As it moves beyond First World problems, this coming-of-age novel reaches a satisfying depth of character and theme.
Seventh-grader Callie is a VERY DEEP philosopher, intent on designing her own positive slogan for mugs and T-shirts.
The white girl’s focus on only happy thoughts becomes difficult when her dad loses his job—the reason for their move to an upscale apartment on the Upper East Side—and she does not have the concert-ticket money promised to a girl at her snobby private school. Stressed, distracted, and late for school after trying to visit her grandma in the titular apartment, Callie decides to skip altogether and finds herself at the Met, a pattern that repeats over several days. On her first day, she meets light-skinned African-American, unschooled Cassius, and together they spend their days in various museums. Just when Callie’s cloyingly cute preteen-speak (littered with capitalizations and exclamation points, ew, OMG!) verges on annoying, real issues surface, not only in her family, but to others. As she learns of her grandparents’ rejection of her gay uncle, perceives the racism that Cassius experiences, and deals with her younger brother’s bully, her character deepens. Cassius reveals that he has Best disease and is going blind; Callie rushes to rescue him when he is lost on the subway. Callie learns about friendship, her family, and the importance of not being stuck in a regret-filled past.
As it moves beyond First World problems, this coming-of-age novel reaches a satisfying depth of character and theme. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-237108-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.
An elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow.
Every year Elders of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest, warning everyone an evil Witch demands this sacrifice. In reality, every year, a kind witch named Xan rescues the babies and find families for them. One year Xan saves a baby girl with a crescent birthmark who accidentally feeds on moonlight and becomes “enmagicked.” Magic babies can be tricky, so Xan adopts little Luna herself and lovingly raises her, with help from an ancient swamp monster and a chatty, wee dragon. Luna’s magical powers emerge as her 13th birthday approaches. Meanwhile, Luna’s deranged real mother enters the forest to find her daughter. Simultaneously, a young carpenter from the Protectorate enters the forest to kill the Witch and end the sacrifices. Xan also enters the forest to rescue the next sacrificed child, and Luna, the monster, and the dragon enter the forest to protect Xan. In the dramatic denouement, a volcano erupts, the real villain attempts to destroy all, and love prevails. Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces. Luna has black eyes, curly, black hair, and “amber” skin.
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-61620-567-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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