by Brenda Z. Guiberson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 12, 2019
An uneven and ultimately disappointing exploration of an interesting topic.
Amelia Earhart, D.B. Cooper, and Jimmy Hoffa are among many whose mysterious disappearances have significantly added to their fame.
They are joined in this exploration of missing people by the two young princes who disappeared from the Tower of London in 1483; Barbara Newhall Follett, an author who went missing in 1939; and William Morgan, who may have been murdered by Freemasons in upstate New York in 1826. Guiberson first provides extensive background information on the missing people, then turns to each disappearance and, eventually, explores efforts to find the missing. The stories are presented in often confusing prose that too frequently combines poorly structured sentences (“A body for William Morgan was never found”) and occasional sentence fragments (“That she was full of energy and new ideas and would never quit”). Budding sleuths who may hope to learn about efforts to solve these intriguing mysteries will be disappointed, as the focus is nearly all on the protagonists’ lives rather than their disappearances. The chapter on Morgan interrupts the tale of his disappearance to spend 14 pages on a history of Freemasons. When Morgan again becomes the primary topic, passing references to key players and locations (“the sheriff” and “the icy river”) serve merely to confuse. A thorough bibliography is helpfully subdivided by subject.
An uneven and ultimately disappointing exploration of an interesting topic. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-13340-3
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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by Kathleen Krull & illustrated by Boris Kulikov ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2006
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
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by Dan Santat ; illustrated by Dan Santat ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2023
Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things.
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A 1989 summer trip to Europe changes Caldecott Medal winner Santat’s life in this graphic memoir.
Young Dan hasn’t experienced much beyond the small Southern California town he grew up in. He stays out of trouble, helps his parents, and tries to go unnoticed in middle school. That plan gets thwarted when he is made to recite poetry at a school assembly and is humiliated by his peers. When eighth grade is over and his parents send him on a three-week study abroad program, Dan isn’t excited at first. He’s traveling with girls from school whom he has awkward relationships with, his camera breaks, and he feels completely out of place. But with the help of some new friends, a crush, and an encouraging teacher, Dan begins to appreciate and enjoy the journey. Through experiences like his first taste of Fanta, first time hearing French rap, and first time getting lost on his own in a foreign country in the middle of the night, he finally begins to feel comfortable just being himself and embracing the unexpected. This entertaining graphic memoir is a relatable story of self-discovery. Flashbacks to awkward memories are presented in tones of blue that contrast with the full-color artwork through which Santat creates the perfect balance of humor and poignancy. The author’s note and photos offer readers more fun glimpses into his pivotal adventure.
Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things. (Graphic memoir. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85104-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
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