A well-crafted exploration of healing that will remind readers that everyone’s story has wings waiting to unfold.
When 15-year-old Dylan discovers an injured red-tailed hawk in the woods where he watches birds and writes poetry, he’s forced to examine the complicated fractures running through his life.
In her layered novel in verse, Stemple creates a world where mechanical expertise and poetic sensitivity intertwine, grounded by characters who reveal unexpected depths. Initially coming across as harsh and unlikable, Dylan’s rigidly old-fashioned and judgmental grandfather reveals a surprisingly caring and protective streak when it matters most. White-presenting Dylan emerges as a genuine protagonist; while helping in his grandfather’s auto shop, he learns that “cars are easier than people” as he carries the weight of his mother’s absence and unpredictable mental illness. His keen observations reveal both deep-seated grief and unspoken fears about inheritance, particularly as he grapples with the harsh reality that “nature is cruel / to broken creatures.” Through his investigation of the injured hawk, Dylan confronts questions about brokenness—in nature, in his mother, and perhaps in himself. Though his solitude isn’t entirely by choice (former friendships dissolved following his mother’s public actions), a growing friendship with Peregrine Rodriguez, a raptor rehabilitator’s daughter, offers a promising glimpse of connection. As he navigates small-town living, Dylan starts to recognize how people, like the birds he admires, contain both vulnerability and strength.
A well-crafted exploration of healing that will remind readers that everyone’s story has wings waiting to unfold. (author’s note, resources) (Verse fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781662660214
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Wordsong/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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
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
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