Relatable characters ground a story that’s suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming.
Gartner’s middle-grade space adventure follows a boy’s space-travel adventure as it takes a dangerous turn.
“I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.” From this heart-pounding opening, readers are launched on a journey into the near future with Fin Scott, a tween with astronomical potential. Readers soon learn that Fin’s life changed when he received what he calls the “Package of Destiny”: His invention has won him the chance to train at NASA’s Houston facilities, board the Aether spacecraft to visit the International Space Station, and take a three-day trip to an outpost orbiting the moon. With his mom in the hospital and his dad spending most of his time with her, Fin wants nothing more than to get away; his uncle Dennis agrees to act as his guardian in space. At NASA headquarters, Fin meets his fellow contest winners—Mae Jorgenson, David Kalkutten, and Kal Agarwal—as well as the Aether’s commander, Marc Horowitz, and glowering “paper pusher” Mr. Deuce, who seems determined to shut the space program down. Together, the kids must train hard to prepare for their upcoming mission, but as problems begin to mount, it starts to appear that there may be a saboteur among them. Things get worse when the group launches into space, where multiple disasters strike. Over the course of this book, Gartner delivers a story in which naturalistic dialogue flows effortlessly, which has the effect of capturing the kids’ simultaneous joy and trepidation at being surrounded by adults who take them (mostly) seriously. At one point, for example, Fin tells Mae, “For what it’s worth, you are the best fourteen-year-old pilot I know.” She responds, “Yeah, I’m pretty great,” although Fin “can tell it’s with a hint of teasing herself.” Overall, it’s a well-paced tale that will remind young readers of the truly breathtaking wonders of space travel.
Relatable characters ground a story that’s suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming.Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781734155297
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crescent Vista Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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
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