Reluctantly bused to a program for gifted children, Wade is one of two black kids in his fourth grade; the other is Dink, girl and known nerd. Neither is made particularly welcome by the more privileged children in their new class, most of whom already know each other; even the teacher lacks warmth, and is oblivious to the social and economic pressures exerted by traditional Halloween or Valentine's celebrations. Though Wade is soon respected as a math whiz, he's so busy building defenses that he rejects all tentative proffers of friendship; he does sit with Dink at lunch to avoid being alone. Since Valentine's Day promises to be especially painful—he's sure that only the person who draws his name will give him a card—he decides to send masses of them to himself. Fortunately, Dink's patient courtesy and help make him reconsider; when the day comes, he generously distributes his valentines to family, class, and the pediatric ward where his aunt works—plus 50 to a delighted Dink. Neither preaching nor sugar coating, Cohen tells her story with practiced ease. Her characterizations may be not deep, but they're realistic and individual; wondering whether Ward will really carry through with his misguided attempt to save face holds interest to the end. Good additional fare. (Fiction. 7-10)*justify no*
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-8050-1536-1
Page Count: 54
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1991
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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BOOK REVIEW
Bad Kitty is back; and, just like every morning, she doesn’t want to get out of bed. Today, however, is a special day: Bad Kitty’s birthday! After a special alphabetical breakfast made of everything from Aardvark Bagels to Yak Zabaglione, Bad Kitty “helps out” with the decorations (i.e., destroys them). She picks out what she really wants from the Cat-alog of Cat Toys just before the guests start to arrive. She unwraps their… questionable gifts, which promptly vanish. Who is stealing them? Bad Kitty’s human gives her a truly hideous gift, and Bad Kitty has a major freakout until a special guest calms her down. Then Poor Puppy gives Kitty his homemade present, and it’s time for bed. Bruel’s follow-up to Bad Kitty Takes a Bath (2008) is nearly as much fun. Uncle Murray returns with his real facts about cats, and an appendix offers information on the breeds of each of the guests. The frenetic black-and-white illustrations are just plain hysterical, and the translations of Siamese Chatty Kitty’s blathering is a stitch. Fun for all, especially fans. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59643-342-7
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2009
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A middle-aged woman sidelined by a horrific accident finds even sharper pains waiting on the other side of her recuperation in this expert nightmare by Hardy, familiar to many readers as Megan Hart, author of All the Secrets We Keep (2017), etc.
Five months ago, while she was on her way to the hospital with an ailing gallbladder, Diana Sparrow’s car hit a deer on a rural Pennsylvania road. When she awoke, she was minus her gallbladder, two working collarbones (and therefore two functioning arms), and her memory. During a recovery that would’ve been impossible without the constant ministrations of Harriett Richmond, the mother-in-law who’s the real reason Diana married her husband, Jonathan, Diana’s discovered that Jonathan has been cheating on her with her childhood friend Valerie Delagatti. Divorce is out of the question: Diana’s grown used to the pampered lifestyle the prenup she’d signed would snatch away from her. Every day is filled with torments. She slips and falls in a pool of wine on her kitchen floor she’s sure she didn’t spill herself. At the emergency room, her credit card and debit card are declined. She feels that she hates oppressively solicitous Harriett but has no idea why. Her sessions with her psychiatrist fail to heal her rage at her adoptive mother, an addict who abandoned her then returned only to disappear again and die an ugly death. Even worse, her attempts to recover her lost memory lead to an excruciatingly paced series of revelations. Val says Diana asked her to seduce Jonathan. Diana realizes that Cole, a fellow student in her watercolor class, isn’t the stranger she’d thought he was. Where can this maze of deceptions possibly end?
One of those rare thrillers whose answers are even more scarifying than its mysteries.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64385-470-0
Page Count: 310
Publisher: Crooked Lane
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
Categories: GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE
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Following series opener Dog Diaries (2018), Junior, a dog of huge enthusiasm but not much sense, is back for a second romp with his ever so tolerant owner, “Ruff.”
It’s time for the howlidays, including Fangsgiving and, of course, Critter-Mess-Day, the one that features the mysterious Saint Lick! Junior’s take on these events¾all of them new to him since he’s recently been adopted from the pet shelter—is pretty funny. The story consists nearly entirely of his lively encounters with novel holiday-related stuff and his doggy interpretation of what he discovers, quite likely to appeal to children’s funny bones. All of this silliness is presented in first-dog narration in diary format, in large, clear print on pages that overflow with rollicking illustrations that are perfectly matched to the text. There is little in the way of plot or character development, just a series of silly episodes climaxing in Junior’s extremely thorough booby-trapping of the entire house to fend off Saint Lick since he’s heard the jolly fellow leaves “presents” all over the world—and everyone knows what those are: poop! Although his efforts leave the house flooded, toilet paper strewn everywhere and an angry family, Junior is proud of his accomplishment: no “presents.” Ruff (actually Rafe) is Armenian. The tale concludes with a helpful glossary of Doglish terms and several pages of games and drawing instruction.
Absurd and wacky but also fast-paced and good-humored. Ho, ho, HO! (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-45618-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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