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CROSSING THE BLACK ICE BRIDGE

Name: CROSSING THE BLACK ICE BRIDGE
Author: Alex Bell
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0652-0

From the Polar Bear Explorers' Club series , Vol. 3

by Alex Bell ; illustrated by Tomislav Tomic ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 10, 2020

An exciting adventure.

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Four junior explorers brave the cursed Black Ice Bridge in this adventure-filled third book of the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club series.

Stella Starflake Pearl and her adoptive father, Felix, are expelled from the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club for breaking club rules in their last expedition. On top of that, she is wanted for arrest for being an ice princess, something deemed a danger to society. But that doesn’t stop Stella and her three friends, Shay, Ethan, and Beanie, from setting out on a dangerous expedition. On their last adventure, Shay’s shadow wolf was bitten by a witch wolf, and it seems that Shay is slowly turning into a witch wolf himself. The only person who can save him is on the other side of the treacherous Black Ice Bridge. Encountering gargoyles, red devil squids, and a gentleman flamingo, Stella and her friends must travel the bridge that no explorer has ever successfully crossed. With magic, danger, and mythical creatures, this book is fast paced and full of action and adventure. Detailed black-and-white drawings scattered throughout the book give readers a tantalizing glimpse into this world. Powerful one-liners reinforce messages of not judging others for being born the way they are and not being defined by one element of your being. Characters are cued as White.

An exciting adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-5344-0652-0

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE TRAIN OF DARK WONDERS
by Alex Bell ; illustrated by Beatriz Castro

- BOOK REVIEW
THE GLORIOUS RACE OF MAGICAL BEASTS
by Alex Bell ; illustrated by Tim McDonagh

- BOOK REVIEW
FROZEN CHARLOTTE
by Alex Bell

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THE LION OF LARK-HAYES MANOR

by Aubrey Hartman ; illustrated by Christopher Cyr ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023

A pleasing premise for book lovers.

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A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.

When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)

A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9780316448222

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE WRATH OF THE PAPERCLIP

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THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE WRATH OF THE PAPERCLIP

From the First Cat in Space series , Vol. 3

by Mac Barnett ; illustrated by Shawn Harris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2024

File under “laugh riot.”

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A rogue spell-check program’s bid to transform all life-forms into that eminently useful office item, the paper clip, touches off a fresh round of lunar lunacy.

Predicated on the entirely reasonable premise that eliminating all spelling and grammar errors everywhere would logically lead to the necessity of exterminating carbon-based life in the universe, this third series entry combines high stakes with daffy banter and daring exploits. CheckMate—a chipper, jumped-up editing program—has invented the Transmogratron, a giant laser that will fulfill its ultimate goals in both the cyber world and “meatspace.” Facing challenges as random as prankster lunar unicorns and a disarmingly motherly Motherboard, scowling First Cat joins a motley crew of diversely carbon- and silicon-based allies, led by the pearlescent Queen of the Moon. They’re in a race to the finish—diverted occasionally by, for instance, a relentlessly punny comic-book interlude featuring a pair of literal and figurative Pool Sharks. They ultimately triumph thanks to teamwork and moxie. Following a celebratory party and toasts to “new friends…and steadfast comrades” (and, of course, “MEOW”), the story’s energetic, brightly colored panels close with a reveal of the next volume. (“I always hate it when comics end by announcing a sequel. SO CRINGE!” declares an authorial stand-in.) It can’t come too soon.

File under “laugh riot.” (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)