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Welcome to the first venture into the Archives of the Unexplained, a middle grade fiction graphic novel series exploring historical and mysterious hair-raising events. In this dive, we take a look into Area 51!
Creepy is having a comeback! Open the Archives of the Unexplained as we delve into unearthly real-life stories, explore the unknown, and examine the elusive facts of history’s many mysteries. Each book in this series takes one or two high-interest and relatively focused events and presents a lively, thorough, but open-ended examination of what occurred.
When TJ attends his uncle's funeral he expects to be bored. But when he escapes into his uncle’s office and discovers a secret door to a basement, his uncle's classified documents open up a whole world of unidentified aircraft, strange gray men, and alien conspiracies he knew nothing about. What will TJ learn from these hidden files? Or will the mysterious men in black who appeared at the funeral get to him first?
Creepy is having a comeback! Open the Archives of the Unexplained as we delve into unearthly real-life stories, explore the unknown, and examine the elusive facts of history’s many mysteries. Each book in this series takes one or two high-interest and relatively focused events and presents a lively, thorough, but open-ended examination of what occurred.
When TJ attends his uncle's funeral he expects to be bored. But when he escapes into his uncle’s office and discovers a secret door to a basement, his uncle's classified documents open up a whole world of unidentified aircraft, strange gray men, and alien conspiracies he knew nothing about. What will TJ learn from these hidden files? Or will the mysterious men in black who appeared at the funeral get to him first?
112 pages, Paperback
Published August 5, 2025
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 30, 2025
If you are a fan of aliens and interested in conspiracy theories, this is the book for you.
The art style is excellent, and I love the way the artist weaves aliens into everything.
I struggle to think this is a middle grade novel, because I feel like an older crowd would appreciate this, and it was very text heavy. There is so much information, and it felt disconnected to the storyline. Like it was trying to be a history book, but also have a fun fictional side story at the same time. The text made it seem like the author is on the side of not believing in aliens, but then TJ leaves behind a picture of an alien from his Uncle's files.
It felt a bit disjointed, and I would have been fine without the fictional storyline. However, I would have preferred it to read more like a story.
The art style is excellent, and I love the way the artist weaves aliens into everything.
I struggle to think this is a middle grade novel, because I feel like an older crowd would appreciate this, and it was very text heavy. There is so much information, and it felt disconnected to the storyline. Like it was trying to be a history book, but also have a fun fictional side story at the same time. The text made it seem like the author is on the side of not believing in aliens, but then TJ leaves behind a picture of an alien from his Uncle's files.
It felt a bit disjointed, and I would have been fine without the fictional storyline. However, I would have preferred it to read more like a story.
August 10, 2025
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
When TJ's great uncle passes away, his parents take him to the funeral. Afterwords, he is a bit bored with the reception at the house, and wanders into his uncle's study, where he finds a file marked "CIA debriefing". Intrigued, he tells his mother he is just looking for something to read, and discovers a bookcase that opens and leads to an underground office. He finds out that his uncle was involved in the investigations into Area 51, and reads the files eagerly. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, motivated by the Cold War, set up Project Blue Book to investigate whether or not aliens were a threat to US security. While problematic, this group lasted until 1969. Centered near Roswell, N. M, this secure area was all too close to the site of WWII era atomic bomb testing, since people didn't quite understand all of the ramifications of nuclear fallout and radiation. Many instances of "alien sightings" were investigated, but eventually the focus of the group became to get people to be less worried about the threat of aliens! From 1970-2007, the government did not investigate anything about aliens, at least on the record! TJ reads information about Bob Lazar's claims in 1989, the "weather balloons" of the 1950s, and anecdotal evidence about "Men in Black" that takes on a different feel when he is approached by real Men in Black! He hides with the files in the bathroom so he can finish reading them, but is eventually flushed out and must surrender the files. When he tries to tell his parents about his adventure, the secret door is stuck.
This graphic novel will be a big hit with Sullivan's Unsolved Case Files or books that showcase Area 51, like Smith's Project Mercury, Murray and Smith's Alien Summer, Miller's Out There, or Fleming's Crash From Outer Space. While this story leans a bit more towards the idea that aliens did have an active presence in mid century America, I have to side with Fleming's research that shows that Yes, Virginia, it was just a weather balloon.
