Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Best Children's Books of 2012: Fiction (page 4)


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 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 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 SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 24, 2012

"A suspenseful, surprising novel of friendship and family from the creator of the popular Clementine series. (Fiction. 9-12)"
Desperate times call for desperate measures indeed when, one summer afternoon on Cape Cod, 11-year-old Stella finds her sole caretaker, her great-aunt Louise, dead in her chair. Read full book review >
Cover art for SADIE AND RATZ
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 27, 2012
by Sonya Hartnett, illustrated by Ann James

"A real slice of family life, the sweet with the bitter. (Fiction. 5-8)"
Sadie and Ratz, Hannah's menacing hands, help her to handle her sibling rivalry in this piercingly intelligent foray into chapter books by much-awarded teen author Hartnett. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE WILD BOOK
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 20, 2012

"A beautiful tale of perseverance. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 10-14)"
A young girl tackles a learning disability and the uncertainty of daily life in early-20th-century Cuba. Read full book review >