Beowulf

For a dozen years, the monster Grendel has haunted the Danish kingdom ruled over by Hrothgar. In the night, Grendel stalks the land, slaughtering all he meets. When food is scarce, he raids the king's high hall, devouring warriors and hauling others back to his dank home in the marshes. Word of the monster spreads far and wide, and from across the sea comes the warrior Beowulf to battle the monster and free the Danes from Grendel's reign of terror.

Written some fifteen hundred years ago, Beowulf is the first epic work in English and tells a tale of heroism in the face of a wild and unknowable evil. For this graphic novel version of the story, Stefan Petrucha has adapted the story for middle graders, bringing all the bravery and bloodshed to life in a form for fans of the Hollywood movie or of superheroes of any stripe. Beowulf was the first superhero; a long tradition starts with this poem.

Ages 8 – 12

Born in the Bronx, Stefan Petrucha spent his formative years moving between the big city and the suburbs, both of which made him prefer escapism. A fan of comic books, science fiction and horror since learning to read, in high school and college he added a love for all sorts of literary work, eventually learning that the very best fiction always brings you back to reality, so, really, there's no way out. He first came to prominence as the author of the best-selling X-Files comic book series, based on the TV show and has since written eighteen novels including Timetripper, The Shadow of Frankenstein, and The Rule of Won. His recent work includes, Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown (co-authored with A&E star Ryan Buell), Split, Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid, and the upcoming Dead Mann Walking. He currently lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife and fellow writer Sarah Kinney and their two daughters.