by Cynthia Voigt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 30, 1991
In her first mystery since The Callender Papers (1983), a Newbery winner spins an entertaining tale concerning the abduction of a mummy that is part of a controversial bequest to "Vandemark College" in Maine. As the newest appointee in classical languages, Sam Hall—a self-effacing ex-high-school teacher—is, by the terms of a quirky will, the curator of an Egyptian collection left by a scion of the college's founder. Competent and possessed of a fine sense of humor, Sam has just arrived with his kids: protagonist Phineas, 12, who is also modestly prone to underestimate his gifts, and Althea, 15, who's avidly studying Greek so that she can read Sappho. Mom has just taken a high-power job in Oregon, causing all three to focus quietly, but painfully, on their family dynamics, thus providing depth to the characterizations and an additional dimension to what is essentially a lively mystery: Which of the several more broadly sketched suspects who turned up dissatisfied at the unveiling could have staged a fake break-in followed by a real heist, and why? Suspense builds when Althea vanishes, and Phineas, after some clever deductions, finds her in the nick of time. Lightweight (as intended), compared to most of Voigt's books, but neatly plotted and thoroughly satisfying. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-689-31476-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1991
Share your opinion of this book
More by Cynthia Voigt
BOOK REVIEW
by Cynthia Voigt ; illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins
BOOK REVIEW
by Cynthia Voigt ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson
BOOK REVIEW
by Cynthia Voigt ; illustrated by Paola Zakimi
by Elinor Teele ; illustrated by Ben Whitehouse ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2016
A sly, side-splitting hoot from start to finish.
The dreary prospect of spending a lifetime making caskets instead of wonderful inventions prompts a young orphan to snatch up his little sister and flee. Where? To the circus, of course.
Fortunately or otherwise, John and 6-year-old Page join up with Boz—sometime human cannonball for the seedy Wandering Wayfarers and a “vertically challenged” trickster with a fantastic gift for sowing chaos. Alas, the budding engineer barely has time to settle in to begin work on an experimental circus wagon powered by chicken poop and dubbed (with questionable forethought) the Autopsy. The hot pursuit of malign and indomitable Great-Aunt Beauregard, the Coggins’ only living relative, forces all three to leave the troupe for further flights and misadventures. Teele spins her adventure around a sturdy protagonist whose love for his little sister is matched only by his fierce desire for something better in life for them both and tucks in an outstanding supporting cast featuring several notably strong-minded, independent women (Page, whose glare “would kill spiders dead,” not least among them). Better yet, in Boz she has created a scene-stealing force of nature, a free spirit who’s never happier than when he’s stirring up mischief. A climactic clutch culminating in a magnificently destructive display of fireworks leaves the Coggin sibs well-positioned for bright futures. (Illustrations not seen.)
A sly, side-splitting hoot from start to finish. (Adventure. 11-13)Pub Date: April 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234510-3
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by Elinor Teele
BOOK REVIEW
by Elinor Teele
by Tae Keller ; illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2018
A compassionate glimpse of mental illness accessible to a broad audience. (Fiction. 10-14)
A middle school story in which parental depression manifests itself in absence.
Natalie’s vivacious botanist mother (who’s white) has retreated from life, leaving her therapist husband (who’s biracial) and daughter to fill the gaping hole she has left. With the help of an egg-drop contest and a scientific-method project, Natalie explores breakable things and the nurturing of hope. Narrating in first-person, the mixed-race seventh-grader (1/4 Korean and 3/4 white) is drawn to her mother’s book, titled How to Grow A Miracle. It reminds her of when her mother was excited by science and questions and life. With a STEM-inspired chapter framework and illustrated with Neonakis’ scientific drawings, Keller’s debut novel uses the scientific method to unpack the complex emotions depression can cause. Momentum builds over nine months as Natalie observes, questions, researches, experiments, and analyzes clues to her mother’s state of mind. Providing support and some comic relief are her two sidekicks, Dari (a smart Indian immigrant boy) and Twig (Natalie’s wealthy, white best friend). The diversity of the characters provides identity and interest, not issue or plotline. Tension peaks at the egg-drop contest, as the three friends plan to use the prize winnings to bring Natalie’s mother back to life with a gift of a rare cobalt blue orchid. Paralleling their scientific progress, Natalie reluctantly experiences her first visits to talk therapy, slowly opening like a tight bloom.
A compassionate glimpse of mental illness accessible to a broad audience. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-1566-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More by Tae Keller
BOOK REVIEW
by Tae Keller ; illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez
BOOK REVIEW
by Tae Keller ; illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez
BOOK REVIEW
by Tae Keller ; illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.