Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




New & Notable Books for Children: June 2012


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Cover art for THE BRIXEN WITCH
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 26, 2012
by Stacy DeKeyser, illustrated by John Nickle

"Fresh and satisfying for middle-grade readers. (Fantasy. 9-12)"
An enchanted coin, a plague of rats, an itinerant fiddler and the disappearance of the village children are familiar folklore elements that find their ways into this original adventure. Read full book review >
Cover art for CHEESIE MACK IS COOL IN A DUEL
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 26, 2012
by Steve Cotler, illustrated by Adam McCauley

"The promise of volume three on the way will have readers cheering. Wind-WHOOP! (Fiction. 9-12)"
Can Cheesie Mack keep his cool and survive a summer in the Big Guys' cabin? Read full book review >
Cover art for ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 19, 2012

"A marvel of history writing that makes complicated history clear and interesting. (selected bibliography, notes, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 9-14) "
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass met only three times, but their friendship changed a nation. Read full book review >
Cover art for DON'T SQUISH THE SASQUATCH!
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 19, 2012
by Kent Redeker, illustrated by Bob Staake

"Pure, disarming horseplay served on a bed of charismatic artwork. (Picture book. 1-5)"
Mr. Sasquatch tempts fate--a good squishing--when he boards Mr. Blobule's city bus. Read full book review >
Cover art for MY SNAKE BLAKE
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 19, 2012
by Randy Siegel, illustrated by Serge Bloch

"Clever, laugh-out-loud fun. (Picture book. 3-8)"
Blake the snake just might be the most spectacular pet of all time. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE MIGHTY MARS ROVERS
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 18, 2012

"How extraordinary to visit Mars in Spirit; readers will be very glad of the Opportunity. (sources, chapter notes, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)"
What's it like to explore Mars? Did life ever exist on Earth's red neighbor? To find out, readers need only soar along with this enthralling account of the adventures of two rovers designed to seek evidence on Mars of water that could have once supported life. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE UNFORTUNATE SON
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 14, 2012

"Engaging from the very first page, this is one work of historical fiction that will have even readers who prefer fantasy clamoring for a sequel. (Historical fiction. 9-12)"
The nature of luck, fortune and fate is dissected and reexamined over the course of this outstanding novel. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 12, 2012
by William Joyce, illustrated by William Joyce

"As triumphant in book form as in animated and interactive ones. (Picture book. 5-10) "
Ironically, this book in praise of books first appeared as a much-praised iPad app and Academy Award–winning animated short film. Read full book review >
Cover art for I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A CHILD
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 12, 2012
by Alain Serres, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty, translated by Helen Mixter

"Provocative and guaranteed to spark awareness of children's rights. (note on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; list of states party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) (Picture book. 4-7)"
From the bold opening assertion, "I am a child with eyes, hands, a voice, a heart, and rights," to the urgent closing plea, "We need our rights to be respected now--today," this primer invites young readers to think about their universal rights as children as embodied in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE LEOPARD BOY
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 12, 2012
by Julia Johnson, illustrated by Marisa Lewis

"Unique and refreshing; a book about the Arab world that isn't about war or oil. (Fiction. 8-12)"
When goatherd Khalid loses a kid high in Oman's mountains, he discovers the hidden home of an old man who introduces him to animals who lived there long ago and helps him find surviving leopards, spoiling the boy's uncle's plans to sell the land. Read full book review >
Cover art for OH NO! NOT AGAIN!
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 5, 2012
by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat

"Wonderfully ridiculous in premise and execution and abounding in creative touches, this will surely spark student spinoffs. (Picture book. 5-8)"
Having recovered from the world-destroying science project she created in the first Oh No! (2010), Barnett's overachiever has a new dilemma: Her history test is returned with one point off for an incorrect answer. 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 A HOME FOR BIRD
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 5, 2012
by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Philip C. Stead

Vernon is both a toad and a forager for found objects. Ambling along with his latest haul, he chances upon a creature he seeks to know and then to help. Read full book review >
Cover art for ZOO GIRL
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
by Rebecca Elliott, illustrated by Rebecca Elliott

"Sublime for young and old, and full of heart. (Picture book. 3-6)"
A lonely orphan girl finds her true friends within the walls of the zoo. Read full book review >
Cover art for HOMER
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
by Elisha Cooper, illustrated by Elisha Cooper

"Soothing and satisfying; perfect for reading on the porch on a summer evening, preferably next to a dog. (Picture book. 3-7)"
Stories of patiently waiting dogs have been around for just about forever, or at least since Homer wrote about faithful Argos recognizing Odysseus after a 20-year absence. In Cooper's touching story, the patient pup is an aging yellow Lab named Homer, whose love for his family is as deep and wide as the ocean outside their cottage. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE AMAZING HARRY KELLAR
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012

"Dozens of spectacular Kellar posters along with a dramatic book design nicely support this well-constructed look at a consummate showman. (timeline, bibliography, annotated sources) (Biography. 10-14)"
A first-rate visual presentation accompanies a fascinating biography of the first dean of the Society of American Magicians, a man Houdini regarded as a mentor. Read full book review >
Cover art for BEACH FEET
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
by Kiyomi Konagaya, illustrated by Masamitsu Saito, translated by Yuki Kaneko

"A quietly sublime depiction of a child at play by the sea. (Picture book. 2-6)"
In this newest installment in the Being in the World series, Japanese collaborators Konagaya and Saito offer a lovely account of a day in the life of a child at the beach. Read full book review >