This graphic novel is the sequel to The Cardboard Kingdom. It revisits the characters from the original book in a Halloween themed adventure. Vijay, the King of the Beasts, is bullied by a neighborhood teenager, leading him to give up his title and withdraw from the others. That same night, the neighborhood experiences the first sighting of something—no one is quite sure what it is, but they know a monster is out there. This begins the adventure of uncover exactly what the monster is They work together to solve the monster mystery and to stand up to the neighborhood bullies. Along the way, the diverse cast of characters deals with real life issues including bullying, fears, and conflicts with friends. Fans of the first novel will love revisiting the characters in a new setting and new readers will enjoy getting to know them through this action-filled adventure.

A second installment of The Cardboard Kingdom is going to make so many kids SO HAPPY - HOOORAY!!!

I will admit that I didn't immediately love Chad Sell's drawing style in the first Cardboard Kingdom, but it totally grew on me - it so perfectly captures the bold, crazy exuberance of the Kingdom kids' imaginations and emotions. The flip-flopping between reality and what the kids are picturing is so cool.

Just as much fun as the first book -- this is going to be a super popular title at my elementary school library!

Chad Sells’ Cardboard Kingdom has been a fan favorite among 2nd and 3rd graders. Each child inhabits their own character, whether knight, sorceress, or monster. The Cardboard Kingdom #2: Roar of the Beast brings back all of those characters on a deeper level as one of the children has started to get bullied by the neighborhood teens. They are all getting ready to celebrate Halloween when Vijay, aka the Beast, gets bullied by neighborhood “monsters.” He gives up his alter-ego and sinks into a funk. We all do that from time to time and need our friends to help pull us up out of it. So it is for the CK crew. This is a great sequel that really shows how deep the Cardboard Kingdom books are.

This was a good story, especially for children with lots of imagination. I like how the friends stuck together even if one wasn't always that nice to the others.

I highly anticipated The Cardboard Kingdom #2. The first is one of my all-time most recommended comics for elementary and middle school readers. (Also, many adults). I love the group of children and how they deal with so many problems children face without feeling preachy. This one was still lovely but not as strong as the first one. In this one, it is almost Halloween and there is a suspected monster running around. It also deals with bullies as the main message. While I enjoyed seeing everyone again and the growth they were able to show, the overall bully plot seemed a little too easily resolved and not as strong as the first book. Still, I was very happy to be back in the carboard kingdom.


I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Random House Children's and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My class loved the first Cardboard Kingdom and I know they’ll love this one too. It around fall and Halloween, so there was talk about trick or treating and haunted houses. The plot line was interesting and the kids were relatable.

'The Cardboard Kingdom #2: Roar of the Beast' by Chad Sell and company is a graphic novel for young readers about a group of friends with big imaginations.

It's almost Halloween, and the kids are excited, but there is a monster on the loose in the neighborhood, er, kingdom. Vijay sees it and falls down the stairs, so it's up to his friends to track down the monster while Vijay heals. Some want vengeance, and some see the monster as a cool feature for a haunted house.

I did not read the first volume, but the first thing I noticed is that are a lot of characters in this series. The art has a blocky style that is kind of fun.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Random House Children's and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I really enjoyed how well the multiple artists were able to blend their characters into a cohesive story. There are a lot of characters, and it is sometimes had to keep track of who is who, especially when comparing the kid's costume character to their imagined alter ego. I also appreciated the way the "good" and "evil" sides of the Cardboard Kingdom banded together to handle their common enemy, "the teens." The illustrations and colors are vibrant and each character has a distinct personality that comes through both in their regular state and as their alter ego. I hope readers are inspired to create their own cardboard kingdom after reading this graphic novel.

Your Imagination + Cardboard = The Construction of Fun!
Publisher’s Blurb:

A mystery is afoot in the Cardboard Kingdom.

Vijay, the Beast, renounces his title after being bullied by neighborhood teenagers. No one–not his big sister Shikha or his friends–can seem to draw him back out of his shell.

That very night is when it starts. At first, no one believes Nate, who breaks his leg trying to pursue what he saw from his bedroom window. But then there’s another, and another. An unknown monster has been spotted roaming the Kingdom after dark. It’s ghastly, it’s quick, and it might even have giant tentacles. Or claws. Or wings. Okay, there might be some varied testimonies on what exactly this monster looks like.

