A lovely mixture of friends and family and more than a touch of magic.
The charming proprietor of Mrs. Owl’s Bookshop magically supplies customers with just the book they need.
It is Clara’s favorite place. Books seem to be alive and aware, and only Mrs. Owl and Clara can hear Mr. King, a talking mirror, and Gustaf the rhyming cat, whose pronouncements are surprisingly appropriate and helpful. And there’s always chocolate to make things better. When her best friend, Lottie, moves away due to her parents’ divorce, Clara is forlorn. Now she must deal with bullies on her own, and she must adjust to the new boy who becomes her seatmate at school. But worst of all, her new teacher is the woman for whom Lottie’s father left his family. Clara’s family and her friends at the bookstore are loving and supportive, providing encouragement and practical advice. But there is also trouble at the bookstore, where the villain of the piece tries to damage the business with dirty tricks. Via Kemp’s translation from the original German, Clara tells her own story in a conversational, British-inflected tone that will engage readers’ sympathy. The characters, who seem to be white, are wonderfully eccentric. There is plenty of action, angst, and fun as well as imaginative, sometimes hilarious magic. Friendly, informal black-and-white cartoons that enhance the fun are sprinkled throughout. There’s a happy, satisfying, if not perfect ending that will have readers glad for Clara.
A lovely mixture of friends and family and more than a touch of magic. (discussion questions) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-78607-866-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Rock the Boat/Oneworld
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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
File under “laugh riot.”
A rogue spell-check program’s bid to transform all life-forms into that eminently useful office item, the paper clip, touches off a fresh round of lunar lunacy.
Predicated on the entirely reasonable premise that eliminating all spelling and grammar errors everywhere would logically lead to the necessity of exterminating carbon-based life in the universe, this third series entry combines high stakes with daffy banter and daring exploits. CheckMate—a chipper, jumped-up editing program—has invented the Transmogratron, a giant laser that will fulfill its ultimate goals in both the cyber world and “meatspace.” Facing challenges as random as prankster lunar unicorns and a disarmingly motherly Motherboard, scowling First Cat joins a motley crew of diversely carbon- and silicon-based allies, led by the pearlescent Queen of the Moon. They’re in a race to the finish—diverted occasionally by, for instance, a relentlessly punny comic-book interlude featuring a pair of literal and figurative Pool Sharks. They ultimately triumph thanks to teamwork and moxie. Following a celebratory party and toasts to “new friends…and steadfast comrades” (and, of course, “MEOW”), the story’s energetic, brightly colored panels close with a reveal of the next volume. (“I always hate it when comics end by announcing a sequel. SO CRINGE!” declares an authorial stand-in.) It can’t come too soon.
File under “laugh riot.” (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780063315280
Page Count: 272
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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