This remarkable story of friendship is a perfect showcase for exquisite animals.
A former show horse adjusts to his new, less pampered life in Ryker’s middle-grade novel.
Full Time, who prefers his nickname Big Guy, is a colossal, ribbon-winning thoroughbred colt. It’s not easy for him to stay humble with Nancy, his person, constantly praising him for his good looks and his skills (“You’re the biggest, prettiest horse I have ever seen”). But aging is inevitable, as are the various aches that come with it. When he’s no longer at the top of his game, Big Guy moves to the adjacent school-horse barn, where humans learn how to ride horses. In a much tinier stall, he meets his school-horse stablemates, including warmhearted Shorty and pessimistic Kaiser. When he was a show horse, Big Guy spent time in a fenced paddock alone; now, he’s regularly surrounded by other horses who sport a diverting mix of personalities that he soon grows fond of. For the first time since he was a pony, Big Guy feels like he’s part of a herd. Ryker’s breezy, good-natured story has its share of humor. The horses fall into misadventures: Kaiser takes pleasure in kicking the barn wall to knock hanging saddles to the floor, and part-Clydesdale Slippy is, proudly, an escape artist. They’re full of curious tales, as one is an ex-racehorse and others have worked at rodeos. But there are serious moments as well; horses become injured or sick, and they fear being sent to the zoo, where the unspeakable allegedly happens. Readers unfamiliar with equestrianism and horse care will pick up loads of details, including relevant terminology and specifics about what horses go through (being a show horse can be lonely, as owners intentionally keep them away from other horses). Connell’s simple black-and-white sketches capture some of the best moments, as when Slippy makes his way to a snack regardless of the novice rider trying to lead him elsewhere.
This remarkable story of friendship is a perfect showcase for exquisite animals.Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9781578691746
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Rootstock Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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