Things in the Basement - by Ben Hatke

About the Book

Book Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Ben Hatke comes Things in the Basement, a young readers graphic novel about Milo, a young boy who discovers a portal to a secret world in his basement.

It was supposed to just be a normal basement--some storage boxes, dust, you know, the usual basement stuff. But when Milo is sent by his mother to fetch a sock from the basement of the historic home they've moved into, Milo finds a door in the back that he's never seen before. Turns out that the basement of his house is enormous. In fact, there is a whole world down there. As Milo travels ever deeper into the Basement World, he meets the many Things that live in the shadows and gloom...and he learns that to face his fears he must approach even the strangest creatures with kindness.

Review Quotes

"Tasked by his preoccupied mother with finding one of his infant twin sisters' socks in the family's basement laundry room, a young boy descends into entire worlds in Hatke's haunted, wondrous museum of a graphic novel." --The New York Times, from "The Best Children's Books of 2023"

"Hatke gently blends both whimsical and terrifying imagery to create a fantastical, dreamily atmospheric katabasis..." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Generous in structure, as well, just when the tale could come to a satisfying conclusion, it opens wider, its most heart-pounding moments still ahead." -- Booklist, starred review

"Ben Hatke's inspired plot is visually driven, creative, and multilayered...Things in the Basement is a gorgeous, maze-like graphic novel for young readers..." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Hatke is at his best in this book that blends fantasy with reality, deftly -harmonizing murky greens and browns with cool blues and purples to create an eerie and wonderful atmosphere." --School Library Journal, starred review

"A journey of loss both intimate and fantastical, swept along by flowing, emotive illustrations." --Kirkus Reviews