I love the creativity of this series. I love the imagination that goes into the cardboard creations and costumes of these characters. I feel like if the kids in my neighborhood came up with these elaborate ideas and schemes, I would get them all the boxes they need to make their kingdom a reality.
What I love most about this book: not a single character bats an eye when Jack starts to transform into the sorceress in "real" life and in the game. I also love the budding crush/hinted at potential romance between Miguel and the Nate. I love how the characters all love and support each other in different ways: helping to create a new costume to stick it to bullies, offering advise around a campfire, staying up all night with a faithful canine companion to protect an animal queen, to offering to trick or treat with someone so they enjoy going still.
I loved Alice's House of Horrors. She is a mastermind.
I also enjoyed the fall/Halloween setting.
If you need a fun, creative, heart warming graphic novel, this one will leave you in a good mood.

Ahhh! My students and I have waited so long for the second book in The Cardboard Kingdom series. As expected, The Cardboard Kingdom #2: Roar of the Beast was just as wonderful as the original. The characters are back, and the action is so fun. Not to mention, the illustrations are to die for. If your readers loved the first one like mine did, then this second book will be a hit. I going to need to order multiple copies of this one for my classroom.

I think one of my favorite parts of this book, and the first cardboard Kingdom book as well, is how deep it actually is. At first I thought it would be a fun, cute graphic novel about kids being creative. Don't get me wrong, it is that, but it's also so much more. The children deal with bullying, figuring out who they are, being sad, sticking up for themselves, family issues, friend issues, and so much more. The writing is fun, engaging, imaginative, and easy to read. The art is really great. I would children read the first book before this one to get a better understanding of how the Cardboard Kingdom began.

If you loved the first Cardboard Kingdom graphic novel, you will love this! It has the same awesome art, and the same imaginative, awesome kids. I loved using cardboard to build and create when I was a kid, so these stories are sort of nostalgic for me. Each story is like a chapter, each building on itself to tell a whole story. I love all the kids, and I like the diversity that is throughout the story. I will say, it is helpful if you have read the first one, but you don't *have to* have read it. I loved this!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This diverse graphic novel sequel is just as good as the first in the series. I love how imaginative the kids are and how they take a simple piece of cardboard and turn it into a million different stories and adventures. I will purchase for my middle school library. Thank you for the ARC.

I immediately loved Chad Sell's drawing style in the first Cardboard Kingdom, and this one is no different! The kids imaginations and emotions are so perfectly illustrated. This book is just as much fun as the first one and I know so many kids that will love this!

I thought another Cardboard Kingdom couldn't possibly warm my heart as much as the first, but I'm toasty all the way to my fingertips and toes! Highly, highly recommended book for kids, teens, and grown-ups who want to say "Awwww" at this book about a neighborhood of children who love using their imaginations and play together no matter the barriers: bullies, their own fears, and possibly a REAL monster??

Another fun adventure in the Cardboard Kingdom! Full of fun characters and beautiful illustrations! Students are going to love this one!

**Blog post will be published on May 1, 2021
My Thoughts:
This is a collaboration of nine different writers in partnership with project lead Chad Sell. Because of that, the characters are multidimensional in how they interact with each other. Their worries and fears around family and friend relationships, bullying by older kids and imaginative play are more realistic because the characters are written by different authors so the back and forth is authentic to tweens.

The author bios and the diverse backgrounds of the other nine members of the Cardboard Kingdom are just as interesting as the stories they tell.

Finally, the illustrations by Chad Sell and the Halloween colors of the book remind me of why my grandson loves Halloween so much. That bravery of facing monsters and the taking power from them by creating monsters to battle our fears in this book is exactly why Halloween is so appealing to young readers and tweens. It is never too much. This one is perfect for my Kāʻelo.

From the Publisher:
Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and All's Faire in Middle School, this sequel to the Eisner Award-nominated The Cardboard Kingdom follows the kids as they solve the mystery of a new neighborhood monster.

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 absolutely loved the first volume in The Cardboard Kingdom universe, and found even more to enjoy in this second entry. Chad Sell's art and storytelling are wonderful, and the book works in wordless ways at times, as well as with plenty of narrative through words and pictures. I love Sell's take-off on the superhero genre -- ready for book three!

I really liked this graphic novel sequel to the first Cardboard Kingdom. I liked the different characters and the way that they all bond together to defeat a common enemy. It's a great book for kids ages 7-10.

The first volume of The Cardboard Kingdom is one of my favorite middle grade graphic novels of all time. It's just so much fun and so well-crafted. That said, this second volume might top the first for me! All of the kids in the Carboard Kingdom are different and diverse and have their own troubles and strengths. The art is just as lovely as the first volume. I can not suggest this series enough!

I wasn't sure what a sequel to The Cardboard Kingdom would look like, since the first book was a collection of short stories that gave equal billing to a number of characters across the neighborhood. But this book manages to bring back so many of the memorable characters of the first, while also presenting a more cohesive book-length narrative on standing up for friends, standing up to friends, imagination, and finding what's most important. I think this will be just as popular as the first in my library.

I got this for my 11 year old daughter and here is her review:
I loved this book! I thought this book was even better than the first. It had a great story line. The pictures were colorful and fun. This book had some mystery in it which made it fun. I would recommend you read the first book in this series because it will make more sense. I’m hoping there will be another book in this series because I really enjoy it!

ROAR OF THE BEAST builds off on many of the elements that made the first book so successful: a broad, engaging cast of diverse characters navigating friendship, emotionally resonant experiences, and dynamic shifts between reality and make-believe. Readers will especially enjoy how the Cardboard Kingdom kids come together to defeat a mysterious beast and save Halloween. The original CARDBOARD KINGDOM was a big hit in our library, and I know students will be excited to read the sequel.

This book is artistically intriguing! I love the designs, the costumes, the use of cardboard and the creativity. There’s so much to look at and so much to inspire others to design and build on their own. I love that the characters have their own unique styles. They are on their own journeys in addition to being a team who is always ready and willing to help one another. The characters share their emotions and are trying to work through their feelings. A fun and meaningful read!

This is a compelling adventure story, but one that might be better enjoyed after reading the first volume. The story can technically "stand alone," but it never explains why an entire town's worth of children, teenagers, and adults have mutually agreed to go along with the imaginary adventures of some crafty kids. I assume the first volume covers this? Lots of good messages about family, kindness, belonging, & facing one's fears. The cast is highly diverse and there is some LGBTQIA+ representation.

Our favorite cardboard warriors are back in another fun story about their neighborhood. This time around we get a peek at how the friends handle bullies, being scared, misunderstandings, and protecting friends.

I love Chad Sell's art and the work of all these amazing authors/artists. While this is a quick read, the illustrations are jam-packed with information and are an absolute feast for your eyes and mind. I highly recommend this series!

I loved the original Cardboard Kingdom graphic novel, and the second one did not disappoint. The characters are original, diverse, and dynamic. I love the friendships, and the realistic relationships the kids have with their families and each other. In this sequel, the citizens of the Cardboard Kingdom battle an unknown monster that is terrorizing the neighborhood. Will they prevail? Will they also be able to stand up to the bullying of the neighborhood teens? Will they be able to stand up to each other, and do the right thing? Find out in Cardboard Kingdom: Roar of the Beast.

Chad Sell knocked it out of the park again with The Cardboard Kingdom #2: Roar of the Beast. I cannot wait to introduce this one to my students. Sell's illustrations and plot lines are well done and engaging for kids. My two boys devoured this book as well.