Still, this is an exciting, zippy read that will leave readers wondering if there’s more to their own hometowns than meets...
Desperate to spice up life in his small, North Dakota town, seventh-grader Carson Fender has secured his position as Erik Hill Middle School’s number-one prankster.
But shortly after Carson orchestrates the release of a herd of fainting goats on school grounds, life in Minot gets a whole lot more interesting…and it doesn’t have anything to do with the goats. When a strange man unloads a mysterious package on Carson and informs him that “the fate of the world depends” on him delivering it to a Mr. Jensen, it becomes clear that there’s more going on in this small town than he ever imagined, and Carson is now at the heart of it all. With its high-stakes secret missions, gadgets and underground government agencies, readers in search of a solid middle-grade spy novel will find plenty to enjoy here. Carson is a funny and engaging protagonist, and readers will relate to both his longing for a more interesting life and his angst once he finds it. Though Carson has an intriguing cast of close friends, including a deliciously unapologetic, conspiracy-theorist best friend, one of the novel’s greatest shortcomings is that they don’t play a larger role in the story.
Still, this is an exciting, zippy read that will leave readers wondering if there’s more to their own hometowns than meets the eye. (Thriller. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-212008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Outstanding suspense.
A boy, a girl, a venerable Jeep, and a massive wildfire sweeping across the mountains of Maine. It’s the perfect setup for a riveting tale of high suspense.
Sam and Delphy are staying at separate summer camps on the same lake when the threat of a wildfire forces evacuation—but both are inadvertently left behind. Using the survival skills he learned from his deceased father, Sam hikes cross-country until he finds a remote cabin and the old Jeep that will prove to be his salvation. Only later, barreling along a narrow logging road, does he encounter Delphy. With shades of My Side of the Mountain for a modern audience, 2010 Newbery Honoree Philbrick (The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg) provides the pair of young adolescents, both white, with just enough modern technology to keep the tale credible. It will take all of their courage and wits to survive being lost in the wilderness, even as they are constantly threatened both by the erratic fire and the danger posed by two out-of-control arsonists. Sam’s pithy first-person voice is self-deprecating enough to be fully believable and plays nicely against Delphy’s sometimes less confident but heroically determined character. Short chapters, outstanding cover art, and a breathless pace make this a fine choice for reluctant readers. Interesting backmatter regarding wildfires and survival tips rounds out a thrilling tale.
Outstanding suspense. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-26690-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
Meaningful cultural connections provide a solid foundation for this inventive fantasy adventure.
A Korean American tween and her friends team up to recover powerful heirlooms before they’re used to destroy the world.
Fresh off her world-saving heroics in Lia Park and the Missing Jewel (2022), expectations are high for 12-year-old Lia’s first year at the International Magic School. She is anxious to prove her abilities as a powerful spell-caster among her new classmates. Instead, it’s Joon, Lia’s best friend, whose talents impress, stirring jealousy, competition, and insecurity between the two. Complicating matters given their growing distance, Lia and Joon are matched with classmates Eugene and Chloe and sent on a dangerous mission. They must retrieve hidden artifacts before the King of Darkness uses them to unleash imprisoned monsters into the world. Along the way, Lia learns that a traitor has been sabotaging their efforts, and she has reason to suspect each of her teammates. Revelations about the double agent and a mysterious prophecy set up the next volume. As in the first installment, Korean words and phrases appear throughout the text, and Korean landmarks act as locales, adding to the sense of place. Strong worldbuilding continues to provide a captivating magical universe inspired by Korean mythology. Grounding the story is the platonic relationship between Lia and Joon, which realistically portrays the tension between establishing your own identity while preserving a close friendship.
Meaningful cultural connections provide a solid foundation for this inventive fantasy adventure. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9781534487963
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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