Thoroughly entertaining—mystery fans and dog lovers will lap this one up.
Three clever but remarkably quirky siblings and two of their friends take on an infamous and crafty jewel thief.
Epic, interested in robotics and facing the challenging transition from a tiny private academy to a large public middle school, is often tasked with keeping an eye on his younger brother, Rondo, who takes detecting very seriously, and Elvis, his little sister, who’s just as focused on famous movie-star dog Sir Bentley. Her dream is coming true: Sir Bentley is coming to stay at their parents’ dog-centric bed-and-breakfast, Perro del Mar, in the titular “dog-friendly town” of Carmelito, California. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night someone steals Bentley’s valuable, jewel-studded collar, and the crime is quickly publicized on dog-focused celebrity blogs. The B&B is full of plausible jewel-thief candidates, most in town for the season’s biggest doggie bash, Puppy Picnic. Epic, in his believably (and yet humorously) angst-wracked narration, reports the riveting, evolving developments in a mystery that is thick with red herrings. Short chapters and a breathless pace make this a clever, engrossing plot-driven tale with plenty of unusual, well-developed characters—even the dogs. Epic and his family are white, and opening illustrations indicate that much of the rest of the cast is diverse.
Thoroughly entertaining—mystery fans and dog lovers will lap this one up. (Mystery. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-374-30644-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
A satisfying, winning read.
Nick Hall is a bright eighth-grader who would rather do anything other than pay attention in class.
Instead he daydreams about soccer, a girl he likes, and an upcoming soccer tournament. His linguistics-professor father carefully watches his educational progress, requiring extra reading and word study, much to Nick’s chagrin and protest. Fortunately, his best friend, Coby, shares his passion for soccer—and, sadly, the unwanted attention of twin bullies in their school. Nick senses something is going on with his parents, but their announcement that they are separating is an unexpected blow: “it’s like a bombshell / drops / right in the center / of your heart / and it splatters / all across your life.” The stress leads to counseling, and his life is further complicated by injury and emergency surgery. His soccer dream derailed, Nick turns to the books he has avoided and finds more than he expected. Alexander’s highly anticipated follow-up to Newbery-winning The Crossover is a reflective narrative, with little of the first book’s explosive energy. What the mostly free-verse novel does have is a likable protagonist, great wordplay, solid teen and adult secondary characters, and a clear picture of the challenges young people face when self-identity clashes with parental expectations. The soccer scenes are vivid and will make readers wish for more, but the depiction of Nick as he unlocks his inner reader is smooth and believable.
A satisfying, winning read. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-57098-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
© 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.
