Wonderfully weird and extremely entertaining.
New fifth grade student Harvey Hill discovers Strangeville School more than lives up to its name.
After attending four different schools in the space of four years, Harvey is familiar with the role of new kid. However, he’s not prepared for the bizarre and peculiar happenings that Strangeville students and staff find routine, like dangerous animals on the loose, a black hole in the cafeteria meatloaf, and mysterious disappearances orchestrated by a sinister force. Thankfully, he has classmate Stella Cho to help him navigate these increasingly surreal situations. Stella and Harvey can both relate to feeling like outsiders. Stella hides her loneliness behind defensive armor, while Harvey’s barrier in making friends is due to a closely guarded secret. The two initially stumble through their friendship but soon learn the value of camaraderie and support. Harvey’s self-acceptance is empowering and allows him to reach new heights to save the school. While the plot is solidly sci-fi, real-world issues like insecurity, friendship, and embracing what makes you different ground the story. The deadpan third-person omniscient narration, which includes frequent asides to readers, is infused with quirky and irreverent humor. Short, action-packed chapters and abundant illustrations add to the appeal. Harvey reads as White; Stella’s surname cues her as Korean American. Final illustrations not seen.
Wonderfully weird and extremely entertaining. (Science fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-30950-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Breathless pace can't compensate for murky plotting and uneasy moral underpinnings.
Jason Steed, an 11-year-old Brit who appears to be the next James Bond in the making, returns for his second book (The Fledgling, 2010).
Jason continues his independent role as a secret asset for Scotland Yard, this time going up against the lethal Triads, who are bilking millions of pounds out of an unsuspecting British public. The Triads want to overthrow the Chinese government and take control of the largest nation in the world, just the first step toward eventual global domination. It’s up to Jason to infiltrate the Triads by befriending the criminal son of one of its leaders, which leads him down a path of murder and mayhem he may not be able to pull back from. When his own government betrays him, he’s on the run across Europe, dodging assassins from all sides while trying to save the life of a Chinese girl who could be the key to it all. While this sequel is jam-packed with one action sequence after another (to the detriment of clarity), it has lost the balance of its predecessor. Jason is asked to kill at will, taking out the innocent as well as the guilty with apparently no compunction. The novel takes place in 1974, and it is unlikely that today’s young readers will understand references to Mao or Chinese population control.
Breathless pace can't compensate for murky plotting and uneasy moral underpinnings. (Adventure. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4022-6429-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Delightfully smart and deliciously funny—don’t miss it.
The Dunderheads are back in another amusing caper that’s sure to please fans of their earlier exploits (The Dunderheads, 2009).
Once again, Einstein narrates with tongue-in-cheek, deadpan humor. Along with his friends, he expects the last day of school to mean that they are rid of their nemesis/teacher, the evil Miss Breakbone. Sadly, they are wrong. Children and teacher alike try out for roles as extras in a film and find themselves together again. Worse, Miss Breakbone fingers Spider as a thief when a cat burglar strikes. Einstein, of course, comes up with the perfect plan to capture the real thief, capitalizing as before on his friends’ varied interests and abilities. Unfortunately, his plan falls through, and all of the kids wind up in the poky. How they succeed in solving the crimes and turning the tables on their arch enemy, Miss Breakbone, strains credibility but entertains all the same. It's not as though credibility is the point, after all. At least half the fun comes from Roberts’ clever illustrations, created in watercolor, pen and ink. As before, each Dunderhead’s appearance reveals his or her individuality; new characters are equally clearly limned. Some sly references might go over the heads of the intended audience (don’t miss Liza as Sally Bowles in the line-up of aspiring extras), but readers of all ages will enjoy poring over the pages to find the hidden humor.
Delightfully smart and deliciously funny—don’t miss it. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4543-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
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