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LATEST ISSUE OF
Kirkus Reviews
Best-seller Jeannette Walls talks about mining her own history for her new novel, The Silver Star.
Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS



Children's and Teen: Middle School

Cover art for WEATHER WITCH
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 25, 2013
WEATHER WITCH
by Shannon Delany
"The partially defined world has potential but not enough to overcome the plot contrivances. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
The lives of an accused Witch, her would-be suitor and the man seeking to develop her alleged magic all intersect in an alternate-history fantasy. Read full book review >
Cover art for HIDDEN
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 25, 2013
HIDDEN
by Marianne Curley
"Another tempestuous supernatural romance for fans of Twilight-fare, but readers looking for an original or coherent story will have to seek elsewhere. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)"
Angels bring bad tidings in this teen paranormal pastiche. Read full book review >
Cover art for PLAYING WITH FIRE
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 25, 2013
PLAYING WITH FIRE
by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Brandon Dorman
"This lightweight kid-spy romp should find some eager readers. (Adventure. 11-13)"
Thirteen-year-old fosterling Max Segredo knows he's just one stop away from juvie. Luckily, that stop turns out to be the Merry Sunshine Orphanage, where the third floor is off-limits due to a secret science project, and the house rules include "No unsupervised gunplay." Read full book review >
Cover art for IN THE AFTER
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 25, 2013
IN THE AFTER
by Demitria Lunetta
"Fans will be rabid for The End, scheduled for summer 2014. (Science fiction. 13 & up)"
Surviving alone after an alien invasion and the ensuing apocalypse turns out to be onlythe beginning of Amy's trials. Read full book review >
Cover art for SIDEKICKED
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 25, 2013
SIDEKICKED
by John David Anderson
"In the end, the tale is so heartbreaking that it's the perfect training manual for superheroes everywhere. And that means all of us. (Fantasy. 9-12)"
Comic-book fans like to talk about how much they hate sidekicks. No one dreams about being Robin. They want to grow up to be Batman. But it turns out that a sidekick is the perfect metaphor for adolescence. Read full book review >
Cover art for GOLDEN GIRL
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 25, 2013
Kirkus Star GOLDEN GIRL
by Sarah Zettel
"In this sparkling sequel to Dust Girl (2012), showcasing Callie's cleverness versus the mystical glitterati, neither Callie's persistence nor the trilogy's pace flags. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
It's hard for a brown-skinned girl to search the Depression-era back lots of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a gateway to fairyland and harder still if both the Seelie and Unseelie courts are after her. Read full book review >