For those who like their adventures comfortable and their wonders cozy.
Two visiting American children are kidnapped by a runaway British carnival in this middle-grade fantasy sequel.
Fifth-grader Tess and her younger brother, Max, are spending another summer in England with Aunt Evie. After their previous experiences (The Castle in the Mist, 2017), the pair feel ready for anything—but when a seaside carnival magically whisks them away, they’re not sure how they’ll ever get back to Devon-by-the-Sea. This episodic tale, with its quaintly whimsical setting and omniscient narration occasionally slipping into lecture mode, reads as deliberately old-fashioned. Tess, however, is a thoroughly modern heroine: She’s athletic, impulsive, and fearless, and her warm relationship with clever, nerdy Max charms convincingly. The siblings may be kind and brave, but they are also authentic children, avoiding the arch banter and grand heroics of current trends. All the characters seem default white and, despite their very different circumstances, vaguely upper-middle-class, with the notable exception of two very broadly drawn and accented Italians. While Tess, Max, and those they befriend face very real menaces, the stakes are kept small and personal. The fantastic elements are likewise low-key and intimate; they are more the stuff of daydreams—daring the flying trapeze!—and sparkling enchantments, never explained, just accepted as facets of the titular “carnival magic.” The very short chapters create gentle suspense at a brisk pace, perfect for classroom read-alouds.
For those who like their adventures comfortable and their wonders cozy. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-4021-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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