Fantastically silly fun!
As the Forgotten Five investigate President Daniel Fuerte’s plans to build an army of supers, the reappearance of their criminal parents continues to complicate matters in this sequel to 2022’s The Invisible Spy.
Reeling from Cabot’s decision to rejoin her parents, who are coerced members of President Fuerte’s supers criminal gang, the rest of the Five—Birdie, Brix, Seven, and Tenner—grapple with their friend’s perceived defection. Is Cabot (whose latent powers have started appearing) now a baddie? But other storms arise. Following the public unmasking of President Fuerte as a super, protesters from around Estero storm the presidential palace. The surprise announcement of a presidential run by Magdalia, Seven’s AWOL mom, also threatens Fuerte’s bid to retain power. As the presidential race gets heated, stalwart ally Lada preps to infiltrate the presidential palace by going undercover as a recruit for Fuerte’s army, a risky move that’s deadlier than the group realizes. Meanwhile, The Librarian’s enigmatic actions begin to raise the Five’s suspicions about their once-reliable spy mentor. Like a well-oiled Saturday-morning cartoon, McCann’s series continues to feature boisterous superpower hijinks and lighthearted espionage with dabs of engrossing familial melodrama. The political shenanigans remain deeply, endearingly silly, and the author does a fine job of maintaining high stakes as the plots get knottier and the twists even dizzier. Another doozy of a cliffhanger swoops in at the end to carry willing readers into the following installment.
Fantastically silly fun! (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9780593615805
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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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