An entertaining, educational, and empowering story for young readers.
Hewitt’s whimsical fantasy for young readers features a group of five diverse 9-year-old girls and their adventures in a magical realm.
The novel begins following five seemingly disparate storylines, each focusing on a 9-year-old girl: They include Danielle “Dani” Flores, who lives in California and loves music and riding her bike; Paxton “Pax” Dawes, a Tennessee girl whose fractious twin sisters drive her crazy; Amy Wong, who resides in Texas and is about to start third grade in a new school; hard-driving Michigander Keziah “Kez” Williams; and Evangeline “Eva” Franklin of New York City, who loves hanging with her career-oriented mother and wants things in her life to be organized. One by one, the girls are visited by a talking fox who brings them to Foxtale Forest, a wondrous place where all stories begin: “The leaves, grass, and tree trunks…glittered like the inside of a treasure chest.” Once there, the girls magically travel through portals into stories that need their help to have happy endings. One of the obvious strengths of this novel, aside from the highly identifiable and endearing young characters, is the sense of wonder created through the imagery. When helping a desert town battling drought and scary cloud creatures, the girls stay at an inn with beds as “soft as marshmallows.” A boy from the town is described as having “a haystack of hair.” In another adventure, when the girls attempt to help the captain of a steamship obsessed with treasure hunting, they discover a door that opens “with a groan like an old man standing up.” Additionally, the existential lessons imparted on the power of friendship, kindness, and love will surely affect readers. The narrative is complemented by visually stunning full-color illustrations throughout by Layne, which enrich the reading experience exponentially.
An entertaining, educational, and empowering story for young readers.Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9798988564058
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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