A thrilling end to an inspiring trilogy.
Boxmates Ace, Jayla, Grayson, and Leo return for one last adventure as they attempt to stop a tyrannical threat.
Ace is more than ready for his last semester as a cadet in the B.E.S.T. program at Tower of Power, and he has his sights set on the rare SuperSoar augment. Jayla is working overtime in the Resistance Research Lab’s Atlantis deepscraper, trying to find a cure for the Bixonium poisoning affecting Grayson’s parents. Grayson, still grappling with the revelations about his parents and Bixonics, is struggling to reconcile the truth with his former beliefs. Meanwhile, the friends all share a concern for Leo: They’re being held at Bixonics’ HQ, the former International Space Station, under the guise of learning to use their unstable Sherlock augment. Plots are hatched, more truths are unearthed, and unlikely friendships are formed—all culminating in a satisfying conclusion as the boxmates hurtle toward an uncertain future and make decisions that’ll affect both themselves and others. As was the case with the earlier entries, this fast-paced novel is full of heart and determination, largely due to the strong characterizations of the four protagonists and supporting cast. Filled with descriptive action sequences and conspiratorial tension, the story will make readers feel like they’re part of the adventure. McCarthy skillfully conveys the importance of both emotional and logical intelligence, which can inspire young readers to be more accepting of differences.
A thrilling end to an inspiring trilogy. (pick your aug) (Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780358362159
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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