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LULU IN HONOLULU

Name: LULU IN HONOLULU
Author: Elisabeth Wolf
ISBN: 978-1-4926-0487-7

by Elisabeth Wolf ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 5, 2014

Too cute to function.

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The fabulous Hawaiian vacation Lulu dreamed of is in jeopardy after her parents’ movie goes over budget and their attention is needed elsewhere.

Lulu’s director mom and actor dad promised they’d be home every night to spend time with Lulu and her older sister, Alexis, but the demands of the studio make it nearly impossible for their Hawaiian summer to be anything but a bummer. Lulu tries to improve the situation by helping her parents out on set and at home, but disaster strikes again and again. With her precocious and perky attitude, Lulu grates rather than endears, and the world she inhabits feels less like reality and more like an obnoxious children’s sitcom. It’s sweet that the youngster wants to spend time with her parents, but there’s no real urgency to her need for parental interaction: The pair are fairly present throughout the book, making Lulu seem spoiled rather than abandoned. Far more interesting are the book’s structure (the endeavor is written as a screenplay) and Hawaiian setting and culture, a culture Wolf is able to weave in effortlessly. Instead of feeling like a flimsy travelogue, the setting feels real and lived-in. It’s unfortunate her characters and scenario aren’t as well thought-out.

Too cute to function. (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4926-0487-7

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: June 9, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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LAUGH WITH THE MOON

by Shana Burg ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2012

Ultimately, Burg’s lyrical prose will make readers think about the common ground among peoples, despite inevitable...

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Melding the colors of heartache and loss with painterly strokes, Burg creates a vivid work of art about a girl grieving for her recently deceased mother against a Third World backdrop.

Clare is not speaking to her father. She has vowed never to speak to him again. Which could be tough, since the pair just touched down in Malawi. There, Clare finds herself struck by the contrast between American wealth and the relatively bare-bones existence of her new friends. Drowning in mourning and enraged at the emptiness of grief, Clare is a hurricane of early-adolescent emotions. Her anger toward her father crackles like lightning in the treetops. She finds purpose, though, in teaching English to the younger children, which leads her out of grief. Burg’s imagery shimmers. “The girl talks to her mother in a language that sounds like fireworks, full of bursts and pops. She holds her hand over her mouth giggling.... She probably has so many minutes with her mother, she can’t even count them.” Her realization of the setting and appreciation for the Malawian people are so successful that they compensate for Clare's wallowing, which sometimes feels contrived.

Ultimately, Burg’s lyrical prose will make readers think about the common ground among peoples, despite inevitable disparities. (Fiction. 9-12)

Pub Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-385-73471-4

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FAMILY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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ADVENTURE AT SIMBA HILL

From the Kari and Lucas Mysteries series , Vol. 3

by Susan Runholt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2011

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Kari and Lucas, two teens who’ve combined their expertise to solve mysteries in previous adventures (Rescuing Seneca Crane, 2009, etc.), are headed this time to Simba Hill in Kenya with Uncle Geoff, an archaeologist. The girls have completely different talents: Lucas is blessed with a photographic memory, and Kari is strong on intuition and people skills. Even before arriving at their luxurious bush accommodations, they hear of artifacts remarkably like the discoveries at Simba Hill having been smuggled into England. Neither seeing exotic animals in their natural habitat nor exposure to Kenyan locals, notably the Maasai and Kikuyu peoples, distracts these two, who are determined to once again find the clues that elude others. Danger from the human malefactors is augmented by threats from lions, hippos, spiders and snakes. Lighthearted and yet mostly based on logic, this outing allows readers to get a taste of Africa’s pleasures—albeit Hollywood-flavored, similar to those experienced by the average wealthy tourist. The cast of suspects and rapidly made friends keeps the mood frothy and the sinister actions nicely removed. (Mystery. 8-12)