A dynamic and informative time-travel fantasy with relatable young characters.
In Gartner’s middle-grade sequel, two siblings are catapulted to ancient Rome, tasked with uniting sworn enemies.
Thankful that their unexpected sojourn in ancient Egypt is behind them—as recounted in The Eye of Ra (2019)—12-year-old Sarah and her brother, John, who’s a few years younger, don’t anticipate anything out of the ordinary when they visit the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., to see a special exhibition on the Roman Empire. They certainly don’t expect to encounter Aten, the time-traveling Egyptian tomb robber from their previous adventure. Aten, having “seen the light of Ra,” tells them it’s the will of “the gods” that the siblings must use John’s key to the past—a mystical Eye of Ra pendant—and travel to ancient Rome to bring together Roman emperor Constantius and Crocus, the leader of the Germanic Alemanni, as allies. If they fail, Aten says, “the world as you know it is in grave danger.” Once again, Gartner deftly weaves real-life history into a compelling adventure, offering high-stakes, realistic danger and vivid scene-setting. He also convincingly portrays Sarah’s and John’s emotions along the way. Sarah is shown to be impatient with John’s timidity, and she feels guilty for aspects of the Egypt adventure. Her preadolescent angst confuses John; after all, hadn’t they bonded in Egypt while “dodging cobras and scorpions”? John, however, discovers new confidence in the face of peril that includes a mountain trek, wild animals in an arena, and two mysterious figures, who seem to know all about John’s pendant. (Humorously, a servant marvels at John’s athletic shoes, assuming that he worships Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.) The question of why gods of the ancient world chosen Sarah and John for world-saving missions remains unanswered, but may be tackled in future adventures. At the end of the book, the author writes about his inspirations for the book’s historic characters and setting, separating fact from fiction. Also included is a recipe for libum, the sweet dessert that John and others enjoy during their ancient Rome adventure.
A dynamic and informative time-travel fantasy with relatable young characters.Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73415-523-5
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Crescent Vista Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sympathetic, compelling introduction to wolves from the perspective of one wolf and his memorable journey.
Separated from his pack, Swift, a young wolf, embarks on a perilous search for a new home.
Swift’s mother impresses on him early that his “pack belongs to the mountains and the mountains belong to the pack.” His father teaches him to hunt elk, avoid skunks and porcupines, revere the life that gives them life, and “carry on” when their pack is devastated in an attack by enemy wolves. Alone and grieving, Swift reluctantly leaves his mountain home. Crossing into unfamiliar territory, he’s injured and nearly dies, but the need to run, hunt, and live drives him on. Following a routine of “walk-trot-eat-rest,” Swift traverses prairies, canyons, and deserts, encountering men with rifles, hunger, thirst, highways, wild horses, a cougar, and a forest fire. Never imagining the “world could be so big or that I could be so alone in it,” Swift renames himself Wander as he reaches new mountains and finds a new home. Rife with details of the myriad scents, sounds, tastes, touches, and sights in Swift/Wander’s primal existence, the immediacy of his intimate, first-person, present-tense narration proves deeply moving, especially his longing for companionship. Realistic black-and-white illustrations trace key events in this unique survival story, and extensive backmatter fills in further factual information about wolves and their habitat.
A sympathetic, compelling introduction to wolves from the perspective of one wolf and his memorable journey. (additional resources, map) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-289593-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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