An excellent, emotionally rich choice for readers ready for a sizable chapter book.
Following their eponymous first outing (2015), Quinny and Hopper are back for a second, exploring friendship.
The third-graders, both depicted as white in cover art, couldn't be more different from each other. Hopper is a quiet boy who likes to deliberate before he acts. Quinny is an exceedingly lively girl who finds it hard to sit still or keep from talking when she isn't supposed to. The words just seem to burst from her, a trait some adults find more troubling than others. One of those bothered by it is the new long-term substitute teacher who has taken over their classroom. Since Hopper is undergoing the ordeal of a tonsillectomy—especially hard on a kid who worries a lot—Quinny must negotiate the problems at school without his valued support and guidance. Among the biggest issues is Victoria, rich, white, popular, and rather mean at times. What's nice about this bully, however, is that Schanen has imbued her with a conscience, adding a surprising depth to a tale for young readers. Since the narrative is related in Quinny’s and Hopper's distinct voices in alternating chapters, characters are well-rounded and their problems are fully believable. A few useful life lessons on friendship and the value of being true to oneself while being flexible enough to accept others' foibles are seamlessly incorporated.
An excellent, emotionally rich choice for readers ready for a sizable chapter book. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-7506-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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