The epic confrontation between the Light and the Dark continues (see The Dark is Rising, KR, 1973), and now the battlefield is magic-favored Cornwall where the Greenwitch — a totem figure annually sacrificed to the sea — has stolen the manuscript which Old Ones Merriman Lyon and Will Stanton need to defeat the powers of evil. The supernatural forces that converge for this chapter of the quest are sharply drawn and breathtakingly impressive — particularly the whining petulant Greenwitch who has no understanding of the importance of his stolen "secret" but calls armies of ghostly Norsemen from the sea to protect his prized possession. And the emissary of the dark, who lives in a gypsy caravan and literally paints his spells on canvas, is a fine example of an over-ambitious junior grade devil. It still seems to us that the metaphor of the final "all-time" struggle between "Light" and "Dark" is too grandiose and abstract. Imagine going meekly to bed, as do Barney, Simon and Jane, while the devil and the spirits of the sea wage war outside your cottage window. Imagine evil incarnate, fighting for its very life, having no better agent than the skulking, unreliable landscape painter. Cooper never lets us forget that this is the sort of grand moral struggle that can be fought without ever missing one's evening cup of cocoa. It all would be more exciting if there were just a little real risk involved, but the literally earth-shaking fireworks are nevertheless quite a show.
Pub Date: April 17, 1974
ISBN: 1416949666
Page Count: 182
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1974
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.
Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.
In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098458
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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