A satisfying environmental mystery in which kids are the problem solvers.
A group of burgeoning conservationists discover that someone in their area is baiting owls, endangering the birds.
Fifth grader Miles is back with his friends, the Backyard Rangers, after their success with saving Blanding’s turtles from poachers in 2022’s Trouble at Turtle Pond. A class assignment involving identifying birds spikes the kids’ interest in trying to spot Bella, a barred owl who’s been spotted emerging in daylight and who isn’t intimidated by humans, thus drawing crowds of onlookers. Miles finds owl pellets by his house, and when his class dissects them, they notice white mouse fur, signifying that someone is baiting owls with domesticated mice. The students learn that this practice increases owls’ dependence on people for food and alters their natural behavior. An owl, likely lured by bait to the side of the road, was even recently hit by a car. The Backyard Rangers decide to act before more owls get hurt. Miles’ ADHD is authentically portrayed as both a challenge and a strength; his impulsivity strains his friendships, but his creative thinking and ability to track details make him a great detective. Renn allows her characters to be realistically flawed, portraying them with nuance. Despite references to events of the previous volume, enjoyment of this sequel isn’t dependent on having read it. Miles presents white; there’s ethnic and racial diversity among the supporting cast.
A satisfying environmental mystery in which kids are the problem solvers. (author’s note) (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781646034789
Page Count: 282
Publisher: Fitzroy Books
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans.
Only children, rejoice! A cozy mystery just for you! (People with siblings will probably enjoy it too.)
Debut novelist Cornett introduces the One and Onlys, a trio of mystery-solving only kids: Gloria Longshanks “Shanks” Hill, Alexander “Peephole” Calloway, and narrator Paul (alas, no nickname) Marconi. The trio has a knack for finding and solving low-level mysteries, but they come up against a true head-scratcher when the yard of a resident of their small town is covered in rubber ducks overnight. Working ahead of Officer Portnoy, who’s a little on the slow side, can Paul, Shanks, and Peephole solve the mystery? Cornett has a lot of fun with this adventure, dropping additional side mysteries, a subplot about small businesses, big corporations, and economics, and a town’s love of bratwurst into the mix. Most importantly, he plays fair with the clues throughout, allowing astute readers to potentially solve the case ahead of the trio. The tone and mystery are perfect for younger readers who want to test their detective skills but are put off by anything scary or gory. The pacing would serve well for chapter-by-chapter read-alouds. If there are any quibbles, it’s the lack of diversity of the cast, as it defaults white. Diversity exists in small towns, and this one is crying out for more. Hopefully a sequel will introduce additional faces.
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-3003-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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