This coming-of-age tale smoothly blends uplifting moments with welcome drollness.
A self-indulgent prepubescent nobleman hits the road and experiences life outside his earldom in Smock’s middle-grade novel.
Eleven-year-old Bobby is the Earl of Acton Waters, a village in mid-12th-century England. He orders people to do what he wants, including servants and his own father, as Bobby inherited his title from his uncle. One day, Fahd, a “beggarman” who hails from Africa, arrives in the village. Bobby is seemingly drawn to Fahd’s cheery disposition—a sharp contrast to the young Earl’s unequivocal brattiness. He opts to travel with the African and picks up personal stories from the likes of a magician and a baker’s wife. Making these connections with people ignites a desire in Bobby to be more mature like Fahd. Meanwhile, Fahd dreams up a “Great Deed” the two can carry out, provided they can deal with local bandits. Bobby soon learns that Acton Waters is apparently in worse shape than when he left; will the hopefully improved tween be the one to turn things around? Smock’s diverting tale is a quick read chock-full of lively descriptions, from a bustling town’s crowded market and streets to such unforgettable cuisine as a “flat green spinach pie soaked in honey.” There’s plentiful humor, especially when people, unaware they’re speaking to Acton Waters’ runaway earl, deliver unfiltered gossip about the boy. (He evidently reeks of “athletic socks”— probably true, since he avoids baths—and is reputedly no longer in the village on account of a bear eating him.) It’s encouraging to see Bobby gradually learn to empathize with others and fight to better himself, even willingly putting himself in harm’s way for that Great Deed. All the while, Bobby and Fahd move from place to place in a brisk narrative that ends with a befitting denouement.
This coming-of-age tale smoothly blends uplifting moments with welcome drollness.Pub Date: April 1, 2024
ISBN: 9798986610924
Page Count: 190
Publisher: Atopon Books
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
After Castro’s takeover, nine-year-old Julian and his older brothers are sent away by their fearful parents via “Operation Pedro Pan” to a camp in Miami for Cuban-exile children. Here he discovers that a ruthless bully has essentially been put in charge. Julian is quicker-witted than his brothers or anyone else ever imagined, though, and with his inherent smarts, developing maturity and the help of child and adult friends, he learns to navigate the dynamics of the camp and surroundings and grows from the former baby of the family to independence and self-confidence. A daring rescue mission at the end of the novel will have readers rooting for Julian even as it opens his family’s eyes to his courage and resourcefulness. This autobiographical novel is a well-meaning, fast-paced and often exciting read, though at times the writing feels choppy. It will introduce readers to a not-so-distant period whose echoes are still felt today and inspire admiration for young people who had to be brave despite frightening and lonely odds. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-168-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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