A fast-paced and engaging introduction to SF and environmental activism.
A young activist is recruited to help save the world from the corporations that run her oppressive school in Klisanin’s middle-grade SF thriller.
Twelve-year-old Lexa Andromeda has been emotionally reeling and acting out since the sudden death of her dog, Zara. After her latest bout of mischief results in an accidental injury, her parents decide to send her to Thistleton Academy for Highly Creatives. Lexa is thrilled; throughout her life, she’s heard stories about Thistleton’s unconventional approach to education, which celebrates innovation and encourages autonomy. But when Lexa arrives, she discovers that Thistleton has had a dramatic transformation—what was once a bastion of creativity is now a stifling authoritarian institution funded and controlled by various corporations. Students are forbidden to go outside or have any contact with their families, and they’re under constant surveillance. Headstrong Lexa quickly stokes the ire of Executive Counseling Officer Mr. Yang and Executive Educational Officer Ms. Ballent when she refuses to kowtow to Thistleton’s new culture. To further complicate matters, a specter from the future—a virtual time-traveler named Norbu—appears with an important message: There’s going to be a mass extinction event caused by Thistleton and its partners…and he needs Lexa, a budding environmental activist, to help prevent it. With the world in peril, Lexa teams up with her friends Jack, Sage, and Will to save the planet. This action-packed book is an entertaining and engaging story about friendship, grief, and empowerment. The book has a dynamic, racially diverse cast of characters: Lexa and Jack (both 12 years old) are illustrated with light skin and dark hair, but are otherwise racially ambiguous; Will, Jack’s roommate, is Black; Sage is a white girl, Mr. Yang is Asian, and Ms. Ballent is white (Norbu’s race is up in the air, as he only appears as a blue hologram). Lexa’s fierce determination and indomitable spirit make her a compelling protagonist and narrator (“‘History is boring,’ I groan. ‘The future is what counts’”). Through her, middle-grade readers get a thought-provoking—and funny—introduction to issues such as the use and misuse of technology and the role of corporations in environmental crises.
A fast-paced and engaging introduction to SF and environmental activism.Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781938447617
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Genius Cat Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
A charming mix of science lesson and winsome storytelling.
The perky red squirrel introduced in The Leaf Thief (2020) is confused.
Bird and Squirrel both love summer, but when Bird calls out a cheery “Night night,” Squirrel, yawning himself, is incredulous: “BEDTIME? It can’t be! The sun’s still up, look!” Naturally there’s a lot more bewilderment ahead. Some weeks later, Squirrel is alarmed to see it’s dark at toothbrushing time. In skittish Squirrel’s view, a “sun thief”—who also made an odd “hoo” sound the other night—is responsible. Bird explains that as summer goes on, the sun sets earlier and earlier each night and reassures Squirrel that owls cry “hoo.” But the very next evening, at bathtime, Squirrel shines a bright light into the dark, sees something looming, and screams that the sun thief has “crashed into my tree!” Patient Bird, roused from slumber, points out that it’s just Bat. But “why was she flapping about in the dark?” Now Bird explains what nocturnal means. Once again, Squirrel is amusingly slow on the uptake, allowing readers to feel superior as Hemming gently folds in some science. Slater’s witty illustrations also lighten the lessons: Bird hangs a tiny T-shirt and shorts on a diminutive laundry line and sleeps tucked into a cozy repurposed sardine can, where a scared Squirrel attempts to squeeze in; Squirrel sports a pink bath towel and shower cap; a real thief quietly makes off with a couple of items (though Squirrel and Bird remain blissfully unaware).
A charming mix of science lesson and winsome storytelling. (info on light changes and diurnal/nocturnal) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464258183
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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