Entertaining but without necessary depth.
Beth and her Canadian Mennonite family become enmeshed in a cookie war between rival U.S. companies in this story based on a real lawsuit.
Beth is starting to question her parents’ values, especially since they sharply conflict with her burning desire to become an artist. Art is an emotional necessity to the 12-year-old, but her plain-living parents view it as a prideful display. When sophisticated but nonetheless remarkably shallow corporate attorney Paula comes calling, seeking supporting evidence to prove her client has not violated another company’s patent, Beth is drawn to the lawyer. She has, after all, often visited art museums and seems to understand Beth’s drive to create. If her family cooperates with Paula and lends her a treasured family heirloom—Grand-mama’s spattered handwritten cookbook—enough money would pour in to fund art lessons and materials for Beth. Paula would use the recipe book to prove her company’s cookie recipe is ancient, not recently stolen from their rival. But Beth’s family is not so inclined. Just as Beth’s resolve to hew to her family’s values slightly wavers, a severe ice storm and a desperate rescue only she can heroically accomplish help her see a path forward in her own life. Although Stellings carefully interweaves fact and fiction, the resultant story at once provides too much of Paula’s predictable shallowness and not enough of Beth’s engaging life to fully flesh out either one. The cast is presumed White.
Entertaining but without necessary depth. (recipe) (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77260-173-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing, fast-paced fantasy adventure.
A Korean American tween unlocks hidden magical powers to fulfill her destiny and save her family from a vengeful ancient spirit.
Twelve-year-old Lia Park aspires to one day work at the International Magic Agency, fighting monsters and protecting the world. But Lia’s unsure about her future because, unlike best friend Joon, she hasn’t yet manifested any magical abilities. Before she can take the annual entrance exam for the IMA school, her skills are unexpectedly tested when she discovers her California home ransacked and her parents missing. A message to bring Gaya the missing jewel in exchange for her parents leaves her confused and bewildered: She has no idea who Gaya is or what jewel the kidnapper is talking about. Following clues left by her parents, Lia travels with Joon to Korea to find the jewel that will save her family. While motivated to solve the mystery, Lia also becomes frustrated that her parents’ overprotectiveness kept her from knowing the truth about her powers and the threat Gaya poses. Tense scenes set up the high stakes involved in her quest. This contemporary tale incorporates Korean history, national landmarks, and mythology in an engaging way. Korean words and phrases are also woven throughout the text, reinforcing Lia’s connection to her culture and its integral role in the story.
An intriguing, fast-paced fantasy adventure. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8793-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A richly atmospheric page-turner—readers will eagerly anticipate the forthcoming sequel.
Young Seren Rhys stands on the cusp of a new life. Unfortunately for her, the train to her new life is late.
Following the death of her aunt, who saved her from her 12-year stay at the orphanage, she receives word that her godfather, Capt. Arthur Jones, will take her in. Seren spends her wait dreaming of the Jones family and their surely bustling, welcoming manor, Plas-y-Fran in Wales. An encounter with a mysterious man and his more mysterious wrapped parcel (containing the eponymous mechanical bird) leaves Seren reeling, and the mysteries multiply when she arrives at Plas-y-Fran. The place is shuttered and cold, nearly deserted but for a few fearful, oppressively unforthcoming servants. The captain and his wife are away; of their young son, Tomos, there is neither sign nor sound. With the Crow as her only, if reluctant, ally, Seren soon finds herself enmeshed in mayhem and magic that may prove lethal. In her characteristic style, Fisher crafts an elaborate fantasy from deceptively simple language. Seren is a sharp, saucy narrator whose constant puzzlement at others’ consternation over her impertinence provides running amusement. Supporting characters are fascinating if ambiguous players, not so much poorly drawn as poorly revealed, perhaps casualties of the quick pace. The deadened manor, however, provides the perfect backdrop for preternatural forces. Characters are presumed white.
A richly atmospheric page-turner—readers will eagerly anticipate the forthcoming sequel. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1491-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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