An important, appropriate novel for young readers in a rapidly changing world.
In debut author Mechael’s middle-grade series starter, a team of fifth graders use their aptitude for science to keep their families, friends, and others safe.
Marylander Girgis “Gir” Orenson-Gobrial is a whip-smart, headstrong boy with his marine biologist father’s knack for science. Gir starts to be concerned when his talkative dad is eerily quiet one morning before asking Gir about an important-sounding missing research notebook. After his father mentions that dangerous plastic-eating bacteria are releasing toxins into Chesapeake Bay, Gir becomes very concerned, and so does his classmate Izi, a timid girl who recently moved to the United States from Japan. Together, the pair found the Antidotes, a team of passionate kids who all got through a recent unspecified pandemic and who swear to do all they can to keep anything similar from happening. They find creative ways to raise awareness and stop the spread of illness. Over the course of this novel, the characters, both children and adults, feel sympathetic and real, and readers of all ages will find someone who’s relatable in these pages. Mechael’s timely, poignant, and urgent novel grapples with familiar issues that have plagued the entire planet in the past few years as well as serious problems that may lie ahead. It comes complete with pictures, maps, charts, as well as accessible explanations of potential solutions to environmental issues. The novel also effectively touches on other serious themes, including gender bias and corporate greed. Mechael seems to understand what it was like to be a concerned preteen in recent years—although, notably, neither Covid-19 nor a specific year is ever named in the novel. Overall, though, the story provides cautious hope for the future.
An important, appropriate novel for young readers in a rapidly changing world.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 9781954805248
Page Count: 242
Publisher: Bold Story Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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