by H.D. Hunter ; illustrated by Khadijah Khatib ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 19, 2024
A return to an exciting world of Afrofuturism where everything’s on the line and there’s a lot for a kid to learn.
The fate of Futureland is at stake in this third series entry when the evil Architects return for a winner-takes-all showdown.
Cam Walker, his parents, and Uncle Trey originally planned on a much-needed vacation to Italy, bringing along Futureland, their floating amusement park home, as well as Grandma Ava and Cam’s middle school friends from Atlanta. But the mysterious re-emergence of long-lost family friend Auntie Maxine coincides with these plans being derailed by familiar shadowy villains. The Architects challenge the crew to a series of high-stakes games for the future of Futureland. Obviously, the Walkers must accept. Their only saving grace is getting to choose the location—Cairo, where the technologically advanced Egyptians can serve as impartial referees. Otherwise, the Architects, with their advanced tech and lack of morals, are seemingly at an advantage. After some early issues with Cam’s leadership and a shocking betrayal, Team Futureland prove to be formidable competitors in a wide array of games and puzzles incorporating Egyptian culture—ancient, contemporary, and futuristic. The Architects are nefarious cheaters in the action-packed adventure, but teamwork and kid-size savvy win out. The dynamic format includes comic spreads and other visual elements. Ultimately, though, triumph for Cam looks less like vanquishing the Architects once and for all than finally taking on normal seventh grade life. Final art not seen.
A return to an exciting world of Afrofuturism where everything’s on the line and there’s a lot for a kid to learn. (guide to Futureland) (Science fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2024
ISBN: 9780593479506
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
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by Dav Pilkey & illustrated by Dav Pilkey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2012
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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by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
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