An engaging young hero leads this inventive, intelligently mounted fantasy.
A 10-year-old girl’s belief that magic is real receives a ghostly confirmation in Black’s middle-grade fantasy novel.
After a move to a small California coastal town of Edna for her mother’s new job, fourth-grader Sara says her life is “crummy…with a capital C.” She has no friends at school, and worse, two girl bullies target her for ridicule and torment after they learn of her belief in magic. It doesn’t help that Sara’s mom, stepdad, and older brother have all happily adjusted to their new surroundings. At least Sara has a road trip with Mom to visit to her Gramsy’s farm to look forward to. On the lookout for magic along the way, Sara almost gives up, until they stop for an overnight stay at the old, rustic (and real-life) Deetjen’s Inn in the Big Sur redwood forest. Sara hears sounds in her room’s dark closet and discovers the magic she sought: a collection of ghostly clothing talking about their histories, led by Silas, a Civil War Union Army jacket. In this promising middle-grade novel debut, the author gives a fascinating, original supernatural twist to historical facts, adding real-world substance with coastal travel highlights, a grade-schooler’s relatable issues, and a touch of romance and mystery from the distant past. Framing educational content as conversational stories told by shoes, shirts, jackets, jeans, hats, and dresses—each with a colorful, individual personality—the author brings history to life. The book disappoints only in its treatment of bullying: When Sara finally reveals what her bullies have done (including a inflicting a slight physical injury, the destruction of property, and taunting), her mom unhelpfully asks what she plans to do about it and suggests she try to understand her bullies: “Sometimes it helps everybody involved if you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” Following the story’s suspenseful conclusion, Black gives readers some bonus material: a teaser for the next book in the series, more facts about the real places and people in the story, and some hands-on activities, including a recipe for fortune cookies.
An engaging young hero leads this inventive, intelligently mounted fantasy.Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2023
ISBN: 9780989523424
Page Count: 237
Publisher: Coalesce Press
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...
The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.
Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-59643-750-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
A magical ode to childhood that updates the classic while keeping its flavor.
Two Americans go adventuring in Neverland in this continuation of the famous Barrie classic.
Clover and Fergus, two white children from San Diego, are spending three weeks in London with grandparents whom they have never met. As they struggle to settle into a strange place, Fergus is intrigued by sightings of a mysterious boy outside of their sixth-floor nursery window. A talk with their grandmother reveals that they are the descendants of Wendy—she is Margaret from the famous novel’s conclusion—and that Peter’s appearance means that he wants to take them on an adventure. Neverland is everything that the siblings could want, until mermaids start mysteriously disappearing. Adrian does an exemplary job of creating complex and compelling characters out of the sibling protagonists—who alternate narration duties—so that readers are thoroughly invested in their journeys before Peter whisks them away. Fergus’ autism is deftly woven into the narrative and the siblings’ relationship. Clover, used to mothering her younger brother, struggles to stop worrying in Neverland, while Fergus, loving the freedom he finds there, fears that he will be judged. Two welcome and notable changes to the original Neverland mythos are the inclusion of female Lost Boys—the group as a whole alternates the monikers “Lost Boys and “Lost Girls”—as well as a racially diverse cast of supporting characters; Barrie’s Indians do not figure in the plot and indeed are not mentioned at all. A list of books and websites on autism is appended.
Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-57926-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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