A thoughtful adventure about navigating changing friendships and the mysterious tunnels beneath Paris.
Hugo, an autistic boy with a deep fondness for maps, explores the tunnels beneath Paris, seeking lost treasure and the friendship he craves.
Smells, loud sounds, and bright lights can be overwhelming for 12-year-old Hugo; his habit of wearing sunglasses indoors has led to the nickname “Spy,” used even by his former friend Alex. Most of the time, Hugo appreciates his photographic memory and other neurodivergent abilities, although they’ve gradually distanced him from Alex and his other former friend, Julie. Even reviewing the social story cards used by his perceptive occupational therapist, Mathilde, doesn’t help his attempts at friendship. During a school field trip, Hugo learns of the network of tunnels beneath Paris, extending far beyond the famous catacombs. This revelation leads him to research historical maps at the public library. The librarian tells him of the cataphiles, underground explorers, and their accepting and nonjudgmental ways. She also tells him about the Urban eXperiment, a secretive cataphile group, and a bottle of chartreuse that was discovered beside the skeleton of the man who got lost while trying to steal it. It’s rumored to be belowground in a secret wine cellar—and Hugo wants to find it. Hugo’s self-aware first-person narration invites readers into his sensory experiences. Charming illustrations add to the enjoyment. Occasional French words and Briticisms can be deduced from context. Julie is of Chinese descent, and most other characters read white.
A thoughtful adventure about navigating changing friendships and the mysterious tunnels beneath Paris. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9781802635515
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Clock Tower Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
Fiercely feisty and unapologetically goofy.
Three young girls are tasked with saving their town from a vicious worm.
This romp from actor McKinnon introduces the three Porch girls: Gertrude, age 12 and three-quarters, Eugenia, age 12 and one-eighth, and Dee-Dee, age 11. Cared for by Aunt Desdemona and Uncle Ansel (along with their seven cousins, who are all named Lavinia), they’re forced to live in a ramshackle shed at the edge of the property. In a classic turn of events, the sisters are invited to a new school run by a certain Millicent Quibb. Under Quibb’s eccentric tutelage, the trio learn that the nefarious Krenetics Research Association, hoping to release their founder, Talon Sharktūth, from his vault, has bred a Kyrgalops, a vicious stone- and puppy-chomping worm, which may destroy their entire town. McKinnon’s middle-grade debut is grandiosely silly, reminiscent of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events in both its sesquipedalian language and tone and in relying heavily on its bespoke lexicon, verbal gymnastics, and cheeky footnotes to deliver jokes. Interspersed throughout are bits of visual interest—poems and songs, schematics, and bits of correspondence. Though the action rockets along at a Pixy Stix–fueled pace, many questions are left unanswered or unaddressed, making this series opener exposition heavy and a bit frustrating. Still, readers will ultimately be left hopeful that subsequent volumes will offer something meatier. The illustrations cue some diversity of skin tone among the characters.
Fiercely feisty and unapologetically goofy. (map, afterword, appendices) (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780316554732
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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