A lively piece of escapism featuring peril, adventure, and a dash of consequence.
A modern American boy is spirited away to a medieval kingdom and must defend the realm in Canfield’s middle-grade fantasy.
Ethan is an unremarkable seventh grader who plays baseball, studies, and hangs out with his friends. However, his life is about to change drastically. One day at home, he finds a strange puddle of green light. When he touches it, he’s transported to another world—a land without digital technology but with a bona fide castle. As disorienting as this is, what confuses Ethan most is that his arrival is expected and that Edward, king of Abentur, knows who he is. He informs the boy about some of the kingdom’s history and then sends him home using the Gateway, a magical stone that the king keeps around his neck. Ethan goes back to his everyday life, but the thought of Abentur gnaws at him. When the green light reappears, he takes the opportunity to return to the castle, where he meets the king’s children; later, he helps to save them from kidnappers. Abentur, as it happens, is under threat from invaders riding winged horses, and its only protection is a dragon, which the attackers plan to kill. Can Ethan protect the kingdom and survive long enough to learn his true purpose? Canfield, the author of Back to Christmas (2013), writes in a simple, engaging prose style. The characters largely conform to familiar genre types, but Ethan is a likable protagonist who’s affable, brave, and curious. Some of the minor players, such as Godfrey, who commands the king’s army, are memorable, as well. The kingdom itself is only lightly sketched to provide a backdrop for the action; it seems very small at times, as the story mostly ignores the inhabitants who aren’t central to the narrative. The dialogue isn’t especially medieval, but this is an understandable choice. The quick-paced story will suit a middle-grade audience; like the first Harry Potter book, it hints at greater nuance and sets the scene for more complex sequels. Young fantasy fans should find themselves transported.
A lively piece of escapism featuring peril, adventure, and a dash of consequence.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 244
Publisher: Well Spoken Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 3, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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