A great way for kids to learn about honesty and the electoral process.
In Puccia’s debut novel, a third-grade girl learns a little bit about politics—and a lot about friendship and believing in herself.
Samantha Pojanowski is the smart kid in her elementary-school class, which has earned her the unfortunate nickname of “Samantha Smartypants,” a moniker she tries her best to ignore, even though it bothers her. When their teacher announces that the class is going to learn about elections by electing their own class president, Samantha wants no part of it. After all, who would want to stand up in front of a class and make a speech? Puccia shows her emotional ups and downs, which will help young readers understand that they can still try things that scare them. When Samantha’s best friend, Peter Cavelli, nominates her, she does her best to decline. He believes in her, however, and she slowly begins to acclimate to the idea of becoming class president. Her first two tasks—making a poster and coming up with a slogan—crash and burn because she focuses too much on what’s important to her, instead of what’s important to the class. Peter helps her with her final task, which focuses on both. Although Samantha isn’t as popular or cool as her two opponents, she soon learns that straightforward honesty triumphs over broken campaign promises and lies. When she’s elected, she graciously gives credit to Peter for his ideas, and the two of them became co-presidents, which will help teach kids that it’s okay to share the glory. Puccia’s text is largely straightforward and engaging, which makes it accessible to early readers. (The opening is somewhat stilted, but the prose gains smoothness as the story goes on.) She provides plenty of details about the basics of real-life presidential elections, and keeps them compelling by weaving them into Samantha’s personal journey. The few illustrations, however, are rather simplistic, and add little value to the reading experience. Overall, however, Puccia’s sympathetic characters will draw readers in.
A great way for kids to learn about honesty and the electoral process.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1495280832
Page Count: 102
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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