Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Best Children's Books of 2012: Fiction About Girls (page 2)


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Cover art for A GREYHOUND OF A GIRL
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012

"A warm, witty, exquisitely nuanced multigenerational story. (Fiction. 10-14)"
Twelve-year-old Mary O'Hara is surrounded by good-humored women…her mum at home, her mum's mum, who is dying in Dublin's Sacred Heart Hospital, and her mum's mum's mum, who has just materialized as a ghost on her street. Read full book review >
Cover art for THREE TIMES LUCKY
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 10, 2012

"Readers may find they never want to leave Tupelo Landing. (Mystery. 10-14)"
What do you get when you combine Because of Winn-Dixie's heart with the mystery and action of Holes? You get an engaging, spirit-lifting and unforgettable debut for young readers. Read full book review >
Cover art for NOW
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 5, 2012
Kirkus Star NOW

"A fine, taut novel full of understanding. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)"
Once and Then (2010, 2011) blend into Now in today's Australia as Dr. Felix Salinger, 80, relates his childhood and shows his present to his 11-year-old granddaughter, narrator Zelda. Read full book review >
Cover art for SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 28, 2012

"Schlitz's prose is perfect in every stitch, and readers will savor each word. (Historical fantasy. 9-13)"
Two orphans, a witch and a girl who laughs at death: Each shares the lens of protagonist in Newbery winner Schlitz's fully satisfying gothic novel. Read full book review >
Cover art for LULU AND THE DUCK IN THE PARK
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012
by Hilary McKay, illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

"Utterly winning. (Fiction. 7-9)"
A warmhearted beginning to a new chapter-book series delights from the first few sentences. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE REVOLUTION OF EVELYN SERRANO
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012

"A stunning debut. (author's note, recommended reading) (Historical novel. 12 & up)"
Set in 1969, Manzano's first novel offers a realistically mercurial protagonist struggling with her identity in Spanish Harlem. Read full book review >