A colorful, tenderly told story for youngsters with vivid imaginations.
An imaginative boy discovers a door to a fantastical realm in this middle-grade adventure.
Eleven-year-old Hunter Wilson is obsessed with finding monsters. He looks for them under his bed and anywhere else he can conceive of them hiding. One day, he attends a field trip to a nearby pond with his classmates, including his best friend Gert Clemmons. They’re planning to collect jars of pond water to later examine under microscopes. A forest is close by, however, and Hunter can’t resist exploring it. He stumbles upon a large tree with a cavity filled with glowing mushrooms, which he enters; he then encounters tiny people who seem frightened of him and pelt him with acorns. When he emerges from the tree at last, he finds himself in a completely different forest. Among the strange trees there, he finds a talking raven who tells him the tale of the King of Monsters. Hunter then meets a gigantic dog whom he names Murphy; together, they find a machine that resembles a “black, gleaming moon” above the forest canopy that’s destroying trees. Elsewhere, the Puzzle Piece Man is well aware of Hunter’s progress and certain the boy will go even further. Genzano’s fantasy is a surreal, unpredictable narrative in the tradition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that precocious readers will enjoy. This volume lays potential groundwork for future installments with details such as Hunter’s favorite book, The Yellow Castle, Volume One: Shadow Tower, as well as snippets of characters in other realms noticing Hunter leave his own woods. The prose evokes a sense of discovery and magic, as in a description of a tree covered in “soft, furry, chestnut-colored growths” that “wagged sometimes in rippling sequence.” The story unfolds in sometimes-lengthy paragraphs that may challenge some middle-grade audiences.
A colorful, tenderly told story for youngsters with vivid imaginations.Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2020
ISBN: 979-8-56-121399-1
Page Count: 89
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
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