Likable characters in humorous situations make for a promising series opener.
Poor Pippa! Her desire to fill the hole left by her best friend’s move is so great that she tells a whopper to make a new friend. Her self-reflective, humorous journal tells all.
Pippa is like many 10-year-olds: obsessed with a pop singer (Tiffany J), insecure when a friend moves away, and filled with big dreams. One thing is clear: she will never be a singer. Her music teacher even discourages her from singing in the chorus! When popular girl Catie Brown sits next to her and shows an interest in the TV show Voice Factor, Pippa lets slip a lie: “I auditioned for it.” And, since she has imagined her audition so many times, she goes on to describe the amazing success of her singing voice and the standing ovation from the judges. Their friendship grows on this lie, and Pippa goes to great lengths (and many more lies) to protect the fib. When the truth finally comes out, Pippa weathers the awkward storm. While the resolution might be a tad predictable for middle-grade squabbles, readers will get a good glimpse at how kids can untangle themselves from complicated predicaments. Droll line drawings decorate Pippa’s journal, making this a good bridge book to longer chapter books.
Likable characters in humorous situations make for a promising series opener. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2328-1
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
An action-packed sequel that’s sure to please series fans.
The magically gifted students at Fern’s School for Wayward Fae attempt to head off destruction of their realm.
This second series installment picks up right where the first left off: with Rosemary Thorpe alone and in danger in the Seelie court. She escapes via the Grim Reaper’s home after “borrowing” a hoodie that renders her invisible, then returns to Fern’s School a few hours later—only to learn that she’s been gone for a month, and everyone’s been worrying about her. Rosemary’s gift for foreseeing people’s deaths has made her aware that something terrible is coming to the school, and her teacher Dante’s prophetic abilities have pinpointed her upcoming 13th birthday as the pivotal date. Rosemary and her roommate, Trym, are convinced the Seelie Keeper is behind everything, but the adults—other than Dante—laugh at and dismiss their concerns, leaving the students to investigate on their own and putting them in terrible danger. Fast-paced action sequences will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Those familiar with the events of the first book will experience the most enjoyment while following human-raised Rosemary as she continues to adapt to the magical world in which she finds herself and learns more about her own family. Rosemary and Trym read white.
An action-packed sequel that’s sure to please series fans. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593810507
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Heartfelt and accessible: another winner from a beloved author.
Fourth grader Cassie dreams of solving all her problems by winning a contest.
It’s May 1984, and Cassie Carpenter feels overwhelmed by how much she needs—attention, space, money, and more. Things that feel trivial to others are overwhelming for her, and others call her “melodramatic,” “sensitive,” and “so emotional.” Still, Cassie’s problems are real: Her house is too small for everyone in her family to have their own bed or sit at the same table for dinner. Money is tight, and her mother is too tired to notice that Cassie needs her. At school, Cassie’s best friend starts pulling away, preferring an unkind classmate. Then, Cassie receives a life-changing piece of mail: A magazine sweepstakes declares her a “grand prize winner”! A catalog of prizes accompanies a magazine order form, and Cassie is swept away by fantasies of how a vacation or a water bed for her mom might solve all her problems. But soon she finds that the contest is far from the easy fix she imagined. Hale’s gift for capturing middle-grade joys and agonies is once again on full display, and fans of her Best Friends graphic memoir trilogy will find much to love in this series opener. Cespedes’ illustrations and Pien’s colors are vibrant and appealing, capturing the liabilities and, importantly, the gifts to be found in Cassie’s deeply emotional worldview. Cassie’s family reads white; other characters are racially diverse.
Heartfelt and accessible: another winner from a beloved author. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781250843067
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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