood and the Cardboard Kingdom, bringing innovative new designs to the Kingdom itself, while addressing bullying, identity, trust,domestic problems, social perceptions, and finding confidence.

While this graphic novels' plot is relatively simple and easy to follow (i.e. New kids on their terf) and broken up into tiny-easy-to-follow chapters, the large cast and all of the dialogue around each of their lives while trying to follow all of them, feels a bit too much (even when the story and characters are so engaging).
The book is catered to the 10-12 age range.
I do love Sells' inclusive and diverse cast of characters (from boys who want to be sorceresses to little girl robots and every other type of imaginative monster, sleuth, spy, tavern keeper, or creative soul out there). The artworks' whimsy and parallels of reality and fantasy are so much fun too.
I miss the childhood days of play like this, but to their credits, these kids definitely had more creativity in building cool costumes and miniatures than I did. Props Chad Sell!

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of our intrepid, inventive crew continue! These children become more realistic with every installment in the Cardboard Kingdom series. They talk, argue, battle, confront problems and look for solutions. They don’t bring the grownups into their world (this is a playground for kids, after all). But they have understanding adults who encourage them in their fun.

The prospect of war is all in fun and games. But the interactions and dialogue between the Cardboard Kingdom children and the children from Parkside read disturbingly like actual warfare in the making. It’s a miniaturized version of the ugly combat that adults get into, with the prospect of people actually getting hurt or worse. Even as some people cry out for peace, others are determined to sabotage their efforts. Two people suspect there’s someone involved in brinkmanship…but who could it be?

The hijinks get scarier, the action gets more frantic. Groups make plans and counterplans. The internecine squabbles threaten to upend any attempt at peace and, at times, collaboration/play seems hopeless. How the two groups confront the situation and solve the problem is thrilling to read along with the usual colorful panels. This is terrific and a great addition the series.

Children and adults alike will have their favorites among these children. They’ll doubtless be happy to see how the various children grow and change as they continue in their mock battles and personal lives.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the books for Cardboard Kingdom. I was a fan of the first two books and so are my kids! My 8-year-old loves the pictures and illustrations in the graphic novels.

The story line is about a group of children who live in the same neighborhood, and all want to make friends and have some fun adventures. These kids take ordinary cardboard boxes and turn them into the most amazing costumes, like The Gargoyle (my favorite). Each of the kids have their own stories of why they turn into each character, and I thought that was really creative, this is in the first book.

In the 3rd installment of the series, we see the kids in the neighborhood are back and its winter! The short stories of all the characters continue in this newest installment and we get to see the characters views in this one. There is a war going on with the Parkside kids in this one. There are kids who are trying to just play together but there is The Sorceress who has a rule. I don't like her as a character overall😢

The continuation of this series is spot on and I loved the writing as I did in the first two books. My 8 year and 13-year-old loved these books!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
The adventures continue in volume three. Sadly, the snow creations the Kingdom built get destroyed and they blame the Parkside kids on the other side of the park. Readers follow the short stories and see how one decision can trigger bigger and bigger conflicts. Each set of characters offers their views on what they think happened and what they will do to "fight back." The artwork is stunning as it shows so much more of what is happening to support the text. I appreciate the way the authors work together to create a scenario readers will connect with and perhaps see themselves in. The ending offers the possibility of peace after everyone learns to work together. Love the message of build a bigger kingdom.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the installment, I tried reading first without the first two and felt lost, so I started at the beginning. It presents more like a comic series than a graphic novel. Shorter stories that sometimes are related and sometimes not. This doesn’t bother the two 10 year olds who assisted me with this review. They had already read the first two and asked to read the first two again before reading the third. They both thought the third was “great” and would read a fourth. They like the author overall and have asked for Doodleville.
As an adult, I do enjoy some graphic novels meant for kids, but this wasn’t one of them. Thats ok. If kids like the first two in the series, they are very likely to like this third book. After finishing the third they asked to collect cardboard to create costumes and stories. You can’t ask for more in a book—inspiring real-life pretend play!

[Lisa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover and author caught my eye when requesting this book. My mom often speaks of Chad Sell since she is friends with his mom, and because I love books and use them in my speech therapy sessions with every student ages 3-21. So I decided to request this book, I own books 1 and 2 but have not yet read them. This book did not disappoint. It can be read as a stand alone book. The imagination of the characters is wonderful. It gives great ideas of what kids can do using cardboard, markers and glue. But it also tells a story about friendships, getting along and using each other’s strengths to improve upon yourself.
The illustrations are creative and colorful. I can see why my mom wanted me to read Chad’s books. I will now read the others and use them all with my therapy.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neighboring Parkside kids threaten the cardboard kingdom. Do they want to join in the play or do they want to take over and destroy the cardboard kingdom? With snow ball fights and sneak attacks no one knows who to trust. The cardboard kingdom tries to get to the bottom of who is causing all the problems so they can stop them.Blame is tossed about but no one knows for sure who the actual culprit is. The destruction continues and both sides become angry. Interesting to see how the kingdom performs when threatened, how the kids respond and behave. Pulling the neighborhoods together would be the best answer but there's resistance coming from Parkside...the kingdom works hard to pull through and make sure everyone can join in the cardboard kingdom fun.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It is winter break and the kids of the Cardboard Kingdom are enjoying their snowy adventures when the kids from Parkside, the area across the park, make an appearance. Soon, a not-so-friendly rivalry begins and an all-out war is in the making!

