A thoughtful yet action-driven tale to read again and again and share with friends.
Juniper Knox lives in a post-apocalyptic world: Following a Blight caused by insects that killed the trees, paper is a rare commodity, and information is power.
When Juni was 6, her archaeologist parents died while searching for the Last Library. Now, 13-year-old Juni seeks books, too. She hopes to auction off every scrap of paper she finds so she can buy medicine for ailing Grandpa Edgar. In her quest, she meets Kobyn Garcia and his mother, who reveal the truth about the Blight and the rise of Novexus Corporation, which controls every aspect of people’s lives. They explain that all paper was burned a century ago in an effort to end the Blight; with it, the historical record was conveniently destroyed. Now, the populace only learns what Novexus wants them to—and nothing will change unless the Last Library can be found and its information shared. Juni struggles to believe this history, especially given some revelations about her parents. Excitement builds as Juni takes the lead in the hunt for the Library, triggering dramatic conflicts with Novexus. It’s possible that all will be lost unless the searchers take a huge risk. In a delight to bibliophiles, Cole weaves lovely testimonies to the power of reading and the acquisition of knowledge into the text. Juni reads white; names cue ethnic diversity among the cast.
A thoughtful yet action-driven tale to read again and again and share with friends. (Dystopian. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781639932382
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
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