A sad, heartfelt quest tale that offers light at the end of the tunnel.
In Gunhus’ middle-grade novel, a grieving girl falls into a fantasy world and must find her way home while coming to terms with her loss.
Thirteen-year-old Caroline’s father died in a car accident just four weeks ago. He’d been out driving to buy some marshmallows for her, so she feels terrible guilt along with her grief. Thinking about her dad is too painful, so she decides to wall off her memories of him and ignore them. However, the future of who Caroline will become rests on how she copes with what happened—and that, in turn, will depend on how she reacts after she unexpectedly falls through a portal and into another world. This new world is strange and dangerous—tree-faring folk lie in wait to eat unwary travelers; the smoky, nightmarish Creach, which hunts those who have despair in their hearts—but the land is beautiful, too. Caroline meets Mordecai the Gand, an itinerant lute player whom she joins, hoping to find a way home and keep her sad memories at bay. The newness and sense of adventure bring Caroline to life again, but it comes at the cost of cutting herself off from her old existence. As her travels continue, she begins to suspect that Mordecai’s way of life, enticing though it is, may come at too high a price. Can Caroline help her new friend and, in doing so, find her own path back to herself? Gunhus writes in a style that will be easily accessible to middle-grade readers, yet it also has a profound simplicity that adults will appreciate. Caroline may be an embodiment of childhood grief, from a narrative standpoint, but she has a distinct personality of her own—empathic, forthright, willful—and those around her give this parable additional character. The plot seems straightforwardly aimed at readers in Caroline’s position, but it never feels strained; the pacing is gentle, though never too slow, and the dialogue rings true. Throughout, Gunhus captures poignant moments and images—such as that of the ethereal krybird—that will allow readers to recognize the author’s intent and find comfort along the way.
A sad, heartfelt quest tale that offers light at the end of the tunnel.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-59-303609-4
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PROFILES
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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