Part cautionary tale, part folktale, this is a leisurely, imaginative read.
Eleven-year-old Sorrel unlocks the power of magical seeds to transform her life and the entire town with it.
When Sorrel unearths a packet of Surprising Seeds from under a concrete slab in her patio, she sets off on a mission to plant and nurture them. After they fail to come to life in dirt, she is compelled by an outside force to grow them right on her own head and that of best friend Neena. Grow they do—into a mop of flowers and vegetables—and it doesn’t stop there. Sorrel learns about the history and enchanted magic of Agatha Strangeways and the lush fields and wildflowers she tended that once ruled their now concrete-laden English town of Little Sterilis. The book is told in the first person from Sorrel’s perspective with small cautionary passages directed to readers. Until Agatha’s history comes to light, the story moves slowly, but after that point the pace picks up. Skinner’s tale is imaginative and vibrant even if some of the characters fall flat; Sorrel may be the least interesting person in the story, outshone by outspoken, science-minded Neena and fascinating Strangeways. The book’s lessons sometimes lack subtlety, but the metaphor of paving paradise rings necessarily loud and true. All characters are presumed White, save British Indian Neena and her family.
Part cautionary tale, part folktale, this is a leisurely, imaginative read. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-00-839849-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Harper360
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2021
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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