The style of illustrations looked very much like comic books; not surprising, given Foxe's body of work that includes book adaptations of X-Men stories. This goes well with the topic, and enjoyed TJ is his funeral suit finding the secret basement and hunkering down to read in the bathroom. There's a lot of historical information, even if this veers into science fiction territory when TJ is chased by the Men in Black.
Graphic novels are a great way to get tweens reading about historical events, and this will have a lot of comic book appeal for readers who enjoyed History Comics.
When TJ's great uncle passes away, his parents take him to the funeral. Afterwords, he is a bit bored with the reception at the house, and wanders into his uncle's study, where he finds a file marked "CIA debriefing". Intrigued, he tells his mother he is just looking for something to read, and discovers a bookcase that opens and leads to an underground office. He finds out that his uncle was involved in the investigations into Area 51, and reads the files eagerly. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, motivated by the Cold War, set up Project Blue Book to investigate whether or not aliens were a threat to US security. While problematic, this group lasted until 1969. Centered near Roswell, N. M, this secure area was all too close to the site of WWII era atomic bomb testing, since people didn't quite understand all of the ramifications of nuclear fallout and radiation. Many instances of "alien sightings" were investigated, but eventually the focus of the group became to get people to be less worried about the threat of aliens! From 1970-2007, the government did not investigate anything about aliens, at least on the record! TJ reads information about Bob Lazar's claims in 1989, the "weather balloons" of the 1950s, and anecdotal evidence about "Men in Black" that takes on a different feel when he is approached by real Men in Black! He hides with the files in the bathroom so he can finish reading them, but is eventually flushed out and must surrender the files. When he tries to tell his parents about his adventure, the secret door is stuck.
This graphic novel will be a big hit with Sullivan's Unsolved Case Files or books that showcase Area 51, like Smith's Project Mercury, Murray and Smith's Alien Summer, Miller's Out There, or Fleming's Crash From Outer Space. While this story leans a bit more towards the idea that aliens did have an active presence in mid century America, I have to side with Fleming's research that shows that Yes, Virginia, it was just a weather balloon.
The style of illustrations looked very much like comic books; not surprising, given Foxe's body of work that includes book adaptations of X-Men stories. This goes well with the topic, and enjoyed TJ is his funeral suit finding the secret basement and hunkering down to read in the bathroom. There's a lot of historical information, even if this veers into science fiction territory when TJ is chased by the Men in Black.
Graphic novels are a great way to get tweens reading about historical events, and this will have a lot of comic book appeal for readers who enjoyed History Comics.
February 22, 2026
TJ is attending his great uncle's wake after his funeral. He enters the house with his parents to find many people milling around talking. His mum suggests he go and talk with his cousins while they "...do the rounds."
One glance over to his scowling cousins makes the decision for him. Instead, he heads away from the crowd and down a hallway. He finds a room full of books, and a desk covered in files and papers. Looking through the bookshelves, he finds one that moves!
A secret door!
At the bottom of a set of cobwebbed covered stairs, TJ discovers a room, with walls layered in tin foil. An intriguing file captures his attention...
Central Intelligence Agency
CLASSIFIED
AREA 51
There's a note inside from his great uncle, and TJ delves even further.
His deceased relative has compiled a file of the history of the intriguing, Top Secret area named Area 51. At first it reads like a history lesson, but inside the file is the story of nuclear testing, then supersecret planes. When theories began surfacing about what was really happening inside the closed off area, conspiracies formed, and became more and more advanced.
Sightings of lights in the skies above the area, fed the theories and spawned stories, books and movies about aliens. The US government government worked hard with and against these reports and fears, to make best advantage.
Just when TJ is really getting to the interesting stuff, two men in dark suits and glasses arrive. And they aren't there for the funeral....
Just one in a series of Archives of the Unexplained, Area 51 is an intriguing enigma to many around the world. This full colour graphic novel is historical narrative fiction, telling the story of this Top Secret place, through an arms race with Russia, to high tech planes and technology.
Many conspiracy theories that have bloomed about this area are mentioned , again with dates and facts to hang this story on. A bibliography for this episode is included in the rear of the book, with many specific online links referenced for reader's own research.
Age - 11+
Narrative Non-Fiction
Publisher – Roaring Book Press
Set – Area 51 Nevada USA / 1950's to present
Viewpoint – 1st person
Violence – No
Real Life – Yes
Fantasy – Alien Conspiracies
Blend – Real Life / Historical / Military / Mystery
One glance over to his scowling cousins makes the decision for him. Instead, he heads away from the crowd and down a hallway. He finds a room full of books, and a desk covered in files and papers. Looking through the bookshelves, he finds one that moves!