Forget Halloween–the newly minted Monster Mashers will go to any lengths to protect the Kingdom and uncover this mystery. But how did the monster get here? What does it want? And mostly importantly, who is behind its creation?

I had an absolute blast reading and reviewing the Chad Sell’s first Cardboard Kingdom graphic novel… And when I saw that the author/ illustrator created Roar of the Beast, I knew I had to check it out.

I was not disappointed: All the characters are back from the first book… and conflicts arise as they ramp up for Halloween. Each has a particular vision of how they want this special holiday to go… Yet, things get in the way… bullies and… a monster?

The artwork, the diversity of the characters, and the individually-crafted storylines create a perfect sequel!

Chad Sell’s Website: Click through to find coloring pages inspired by the series… and instructions to make the Cardboard Kingdom’s masks! I already downloaded a couple designs to work on with my own kids. Also of note: while writing this review I took a minute to write a friend an email about this book. I love this series!

5 out of 5 starts

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Kids, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

If you loved the first Cardboard Kingdom, you will love this one. If you haven't read the first one in the series, this one might be confusing as there are many different characters. This is a good fit for 4th through 7th grade readers.

This series is just so wholesome and adorable, and lightly tense/spooky. I loved the diversity, how the friendships work, and seeing some young crushes. Plus the art was really cute, especially all the costumes! Definitely going to recommend my young reader picks this up too, because I’m sure it’ll be a hit.

The first Cardboard Kingdom book introduced us to a group of kids, each dealing with some personal issue via a created character. The characters are diverse in gender, race, and personality. I expected this volume to be more of the same. Instead, it takes those elements from book one and explores them in more depth. Each kid takes their character exploration to an extreme, generally with disastrous consequences. This is especially true when they do it on their own. We're looking at the consequences of keeping secrets, of taking something too far. Each kid has to ask "Is this really who I want to be?" It adds a little maturity to the first exploration. Well worth reading.

This is the most inclusive kids book I have seen in a long time. It has a variety of characters with different gender identities, races, ethnicities, body types. There need to be more books like this so kids can relate to the characters and feel like they belong

Another great example of the unique storytelling power of graphic novels. I really love the back and forth between real and imaginary and I think readers will connect with the very real issues that the characters face in real life. This is already on my summer reading list for students.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
This sequel offers readers a chance to return to the Cardboard Kingdom and meet up with the inhabitants. We learn more about these characters and how they interact when scared or discouraged. The teams work together to figure out what the monster is and how to defeat it and to stand up to the teenage bullies who attack the Beast and his friends to begin the story.
The illustrations are highly detailed and clearly show the personalities for each character. Readers will connect to the characters and may identify with at least one. The chapters move seamlessly through the overall story arc and build the suspense. In the end, the resolution works and offers just enough scary with the fun.
Hope we get a chance to return to this kingdom soon.

Fans of the first Cardboard Kingdom will be pleased with the second installment. The neighborhood kids are back with a Halloween mystery to solve. Although they are still dealing with bullying, identity issues, as well as new fears, there is less parental involvement in the stories this time as the kids work out solutions on their own. The book is a little slow to get started as all of the storyline threads are introduced, but builds up in excitement as everything comes to a satisfying conclusion. The artwork compliments the story very well and makes the diverse characters stand out. Highly recommended.

Another wonderful addition to the Cardboard Kingdom universe! Kids are going to continue to love following the adventures of all of these heroes and villains as they battle an unknown beast and some teenage bullies. Great diversity and a hilarious storyline make this a delight to read.

For Libraries: If the first book was popular in your library, your kids are going to be clamoring for this one! Plus it is set at Halloween, so it is an easy sell.

My kids loved the first book and were so excited to hear there is a second! And it didn't disappoint. We are eagerly awaiting the print copy to add to our home library and I'll be recommending it to my teachers and librarian. I hope the adventure continues because not only is this a story about a creative, imaginative group of kids but the case is also diverse. They're forgiving and accepting. And they have so much fun. It's the group of friends we all wish we had growing up. (My only complaint is that my kids now want to collect every cardboard box that comes into our home!)

Oh my... what a fantastic continuation of The Cardboard Kingdom! The depth, emotion, and lives of the diverse cast is perfect and shows what can be accomplished when people focus on strengths rather than weaknesses.
This is one series that should be required reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for sharing a copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved the first book, Cardboard Kingdom and was really excited for a sequel. I also really loved this one, the messages and the character development especially.