edited by Betsy Bird ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 9, 2017
Whether these live up to the subtitle’s claim of “funniest stories ever” is subjective, but the lighthearted array will...
The 28 short stories, autobiographical essays, and comic strips in this entertaining anthology are meant to prove that females can be funny, and they succeed.
Librarian and blogger Bird has gathered contributions from a stellar group of female children’s and teen writers and illustrators, including Rita Williams-Garcia, Jennifer Holm, and Shannon Hale, plus a few professional comedians who give advice on crafting and delivering jokes. Variety abounds, encompassing Lenore Look’s pun-filled Chinese zodiac, Mitali Perkins’ “Brown Girl Pop Quiz” of multiple-choice questions, and Raina Telgemeier’s comic strip “Attack of the Killer Bee.” Among the standouts are Carmen Agra Deedy’s first-person account of the time her mother set a bathtub on fire to rid it of germs and Libba Bray’s “Public Service Announcement About Your Period” from a witty 12-year-old girl who objects to the secrecy surrounding the subject. A handful of other entries also deal with girl-specific topics such as bra shopping, and nearly all the stories and reminiscences focus on girls. Boys will also enjoy the humor, which ranges from slapstick to subtle. Brief biographical notes about the contributors conclude the volume.
Whether these live up to the subtitle’s claim of “funniest stories ever” is subjective, but the lighthearted array will surely appeal to a wide audience. (Anthology. 9-13)Pub Date: May 9, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-451-47731-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
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by Geraldine McCaughrean & illustrated by Sophy Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2001
McCaughrean maintains the dizzyingly high standards of The Golden Hoard (1996) and its sequels with this thematic collection of sky myths and legends. Associated with cultures as diverse as Ancient Rome and the Cook Islands, the 15 tales explain, among other things, rainbows, thunder, falling stars, the origin of night, and why the sun and moon live far apart. Whether love stories, tragedies, accounts of heroic deeds or trickster tales, all are likely to be new to young readers, even those as widely told as “Orion’s Downfall” and the Chinese “Bridge of Magpies.” McCaughrean retells them with characteristic vigor: “With sulfur from the hot springs, with magma from the volcanoes, [the gods] fashioned a foe to send against Orion: an insect that wore its skeleton on the outside for armor, a creature the color of rage and venom . . .” Williams’s indistinct, ordinary-looking figures seldom capture the tales’ drama, and while McCaughrean closes with comments on each story, there are no specific source notes. Still, this extends the scope of such Native American gatherings as Gretchen Mayo’s Star Tales (1987), and readers will be captivated by the range of visions here. (Folktales. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83015-7
Page Count: 112
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2000
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by Susan Fletcher ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 21, 2010
In a time not so far from now but within the universe of the Dragon Chronicles, 14-year-old Bryn misses her scientist mom, who has disappeared in Alaska. Her dad has gone searching for her, leaving Bryn with her aunt and her little sister. But an odd sound coming from boxes of her mother’s materials in the basement leads Bryn to a leathery egg—and the hatching of a small, hungry lizard. With wings. The story turns to Tal, who was Bryn’s mother’s research assistant, and to Josh, who makes a living finding fossils—and maybe other things. Pollution is endemic in this world, and swarms of animals and insects appear and vanish. Some teens use tattoos and skin grafts to mimic the appearance of the myriad cancer victims. Told in the first person by Bryn and in the third for Tal and Josh, the tale knits Internet searches, social networking, teenage friendships and ecosphere studies together with an utterly engaging baby dragon. Bryn’s family’s ties to winged creatures and their passion for scientific learning are delineated with swift precision and nuanced emotion. (Fantasy. 9-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2010
ISBN: 970-1-4169-5786-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2010
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