A secret door!
At the bottom of a set of cobwebbed covered stairs, TJ discovers a room, with walls layered in tin foil. An intriguing file captures his attention...
Central Intelligence Agency
CLASSIFIED
AREA 51
There's a note inside from his great uncle, and TJ delves even further.
His deceased relative has compiled a file of the history of the intriguing, Top Secret area named Area 51. At first it reads like a history lesson, but inside the file is the story of nuclear testing, then supersecret planes. When theories began surfacing about what was really happening inside the closed off area, conspiracies formed, and became more and more advanced.
Sightings of lights in the skies above the area, fed the theories and spawned stories, books and movies about aliens. The US government government worked hard with and against these reports and fears, to make best advantage.
Just when TJ is really getting to the interesting stuff, two men in dark suits and glasses arrive. And they aren't there for the funeral....
Just one in a series of Archives of the Unexplained, Area 51 is an intriguing enigma to many around the world. This full colour graphic novel is historical narrative fiction, telling the story of this Top Secret place, through an arms race with Russia, to high tech planes and technology.
Many conspiracy theories that have bloomed about this area are mentioned , again with dates and facts to hang this story on. A bibliography for this episode is included in the rear of the book, with many specific online links referenced for reader's own research.
Age - 11+
Narrative Non-Fiction
Publisher – Roaring Book Press
Set – Area 51 Nevada USA / 1950's to present
Viewpoint – 1st person
Violence – No
Real Life – Yes
Fantasy – Alien Conspiracies
Blend – Real Life / Historical / Military / Mystery
July 15, 2025
Thank you so much to First Second & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review these e-book ARCs!
Now, let's get into it!
This is a new series, Archives Of The Unexplained, and I was able to to read two of the first volumes courtesy of NetGalley, now these are children's books, which I would consider perfect for kids between 7-12 years old, maybe a little older depending on the child's interests! I know my 9 year old loved the themes, and so did I! Is both educational and entertaining, which is what I look for in books as a parent! Both of these are perfect for summerween and would be awesome for Halloween or, in general, if your kiddos like the spooky or sci-fi books!
~~~~~~~~
Book One: AREA 51
This was super informative and entertaining! It goes into both conspiracy theories and scientific explanations about the evolution of planes & technology and the sighting of UFOs as well as the conspiracy and witnesses aroind them. I was super invested in the explanations as well enthralled by the art! It's definitely a great one for inquisitive kids!
~~~~~~~~~
Book Two: Unwanted Guests
This was the perfect amount of spooky and educational! It gives kids a look into how the occult came to be a form of entertainment as well as how urban legends are made! It has a just creepy enough story to have the kiddos craving Halloween but to also ask questions and dip their toe into the paranormal/horror side of storytelling.
I really enjoyed these two books and find them to be a great addition to your elementary to middle school-aged children Fall reads!
Both books stories are written by the same author but illustrated by different artists, and each one was the perfect choice for the settings!
Again huge shout out to NetGalley & First Second Books for allowing me to read and review these e-book ARCs in exchange for an honest review!
Now, let's get into it!
This is a new series, Archives Of The Unexplained, and I was able to to read two of the first volumes courtesy of NetGalley, now these are children's books, which I would consider perfect for kids between 7-12 years old, maybe a little older depending on the child's interests! I know my 9 year old loved the themes, and so did I! Is both educational and entertaining, which is what I look for in books as a parent! Both of these are perfect for summerween and would be awesome for Halloween or, in general, if your kiddos like the spooky or sci-fi books!
~~~~~~~~
Book One: AREA 51
This was super informative and entertaining! It goes into both conspiracy theories and scientific explanations about the evolution of planes & technology and the sighting of UFOs as well as the conspiracy and witnesses aroind them. I was super invested in the explanations as well enthralled by the art! It's definitely a great one for inquisitive kids!
~~~~~~~~~
Book Two: Unwanted Guests
This was the perfect amount of spooky and educational! It gives kids a look into how the occult came to be a form of entertainment as well as how urban legends are made! It has a just creepy enough story to have the kiddos craving Halloween but to also ask questions and dip their toe into the paranormal/horror side of storytelling.
I really enjoyed these two books and find them to be a great addition to your elementary to middle school-aged children Fall reads!
Both books stories are written by the same author but illustrated by different artists, and each one was the perfect choice for the settings!
