The Great Sugar War

by Benjamin Ellefson

The Great Sugar War by Benjamin Ellefson

 

Age Range: 7 – 12 years

Grade Level: 3 – 6

Series: Land without Color
(book 2)

Paperback: 168 pages

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Would you be brave enough to battle against an army made of sugar?

For his twelfth birthday, Otto receive a little sailboat. On his maiden voyage he caught up in a terrible storm and lost at sea. When he rescues a lone man treading water in the middle of the ocean, he follows his directions to a strange land where all of the color has been drained from the land.

Otto soon realizes that he is smack dab in the middle of raging war between the Kingdom of Color and the Kingdom of Shapes. He tags along with the determined Colonel Droww and discovers the weird rules of war from the lazy grasshoppers and War Inspectors.

Then suddenly a new threat emerges. Sugar bubbles began to grow out of the ground across both kingdoms, giving rise to a terrible army of sugar soldiers that convert their enemies into more villains made of sugar. This is not just any war, it's a great sugar war!

With the both the armies of color and shapes decimated, it's up to Otto to save the day! He gathers a small band of heroes and searches for the true source of the new enemy. Together they must outsmart the war inspectors, battle the sugar soldiers, escape from the gnome factory, unite the two kingdoms, and teach the grasshoppers the importance of eating your vegetables.

Otto in a bountiful garden of vegetables in The Great Sugar War

Characters from The Great Sugar War

Otto from The Great Sugar War

Otto

When he receives a boat for his twelfth birthday, Otto sets sail for the afternoon on his maiden voyage. But when a storm hits, he is lost at sea for days. He soon rescues Colonel Droww and discovers the ironically named Kingdom of Color. Before he knows it, he is inducted into the Army of Color and participating in a great war against the Kingdom of Shapes. Otto soon discovers that war is not like he thought and has to use all of his wits to survive against the new army of sugar soldiers.

 

Aunt Nellie

Nellie Trailbender is an old woman living in the Grasshopper Fields who everyone affectionately calls "Aunt Nellie". An independent sole, she stays out of the long running military conflict between the Kingdom of Color and the Kingdom of Shapes. Instead, she uses her time to try to teach the stubborn grasshoppers to live in harmony with both colors and shapes. To think of the future and take care of yourself through preparedness.

Aunt Nellie from The Great Sugar War
 
Colonel Droww from The Great Sugar War

Colonel Droww

Colonel Droww is the son of Will the Great, the hero of the Color Wars. He is determined to follow in his father's footsteps and be a great military leader. When war broke out, he raced to enlist in the army with his rival Colonel Grivelt. Now he leads his forces trying to defeat the enemy while attempting to become the youngest General in history.

 

The Mighty Lion

The Mighty Lion is the protector of the Red Berry Forest. Standing almost twice a tall as the average man, he is an huge beast with golden fur and thick brown mane. While is exterior is terrifying and vicious, inside he is a gentle soul who detests any person who would harm another. He uses his mighty roar to strike fear in the hearts of the wicked. Ever since his reign began, the Red Berry Forest has been a colorful lush paradise for all the woodland creatures.

The Mighty Lion from The Great Sugar War
 
Colonel Grivelt from The Great Sugar War

Colonel Grivelt

Colonel Grivelt is an officer in the Army of Color. He is a giant bear who always wears a wide brimmed hat. Attending the military academy with Colonel Droww, he is always competing with his rival and trying to outdo him at every turn. He leads his forces in the war with the sole goal of become a General before Droww.

 

King Fabian

King Fabian is the heartbroken ruler of the Kingdom of Color. When he gave his queen a magnificent boat for her birthday, tragedy struck. Vile agents from his the Kingdom of Shapes struck and burned the boat at sea, killing all aboard including the queen. Now he rages a long war to seek vengeance and destroy the rival kingdom once and for all.

King Fabian from The Great Sugar War
 
King Rhombus from The Great Sugar War

King Rhombus

King Rhombus is the ruler of the Kingdom of Shapes just south of the Grasshopper Fields. He lives in a gray, colorless land decorated with magnificent shapes. Through his reign, he has constructed a marvelous metropolis of shapes with towering sky-scrappers of intricate design. He has a long standing hatred of the Kingdom of Color and has spent much effort trying to convert the grasshoppers to the way of shapes. Now he is engaged in a full scale war against King Fabian.



 

Illustrations from The Great Sugar War

Otto, Colonel Droww, and the Mighty Lion rowing across the sea in the clouds in The Great Sugar War

About the Illustrator

Kevin Cannon

Kevin Cannon is a cartoonist most well known for the critically acclaimed nonfiction graphic novel “The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy” (Hill & Wang, 2015) and the Eisner Award-nominated arctic adventure “Far Arden” (Top Shelf, 2009). City Pages named him Twin Cities’ Best Cartoonist in 2011. He also produces elaborate cartoon maps, which have appeared in The Appendix, The Star Tribune, The Riverfront Times, and The Miami New Times.

Cannon has also illustrated several children’s books, most notably “Ben and Lucy Play Pond Hockey” (Beavers Pond Press, 2010), and “The Gluten Glitch” (Beavers Pond Press, 2012).

A Minneapolis native, Cannon spends his free time camping, reading dusty books about arctic explorers, and listening to hockey games on the radio.

 

www.kevincannon.org

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The shattered teacup child from The Collapsing Kingdom

Reviews of The Great Sugar War

Escaping the gnome factory in The Great Sugar War

Awards won by The Great Sugar War

National Indie Excellence Award Winner

National Indie Excellence Award

2017 Winner

Category: Chapter Books

Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

2017 Finalist

Category: Best Overall Design Fiction

Midwest Independent Publishing Association Awards Finalist

Midwest Independent Publishing Association Award

2016 Finalist

Category: Children's Fiction

Midwest Independent Publishing Association Awards Finalist

Midwest Independent Publishing Association Award

2016 Finalist

Category: Total Book Design

Living Now Awards

Living Now Awards

2017 Bronze

Category: Adventure Fiction

Reader's Favorite Book Reviews and Awards Bronze

Reader's Favorite Book Reviews and Award Content

2017 Bronze Winner

Category: Children – Fable

USA Best Book Awards Finalist

Best Book Awards

2017 Finalist

Category: Children's Fiction

Shelf Unbound Awards Notable 100

Shelf Unbound Awards

2018 Notable 100

Category: Best Indie Book

Otto and Colonel Droww discovering a sugar bubble in The Great Sugar War