The Cardboard Kingdom is a wonderful example of creative play and celebrating differences. It touches on real situations that confront kids, softened by friendship and acceptance. This is the first of the Cardboard Kingdom that I have read and I am definitely buying this for our school library when it comes out!

[Bexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third installment of the Cardboard Kingdom gives me all the happy feels. We really get a chance to meet some of the family of the kids and see what is really going on in their world. We also meet the kids from the other side of the bridge, and due to some not nice actions and subterfuge, it's about to be war.

Each of the kids is able to use their costume to get the bravery they need to stand up to and for each other. This is filled with such imagination and friendship, and it is just a delight to read. A perfect graphic novel for younger readers, and filled with heart and hot chocolate.

Copy provided by NetGalley

[Tom Holehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first graphic novel and I'm not really the audience so didn't get quite as engaged as a young adult might. I do appreciate, however, the splendid graphic artwork, the colorful and diverse characters and the delightful commentary on getting along in today's complicated world. Good life lessons here for all ages. There has also been controversy around the book with parental concern in some quarters concerning some of the gender/non-conforming or LGBTQ characters in the book. Utter nonsense, of course, as the characters are presented with such care and love, the sexual identity barely matters.

[Sesana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the Cardboard Kingdom series. This one, like book two, has a single overarching story, with many individual threads. The major conflict is between the kids of the original Cardboard Kingdom and the kids in Parkside. I really liked that neither side is wholly good or bad in this conflict, and that there's major mistakes on both sides. Of course, everything comes together in the end, but it's a fairly complex path for a middle grade graphic novel. If there's another book in the series, it'll probably have a bunch of new characters to get to know, and I'm all for that.

[skcocnaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 I love these books, but I wonder if the gender concepts might be a little high level for these. I read this with my 7 year old, and she was pretty confused about Jack and the necromancer (because, of course I can’t remember his proper name). They claimed their assigned at birth gender, male, but then referred sometimes to each other as she and her. My daughter understands the concept of “they” but Jack and the necromancer only went by he or sometimes her. Basically I’m trying to say it was confusing at times.

[Salamah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good and so cute! This is a feel good story that feels like a cup of hot chocolate! Sell does a great job of creating a good plot with a bit of mystery and intrigue that children will like. There are new diverse characters that add to the story as we find out about their personal lives and that being a kid is sometimes hard. The whole concept of two neighborhoods going to battle is fun but the reasons are close to why adults go to battle. A bunch of misunderstandings. That is exactly what happens to the children until good overcomes evil. A must have purchase for a school library.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cardboard Kingdom #3: Snow and Sorcery by Chad Sell, with writing by other authors, is a gleeful addition to the previous Cardboard Kingdom stories. It's winter in the Kingdom and the kids across the park want to play! The rivalry between competing sorceresses, the mystery behind acts of sabotage, and the real home lives of the kids make this volume a compelling read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

[Threebookworms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read this book through NetGalley. My boys who are 9 and 7 years old and love this series so we were all excited to see this new one. This third book is just as good as the others. There is lots of action of battles using cardboard swords and snowballs. My 9 year old said his favorite part of the book was the final battle at the end. I would highly recommend this fun graphic novel series.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this third installment of the Cardboard Kingdom series, we follow our group of friends as they have many fun adventures during winter break. The kids are having fun on their break when the kids from the other side of the park start to try to play with them. But the some of the kids think that only certain people can join the Cardboard Kingdom so they soon start a war. Will they be able to become friends in the end? You'll have to read and find out for yourself!

[✨Veruca✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as good as The Cardboard Kingdom, but better than The Cardboard Kingdom #2: Roar of the Beast:!

[Korie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series- and this is the best yet! Snow is all around and the friends are busy in their kingdom when an outside force makes a play for the kingdom - or do they? With Chad Sell & friends’ signature mix of fantasy, family, friends and heart, this LGBTQ inclusive story has something for everyone to love.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun graphic novel!
I have not seen the previous parts of it, but it did not ruin the enjoyment of this one, so my guess is that it works as a standalone very well!
This is fun, and entertaining, and will keep any young middle-grade-aged reader glued to the pages. The artwork also is beautiful and full of character.