Again huge shout out to NetGalley & First Second Books for allowing me to read and review these e-book ARCs in exchange for an honest review!
July 14, 2025
Interesting premise, uneven execution.
TL:DR
2.5 stars
Appropriate for Grade 3+
Primary appeal to Grade 3 - 5
Fans of Conspiracy Theories, X Files, Aliens
I wanted to love this book. My students love this kind of stuff. However, I am just completely baffled as to where this book would physically live on my library shelves.
It begins and ends with fiction, but the bulk of the book is spent on communicating real information. However, the balance between fiction and non-fiction is so uneven. The people who came for the fictional story of a young boy finding mysteries will be disappointed by the long stretches of book that just feel like an Info Dump. While anyone who came for a straight non-fiction graphic novel will be annoyed by the interruption of the fictional story.
I believe this graphic novel (which has lovely, textured art by Fran Bueno) would be well served by just ONE extra detour from fact into fiction somewhere in the middle of the largest information chunk.
The fictional story in the book ends on a cliffhanger that, because of a lack of contact time with our fictional main character, feels more like I missed the bottom step, instead of jumping off a cliff. But with this being the first in a series, there is room for the story to find its feet.
---
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance digital copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
KC
School Librarian for 3rd - 5th Grade
Storyteller
Lover of cheese & tiny boxes
TL:DR
2.5 stars
Appropriate for Grade 3+
Primary appeal to Grade 3 - 5
Fans of Conspiracy Theories, X Files, Aliens
I wanted to love this book. My students love this kind of stuff. However, I am just completely baffled as to where this book would physically live on my library shelves.
It begins and ends with fiction, but the bulk of the book is spent on communicating real information. However, the balance between fiction and non-fiction is so uneven. The people who came for the fictional story of a young boy finding mysteries will be disappointed by the long stretches of book that just feel like an Info Dump. While anyone who came for a straight non-fiction graphic novel will be annoyed by the interruption of the fictional story.
I believe this graphic novel (which has lovely, textured art by Fran Bueno) would be well served by just ONE extra detour from fact into fiction somewhere in the middle of the largest information chunk.
The fictional story in the book ends on a cliffhanger that, because of a lack of contact time with our fictional main character, feels more like I missed the bottom step, instead of jumping off a cliff. But with this being the first in a series, there is room for the story to find its feet.
---
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance digital copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
KC
School Librarian for 3rd - 5th Grade
Storyteller
Lover of cheese & tiny boxes
November 11, 2024
This graphic novel tells the history of the mysterious Area 51 - what little they do know and can tell. I loved the graphics in this book and enjoyed learning some details and information I did not know regarding Area 51. The book attempted to make this a history lesson inside a mystery/adventure story. I did not think the fictional side was as effective as the informational side. The book pulled the reader between the past and present in places where I could not make sense of it. There was an overwhelming amount of information, but only a few pages of the story, making it hard to understand what the story was really about and why we even had the dual story line. I love the concept, so I'll try a few more in this series, but I think there needs to be a better balance of the fiction and information storylines.
May 29, 2025
4. You know how, as a classroom teacher, you're always looking for kind of 'cool' nonfiction to hand out to students? I do this in hopes that they put away the TikkyTokks for maybe five minutes and become literate, up right humans. My optimism knows no bounds. Anyway, this is exactly the kind of book that you might give to that boy in the back row who is drawing elaborate scific or fantasy doodles on his notebook. First of all, the art is really, really good. Line, color, all that is great. Even the way panels are organized makes this easy to follow. There's a real basic back story, but a lot of facts. I will totally use this to demonstrate how to write a congent research essay in a more palatable way. It includes a super clean Works Cited that could be used as an example. There's cool test drawings in the back, too. Definitely a great example text for nonfiction research unit.
July 18, 2025
3.5 stars
Steve Foxe’s Archives of the Unexplained: Area 51 walks a clever tightrope between education and entertainment, offering a middle-grade graphic novel that doesn’t tip into the absurd or lose sight of its intended age group.
Fran Bueno’s artwork is polished and cinematic, with expressive characters and strong pacing. The panels are never cluttered, which is impressive considering how much information Foxe manages to pack into this slim volume.
It’s a clever packaging of facts in comic form, and the visuals help sustain interest. But the fictional narrative wrapped around it feels more like a device than a story.
Steve Foxe’s Archives of the Unexplained: Area 51 walks a clever tightrope between education and entertainment, offering a middle-grade graphic novel that doesn’t tip into the absurd or lose sight of its intended age group.
