A whimsical and edifying story about protecting our delicate ecosystem.
A young girl gains the ability to speak with the animals her conservationist parents are studying in Armstrong’s middle-grade novel.
Sydney is far from your average 11-year-old girl. Instead of growing up and going to school in one place, she and her twin sister, Sierra, travel the world with their conservationist parents, who homeschool them. The twins’ mother is an environmental photographer dedicated to capturing wildlife in their natural habitats and documenting the effects of climate change, particularly its effect on animals. Sydney also loves animals; she even talks to them when the family takes photography expeditions (though they never respond). The family’s latest trip—to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway—starts with an unexpected polar bear sighting in the airport parking lot. Sydney learns that their guides, Erik and his 16-year-old son Jon, have been attempting to track this bear (whom they’ve nicknamed PB-861), hoping to monitor its activity in relation to the changes in (and destruction of) its home. (“If PB-861 keeps coming inland, that means he’s hungry. And desperate,” Erik says.) Setting sail on the frigid Arctic seas, the conservationists begin their work documenting the environment and wildlife. When Sydney is accidentally thrown from her raft onto an iceberg, hitting her head, she’s knocked unconscious; when she wakes up, she finds that she can speak with animals, not just to them. Sydney realizes that she might be able to make a difference and help the planet in new and exciting ways—especially when she teams up with her data- and research-loving twin Sierra. Armstrong weaves a tale that’s both entertaining and educational. The adventurous Sydney is a likable and compelling protagonist, and her more academically minded twin serves as a perfect foil. The supporting characters are also well developed. Young readers will enjoy learning about the Arctic ecosystem and may even come away from the book feeling inspired to do more research into global conservation efforts and help in any way they can.
A whimsical and edifying story about protecting our delicate ecosystem.Pub Date: July 3, 2023
ISBN: 9798218220037
Page Count: 228
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood.
In this prequel to Newbery Award–winning The Crossover (2014), Alexander revisits previous themes and formats while exploring new ones.
For Charlie Bell, the future father of The Crossover’s Jordan and Josh, his father’s death alters his relationship with his mother and causes him to avoid what reminds him of his dad. At first, he’s just withdrawn, but after he steals from a neighbor, his mother packs a reluctant Charlie off to his grandparents near Washington, D.C., for the summer. His grandfather works part-time at a Boys and Girls Club where his cousin Roxie is a star basketball player. Despite his protests, she draws him into the game. His time with his grandparents deepens Charlie’s understanding of his father, and he begins to heal. “I feel / a little more normal, / like maybe he’s still here, / … in a / as long as I remember him / he’s still right here / in my heart / kind of way.” Once again, Alexander has given readers an African-American protagonist to cheer. He is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially two brilliant female characters, his friend CJ and his cousin Roxie, as well as his feisty and wise granddaddy. Music and cultural references from the late 1980s add authenticity. The novel in verse is enhanced by Anyabwile’s art, which reinforces Charlie’s love for comics.
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood. (Historical verse fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-86813-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
SEEN & HEARD
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