A young immigrant girl's story and a battle between a fantastical kingdom and earth collide in this first book of the Tomo graphic novel series, where thirteen-year-old orphan Hana must leave Japan for a new life in America. Her arrival complicates not only her life, but that of a group of animal-like beings who are searching for an ancient sword.

Winner of the Moonbeam Award bronze medal for comics and graphic novels

Following the death of her mother, Hana is forced to move to San Francisco to live with a grandfather she has never met. While her grandpa is kind and welcoming, and has a cute raccoon named Tomo, the only place Hana feels at home is in his dojo, where she further hones her martial arts technique. Then she meets Brittany, a girl who could become a good friend ... but Brittany also has friends who want to see Hana fail at any cost.

At the same time, in the kingdom of Argon Falls, the bull-like Lord Ardath and his fox warriors search for a sword that will cement Ardath's rule and give him ultimate control ... and a special portal has led him directly to San Francisco.

I Was an Eighth-Grade Ninja:

• is perfect for readers 10 and up
• was created by veteran animators from Disney Animation Studios
• features diverse characters, including an Asian main character
• contains kid-friendly, anime-like illustrations and a relatable plot
• will appeal to fans of Studio Ghibli, Jen Wang, and graphic novels

About the Author
Bud Rogers is a cartoonist and editor and has been very active in the Christian comics community for the past fifteen years. Bud uses his organizational and management skills to assist artists and writers in realizing their creative visions. Andrew Simmons is a seventeen-year veteran of animation with fifteen of those years at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Orlando, Florida. He currently enjoys the good life in middle Tennessee with his wife, six boys, two dogs, two cats, and koi fish. Rob Corley is a veteran animator with Disney, San Marco Films, and Curious Pictures. Rob is also the cofounder Funnypages Productions, an animation development and illustration company, and Funnypages Press, a comic book publisher. Tom Bancroft is a veteran Disney and Big Idea animator. While with Big Idea, he designed and directed the LarryBoy series of videos. Tom still keeps his hands in animation, but he also enjoys creating comics. Ariel has been drawing comics for the past fifteen years in the Philippines. His most recent work has been on the relaunch of the eighties comic series The Maze Agency for IDW Publishing.

Awards
Commended for Moonbeam Children's Book Award (Graphic Novel) 2007.



Book Information
ISBN 9780310713005
Author Bud Rogers
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Zondervan
Publisher Zondervan
Weight(grams) 122g
Dimensions(mm) 178mm * 127mm * 20mm