Fran Bueno’s artwork is polished and cinematic, with expressive characters and strong pacing. The panels are never cluttered, which is impressive considering how much information Foxe manages to pack into this slim volume.
It’s a clever packaging of facts in comic form, and the visuals help sustain interest. But the fictional narrative wrapped around it feels more like a device than a story.
August 25, 2025
The historic aspects in this graphic novel are well researched and will be compelling to readers who want to know more about Area 51. However, some younger readers might find it to be too dense in information because there is way more emphasis on the nonfiction elements than the fictional ones. If kids are looking for more of the fictional plot involving TJ, they might be disappointed that there is very little about him in the story. The artwork is well done and adds to the story. Overall, a very interesting read for children who want to know more about area 51. but are not looking for a fictional title.
July 19, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Archives of the Unexplained: Area 51 tells us about the history of Area 51 in graphic novel form. Honestly, I thought this book was so well done! There was differentiation between the artwork for the story portion - which was gorgeously done - and the historical portion which was also very well done, but in a technical drawing way. I learned quite a few facts and thought it was pretty neat that they left it at facts on both sides rather than just considering one side was right and the other was wrong. Definitely buying this for our school library!
Archives of the Unexplained: Area 51 tells us about the history of Area 51 in graphic novel form. Honestly, I thought this book was so well done! There was differentiation between the artwork for the story portion - which was gorgeously done - and the historical portion which was also very well done, but in a technical drawing way. I learned quite a few facts and thought it was pretty neat that they left it at facts on both sides rather than just considering one side was right and the other was wrong. Definitely buying this for our school library!
August 5, 2025
This was so cute. I loved reading through this and the illustrations. I'm not sure how much is based on historical fact, but I believed it based on what I've heard about Area 51 before. All rumors of course, as is mentioned in the book.
The only downfall was I felt it was too short. Because of this, it felt more like background info for the real story. I am newer to graphic novels, so this may be just me.
Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my opinion.
The only downfall was I felt it was too short. Because of this, it felt more like background info for the real story. I am newer to graphic novels, so this may be just me.
Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my opinion.
November 1, 2024
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I am not typically a graphic novel reader but add aliens and I am in! This was so much fun to read. The illustrations are amazing and add so much to the story. I loved getting all of the history behind Area 51 and alien theories. I really am a sucker for any kind of alien story. This is such a fun read and I would 100% recommend it to kids who are interested in aliens!
May 28, 2025
What a way to introduce kids to the theory of Area 51!! Kids today read comics more than any other print and this is a great way to teach them about the theories surrounding Area 51. This graphic novel is laid out with so many facts and information hidden in a mysterious story line.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 29, 2025
Thank you to First Second Books and Netgalley for the digital arc.
Graphic novel format provides a wealth of information about the history of Area 5, aliens, and of course, conspiracy theories. Illustrations and a fictional plot with facts embedded into story will make this a popular choice for both middle and high schoolers.
Graphic novel format provides a wealth of information about the history of Area 5, aliens, and of course, conspiracy theories. Illustrations and a fictional plot with facts embedded into story will make this a popular choice for both middle and high schoolers.
August 4, 2025
👦🏻review: always enjoyed Area 51 stories and this one is well done by the author and illustrator. The visuals, images, colors, the storyline and representation definitely hit the spot. A great graphic novel is defined by the way the story and artwork are presented and this series is written in such an amazing way.
Read
September 6, 2025This series doesn't seem to go together. this book (book 1) reads like a textbook on the history of area 51 with a very brief framing of a kid reading some dense files and some may-or-may-not-be aliens stopping by.
Book 2 is a kid telling two other kids two ghost/paranormal stories.
Book 2 will be much more appealing to most young readers.
Book 2 is a kid telling two other kids two ghost/paranormal stories.
Book 2 will be much more appealing to most young readers.
April 13, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. There’s loads of info about Area 51,aliens and the Men in Black. I like how this book is setup as a graphic novel. For older kids and teens interested in aliens and Area 51, thus book is right up their alley.
May 25, 2025
DNF - 33%
November 24, 2025
This is an interesting but fairly dry overview of Area 51’s history that may disappoint readers hoping for deeper dives into conspiracies, action, or aliens.
December 19, 2025
Graphic novel; history
February 21, 2026
Short but interesting read. Would be useful as an introductory read to a unit on government conspiracies or a research project.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews