A smoothly written fantasy that deftly balances adventure and science education.
A boy in training at an elite school searches for his missing father in this middle-grade fantasy.
Eleven-year-old Peter Blue has just enrolled at Spiral Hall, an island-based school for the “ecodemically gifted.” As an environmentally conscious kid, he’ll be further trained to use nature’s gifts in the battle against waste, pollutants, and freakish weather. These elements are embodied by the Anthrogs, creatures born of toxic environments. Five years ago, Peter’s parents died in a fire. His father, Byron, was a top agent of the Global Advanced Intelligence Agency, and Peter now wears the man’s high-tech jacket. In a dream, Byron’s ghost tells his son, “Never capitulate!” Peter’s mentor, GAIA Agent Artiss Fleur, is sure that Byron is alive and held captive by the Anthrogs. This possibility proves distracting as Peter must join the new class at Spiral Hall competing in the Race Across the Earth, a course comprising various hostile weather regions created by climate change. He’s joined by children his age, including science whiz Chu Lee Wong and Peter’s soon-to-be best friend, Roly Portagalo. In tracking down Byron, Peter and company will meet nonhumans, like Agent Livingstone, and Havok, a dangerous Stormlord. If the kids survive the experience, their careers as eco-warriors will still be just beginning. Colless has created a kind of Hogwarts that operates on the magic of environmental awareness. Students must care for and bond with a young tree, which will in turn nurture them. Chu, the naïve scientist, says: “I don’t believe in things like that.” The narrative boldly confronts the anthropocentric question “Wasn’t everything on Earth for humans to put to use?” Plot devices like the “Eat or Be Eaten” game superbly explain energy cycles to younger readers. In the second half, a clever exploration of the Trojan Horse concept raises the stakes in Peter’s hunt for his father. The author skillfully gives several children the spotlight throughout the adventure. Pickles the wallaby proves a unique addition to a diverse cast of characters that fans will feel a kinship with by the finale.
A smoothly written fantasy that deftly balances adventure and science education.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-9529460588
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Peter Blue Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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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