Young horror enthusiasts will be delighted at this nod to the master of suspense.
A family’s summer vacation turns from boring to terrifying in an instant when nature attacks.
Fifteen-year-old Daphne and her family are driving along a backwoods road to reach their campsite when out of nowhere, a bird crashes into the windshield. When Daphne’s veterinarian father stops to examine it, another bird launches itself at his head, wounding him. Anxious to resume their trip, the unnerved family comes to a grim realization—their car is stuck in the mud. What’s worse, a thunderstorm looms menacingly on the horizon. More and more birds arrive, injuries mount, and all efforts to escape prove futile as the winged attack relentlessly continues. Aware of the risks (and against her family’s protests), Daphne courageously darts away from the car toward a nearby town for rescue as thunderclaps ring out, but will she succeed? What fate awaits her stranded family if she fails? Who else will be ensnarled in the aggressive aerial assault? A tribute to Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Boisvert’s short, action-packed novel translated from French will grip readers as each frighteningly surreal scene unfolds. Black-and-white stock illustrations interspersed throughout become increasingly sinister, ramping up the suspense. Attentive readers will recognize the double meanings behind some pictures as foreshadowing. Physical descriptions are minimal.
Young horror enthusiasts will be delighted at this nod to the master of suspense. (author’s note) (Horror. 9-13)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781459839892
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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
BOOK REVIEW
Heartwarming fare for young pet owners who feel the love and loyalty going both ways.
Devotion permeates this tale of a small dog who’s swept up in a peasants’ revolt against a greedy king.
Inflamed with righteousness in the wake of yet another tax hike, 12-year-old Tom has defied his parents to slip away and join the revolutionary Reds. Stoutly declaring that he’s a good dog, 5-year-old Rebel chases after him to bring his beloved boy back—and discovers a wide new world beyond the farm, fraught with dangers but also rich in animal friends offering help and advice. Just as beguiling as the furry narrator’s dog’s-eye view of events are his ongoing arguments with Jaxon, a gruff feral hound he meets along the way, who urges him to find his wild inner True Dog. Jaxon’s refusal to be bound by emotional attachments ultimately clashes with Rebel’s big, uncomplicated heart. Following a brush with death, Rebel encounters a mystical Companion, who offers him glimpses of dog heaven; when the climactic battle arrives, Rebel declares, “I get to decide what I do with my one and only life. And if I use it for anything, I’m going to use it for love.” The author brings the odyssey to a satisfactory conclusion with one last, pure affirmation of love. In this story set in an alternate Britain reminiscent of its 17th-century Civil War, Rebel distinguishes humans in the cast by their voices, smell, and dress.
Heartwarming fare for young pet owners who feel the love and loyalty going both ways. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781536246797
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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