Has entertaining moments and a few fun facts.
Two young teens use science to investigate a mystery on a cruise ship.
Following the deaths of his parents, 13-year-old Henry Alabaster has lived with his uncle Kelvin McCloud, who has gained some notoriety as a self-styled weather detective. Investigating mysteries that coincide with weather events brings uncle and nephew on a Caribbean cruise where an unknown person has been committing acts of sabotage. Henry’s friend Rachel, who has solved a weather mystery with them before, also comes along for the ride, bringing some chaste romantic tension. Interspersed with third-person narration from both Henry’s and Rachel’s points of view is exposition from a book within a book by McCloud, detailing curiosities like the invention of the mercury thermometer or the exploits of Antarctic explorers. These snippets of scientific history engage Henry and Rachel, who are the kind of people who casually use words like ersatz in regular speech, but don’t directly tie into the mystery; the overall tone is more textbook than thriller. Still, a grumpy captain and an encroaching tropical storm create some suspense—although, unsatisfyingly for the younger detectives, they’re off-page staying safe during McCloud’s climactic final confrontation with the saboteurs. Main characters read as White.
Has entertaining moments and a few fun facts. (further reading) (Mystery. 9-12)Pub Date: July 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-943431-69-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Tumblehome Learning
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tender coming-of-age tale with special resonance for nature lovers.
A novel in verse centered on a young girl who moves from India to Rhode Island in the wake of her parents’ divorce.
Geetha finds herself bullied by her schoolmates for her clothes and her accent and missing everything about home: her extended family, her music tutor, her dog, and, above all, her father. Meanwhile, her mother, grappling with depression, worries about making ends meet and building a new life in America. Still, playing her flute anchors Geetha amid the turmoil. When she discovers an injured harp seal pup on the beach, she and her new friend Miguel (who’s of Mexican descent) alert the authorities, who rescue the animal and bring him to a sanctuary. The experience brings her closer to Miguel—a child of divorce like her. As Geetha and Miguel visit the pup, whom they name Santo, Geetha’s inspired to learn more about seals and the plight they face due to climate change. At times, the verse falls a bit flat, though Geetha’s emotions ring true, as do the little moments that remind Geetha that she’s an outsider. The story comes to vivid life as Geetha draws parallels between herself and Santo—both feeling lost and adrift—and organizes a cleanup of the beach. Venkatraman closes with an especially poignant author’s note in which she discusses her own experience as a woman of color in STEM.
A tender coming-of-age tale with special resonance for nature lovers. (Verse novel. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780593112502
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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