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NOX WINTERS AND THE MIDNIGHT WOLF

From the Nox Winters Chronicles series , Vol. 1

An enjoyably strange and wildly inventive journey into the unknown.

After several terrible months apart, Nox Winters and his identical twin brother, Noah, are finally together in Evergreen, Maine, where Noah is receiving treatment for a mysterious illness.

The seventh graders are staying in the unsettling house of their mother’s friends Weston and Aster Day, who are oncologists. Noah, Nox’s charming, easygoing opposite, is getting worse, a setback that’s tied to a spectral wolf who enters through their window at night. Joined by levelheaded, nature-loving Thea, Aster’s daughter, Nox ventures into the local forest seeking answers in the Nightwood, a parallel world of eternal darkness. Hassan’s duology opener is a classic quest story that lies on the border between horror and the fantastic. The Nightwood is populated by creatures from mythology and nightmare: animalistic forest deities, living constellations, and a terrifying yet endearing puppet. The story moves at an assured clip as Nox and Thea use practicality to survive a world they can no longer fully understand. Nox is clever and loyal, but he’s heroic out of necessity rather than inclination. He’s propelled by a temper that’s a genuine struggle for him, making his life and relationships difficult to manage. As the true nature of Noah’s condition and the secrets of the twins’ history unfurl, so do Nox’s first forays into trusting people outside his family and accepting his own flaws and mistakes. The central cast presents white.

An enjoyably strange and wildly inventive journey into the unknown. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024

ISBN: 9780063314573

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024

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THE WILD ROBOT PROTECTS

From the Wild Robot series , Vol. 3

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.

Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.

When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9780316669412

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

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THE LION OF LARK-HAYES MANOR

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

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