A thrilling magical romp with a heartfelt message.
Percy is attempting to rebuild his identity after perpetrating evil upon the magical community when a new threat forces him to examine himself anew.
Merlynda saved her twin, Percy, from the machinations of the evil Morgan le Fey in 2023’s The Hunt for the Hollower. Now, both are recuperating—Merlynda from being Hollowed of her magic and Percy from his devastating role as the Hollower. He’s working to right past wrongs, and he’s afraid to tell anyone that he still hears Morgan’s voice in his head. Percy becomes more secretive when it’s discovered that a Shadowsoul is stealing magic. Percy wonders whether he created the Shadowsoul when he was the Hollower. Guilt-ridden, he charges off solo to conquer the Shadowsoul. Merlynda, ever faithful, follows. Knowledge of the first book is helpful for following the events in this one, although interspersed notes from the narrator provide background information. The white-presenting twins are soon joined in their quest by a colorful cast of somewhat diverse characters—familiar friends plus new allies. Plenty of clashes keep the excitement level high, and readers will be surprised when the villain is revealed. Even when things are tense, the twins’ loyal familiars add comic relief. Gradually, Percy takes to heart what those around him have been reassuring him: He’s more than his worst act and he’s loved.
A thrilling magical romp with a heartfelt message. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781665952323
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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