Available:*
Library | Material Type | Shelf Number | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Central Library | Juvenile Book | YAGN CLIF | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Lovable ne'er-do-well Delilah Dirk is an adventurer for the 19th century. She has traveled to Japan, Indonesia, France, and even the New World. Using the skills she's picked up on the way, Delilah's adventures continue as she plots to rob a rich and corrupt Sultan in Constantinople. With the aid of her flying boat and her newfound friend, Selim, she evades the Sultan's guards, leaves angry pirates in the dust, and fights her way through the countryside. For Delilah, one adventure leads to the next in this thrilling and funny installment in her exciting life.
Tony Cliff's Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is a great pick for any reader looking for a smart and foolhardy heroine...and globetrotting adventures.
A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of 2013
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013
Author Notes
Tony Cliff is a contributor to the Flight series of anthologies, has been nominated for Shuster and Harvey awards, and has three times been nominated for an Eisner award. Delilah Dirk is his first published graphic novel.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up-The intense action on the cover promises a rollicking adventure, and the interior pages certainly deliver on that promise. Delilah Dirk has abandoned conventional court life and become a globe-trotting soldier of fortune. She is captured and held prisoner in 1800s Constantinople. Eventually she escapes, taking along the astonished Turkish Lieutenant Erdemogul Selim, whose quiet life centers around a proper cup of tea. This unlikely pair embarks on a wild journey that includes flying a ship, outwitting the Evil Pirate Captain Zakul, and escaping burning buildings. Characters vividly come to life with expressive faces and mannerisms. The bumbling, mild-mannered lieutenant serves as a perfect foil for Delilah's acerbic wit and considerable physical prowess. Her frustration with Selim's ineptitude results in recurring comical situations. Subtle humor and charming interchanges between these two unlikely companions, "Miss Dirk" and "Mr. Selim," will captivate readers. Story construction consists of three distinct threads: Selim's narration, dialogue between the characters, and engaging visuals. These three often-differing points of view are intricately woven together into a storytelling tour de force. Pacing of the tale is excellent, with tranquil moonlit nights and campfires setting up subsequent action sequences. Jewel-toned colors add to the rich visual experience. The saga concludes as the two travelers, now companions, face a future brimming with possibilities. Delilah and the lieutenant are destined to join the ranks of such classic duos as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A scrumptious Turkish delight.-Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Cliff pulls out all the stops for his first graphic novel, which he originally published online, pairing a wisecracking, death-defying heroine ("Guard!" she calls good-naturedly from her prison cell, "I'm escaping") with a sensitive minor military official prone to overthinking when lightning-fast action is required ("Jump? Surely not! What about the other options? Are there any other options?"). The plot, such as it is, follows Lieutenant Selim as he is dragged willy-nilly into Delilah's life of action and danger when all he wants is a hot cup of tea; really, though, it's a vehicle for blood-pumping episodes of derring-do and heroism involving swordplay, artillery, aqueducts, piles of treasure, tyrannical Ottoman rulers, treacherous officials, and the occasional quiet idyll in Delilah's flying boat. Sunlit landscapes, candlelit interiors, and nighttime explosions give Cliff opportunities to show off his splendid draftsmanship, while the dialogue provides a constant stream of sardonic banter ("Kill me with what? That rope? You'll give me rope burns 'til I yield?"). Cliff apparently took five years to write this, but fans will hope a sequel doesn't take that long. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Selim is used to being an overlooked and underpaid member of the Turkish Janissary Corps, but when the Agha's men capture a prisoner the scandalous woman who calls herself Delilah Dirk Selim finds out the hard way that maybe he needs a little excitement in his life. Delilah is a swashbuckling heroine who will have readers constantly wondering what will happen next. Selim, on the other hand, is more reserved longing for some tea and quiet but once he gets sucked into Delilah's orbit, he's unable to resist the taste of adrenaline. Anchoring the story is Cliff's lush artwork. Each panel brims with distinctive people and detailed settings without ever feeling overstuffed. His glowing, vibrant color palette changes smoothly, transitioning easily from warm candlelight to dusty fields to grassy farmland. One two-page spread in particular is a masterpiece of serenity, as Delilah and Selim enjoy a quiet, purple-hued night by a campfire before once more rushing into the fray, whisking readers eagerly along with them. A terrific action story for both older and younger teens and anyone else with an insatiable appetite for high adventure.--Wildsmith, Snow Copyright 2010 Booklist