An ambitious, likable young detective headlines this new series that shows potential.
Prevost invites readers to help a young sleuth investigate an island full of mysteries in this interactive middle-grade novella.
From the first page, Iris Blackwood is already in peril, stuck inside a crate floating down the Nargansuckett River; readers decide what she’ll do and where she’ll go, in the style of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Iris wants to make it to Hemlock Island, which may or may not be near her home island of Saint Hyde. All sorts of possibilities await on Hemlock, from criminal activity to whatever the enigmatic Island People are up to; are they tied in some way to the reputedly haunted candy factory that Iris looks into? And just who is the Chosen One? Clearly, Iris, who gets a helping hand and paw from her younger brother, Theo, and their dog, Dash, has mysteries to solve and a bevy of choices to make. Prevost’s story kicks off a series of books featuring Iris the amateur detective. In this installment, she often finds herself in precarious situations; the various narrative paths lead to dubious people, hints of the supernatural, or the very real chance she’ll land in hot water with her mother. (“‘No more funny business,’ says Iris’s Mom, and this time, she means it.”) The book has nearly 30 endings that readers can reach, of an unexpected variety—some are ideal outcomes, but others are disappointing (for Iris) or even a touch unsettling. Iris’ interactions with the other characters vary as well; a person who’s nice in one storyline seems more suspicious in another. But Iris’ scenes with Theo (who’s usually accompanied by Dash) are delightful; she repeatedly reminds Theo of her “Book of Rules”: specifically, the first rule, which commands her brother to do what she says. Unfortunately, despite the presence of her sleuthing tools (such as a magnifying glass), Iris rarely utilizes her deductive skills and generally stumbles onto solutions instead of puzzling them out.
An ambitious, likable young detective headlines this new series that shows potential.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9781945064180
Page Count: 176
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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