Pacey Packer: Unicorn Tracker

Pacey Packer: Unicorn Tracker #1

by J.C. Phillipps

Pacey's little sister, Mina, has always said her stuffed unicorn, Slasher, is real--but seriously? He's a stuffed toy! Then again, he does seem to be leading Mina outside her room and to . . . some kind of weird magical unicorn land? Pacey may not believe in unicorns, but she's not about to let her little sister be kidnapped, so she does the only thing she can: follows them to unicorn land (that she totally does NOT believe in). And for the record, it's NOTHING like the stories. First off, what's up with Slasher's attitude? It's not Pacey's fault he's trapped in a ridiculous stuffed body. And that Alpha Unicorn guy? NOT. Nice. Pacey will just be grabbing Mina and taking her home, thankyouverymuch . . . that is, if she can work with the grumpiest unicorn stuffy ever to outsmart the Evil Alpha Unicorn and find the way out--preferably without stepping on any poisonous killer flowers. (WHAT IS WITH THIS PLACE ANYWAY?!)

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Childrens, Family, Middle Grade, Adventure, Comics

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Julie (J. C.) Phillipps is a born and raised Ohio girl who lives in New England. If you have a very good ear, you can still catch a little Midwestern accent. Although she has learned to say "soda" instead of "pop" and "sneakers" instead of "tennis shoes," she still thinks of the tiny candy on top of cupcakes as "sprinkles." "Jimmies" is just weird.

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted To Be Noticed was Julie's first picture book, released March 2009. Since then she has written and illustrated three more picture books: Wink the Ninja Who Wanted to Nap, Monkey Ono, and The Simples Love a Picnic.

Julie jumped genres and is now working on making graphic novels. Her first middle grade graphic novel, Pacey Packer Unicorn Tracker, comes out August 2020 with Random House Graphics.

To learn more, visit her webpage: www.jcphillipps.com or follow her on Instagram @JCPhillipps.




J.C. Phillipps's books on Goodreads

Wink! The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed

reviews: 25
ratings: 69 (avg rating 4.19)

Reviews

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8yo and I loved this!!

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brisk bit of fun for brisk, fun youngsters. Pacey, the weirdly-named heroine, is being made a bit crabby by the younger sister she's been forced to babysit, but when she sees the kid being taken out her bedroom window by a real-life unicorn (plus the girl's smaller, plush version) there's only one thing to do – grab on, try and keep her in this world, and then be forced to rescue her from the evil Unicorn King type in the realm beyond the rainbow. I liked how the reason for the baddie being that way inclined was a point of order and dignity, but the young audience will love more the page-turning qualities here. We seldom get as much as three panels on a page, and there's not much in the way of dialogue to give hiccup to anyone but the most problematic reader. And the drama of the piece, together with rather snappy unicorn plush and rather egotistical Pacey, comes across to all readers with great clarity. For a series opener, too, it doesn't struggle to establish its world, just gets on with it – and as a result promises lots more in the way of goodies to come in the inevitable sequels. A fine Book One.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not read Pacey Packer Unicorn Tracker one and two, well, you just have to. It is awesome! It's about a little girl Mina and her older sister Pacey. There's like, this unicorn make-believe (except it's real) unicorn world. Mina is about 5. (I don't know their ages but I'm guessing). Pacey's about 11 years old. Oh, and there's a third book coming out. I have no read that one. Oh, and Mina has a stuffed animal, Slasher, that is supposed to be a real unicorn. But his is evil. I don't know, but it's AWESOME!!! It's a comic book tho. It's still Awesome!!!! I give it ****** (6 stars!) Get it from your library!!! That was [me] talking about Pacey Packer.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pacey Packer is babysitting her little sister, Mina, which becomes a much more complicated job when she opens Mina's bedroom door and finds Mina being taken to a fantasy world by her plushy unicorn toy. Pacey grabs on, gets sucked through the portal, but she and the plushy slip off and have to find their way through the fantasy unicorn land to the castle where Mina is headed for a tea party. Or is she? Pacey thinks she totally has this since she rescued a dog and made the news recently. But fantasy unicorn land rescues may be more challenging than she expected.

I'm only a fan of snarky and/or humorous unicorns, and these unicorns totally deliver in the snark. Actually, one of them has a collection that gave me serious White Witch from Narnia vibes. I like that Pacey learns to respect her sister a little more, gets a more realistic view of herself, and gains some serious adventuring skills in this. It's a good personal growth and sister relationship growth book as well as a fun fantasy graphic novel adventure.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some very not nice things have happened, but Pacey is able to help restore some people and the scratches/injuries incurred on the adventure get better pretty fast.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super clever! I love the concept of a stuffed unicorn being a real unicorn in exile. Mina and Pacey are believable sisters and a good team too. I enjoyed Pacey's sarcastic personality and Slasher reminded me strongly of Brian from Family Guy. Just really fun and creative. I'd read more in the series for sure and think kids wills really enjoy this one!

[Mompop · Rating 4 out of 5]

could have used a bit of color (other than just black, white and purple)

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pacey is a full-of-herself little girl who fantasizes about being a hero. In real life, however, she doesn't have much time to play make-believe with her little sister, Mina. After being a little strict with her sister, she decides to relent and bring Mina a cookie – only to catch her jumping out an upstairs window on the back of a full-size, flesh-and-blood unicorn. When I say "catch," I actually mean "fail to catch," as her grip actually closes on the hoof of Mina's favorite toy, a plush unicorn with a heart-shaped blaze on its chest and the unlikely name of Slasher.

Until now, Pacey has never given a moment's thought to the idea that Slasher may actually be alive, as Mina has always claimed. Luckily, it is so, because Slasher becomes her guide through the land of the unicorns, where the landscape is full of such hazards as people-eating plants, deceptive creatures, deep gorges, and tiny tunnels you can only get through by shrinking yourself and tickling the tail of a turbo-powered slug. But the biggest danger lies ahead at the castle of the Unicorn King, Arkane, who has magic in his horn but evil in his heart.

Much of the book takes the form of Pacey and Slasher bickering and exchanging sarcastic quips. But even though Mina's invitation to Arkane's tea party has a sinister element in it, and Slasher's loyalty leaves something to be desired, girl and plushie grow as characters during their adventure together and pull off a rescue worthy of a unicorn and his girl.

I enjoyed this book's humor and the incongruous cuteness and snippiness of Slasher. I'd have liked it better, I think, if the art had featured more colors than grayscale and shades of purple. I have to be careful to limit my exposure to Slasher, or else I might become one of those people who has to buy the real-life plushie offered on the author's website.

This is the first in a series of four, let's call them graphic chapter books for young readers. Kind of like a comic book (no prose between illustrations), but in the same hardcover format as the Wimpy Kid books. The other installments, so far, include Horn Slayer, Mermaids vs. Unicorns and Dragon Rider. Author-illustrator Phillipps, who dedicated this book to her husband "who thought it was funny to tell people that I love unicorns," is also the author of three children's picture books, Wink, Monkey Ono and The Simples Love a Picnic.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a 3.5 for me, and I predict it will be a big hit with its intended audience. With cartoon panels filled primarily with various shades of purple and white, this graphic novel features a kick-ass heroine in Pacey Packer, a girl who never lets her fears keep her down for long. Pacey loves making up adventure stories in which she plays the leading role while battling various villains. But her make-believe turns into real life urgency when her little sister Mina follows her stuffed unicorn Slasher into Rundalyn where an evil unicorn named Arkane rules and turns visitors into statues. Pacey is determined to save her little sister with or without Slasher's help. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced story that is different from the typical sibling tale, but they will especially appreciate the exchanges between Pacey and Slasher and the distinct voices of those two characters. Slasher's droll delivery and deadpan look to everything that happens makes the book special and worth reading more than once. Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or The Dork Diaries may enjoy this one and eagerly anticipate more titles in the series. As it turns out, Pacey Packer is exactly the hero most readers didn't even realize they were waiting for.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pacey is left to babysit her little sister, Mina while her parents are out. All Pacey wants to do is be the hero of her own imaginitive play, but Mina keeps whining and bugging her to play tea party as she promised she would. When Mina threatens to tell on Pacey to her parents, she disappears into her room. Pacey goes to check on her, only to discover her little sister on the back of a unicorn flying out the window with another stuffed unicorn on their tail! Pacey grabs on too, only to discover she's lost her sister and has to work with the stuffed unicorn, Slasher, to save Mina. Will they be able to save Mina? Pacey and Slasher have to survive each other first!

I enjoyed the illustrations of this graphic novel as it really pulls you into Pacey's adventure. There is plenty of humorous sarcasm in the book (also a mention of "barf", "shut up", and "zip it"), but not too much for upper elementary. The story does show the real side of how siblings annoy one another, but ultimately when push comes to shove, they love and sacrifice for each other and for others as well.

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Pacey Packer dreams of adventure, but she is stuck babysitting her little sister, Mina, and being wrangled into tea parties. Pacey turns her back for just one minute, and when she turns around, her sister is on the back of a giant unicorn running over a magical rainbow bridge. Pacey chases them down and manages to hitch a ride to the magical unicorn land of Rundalyn. Pacey quickly loses her sister and is stuck trying to catch up to Mina on foot, with just her sister's (apparently magical) stuffed unicorn, Slasher, as her guide. They have to traverse a dangerous jungle to rescue Mina--but all is not as it seems.

A cute, fast-paced adventure filled with lots of unicorn humor and dramatic betrayals. Fun for fans of Phoebe and Her Unicorn looking for more drama or readers who like the wonky adventures of Aster and the Accidental Magic.

[D.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise! The opening starts with Pacey trying to be a responsible babysitter to her younger sister Mina. Mina is obsessed with unicorns and tea parties and just wants to have fun. It is not stated how much older Pacey is compared to Mina, but she deems herself too mature for tea parties and unicorns and the shenanigans start from there.

