A quirky and fun summer read.
Abigail Herman spends a lot of time trying to figure out the mysterious rules of fifth grade friendship.
Everyone knows that you should tuck in your shirt before doing a cartwheel. Everyone, that is, except 11-year-old Abby. Just like she doesn’t know the words to the latest songs or the names of the characters on the popular TV shows her mom won’t let her watch. She thinks a fresh start at summer camp might be the answer to her friendship problems, and she has her sights set on Camp Longatocket, which her old babysitter reminisced about. But when her teacher, Ms. McIntyre, arranges for Abby to go to a camp run by her brother, it’s someplace completely different: Camp Famous, where the high-profile campers include a princess and a pop star. Being the only nonfamous kid makes her feel like an outsider, so Abby pretends to be a bestselling author to fit in. She can only be her true self when she’s writing in her fuzzy, green, sequined notebook and when she’s spending time with Oliver Frank, her classmate and fellow camper who promises to keep her secret—and has one of his own. This plot-driven, upbeat novel will have readers relating to Abby’s awkwardness while enjoying the fanciful situation in which she finds herself. At its heart, it’s a sweet story of friendship, being true to yourself, and finding common ground. Most characters default to White.
A quirky and fun summer read. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-314068-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
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
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
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