A quirky and compact fantasy saga that will lure new fans to the genre.
Evil forces close in on a young hero in this fourth installment of a middle-grade fantasy series.
After several adventures using magical Doors, 11-year-old Hunter Wilson needs advice. He explains his far-fetched life outside of school to his classmates Gertrude Clemmons and David Kim. But Hunter presents the scenarios as a story that he’s working on, featuring a hero named Chase. He primarily wants to know if he can trust his companion Murphy, who is a giant growff (dog), in his struggle against the Dark Child. When his friends fail to ease his mind, Hunter contemplates opening another Door. He creates spells to use with the wand that can be summoned from his bag, but his limited magical skills can’t reopen the first Door in the hollow tree near the school. Then, on Thanksgiving at his grandparents’ country home, the opportunity to search for more Doors presents itself. But in another realm, the Puzzle Piece Man watches. He’s been guiding Hunter and manipulating events to suit his own design. Meanwhile, the Dark Child sends Esthuan Thievesbane and her werewolf army to intercept Hunter. Will the hero, whom the Puzzle Piece Man calls “dangerous and unpredictable,” reach the enigmatic Collector for the next magical item? Genzano’s Stranger World novels deliver an appropriate length and content for middle-grade readers new to fantasies, and the latest is no exception. Fans learn the fate of Murphy and meet the enjoyably odd Aloysius Stentorious Greel, or the Collector, in his mansion. Clever notions abound, including furniture with “drawers that sang” and some “that held different items depending on when or how you opened them.” Once more, the stakes rise incrementally as Hunter learns that the Elder Folk are waging a war over him (“They’ll sit still for millennia, then tumble down all at once like an avalanche!”). Despite the saga’s engaging plot—and the fact that Hunter has saved Esthuan’s life—there’s great emotional potential in matching up characters more creatively, such as Gertrude and David meeting Murphy. Nevertheless, the series continues to flower as a narrative payoff remains on the horizon.
A quirky and compact fantasy saga that will lure new fans to the genre.Pub Date: June 28, 2022
ISBN: 9798827037095
Page Count: 131
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience.
Ben Silverstein’s summer with Grandpa is about to go wild.
When his parents need to “work out some troubles,” 10-year-old Ben gets shipped off to tiny Buttonville, where everything seems to be closed or out of business since the button factory was shuttered years ago. Ben’s used to spending summers in the pool in his Los Angeles backyard with his friends, and Buttonville looks positively coma-inducing. When Grandpa’s mouser Barnaby deposits what has to be a baby dragon on Ben’s bed, Ben and his new friend Pearl (whom the whole town calls “troublemaker” on account of a few innocent incidents) decide to visit the new “worm doctor” who has moved into the abandoned button factory. (Ben had heard her strange assistant Mr. Tabby buying ingredients for “dragon’s milk” at the grocery....) When their visit unleashes a hairy, pudding-loving imaginary beast on the town of Buttonville, Ben and Pearl volunteer to catch him. Selfors kicks off her Imaginary Veterinary series with a solid, entertaining opener. Ben and Pearl are Everykids that readers will relate to, and the adults of Buttonville are often delightfully weird and clueless. Twenty-five pages of backmatter include information on wyverns and sasquatch as well as the science of reptiles and a pudding recipe.
More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-20934-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
