An engaging adventure set in an enchanting world.
One year after the events of Daughters of the Lamp (2024), Sahara’s journey continues amid the bustling streets of Cairo, where ancient magic collides with modern-day dilemmas.
Back in Egypt to visit family for the summer—this time with her best friend, Vicky Miller—Sahara Rashad meets up with both familiar faces and new allies and uncovers the truth about the hamsa necklace and its connection to the magic lamp. Supplementing the modern-day story are chapters from the perspective of 13-year-old Maghrebi Princess Husnaya from 965 C.E., which build the lore of the magical artifacts and the origin story of the “greatest sorceress of all time.” Burdened by the weight of her mystical duty, Sahara grapples with keeping secrets and the looming threat of the witch El Ghoula, who seeks to awaken an ancient evil. A crisis forces Sahara to confront her jealousy over the new friend Vicky has made in Cairo. Throughout the tension, Sahara’s personal growth shines, culminating in a compelling climax during which she realizes the true power of trust, teamwork, and asking for help. While the pacing initially lags, the narrative swiftly gains momentum, delivering a satisfying blend of adventure, intrigue, and heartfelt lessons. Enriched by historical lore, Arabic words and phrases, and Muslim elements, Lewers’ tale weaves past and present into a captivating tapestry of magic and destiny, setting the stage for further escapades.
An engaging adventure set in an enchanting world. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9780593619339
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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