A bighearted summer story, both genuine and familiar.
A young girl struggles with complex feelings while helping at her grandmother’s doggy day care.
Hazel and her mother have been in Minnesota for several weeks now, since Grandma had a heart attack. A local summer writing workshop isn’t quite what Hazel had hoped for; the instructor is a journalist, but Hazel wants to write fiction. In class, she hits it off with another student, Anjali, but Hazel and her mother are scheduled to return to Chicago before the last class, dashing her hopes of friendship with Anjali. Hazel feels out of sorts, “like there’s a hole” inside her. KC (who uses they/them pronouns) and their younger brother, Jonah, the children of Hazel’s mom’s best friend, seem closer to grumpy Grandma than Hazel is. Though KC and Hazel are both planning a play group for older dogs, Grandma seems far more appreciative of KC’s contributions. And when the senior dogs finally gather, one growls at Spot, Hazel’s elderly dalmatian. Disappointments accumulate, leading to frustration, but with support, Hazel carefully unpacks her feelings. Butler’s portrayal of preteen emotions is empathetic and recognizable, while a peek at dog training offers an appealing second layer to Hazel’s account, making for a lighthearted yet rich tale. Hazel and her family present white; Kote’s sunny grayscale illustrations suggest some diversity among the supporting cast.
A bighearted summer story, both genuine and familiar. (Fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781682637241
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers.
First volume of a planned three, this edited version of an ongoing online serial records a middle-school everykid’s triumphs and (more often) tribulations through the course of a school year.
Largely through his own fault, mishaps seem to plague Greg at every turn, from the minor freak-outs of finding himself permanently seated in class between two pierced stoners and then being saddled with his mom for a substitute teacher, to being forced to wrestle in gym with a weird classmate who has invited him to view his “secret freckle.” Presented in a mix of legible “hand-lettered” text and lots of simple cartoon illustrations with the punch lines often in dialogue balloons, Greg’s escapades, unwavering self-interest and sardonic commentary are a hoot and a half.
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-8109-9313-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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