An engaging fantasy inspired by a classic tale that’s guaranteed to leave readers eager for more.
Egyptian American Sahara comes to value her dual cultural heritage when her first trip to her parents’ homeland reveals a magical family history.
Going to Cairo to attend her maternal uncle’s wedding was never on 12-year-old Sahara Rashad’s summer agenda. Since the death of her mother when Sahara was a newborn, she’s had no contact with that side of the family and is unsure how she will be received. Despite her worries, she becomes fast friends with her cousin Naima and feels genuine love from all her relatives, except for her uncle’s fiancee, Magda. Sahara and Naima suspect Magda has sinister intentions that the adults don’t take seriously. Meanwhile, the story of 13-year-old Morgana, a servant of Ali Baba in 10th-century Baghdad, unfolds in an alternate storyline. As the novel progresses, the connection between the two girls takes shape, revealing a centuries-old family secret in danger from malicious outside forces. Sahara’s contemplation of her identity and her search for self-acceptance provide an entertaining and relatable backdrop to her encounters with magical elements. Details of Islamic practices and life in Egypt are peppered throughout the novel, flowing naturally as Sahara asks questions about things she doesn’t understand. Lewers cleverly builds on the folktale of Ali Baba and Morgana to construct a magical origin story with a rich sense of place and an original twist that can be expanded upon in future volumes.
An engaging fantasy inspired by a classic tale that’s guaranteed to leave readers eager for more. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780593619308
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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
More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience.
Ben Silverstein’s summer with Grandpa is about to go wild.
When his parents need to “work out some troubles,” 10-year-old Ben gets shipped off to tiny Buttonville, where everything seems to be closed or out of business since the button factory was shuttered years ago. Ben’s used to spending summers in the pool in his Los Angeles backyard with his friends, and Buttonville looks positively coma-inducing. When Grandpa’s mouser Barnaby deposits what has to be a baby dragon on Ben’s bed, Ben and his new friend Pearl (whom the whole town calls “troublemaker” on account of a few innocent incidents) decide to visit the new “worm doctor” who has moved into the abandoned button factory. (Ben had heard her strange assistant Mr. Tabby buying ingredients for “dragon’s milk” at the grocery....) When their visit unleashes a hairy, pudding-loving imaginary beast on the town of Buttonville, Ben and Pearl volunteer to catch him. Selfors kicks off her Imaginary Veterinary series with a solid, entertaining opener. Ben and Pearl are Everykids that readers will relate to, and the adults of Buttonville are often delightfully weird and clueless. Twenty-five pages of backmatter include information on wyverns and sasquatch as well as the science of reptiles and a pudding recipe.
More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-20934-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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