A surprising treat with a cackle on every page, this is a perfect book for Halloween or any day ending in Y.
French artist and author Solotareff provides readers of most ages with an alphabetical guide to identifying, understanding, and avoiding the witch community.
This dictionary—more like encyclopedia—of information relating to witches covers such important topics as a witch’s favorite colors (“violet-ish, yellowish, olive-ish,…gloomy, pigeon throat, crimson”), the utter normalcy of witches’ brooms, and the side effects of green saliva. Every definition includes a perfectly apropos illustration, each one a crude hilarity. Some of the information is clear and straightforward: “Witches don’t have babies. Happily!” Other entries are trickier to parse but no less satisfying to mull over. For example, the page labeled “BABIES” states only that “Bats are mice that sometimes fly and from which witches have taken the fur to glue onto the heads of babies who were born bald. (See ‘Hair’).” Pure silliness is balanced with occasional nuggets of wisdom, and mild gross-out humor lives comfortably alongside poetic, intriguing prose. Some adults might balk at children reading words such as “stupid” or the one usage of “hell,” and others might wonder why a dictionary would neglect the letters J, Q, V, and Z. But those who would deny themselves the pleasure of this funny, strange, charming book are missing out.
A surprising treat with a cackle on every page, this is a perfect book for Halloween or any day ending in Y. (Picture book. 6-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77085-995-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Firefly
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
After Castro’s takeover, nine-year-old Julian and his older brothers are sent away by their fearful parents via “Operation Pedro Pan” to a camp in Miami for Cuban-exile children. Here he discovers that a ruthless bully has essentially been put in charge. Julian is quicker-witted than his brothers or anyone else ever imagined, though, and with his inherent smarts, developing maturity and the help of child and adult friends, he learns to navigate the dynamics of the camp and surroundings and grows from the former baby of the family to independence and self-confidence. A daring rescue mission at the end of the novel will have readers rooting for Julian even as it opens his family’s eyes to his courage and resourcefulness. This autobiographical novel is a well-meaning, fast-paced and often exciting read, though at times the writing feels choppy. It will introduce readers to a not-so-distant period whose echoes are still felt today and inspire admiration for young people who had to be brave despite frightening and lonely odds. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-168-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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