An affecting, sweet tale about understanding and perseverance.
A tween ice skater struggles to balance her busy home life and the dream of achieving a solo routine in this debut middle-grade novel.
Laney Parker can’t tolerate not skating. At her skating club in New York’s Finger Lakes region, she’s a “spinner” —not ranked high enough to perform an individual routine in front of an audience. But this year, the coaches will choose three worthy spinners for a solo at the club’s spring show. Laney is certain she has a shot, if she can just pull off a double loop. Distractions, however, are ample. For one, new skater Malia Davis represents stiff competition and cozies up to (read: tries to “steal”) Laney’s bestie, Abby. And it’s maple season, so her family is hard at work processing sap into maple syrup to sell. Any skater who misses practice is automatically disqualified for a solo, so Laney will need both focus and determination. Osburn lays out many hurdles for Laney, like a fellow skater who keeps verbally skewering all her teammates. The remarkable, resilient young protagonist has a tendency to be self-serving but is compassionate enough to recognize that others have problems, too. She’s supported by a dynamic cast that showcases a variety of personalities. Laney’s two-year-old brother Levi, for example, is so deep in his own little world that the Parkers grow concerned, and surely there’s a reason that neighbor/schoolmate Mason is always at the farm helping out. Not only does the novel teach important lessons about family and friendships and overcoming selfishness, but it’s also full of fascinating details about ice-skating and making maple syrup. By the end, readers may find themselves drawn to many of the characters, including a few unexpected ones.
An affecting, sweet tale about understanding and perseverance.Pub Date: March 1, 2024
ISBN: 9798878916790
Page Count: 179
Publisher: Little Red Wagon Books
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch.
Basketball-playing twins find challenges to their relationship on and off the court as they cope with changes in their lives.
Josh Bell and his twin, Jordan, aka JB, are stars of their school basketball team. They are also successful students, since their educator mother will stand for nothing else. As the two middle schoolers move to a successful season, readers can see their differences despite the sibling connection. After all, Josh has dreadlocks and is quiet on court, and JB is bald and a trash talker. Their love of the sport comes from their father, who had also excelled in the game, though his championship was achieved overseas. Now, however, he does not have a job and seems to have health problems the parents do not fully divulge to the boys. The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch. (Verse fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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