Engaging, pensive, quirky: A portal that shows the transformative powers of creative thinking and life experiences.
A boy, a dog, and a mouse embark on the journey of a lifetime—and well beyond.
First introduced as Nothing the Younger, this story’s protagonist is a boy called Nothing—Ing for short—whose existence evokes the familiar question: What’s in a name? It also compels him to find his life’s purpose in a world where folks’ names “were their calling” and “everyone had good work to do.” From the outset, this book offers an original reading experience through its spare, vivid prose that’s enhanced by the playful arrangement and imaginative layout of the printed text, adding a distinct, interactive visual aspect to the narrative. Following Ing’s trajectory, that of a hapless orphan whose quest accidentally transports him from the Land of the Living to the Land of the Dead and back again, the plot unfolds over 12 chapters comprising the classic hero’s journey and imparts life lessons in unconventional ways. The fairy-tale setting “in the city on the mountaintop of a far-off and long-lost country” feels comfortingly familiar, as do the archetypal characters: the self-absorbed and materialistic king and queen, the Wander Prince who evolves into the Wonder Prince, the wimmelworm (a serpentine monster that must be subdued), the nurturing and wise mentor Nana, intuitive besties Pöppy the dog and mOmO the mouse, haunting spirits, and more. An author’s note detailing the work’s structure and format provides a mini-lesson on craft.
Engaging, pensive, quirky: A portal that shows the transformative powers of creative thinking and life experiences. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9781464246029
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Stonefruit Studio/Sourcebooks
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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