A splendid folktale that may appeal to fans of short stories and folklore.
A wealthy man discovers the consequences of selfishness and the possibility of redemption in a middle-grade fantasy inspired by Greek folktales.
Loukas, a considerate boy with a gift for music, lives on an island in the Aegean Sea. His father is a fisherman who teaches his son his trade. Loukas brings his wooden flute to play while they fish. One day, Loukas’ music catches the attention of a leopard snake who stops to listen to it. The nonvenomous snake shows its gratitude by leaving three gold coins as it slithers away. Loukas befriends the snake, whom he names Lambros, and the friendship leads to good fortune for his family. As an adult, Loukas marries a seamstress named Thera, with whom he has two children, Sophie and Petros. He has selfish desires, however, after he meets a malicious merchant, and he loses his family and fortune to the man. Bereft, Loukas embarks on a perilous journey to find the “celestial guardians,” Destiny, her son, Ilion, and her daughter, Luna, and to appeal to them for the return of his family. Manna, the author of The Orphan: A Cinderella Story From Greece (2011), tells a lyrical story of bravery and redemption anchored by a courageous and resilient protagonist. The fast-paced narrative centers on Loukas, whose character is shaped early by the dedication and kindness he shows to a snake who finds great pleasure and comfort in his music. The poignancy of their friendship makes his later descent into hubris and greed all the more tragic. His journey to find Destiny and her children takes a number of dangerous twists and turns as he encounters the mythical Keeper of the Forest; three bewitching sisters seeking true love; a giant begging for rain to end a drought; and two mountains looking for respect. Babisch’s haunting and evocative illustrations enhance the text. This is another winner from Manna, whose Mr. Semolina-Semolinus: A Greek Folktale (1997), written in collaboration with Christodoula Mitakidou and illustrated by Giselle Potter, was a New York Public Library Best Book for Children.
A splendid folktale that may appeal to fans of short stories and folklore.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68401-433-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Mascot Books
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An enthralling fantasy debut exploring exploitation by those in power.
Will 12-year-old Nura be able to outsmart the trickster jinn and save herself and her friends?
Nura lives in the fictional Pakistani town of Meerabagh, where she has worked mining mica to help support her family of five—her mother, herself, and her three younger siblings—since her father’s death. In the mines she has the company of her best friend, Faisal, who is teased by other kids for his stutter, and she enjoys small pleasures like splurging on gulab jamun. Although Maa wants Nura to stop working and attend school, she has no interest in classroom learning and hopes to save up to send her younger siblings to school instead so they can break the family’s cycle of poverty. Following a mining accident in which Faisal and others are lost in the rubble, Nura goes to the rescue. In her quest, she is plunged into the magical, glittering jinn realm, where nothing is as it seems. The author seamlessly weaves into the worldbuilding of the story commentary on real-life problems such as the ravages of child labor and systems that perpetuate inequities. An informative author’s note further explores present-day global cycles of oppression as well as the life-changing power of education. This action-packed story set in a Muslim community moves at a fast pace, with evocative writing that brings the fantasy world to life and lyrical imagery to describe emotions.
An enthralling fantasy debut exploring exploitation by those in power. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5795-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem.
A middle schooler struggles to adjust after moving to an idyllic Massachusetts town.
Trish Das is at a crossroads. Not only is the 12-year-old unhappy that her family has moved yet again due to her mother’s cardiology career, she also has to try out for a new baseball team. The fact that one of her new teammates is a former archrival further complicates matters. Math prodigy Ben Messina went head-to-head against fellow math whiz Trish at last spring’s Math Puzzlers Championship. When Trish emerged victorious, Ben was stunned. The two get closer when the team’s mysterious pregame snacks start making everyone play better while also causing magical side effects during games. Equally surprising are the cryptic puzzle booklets Trish and Ben receive in the mail that lead them to even more wins. But as the puzzles get harder to solve, the risk of failing to do so increases. Alternating between Trish’s and Ben’s perspectives, LaRocca’s novel—a companion to 2019’s Midsummer’s Mayhem—is a Much Ado About Nothing homage that explores parental expectations, complicated friendships, and teamwork. The protagonists’ love of problem-solving shines through, and the puzzles themselves are clearly explained. As a third-generation Indian American, Trish also has moving conversations about the circumstances that led her grandparents to emigrate and how those decisions still impact their lives. Ben is implied White. Final illustrations not seen.
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1101-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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