An uneven time-travel romp with a patriotic punch.
Thirteen-year-old Kep Westguard is a time-traveling teen in this first installment of Schnabel’s middle-grade SF series.
It’s 1777 in Saratoga in the colony of New York, and the Revolutionary War is raging. Kep is one of a few young teens sent back in time by the KRONOS company to keep modern-day America safe. His great-aunt Annie leads the mission at KRONOS and warns Kep that he can’t take for granted the many rights he enjoys in the 21st century. Her brother-in-law, Fox, who has a vendetta against the United States government for confiscating his family’s estate, already journeyed into the past to wreak havoc, and Kep is sent back to thwart any threats to the success of the Revolution. However, he’s not allowed to take any modern-day weapons or technologies with him. Along the way, he encounters the formerly enslaved Banneker, Mary, and Finn McGee as well as the German Baroness Von Riedesel. This first installment in Schnabel’s series is a page-turner that young history buffs will enjoy. Kep is relatable and fun to travel alongside, as there’s an effortless ease to his manner. The book ably intersperses real-life historical events and people, such as the baroness, without slowing the pace. That said, there are places in the book where the dialogue feels a bit out of step. Since Kep has time traveled before, and the KRONOS company is well versed in the past, one would assume that they would have trained him well on blending in; instead, Kep’s speech is sometimes distractingly modern but only rarely questioned, as when he says “wow, that was a shocker.” In addition, the time-travel technology is only sketchily explained.
An uneven time-travel romp with a patriotic punch.Pub Date: April 18, 2023
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 214
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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