The book is dedicated “to all who just need a moment of peace,” but it may leave readers feeling far from peaceful.
A collection of short stories organized around the mental image of a sitting child.
It begins with a young boy, Jafar, who works in a furniture factory under an abusive boss, secretly attending a school for working children. He attaches a short poem to one of the chairs that he’s made to be shipped off into the world, leading right to the next story, about a little girl, Macie, who defiantly sits in a timeout chair. The stories progress from one character to the next, continuing the thread. In “The Question Chair,” German student Gretchen ponders the Holocaust while seated on a communal toilet during a tour of a concentration camp. In another story, Jed, an Amish boy, sits on a schoolhouse fence, anxious about the task set before him: to help restore a school that was ambushed by a shooter. His little sister had been one of the fatalities. The apparent purpose of the book is to draw attention to traumatic events in the lives of children the world over, but Ellis’ attempts to personalize these stories through the main characters often leave readers working to fill in the gaps. Without resolution, the stories provoke unease, and how readers respond to them may depend in large part on whether they have suffered trauma themselves.
The book is dedicated “to all who just need a moment of peace,” but it may leave readers feeling far from peaceful. (Short stories. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77306-086-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
Wholesome shading to bland, but well-stocked with exotic creatures and locales, plus an agreeable cast headed by a child...
A San Diego preteen learns that she’s an elf, with a place in magic school if she moves to the elves’ hidden realm.
Having felt like an outsider since a knock on the head at age 5 left her able to read minds, Sophie is thrilled when hunky teen stranger Fitz convinces her that she’s not human at all and transports her to the land of Lumenaria, where the ageless elves live. Taken in by a loving couple who run a sanctuary for extinct and mythical animals, Sophie quickly gathers friends and rivals at Foxfire, a distinctly Hogwarts-style school. She also uncovers both clues to her mysterious origins and hints that a rash of strangely hard-to-quench wildfires back on Earth are signs of some dark scheme at work. Though Messenger introduces several characters with inner conflicts and ambiguous agendas, Sophie herself is more simply drawn as a smart, radiant newcomer who unwillingly becomes the center of attention while developing what turn out to be uncommonly powerful magical abilities—reminiscent of the younger Harry Potter, though lacking that streak of mischievousness that rescues Harry from seeming a little too perfect. The author puts her through a kidnapping and several close brushes with death before leaving her poised, amid hints of a higher destiny and still-anonymous enemies, for sequels.
Wholesome shading to bland, but well-stocked with exotic creatures and locales, plus an agreeable cast headed by a child who, while overly fond of screaming, rises to every challenge. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-4593-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
Brainy seventh-grader Sam Lewis actually takes 1 hour and 35 minutes to let go of the idea that he and former best bud Morgan Sturtz can still be friends.
First, there's the agonizing wait for the fight Morgan has promised at recess. Sam has done something quite stupid, though readers don’t learn exactly what that is until well into his narrative. Chapters headed by the time of day describe a tedious social studies class, an epic cafeteria food fight ending with a salad-bowl blow to Sam’s head, a fire drill that turns out to be real and, finally, a solid right to Sam’s chin. Though the details are specific—and funny—the sad situation is not unusual. In middle school, Morgan has shot up physically and found his place on the football team; Sam, still short and skinny, stars at math. Six elementary school years together and an amazing day of shared video game mastery is not enough to sustain their friendship. New neighbor Chris Tripadero fans the flames. This realistic picture of early teen life includes at least one aware teacher who counsels patience and advises Sam that he won’t be there forever. Readers will probably appreciate the message. Occasional hand-lettered black-and-white sketches add to the appeal of this satisfying school story. (Fiction. 10-13)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-4500-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
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