Skip and reread A Wrinkle in Time instead.
A group of kids attempts to save the Earth from rampant negativity.
Mary, 13, considers herself average at best. But to her little brother, Albert, she’s Pearl: the one person who can understand the “memos” he sends via mental telepathy. Their father disappeared when Albert was a baby, leaving the siblings with only Ma and Meemaw. One snowy day, Mary receives a startling memo from Albert about an ominous red mist: “bad order.” The mist’s presence plagues humans and animals alike with negative thoughts. Mary, Albert, and their friends Brit and Lars are the only ones who seem to notice. Rather like Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin before them, the heroes collaborate with a trio of human-disguised aliens (or, rather, “smart-mass-holograph-research units”) to restore (good) order. But can they successfully patch a rip between the dimensions? Ullman’s quick pace and atmospheric worldbuilding are, unfortunately, overshadowed by a derivative plot. The buffoonish aliens—named Commodore, Med Tech Tek, and Citizen Lady—provide some mitigating comic relief. Eccentricities such as nonverbal communication, picky eating, and a sorting game he plays with dust particles suggest that Albert is on the autism spectrum. Conflated with his telepathic abilities, however, these details exemplify the problematic magical-disability trope. The cast defaults white.
Skip and reread A Wrinkle in Time instead. (Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4549-3106-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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