A lovely read in the Shu-Li series that provides diversity and celebrations of heritage for young readers.
Shu-Li and her classmates try to harness the magic of a neighbor’s pear tree to save their school.
It’s the end of summer vacation as Shu-Li heads to Mrs. Rossi’s house with her friend Tamara in tow. Shu-Li loves her volunteer work reading to the warmhearted Mrs. Rossi for her “Deed of the Week,” especially because the elderly woman has a beautiful garden and shares wonderful tales about magic pear trees. Back at school, misfortune arrives as Shu-Li is informed that her beloved neighborhood school may close and Tamara’s family may be forced to move away. When Shu-Li’s classmates play in Mrs. Rossi’s garden, a pear falls on Diego’s head as he wishes that his dog recovers from illness. When Diego’s dog makes a full recovery, the children begin to believe that Mrs. Rossi’s pear tree can make their wishes come true. Yee’s grasp of childhood delights and the diversity of characters and cultures are a winning combination. Shu-Li shares her Chinese culture with her class at a Vancouver school with a special Aboriginal program. Readers will also appreciate that the story is grounded in reality—the children begin to rely on their own resourceful problem-solving—as it deftly weaves in myth, fairy tales, and oral folklore. Wang’s inked illustrations are engaging and lovable, flowing beautifully with the story with restrained candor.
A lovely read in the Shu-Li series that provides diversity and celebrations of heritage for young readers. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-926890-15-9
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Tradewind Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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