A lighthearted modern take on the adventures of fairy-tale princesses.
Sleeping Beauty wakes up and immediately runs away, then finds herself in a school in the modern day.
Cheeky prose narrates 16-year-old (“but she was also, it dawned on her, one hundred and sixteen!”) Rosamund’s hasty escape from the overeager prince through a nearby bathroom and into an unknown world. Her childhood tutor encouraged her to ask questions, so when she gets to the Orphans’ Home Educational Academy, which cares for fellow princesses (after all, HEA “could stand for Happily Ever After”), that’s the first thing she does. Rosamund’s confusion about cell phones, social media, and jeggings provides light amusement, as do on-the-nose references to Perrault and Calvino that might pass younger readers by. Rosamund soon learns that questions are not welcome, but she can’t silence her curiosity. She sneaks off campus with classmates Rana and Sirena to meet greasy teenage boys and discovers the joys of pizza. When Sirena, aka the Little Mermaid, gets eaten by a monster called an Uponatime, Rosamund realizes she has many more questions, and she must face her fears to figure out her new story. Rosamund’s journey offers some trenchant truisms (“That’s the risk of standing up for yourself…There’s no promise of a happy ending”), and the resolution is appropriately satisfying. While the tone is amusing, the book draws upon the more gruesome traditional versions of the tales. Most characters read white; Rana is olive-skinned.
A lighthearted modern take on the adventures of fairy-tale princesses. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780063303874
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
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
A warm bundle of holiday cheer.
In a funny, feel-good tale, 12-year-old twins separated at birth meet by chance and try to pull off a family switch during the December holidays.
The girls, who are cued white, agree that it would be a delicious prank, but each has a personal motive, too: Aviva Davis, who was adopted by a culturally Jewish mom and a Black dad who was raised Christian, wonders what it’s like to celebrate Christmas. Budding author Holly Martin, who was adopted by a white-presenting single mom, sees a golden opportunity to gather experiences for a school writing assignment about facing her fears. In a plot as sweet as a Hanukkah jelly doughnut and twisty as a Christmas cinnamon roll, the pair just manages to bail one another out of a string of sticky situations—both hilarious and otherwise. They both learn something of the customs and meaning of the two holidays while working through tears and laughter—not to mention conflicts sparked by their very different personalities. Everything culminates in a holiday performance at a local senior center that will have readers rising up to cheer them on. Though their history remains tantalizingly mysterious, for the protagonists, who narrate alternating chapters, it’s mission accomplished and more: Aviva emerges feeling more secure in her Jewish identity, while anxious Holly discovers unexpected depths of courage.
A warm bundle of holiday cheer. (song lyrics) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781250360670
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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