by Angie Frazier ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2011
The mysterious disappearance of a little girl from the ritzy Rosemount Hotel in Loch Harbor, New Brunswick, during the summer of 1904 triggers 11-year-old Suzanna Snow’s budding sleuthing skills. As managers of the Rosemont, Zanna’s parents expect her to follow in their footsteps, ignoring her dreams of becoming a detective like her famous Uncle Bruce. Even though nothing exciting ever happens, Zanna faithfully records her daily observations in a notebook while wreaking havoc throughout the hotel. Then one stormy night the daughter of a wealthy guest vanishes, and Zanna notices a diminutive figure in white exiting an underground tunnel used by hotel staff. Zanna also finds a scrap of white material near the tunnel, but the police ignore her clues. When Uncle Bruce arrives to investigate, Zanna can’t wait to assist with the case, but he dismisses her as a child. Undeterred, Zanna realizes, “I’m not my uncle…I can do things differently.” Relying on her instincts, Zanna eschews traditional female roles as she fits nuanced pieces into the increasingly dangerous puzzle. Each chapter opens with Zanna’s detective notes followed by her first-person narration of backstairs life at the Rosemont and the unfolding mystery. What Zanna lacks in grace and composure, she makes up for in pluck, persistence and cleverness, emerging a likely and likable Edwardian Nancy Drew. (Historical mystery. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-545-20862-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
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by Stuart Gibbs ; illustrated by Anjan Sarkar ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Will satisfy fans but could be better.
Young CIA agent-in-training Benjamin Ripley switches sides—or is he just going undercover?—in this graphic version of the third Spy School caper.
Sticking to the plot of the 2015 original, this episode sees the talented math whiz recruited by nefarious organization SPYDER after being (unjustly, he fumes) kicked out of the CIA’s academy. While training in a hidden school for evildoers with other prospective villains, including Ashley Sparks, a gushy former competitive gymnast with a fondness for portmanteau words (sweet + awesome = swawesome), Ben gets wind of a dastardly scheme to make billions on government construction projects. Hot if inept pursuit by both rival espionage agencies takes Ben from a secret underground command center to the top of the Statue of Liberty. But while the action has a rapid flow in the art (Sarkar is good at portraying fights, high-speed chases, and explosions), several characters are drawn with generic features and such a limited range of expressions that even with help from the cast gallery, it’s hard to tell them apart easily. Still, along with coming through in the suspenseful climax—thanks to clever deductions and quick thinking—by the end, Ben has also achieved a long-sought breakthrough with Erica Hale (code name “Ice Queen”), a superbly omnicompetent schoolmate who has his heart as well as his back. The cast largely presents white.
Will satisfy fans but could be better. (Graphic thriller. 8-12)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781665931946
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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by Stuart Gibbs ; illustrated by Stacy Curtis
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by J. Torres ; illustrated by David Namisato ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 2021
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
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by J. Torres ; illustrated by Aurélie Grand
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