History made silly for readers who can’t get into it straight.
In the second installment of the Left Behinds series, 12-year-old Mel and friends Brandon and Bev travel back to July 1, 1863, to try to foil a nefarious plot to change the course of history.
The trio have just returned from saving George Washington and the American Revolution when they are whisked back in time to the Battle of Gettysburg. The co-inventor of the iTime app has gone bad and aims to make a fortune out of holding the course of history hostage. The bumbling trio of private school kids is determined to thwart him while avoiding being trapped in the past. It’s a race to be in the right place at the right moment, and in the hubbub, the kids manage to injure the first lady, supply Abraham Lincoln with his famous opening line (“Four score and seven years ago”), survive a train crash, and wrestle a fake Confederate soldier to the ground. The narrative is pure fun, relying on the delicious notion that history is far from immutable and is in fact full of what-ifs. The madcap story may just inspire readers to want to learn more about the Civil War, and a superb recommended-readings section lists many of the best books on the subject for young readers.
History made silly for readers who can’t get into it straight. (websites of interest) (Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-385-39060-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
An entertaining, afterlife-themed addition to the pantheon of insecure, goofy tweens who could use a good friend.
His hellaciously embarrassing reputation drives a boy to try to transform himself in time for middle school.
Dante Nimrod Ferno, who hails from the fiery-hot town of Brimstone and has horns, like many other residents, is about to enter Purg Middle School. Accidentally dropping his pants in the school cafeteria when he was 6 made him a laughingstock, and thanks to his nemesis, Phillip, no one has forgotten the incident. Dante, who’s cued neurodiverse, has trouble focusing, but he means well and wants to get along, no matter how much teasing he gets from classmates like the cliquey unicorns. He does befriend a couple of nicer kids, including Virgil, a winged boy from the neighboring realm of Blisshaven, who acts as an accomplice to many of Dante’s plots. Every page features an illustration that breaks up the text, and varied fonts are frequently employed for emphasis, adding to the visual interest. Gordon’s scribbly black-and-white art is lively and expressive. Dante’s maturing personality and better nature come through as he interacts with friends and demonstrates his mastery of comic book superhero lore. He doesn’t solve all the problems in his life, but by the end of the book, his confidence and self-esteem have a fighting chance. Readers will have to wait for the sequel in order to see how he fares from here.
An entertaining, afterlife-themed addition to the pantheon of insecure, goofy tweens who could use a good friend. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780374395018
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
An entertaining adventure with villains, heroes, and tantalizing mysteries galore.
Ten years ago, Gabriel Winterborne, dramatically orphaned in childhood and heir to a vast fortune, mysteriously vanished; the five parentless children now living at Winterborne House may hold keys to his disappearance.
After accidentally setting a museum exhibit on fire, April, foundling, foster child, and group-home veteran, is rescued and hospitalized. She accepts an invitation from Isabella “Izzy” Nelson, Winterborne Foundation director, to live at Winterborne House—for now. (April’s mother had left a note—plus an ornate key—with infant April, promising to return for her.) Fellow child recruits include Violet, a timid artist; Tim, Violet’s foster brother and protector; and, already ensconced in the enormous mansion poised at cliff’s edge above the ocean, Sadie, an imaginative inventor; and Colin, a former Londoner with street smarts. All are under the care of Smithers, the Winterborne butler, and Izzy. Living in a smaller mansion nearby is Evert Winterborne, Gabriel’s uncle, who’s offered a reward for news of Gabriel. On a dark and stormy night, the girls awaken to a knife-wielding presence who steals April’s key. Mysteries mount rapidly: Who, or what, is the Phantom that so terrifies Violet? What caused Izzy’s antipathy to Gabriel? Among this likable bunch (race varied but unspecified, though April presents white on the cover), deadpan April’s a standout. If the corkscrew plot’s occasionally far-fetched, it’s fast moving and surprise-filled, guaranteed to have readers racing on to the next deliciously gothic complication.
An entertaining adventure with villains, heroes, and tantalizing mysteries galore. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-00319-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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