by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2009
After their previous adventure in the past (The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, 2005), Anand and Nisha are thrust into the future in this satisfying trilogy closer. A malevolent force has stolen the sacred conch, and bereft of its protection, Anand’s Himalayan valley home has vanished into magical purgatory. Racing off in hope of rescue, Anand and Nisha find themselves imprisoned in a dismal dystopia. The residents of Coal live in brutal poverty and need masks to breathe their city’s fetid air. Only Coal’s scientists live in luxury, fed and served by enslaved, mute prisoners. Their instinct tells them to distrust the cold scientist Dr. S. and put their faith in the city’s outlawed magicians-in-hiding. Nothing in Coal is straightforward, however: Dr. S.’s harshly rational exterior hides the frightened little girl she once was. The teenagers must race against time to rescue the conch in a world where science is at war with magic and distrust rules the day. By reminding the many villains of the joys of love and fellowship, they just might succeed. Enjoyably sappy. (Fantasy. 9-12)
Pub Date: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59643-153-9
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2009
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by William Sleator ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1999
Peter, an 11-year-old traffic fatality, finds himself looking down on his funeral as a voice offers him a do-over. He...
Another ingenious but leaky story from Sleator (The Boxes, 1998, etc.), likely to leave readers more puzzled than intrigued.
Peter, an 11-year-old traffic fatality, finds himself looking down on his funeral as a voice offers him a do-over. He eagerly accepts, only to discover that the past has a stubborn momentum; he’s killed again, gets another chance, and blows that one, too. Convinced that the key to survival lies in winning the appreciation of his clueless, cold-hearted parents, Peter displays consideration by waiting hand and foot on his pregnant mother, creativity by putting on an elaborate puppet show to explain his feelings, and cleverness by predicting local events that haven’t yet happened, then contriving to shift the resulting public furor onto a bullying classmate. Apparently, all of this makes him a more thoughtful person, so his fatal attraction to passing automobiles ceases. The premise, with its echoes of many books and movies, will only be new to very inexperienced readers, but the cheerlessness of Peter’s home life gives the whole story a drab cast, and the internal logic seems more convenient than consistent. Sleator has a following, but he won’t win any new fans with this one. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: July 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-525-46130-2
Page Count: 122
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1999
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by Scott Arbuckle & illustrated by Scott Arbuckle ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 29, 1996
Four short stories about different periods in Texas history, each designed to highlight a style (or styles) of dwelling and tell how it was a product of—and how it influenced—its time and place. Covered are the Comanche high plains tipis, West Texas soddies, East Texas dog-trot cabins, plantation mansions, and 1930s city architecture. The stories end with factual explanations and drawings. What could have been a tiresome exercise in forcing fiction around an educational intent is redeemed by some page-turning storytelling, filled with intricate construction detail. With appeal for children beyond the borders of Texas, the book would work with any curriculum dealing with westward expansion or Native Americans. If there were more books like this, social studies would be everyone's favorite subject. (Short stories. 9-12)
Pub Date: Nov. 29, 1996
ISBN: 1-57168-102-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1996
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by Scott Arbuckle & Kat Arbuckle ; photographed by Scott Arbuckle
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