A likable, timely debut.
Divorce separated Rigel from her dad and beloved home in Alaska’s remote interior; now living in Connecticut with her mother and sisters, she clings to his promise: If she sticks it out for a year, she can return.
Willow, 14; Rigel, 11; and Izzy, 5, were raised off the grid in a two-room cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing and were educated by mail—a life their parents, Bear and Lila, chose. Living with Lila’s mother suits Willow and Izzy. Grandma’s nice, her home’s amenities (a TV room, appliances, four bathrooms!) are amazing, and school is fun. Rigel, on the other hand, detests the noise; the orange, light-polluted night sky; and the fake, plastic, urban world her father also despises. At school she feels like an exotic outsider, a target for a posse of mean girls. When her one tentative friendship sputters, Rigel despairs until she befriends an injured crow behind the school. Aware that taming wild animals puts them at risk, Rigel still can’t resist feeding and naming it. Blueberry reminds her of Alaska’s ravens and provides companionship when Bear’s postcards and calls taper off. Rigel’s family is White; a Native Alaskan community and several secondary characters of color are respectfully, if briefly, portrayed. The clichéd mean girls excepted, characters are believable and engaging. Rigel herself—homesick for her old life, uncertain (and ambivalent) about how to navigate this new one—is sure to resonate with young, housebound readers.
A likable, timely debut. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4380-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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