Combines therapeutic and comforting elements with daring rescues.
A border collie puppy makes a strong connection with a traumatized girl.
Ripley is a long way from becoming the fire rescue dog his owner, Ben, believes he can be—and those in charge are skeptical that there’s even a place for a dog at the station. Firefighter Ben needs help with this ball of energy. Ripley, who was rejected by a guide dog program, helps comfort 13-year-old Samantha after a fire, and the two form an instant bond, so Ben hires Samantha and her mom (who ghostwrote a book on dog training) to dog sit while he’s at work. Ripley’s inquisitive and optimistic first-person perspective provides straightforward accounts of both harrowing rescues and the impact on Samantha from her father’s death a few years earlier and the recent fire. Ripley finds his true purpose in comforting Samantha, who struggles with debilitating agoraphobia and anxiety. Will Ripley get to serve as a fire rescue dog, too? Cameron captures Ripley’s emotional awareness of the humans around him in this work that sheds light on a wide range of feelings, in the process teaching readers constructive ways to recognize and address strong emotions. Samantha’s therapist provides concrete treatment suggestions as well. This work, which covers mental health and purposeful living, will appeal to dog lovers. Samantha and Ben are cued white; Ripley describes humans of varying skin tones in the supporting cast. Final art not seen.
Combines therapeutic and comforting elements with daring rescues. (reading group guide) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781250815606
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Starscape/Tor
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
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
Not the most satisfying wrap-up, but it’s always good to spend time in the world of this series.
Beloved gorilla Ivan becomes a father to rambunctious twins in this finale to a quartet that began with 2012’s Newbery Award–winning The One and Only Ivan.
Life hasn’t always been easy for silverback gorilla Ivan, who’s spent most of his life being mistreated in captivity. Now he’s living in a wildlife sanctuary, but he still gets to see his two best friends. Young elephant Ruby lives in the grassy habitat next door, and former stray dog Bob has a home with one of the zookeepers. All three were rescued from the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. Ivan’s expanded world includes fellow gorilla Kinyani—the two are about to become parents, and Ivan is revisiting the traumas of his past in light of what he wants the twins to know. When the subject inevitably comes up, Applegate’s trust and respect for readers is evident. She doesn’t shy away from hard truths as Ivan wrestles with the fact that poachers killed his family. Readers will need the context provided by knowledge of the earlier books to feel the full emotional impact of this story. The rushed ending unfortunately falls flat, detracting from the central message that a complex life can still contain hope. Final art not seen.
Not the most satisfying wrap-up, but it’s always good to spend time in the world of this series. (gorilla games, glossary, author’s note) (Verse fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780063221123
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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