Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2010 Best Children's Books: Fiction with Great Girl Characters


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Cover art for A WHOLE NOTHER STORY
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 1, 2010

"Great fun. (Fiction. 11-13)"
Three children and their inventor dad on the run from government agents, international superspies AND corporate baddies are finally forced to take a stand in this picaresque debut. Read full book review >
Cover art for ONE CRAZY SUMMER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2010

"The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page. (Historical fiction. 9-12)"
A flight from New York to Oakland, Calif., to spend the summer of 1968 with the mother who abandoned Delphine and her two sisters was the easy part. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 23, 2010

"It's the best beginning since The Bad Beginning (1999) and will leave readers howling for the next episode. (High melodrama. 10-12)"
Fresh from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, 15-year-old Penelope Lumley reports to remote but palatial Ashton Place and discovers just why the advertisement for a governess indicated a strong preference for "Experience with Animals." Read full book review >
Cover art for OUT OF MY MIND
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 9, 2010

"This book is rich in detail of both the essential normalcy and the difficulties of a young person with cerebral palsy. (Fiction. 10 & up)"
Melody, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk. Read full book review >
Cover art for ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010

"A gem. (author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 10-14)"
Queen Elizabeth I is on the throne. Read full book review >
Cover art for CHASING ORION
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2010

"A truly extraordinary page-turner that embraces life's big and small aspects with humor and a healthy respect for its profound contradictions. (Historical fiction. 11 & up)"
It seems unfair to 11-year-old Georgie Mason that in Indiana's summer heat she can't go swimming or even to the movies for fear of catching polio. Read full book review >