Out-of-this-world potty humor with heart among the toots.
A projectile toilet spells danger—and mess—for Area 51 and its residents.
Sky Patel-Baum has had a lot of firsts since moving from boring California to Area 51. The latest first: Her alien bestie’s long-lost (read: assumed dead) parents come to visit via UFO with a surprise little brother in tow. Complicated family dynamics abound, and the interstellar visitors warn that the Arthogus (an exiled alien species) are in cahoots with someone on the base to exact their revenge. Their method of destruction: launching a poop-filled space toilet at Area 51. The odds of survival? 13.875%. But who could the double agent be? Sky and friends team up once again to get to the bottom of the latest mystery—and flush the intruder out. Buxbaum’s second series entry one-ups its predecessor in ridiculousness, including a bounty of fart puns. The first-person narration allows Sky’s infectious personality to shine. Well-placed clues and red herrings help keep the mystery fresh while expanding the setting. The pseudo “Scooby-Doo gang” welcomes a new member in talented hacker Gertie, an astronaut’s daughter. Naidu’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations effectively punctuate jokes and offer occasional helpful asides. Characters are drawn in a range of skin tones; Gertie reads Black. Another cliffhanger ending makes a key revelation in addition to hinting at the next installment.
Out-of-this-world potty humor with heart among the toots. (recipes) (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: July 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593429501
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans.
Only children, rejoice! A cozy mystery just for you! (People with siblings will probably enjoy it too.)
Debut novelist Cornett introduces the One and Onlys, a trio of mystery-solving only kids: Gloria Longshanks “Shanks” Hill, Alexander “Peephole” Calloway, and narrator Paul (alas, no nickname) Marconi. The trio has a knack for finding and solving low-level mysteries, but they come up against a true head-scratcher when the yard of a resident of their small town is covered in rubber ducks overnight. Working ahead of Officer Portnoy, who’s a little on the slow side, can Paul, Shanks, and Peephole solve the mystery? Cornett has a lot of fun with this adventure, dropping additional side mysteries, a subplot about small businesses, big corporations, and economics, and a town’s love of bratwurst into the mix. Most importantly, he plays fair with the clues throughout, allowing astute readers to potentially solve the case ahead of the trio. The tone and mystery are perfect for younger readers who want to test their detective skills but are put off by anything scary or gory. The pacing would serve well for chapter-by-chapter read-alouds. If there are any quibbles, it’s the lack of diversity of the cast, as it defaults white. Diversity exists in small towns, and this one is crying out for more. Hopefully a sequel will introduce additional faces.
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-3003-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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