No slump here; a satisfying and rollicking sophomore offering that improves on the first
A group of smart misfits unearths a smelly supernatural threat that stands to destroy their entire town.
Something stinks in Pumpkins County, quite literally. In addition to the malodorous malady, two kids have gone missing. The racially and ethnically diverse Creeps—Carol, the computer whiz; Mitchell, the monster expert; Rosario, the compact couturier; and Jarvis, the invention-meister—know that something otherworldly must be afoot. They soon discover that a band of invisible (and very stinky) trolls who feed on stressed-out people are planning to feast upon their entire town and all its residents. They team up with a seasoned troll hunter and his prized secret weapon—illicit aerosol deodorant—only to have their arsenal seized in the name of protecting the environment. Will they be able to foil an entire tribe of hungry trolls before it feasts? Schweizer's pacing excels, and his worldbuilding is a clever delight, making for a boisterous narrative smartly depicted in comic format. Labeled a band of misfits, the Creeps may save the day, but they're still trying to find acceptance in the social strata of their school; not even saving the town automatically earns them popularity. Schweizer also imbues this sequel to Night of the Frankenfrogs (2015) with sly jabs at social media and people's willingness to believe anything they read online, giving his engagingly silly tale a dash of cultural relevance.
No slump here; a satisfying and rollicking sophomore offering that improves on the first . (Graphic science fiction/humor. 7-12)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1882-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Read solely as fiction, this is an auspiciously clever and engaging series opener.
Two Neanderthal preteens weave a tale of everyday life to which even modern kids can relate.
Over 40,000 years ago, tucked into a cozy cave, siblings Lucy and Andy live with their light-skinned and hirsute tribe, made up of their family (mother Luba, father Charles, and baby brother Danny) and another (Daryl and his children, Margaret and Phil, both older than Lucy and Andy). As related in a series of interrelated (and often wittily titled vignettes), the tribe spends its days in quotidian Neanderthal occupations: hunting mammoths, cooking, caring for one another, and making clothes and tools. Brown ambitiously weaves fact into his fiction and ends each short episode with interesting commentary about Stone Age life from two anthropologist characters, a white woman and a black man. At times these facts seem at odds with the story; despite a page devoted to speculation about Neanderthal gender equity, for instance, Luba seems entirely focused on child care. Although Brown makes reference to reading "almost a hundred!” books as research, he offers his readers neither bibliography nor resources to follow up on ignited interest (other than an impressive list of museums to visit). Despite this quibble, Brown’s vivacious plotlines are laugh-out-loud funny, and in spite of the prehistoric setting, this comic charmer should readily appeal to young readers.
Read solely as fiction, this is an auspiciously clever and engaging series opener. (Graphic historical fiction. 7-12)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-385-38835-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A slowly unfurling delight.
A missing painting, a floating girl, and a mustachioed man: a lonely almost-12-year-old vows to figure it all out.
Middle school has been terrible for Rami Ahmed, and now a painting has been stolen from the Penelope L. Brooks Museum, where his mother works as the cleaning crew supervisor. Only the cleaning crew, Ed the security guard, and Rami himself were in the building on the day of the painting’s disappearance. As the theft draws unprecedented interest in the small, largely overlooked museum, the pressure of suspicion starts to grow. When a mysterious girl appears to Rami in the museum—and he recognizes her as the girl who’s portrayed in the stolen painting—he’s certain that she holds the key to its whereabouts. After Rami joins forces with Indian American classmate Veda, an aspiring sleuth, he finds himself in increasingly unexpected situations. The mystery drives this exquisitely paced story that unfolds in short chapters that readers will quickly consume. The characters, though, are the beating heart of this tender, quiet tale. From Rami, the only child of a now-single immigrant mother from Lebanon, to the museum director, who “had that accent that most rich people do…fancy and well educated,” to Agatha, the sun-seeking turtle from the garden by the Penelope who observes, learns, and wants to give joy—each character is drawn with texture, depth, and warmth. Rockefeller’s evocative illustrations enhance the text.
A slowly unfurling delight. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780062956705
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
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