A high-octane adventure fueled by humor, whimsy, and teamwork.
It’s up to Timothy Dinoman to save the world again.
A long literal cold open among the snowy mountains introduces readers to the villainous Brams and his accomplices: a group of dancing—and fighting—robots. After Timothy, an eyepatch-wearing secret agent iguanodon, is discovered infiltrating Brams’ mountain hideaway, he flees. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as he skis down slopes, slaloming between trees, pursued at each turn by the weapon-wielding robots. Dinoman’s team must work together to discover who created the dancing robots and why. They come across an intriguing lead: Brams’ robots are powered by batteries created by Heron Robotics. And, oddly, Ellis Heron, the wealthy founder of the company, has just unveiled a squad of dancing robots. Could he be involved? Newcomers to the series will appreciate this tale, though those who have read the first installment will get the most out of it. Richly colored artwork builds tension and depicts dynamic fight scenes. Humor abounds, too, like a scene where Ellis does celebrity impressions while appearing on a talk show. Readers will especially enjoy the James Bond–esque gadgets, like Timothy’s recorder, which squirts pink foam, and Ellis’ laser-powered grid security. While the narrative comes to a satisfying conclusion, it’s clear there are more exploits in store. Ellis presents white; other human characters are diverse.
A high-octane adventure fueled by humor, whimsy, and teamwork. (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9798765607497
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Dolphin lovers will appreciate this look at our complicated relationship with these marine mammals.
Is dolphin-assisted therapy so beneficial to patients that it’s worth keeping a wild dolphin captive?
Twelve-year-old Lily has lived with her emotionally distant oncologist stepfather and a succession of nannies since her mother died in a car accident two years ago. Nannies leave because of the difficulty of caring for Adam, Lily’s severely autistic 4-year-old half brother. The newest, Suzanne, seems promising, but Lily is tired of feeling like a planet orbiting the sun Adam. When she meets blind Zoe, who will attend the same private middle school as Lily in the fall, Lily’s happy to have a friend. However, Zoe’s take on the plight of the captive dolphin, Nori, used in Adam’s therapy opens Lily’s eyes. She knows she must use her influence over her stepfather, who is consulting on Nori’s treatment for cancer (caused by an oil spill), to free the animal. Lily’s got several fine lines to walk, as she works to hold onto her new friend, convince her stepfather of the rightness of releasing Nori, and do what’s best for Adam. In her newest exploration of animal-human relationships, Rorby’s lonely, mature heroine faces tough but realistic situations. Siblings of children on the spectrum will identify with Lily. If the tale flirts with sentimentality and some of the characters are strident in their views, the whole never feels maudlin or didactic.
Dolphin lovers will appreciate this look at our complicated relationship with these marine mammals. (Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-67605-2
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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