An educational, witty, and enjoyable tale that showcases its unique protagonist.
In Wixon’s debut YA novel, a dyslexic teenager’s trip to Disney World becomes a more serious adventure in which he must stop invading aliens from spreading evil.
Devon would rather listen to music than sit in a classroom at school, where his fellow students often mock him for his dyslexia. So he’s excited when his grandmother suggests a Disney World vacation with his mom, Lindsey, and little sister, Taylor. It’s not the family’s first time to the amusement park, but this year’s different: Grandma says that she needs Devon’s help with something, and she begins by revealing the park’s genuine purpose. The world, it turns out, is secured against evil by the “joyzone layer,” which was, back in the 1930s, dangerously thin in both Florida and California. Walt Disney built his theme parks there to spread joy and help protect the world. It’s also revealed that Devon has special powers—including the ability to know what someone will say after hearing the first word of a sentence—making him a prime candidate to be a protector, like Grandma. And now that the joyzone layer has a hole, his assistance is urgently needed, especially after a repulsive alien breaches the layer and injures his grandmother. It’s up to Devon, armed with a laser gun, to prevent the alien from escaping the park and devastating the planet. Wixon’s story effectively spotlights and champions its dyslexic hero. Devon’s disorder is never portrayed as a detriment and, in fact, may be the reason for his powerful abilities. But other characters are just as intriguing: Taylor unhesitatingly chases after her brother despite her fear of slimy aliens, and a flying-gnome sidekick named Sniffen is always ready to bop Devon on the head for using vulgar language. The briskly paced tale finds Grandma in dire peril, but it also offers sympathy for the aliens, as not all of them are necessarily evil. Most memorable, however, are the expressive scenes depicting Devon’s personal struggle: “the letters wouldn’t cooperate and they’d rearranged themselves right in front of his eyes.”
An educational, witty, and enjoyable tale that showcases its unique protagonist.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9986530-1-3
Page Count: 172
Publisher: DeLiTa Press
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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