Action-packed at every turn, the story leaves enough unresolved to leave readers hungry for the continuation of the epic...
In this fresh take on the chivalric romance, it’s wee lass Drest who becomes a legend as she journeys across 13th-century Scotland’s remote coastal headlands to rescue her da and brothers, the Mad Wolf and his band, from Faintree Castle.
As a bargaining chip, she brings a kind knight traitorously wounded and left for dead by his own men during the raid that took her family. During her six-day quest, Drest rushes headlong to right wrongs wherever she finds them, acquiring a faithful friend and the aid of a powerful witch, both of whom she saves from savage packs of ignorant townspeople. Drest also earns the respect of her captive. Her feats are marked with colorful insults, bruising fights, crashing swords, and daring escapes. Throughout, Drest is heartened by the imaginary presence of her brothers, whose voices she hears in her head, offering battle tips and a code of conduct. But she also learns hard truths about her family’s exploits which make her doubt them and question who she is at her core. Choosing her own code allows her to correct past mistakes and reveal a larger plot that hints at a sequel. While Drest’s literary antecedents are both many and clear, Magras develops her carefully, her ethical arc emerging naturally and believably. An author’s note orients readers to medieval Scotland and its mores.
Action-packed at every turn, the story leaves enough unresolved to leave readers hungry for the continuation of the epic adventure. (glossary) (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7352-2926-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Kathy Dawson/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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