Positive, smart, empowering philosophies and thinking skills couched in a wacky adventure.
A lost girl travels through a fantastical Alice in Wonderland–esque world filled with The Phantom Tollbooth–like computer-programming metaphors.
After an argument with her mother, Lauren Ipsum goes for a walk through the woods. Quickly lost in Userland, she starts to encounter physical manifestations of computer science ideas, such as the Jargon creatures, seemingly benign at first but quickly revealed to be obnoxious. The various loony characters she encounters each champion different aspects of logic—specifically, the kinds of logic and perspectives used in programming and problem-solving—giving Lauren the tools she needs for her rambling journey home. While serving as an introduction to programming for kids, it avoids the nitty-gritty of code in favor of clever analogies that guide readers toward the type of thinking that will facilitate learning computer science. The extensive backmatter—a segment titled “The Field Guide to Userland”—details how Lauren’s logic solves the various puzzles and how the solutions relate more practically to computer science, as well as providing jumping-off points for future subject exploration. The story is funny enough on its own, but the sly puns missed the first time around will keep the book fresh for those rereading after learning more programming. The intelligent female protagonist and casually multiethnic illustrations normalize inclusivity in computer science for young readers.
Positive, smart, empowering philosophies and thinking skills couched in a wacky adventure. (Fantasy/philosophy. 8-14)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59327-574-7
Page Count: 184
Publisher: No Starch Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2015
Tales that “lay out your options for painful and interesting ways to die.” And to live.
In a similarly hefty companion to Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods (2014), the most voluble of Poseidon’s many sons dishes on a dozen more ancient relatives and fellow demigods.
Riordan averts his young yarn spinner’s eyes from the sex but not the stupidity, violence, malice, or bad choices that drive so many of the old tales. He leavens full, refreshingly tart accounts of the ups and downs of such higher-profile heroes as Theseus, Orpheus, Hercules, and Jason with the lesser-known but often equally awesome exploits of such butt-kicking ladies as Atalanta, Otrera (the first Amazon), and lion-wrestling Cyrene. In thought-provoking contrast, Psyche comes off as no less heroic, even though her story is less about general slaughter than the tough “Iron Housewives quests” Aphrodite forces her to undertake to rescue her beloved Eros. Furthermore, along with snarky chapter heads (“Phaethon Fails Driver’s Ed”), the contemporary labor includes references to Jay-Z, Apple Maps, god-to-god texting, and the like—not to mention the way the narrator makes fun of hard-to-pronounce names and points up such character flaws as ADHD (Theseus) and anger management issues (Hercules). The breezy treatment effectively blows off at least some of the dust obscuring the timeless themes in each hero’s career. In Rocco’s melodramatically murky illustrations, men and women alike display rippling thews and plenty of skin as they battle ravening monsters.
Tales that “lay out your options for painful and interesting ways to die.” And to live. (maps, index) (Mythology. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4231-8365-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Salva Dut is 11 years old when war raging in the Sudan separates him from his family. To avoid the conflict, he walks for years with other refugees, seeking sanctuary and scarce food and water. Park simply yet convincingly depicts the chaos of war and an unforgiving landscape as they expose Salva to cruelties both natural and man-made. The lessons Salva remembers from his family keep him from despair during harsh times in refugee camps and enable him, as a young man, to begin a new life in America. As Salva’s story unfolds, readers also learn about another Sudanese youth, Nya, and how these two stories connect contributes to the satisfying conclusion. This story is told as fiction, but it is based on real-life experiences of one of the “Lost Boys” of the Sudan. Salva and Nya’s compelling voices lift their narrative out of the “issue” of the Sudanese War, and only occasionally does the explanation of necessary context intrude in the storytelling. Salva’s heroism and the truth that water is a source of both conflict and reconciliation receive equal, crystal-clear emphasis in this heartfelt account. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-547-25127-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2010
SEEN & HEARD
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