This is straight-up series fiction, but it’s well-done, and mystery aficionados, especially those who love animals, will...
Three middle school friends try to figure out who abused a zorse (horse/zebra cross) and why the owner’s adult son is so eager to get him back.
Faster paced and more involving than the series opener, the second Curious Cat Spy Club mystery gives Kelsey, Becca, and Leo, three classmates who have joined forces to protect animals and solve mysteries, another opportunity to use their smarts and cement their unlikely but believable friendship. The characters, though lightly sketched, are clearly differentiated. Kelsey, the lead protagonist and narrator, is so quiet she’s almost invisible to others, which gives her excellent cover to pursue her hobby of collecting secrets. Cheerful (at least on the surface) and outgoing Becca, whose divorced mother runs the Wild Oaks Sanctuary for animals, hangs with the popular girls, or Sparklers, and Leo is a whiz-kid loner. The plot kicks into gear when Caleb Hunter, a charming horse trainer, tries to claim Zed, the once-abused zorse now living at the sanctuary, along with Zed’s sparkly netted fly mask. After some slightly off-the-main-track plot twists and turns, the kids locate and reclaim the mask. But their suspicion of Caleb increases, culminating in a jeopardy-infused, suspenseful climax.
This is straight-up series fiction, but it’s well-done, and mystery aficionados, especially those who love animals, will find it entertaining and enjoyable. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1378-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
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
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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