Readers should gladly follow this tale’s young hero, whether he’s facing evil spells or a typical childhood.
In this debut YA fantasy, a 10-year-old boy learns that the secret of his new hometown lies with the strange disappearances of two families centuries ago.
When George Mutton’s expectant mom decides she needs more bedrooms to accommodate her twin babies, the family moves to Mount Dusk. With a 50-person population, the town doesn’t afford much opportunity for George to make friends, but he finds a confidant in Charlie Redwin. George is fascinated by Mount Dusk’s enigmatic history, which entails a couple of families vanishing back in 1795. Even more intriguing is the fact that the Muttons reside in the home of one of those clans, the affluent Regales, while George later learns the other family, comprising circus/magic performers, was the Redwins. Turns out Charlie’s not-very-nice Uncle Hubert may have used a spell to imprison Regale souls somewhere on the mountain. In order to free the souls, George and Charlie will need a Redwin spell book, with incantations that only work when recited by a Redwin descendant. The two reluctantly team up with George’s intermittently whiny little sister, Maggie, who can hopefully earn the trust of Charlie’s twin, Yvonne, who has seemingly sided with her nefarious uncle. If the kids can find a way around Hubert’s ghostly Redwin Guards, they may have a chance at saving the Regales. The story thrives entirely on George’s perspective: in his eyes, his carpenter father’s a klutz and 7-year-old Maggie’s clearly “a spoilt brat.” Thankfully, George is a smashing protagonist, sympathetic to Maggie post-tantrum and, though initially seeking adventure, ultimately risking his safety to help the trapped Regales. Taylor retains genuine mystery by shrouding Mount Dusk in ambiguity, its specific location unrevealed. There are likewise a couple of bombshells regarding links between characters as well as a surprising villain and an ally or two. Hubert, the unquestionable baddie, remains spiteful and eerily furtive (going who knows where every night) but manages to be creepier still when he’s a perfect gentleman in front of Mrs. Mutton. The ending promises more Mount Dusk secrets to come—and sequels.
Readers should gladly follow this tale’s young hero, whether he’s facing evil spells or a typical childhood.Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9965595-1-5
Page Count: 175
Publisher: Neverland Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 22, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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