This story got a bit unexpectantly dark, and there are actual stakes here! I love books that do not treat children as if they are stupid. Everyone’s not going to get a happy ending, but it’s fun to read. I thought the pacing was good because they spent just enough time exploring Rundyland. The character’s motivations make sense even if some are a bit wacky. I’m interested in reading book two now.

3.5

[Agatha Gavaldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pacey Packer is filled with fun and adventure. The art style is also really engaging, it’s black, white and purple color scheme really adds something extra to the story. Slasher reminds me of Grumpy Bear from the Care Bears. I absolutely loved that he wears his sassy pants at all times. Im really excited to see that this is a series, and I cannot wait for the next installment to find out what happens!

Highly recommend to any parent, educator or librarian working with emerging readers! Younger kids might need help with a few words, but the story is sure to delight and entertain!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

While babysitting, Pacey Packer refuses to have a tea party with her younger sister Mina and her toy unicorn. When she goes to check on her, she discovers Mina about to ride a rainbow bridge on a real unicorn into another land. Pacey grabs on to the toy but both slip off and end up in an unknown part of the Unicorn land. Pacey has courage but must team up with the toy unicorn and his wisdom in order to find Mina and return home.

Full of surprising twists and turns! Set up for the sequel!

Pacey learns the importance of letting others help and treasuring your family.

[Tanausu Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to give this book credit for turning my 7 year old into a reader.
Before this, she was stuck with picture books and not really believing she could actually read a story with a full plot. Now she devours comic books and she is starting to try her first chapter books. It just hit the right spot.
The story is simple enough for that age group (I'd say under 10s), not convoluted at all. But at the same time it is fun and engaging enough, with enough twists and turns to keep kids locked in.
Already got the second book and eagerly awaiting the release of the third.

[Gail Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...a terrific middle grade graphic novel about a smart, tough girl who is trying to be an awesome babysitter for her younger sister, when said younger sister disappears out the window on a unicorn. Pacey immediately heads off to save her with the assistance of her sister's plush unicorn toy, which is now alive.

This book has witty repartee, narrative drive, strong young women, and lots of purple."


Excerpt from Original Content

[Mario Vilche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on goodwill and it caught my attention that it was a "not for sale copy" I liked the book for my step- daughter so I read it myself before handing it out to her. I believe in less than 30 minutes I read the whole book, I was totally hooked in it and I enjoyed all the characters even the bad guy. I honestly look forward getting the sequel which I believe will be coming out in the year 2021.

[Lisa Yee Swope · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know unicorns are awesome. Unicorns are grand! In fact, unicorns are the niftiest animals to roam throughout the land. But those fun fuzzy plushie unicorns that you let into your home and your bed? They have real backstories, and they’re not all tea parties and sweetness. Meet Slasher. Oh yeah. Sibling rivalry? It’s real. Magic horns? They’re powerful. Be careful.
(see also Rowan and the Rose’s song Unicorns are Awesome)

[cleo s · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay......
This book was surprisingly good for being about unicorns.
I'm not saying I don't like unicorns. I love unicorns.
But books about unicorns are usually... how do I put this? Cutesy. "Girly". La-dee-da-dy
But this book is not like that.
It's serious.
Like "I am seriously going into a land of unicorns. Here I go." not
"Wow! I am going into the land of unicorns! It is all I ever dreamed it would be! Let us frolic!"
I really like this book.
Seriously.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to make of this one going into it, but it was on a few graphic novel lists and there's a unicorn reference so why not. The story is pretty quick moving, but you get a feel for the characters and the artwork is nice. Overall, an interesting story with some good characters and a lead in to the next book.

Fun for middle schoolers for sure.

[Kip · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughters and I loved this book! Pacey is just the right kind of heroine (flawed, adventurous, and with a good heart) and this is a fantastic first adventure over the rainbow with unicorns. Also, the artwork is just stunning. That purple really pops!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful surprise! I found this gem while browsing my closest chain bookstore. It's funny, suspenseful, and has messages about family and forgiveness. I think my students will love it. The art is black, white, and purple.

[Carole Sobotka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because it just looked so cute! I work in a middle school library and graphic novels are so popular. This will definitely be one I recommend to my students. Can't wait to read the others.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the snarky and sarcastic plush unicorn, Slasher!

[Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent adventure. Not quite my style or feast, but it definitely had a few positive surprises and can definitely see this appealing to others!

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters ... squabbles, thus, true siblings.
Add unicorns, stuffed, real, armored and more.
Be brave, now.
Onward!!

Fun story!

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and quick story that my kids enjoyed. A fun and imaginative adventure that sets up a future series too.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, unique Unicorn adventure.

[Skylee Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is weird but cool! 📖👍🏻

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love me some purple but it didn't make this graphic novel more enjoyable. It's OK, nothing objectionable in it but the characters lack depth and likeability.