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LIFE'S A FUNNY PROPOSITION, HORATIO

Name: LIFE'S A FUNNY PROPOSITION, HORATIO
Author: Barbara Garland Polikoff
ISBN: 0-8050-1972-3

by Barbara Garland Polikoff ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1992

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A leaden story about a family in mourning: It's been nearly two years since Joshua Tuckerman died, but he's still missed by his son Horatio, his wife Evie, and his father (``O.P.''—Old Professor), a retired scholar mildly disabled by a heart attack. To no obvious purpose, the author weaves in several subplots: Horatio's relationship with Angie, his best friend's sister, blossoms; Evie begins dating; O.P.'s beloved dog dies in an accident. Horatio tries to lure the depressed O.P. to the pound to pick another pet, watches resentfully as his mother tries (unsuccessfully) to have a social life, and, after several smooth encounters with Angie, begins to revise his nerdy self-image. Slow to start and loosely constructed, with characters who are introduced but never appear, facets of personality (e.g., Horatio's interest in chess) that are only superficially explored, bland dialogue (including a tacked-on anti-smoking sermon), and some obvious humor at the expense of Evie, a dentist, and Angie's mother, who's testing recipes for a health-food cookbook. In the end, Horatio, Evie, and O.P. hold a memorial service for Joshua that leaves them feeling better but otherwise little changed. (Fiction. 11-13)

Pub Date: July 1, 1992

ISBN: 0-8050-1972-3

Page Count: 103

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1992

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE MECHANICAL MIND OF JOHN COGGIN

by Elinor Teele ; illustrated by Ben Whitehouse ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2016

A sly, side-splitting hoot from start to finish.

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The dreary prospect of spending a lifetime making caskets instead of wonderful inventions prompts a young orphan to snatch up his little sister and flee. Where? To the circus, of course.

Fortunately or otherwise, John and 6-year-old Page join up with Boz—sometime human cannonball for the seedy Wandering Wayfarers and a “vertically challenged” trickster with a fantastic gift for sowing chaos. Alas, the budding engineer barely has time to settle in to begin work on an experimental circus wagon powered by chicken poop and dubbed (with questionable forethought) the Autopsy. The hot pursuit of malign and indomitable Great-Aunt Beauregard, the Coggins’ only living relative, forces all three to leave the troupe for further flights and misadventures. Teele spins her adventure around a sturdy protagonist whose love for his little sister is matched only by his fierce desire for something better in life for them both and tucks in an outstanding supporting cast featuring several notably strong-minded, independent women (Page, whose glare “would kill spiders dead,” not least among them). Better yet, in Boz she has created a scene-stealing force of nature, a free spirit who’s never happier than when he’s stirring up mischief. A climactic clutch culminating in a magnificently destructive display of fireworks leaves the Coggin sibs well-positioned for bright futures. (Illustrations not seen.)

A sly, side-splitting hoot from start to finish. (Adventure. 11-13)

Pub Date: April 12, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234510-3

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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GLORIA'S WAY

by Ann Cameron ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2000

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Fans of Cameron’s Huey and Julian stories (More Stories Huey Tells, 1997, etc.) are in for a treat as Gloria, their friend from those tales, gets a book of her own and graciously allows the two brothers to share it . In the first tale, Gloria makes a wonderful card for her mother, but the wind blows it away and it ends up in the cage of a cantankerous parrot. Thanks to Mr. Bates, Huey and Julian’s dad, the day is saved, as is the burgeoning friendship that Gloria and the boys have struck up with new neighbor Latisha in the story, “The Promise.” In another story, Gloria has to deal with a huge problem—fractions—and this time it’s her dad who helps her through it. Mr. Bates proves helpful again when the group trains an “obsessed” puppy, while Gloria’s mother is supportive when Gloria is unintentionally hurt by her three best friends. The stories are warm and funny, as Gloria, a spunky kid who gets into some strange predicaments, finds out that her friends and wise, loving adults are good to have around when trouble beckons. Great fun, with subtly placed, positive messages that never take center stage. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 8-12)