A simple mystery about a move and a loose tooth with attractive illustrations, though accompanied by thick blocks of text.
A young girl’s parents can’t figure out what is troubling their daughter about an upcoming move in this text-dense second picture book by Kohlman (Are Your Ears on Your Knees, 2012).
Becky and her parents are preparing for a move from the city to a new house in the suburbs. Over the months, they have watched it grow from foundation to roof. While Becky seems to enjoy the process, as the move approaches, she becomes quiet and troubled, and her parents cannot solve the mystery of Becky’s unhappiness. Adult readers will guess right away: Becky is worried that her loose tooth won’t fall out in time for the tooth fairy to find it! But young readers may be just as confused as Becky’s parents since the reason for her anxiety isn’t easily determined. Allen’s colorful and approachable cartoon illustrations—and his very convincing image of Becky’s worried expression—are eye-catching. The sense that Becky is moving from a dense urban area is clear only in the text; she appears to be moving from one middle-class house in an all-white neighborhood to another. Additionally, the first image feels more like an architecture sketch than an illustration for children. Kohlman’s text has simple enough sentences that newly independent readers won’t be stumped by vocabulary, but the sheer number of words per page may intimidate some young readers. Because the story is told from the adult perspective rather than Becky’s, it may be hard for young readers to engage with the text even if they are concerned about what is making Becky unhappy. Still, there are plenty of fun moments here: The growth of the house and Becky’s observations are clever (“another time the kitchen cabinets were sitting on the living room floor. Becky thought that was funny”). Readers who are afraid of leaving behind an old house may find comfort in the solution to Becky’s problem.
A simple mystery about a move and a loose tooth with attractive illustrations, though accompanied by thick blocks of text.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1491821442
Page Count: 24
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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