A strong series opener for sensitive readers.
A lonely, misunderstood girl who pays enough attention to notice magical creatures must help a tiny, winged horse.
While Maggie’s father chops wood across the forest, she’s left with her wicked stepmother, Zelia, and stepsiblings, including awful Peter. Her steps, new to the Enchanted Forest, don’t believe Maggie when she tells them about the magical creatures and accuse her of lying to cover up laziness. Zelia threatens to give Maggie’s bed to Peter unless Maggie stops with the stories and sticks to chores, then sends Maggie to help Peter tend his sheep. But Maggie falls asleep on the job, and Peter ditches her, leaving her to awaken to goblins! When a tiny flying horse tickles her while she’s hiding, Maggie brushes it away—but accidentally damages its delicate wing. Maggie takes it to Bob the Stableman, a person her grandmother had told her helped magical creatures, but only after cleverly evading a dangerous troll. Bob’s a kindred soul and supportive adult—a good thing since Maggie’s decision to do right by the horse instead of doing chores gives Zelia an excuse to make good on threats. Kids will relate to the injustice and to not feeling heard. The simultaneously publishing sequel, Maggie and the Wish Fish, continues the familial storyline through an encounter with an allegedly wish-granting fish rather than resetting to status quo. All illustrated human characters appear to be white.
A strong series opener for sensitive readers. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68119-312-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading.
When Franklin School principal Mr. Boone announces a pet-show fundraiser, white third-grader Cody—whose lack of skill and interest in academics is matched by keen enthusiasm for and knowledge of animals—discovers his time to shine.
As with other books in this series, the children and adults are believable and well-rounded. Even the dialogue is natural—no small feat for a text easily accessible to intermediate readers. Character growth occurs, organically and believably. Students occasionally, humorously, show annoyance with teachers: “He made mad squinty eyes at Mrs. Molina, which fortunately she didn’t see.” Readers will be kept entertained by Cody’s various problems and the eventual solutions. His problems include needing to raise $10 to enter one of his nine pets in the show (he really wants to enter all of them), his troublesome dog Angus—“a dog who ate homework—actually, who ate everything and then threw up afterward”—struggles with homework, and grappling with his best friend’s apparently uncaring behavior toward a squirrel. Serious values and issues are explored with a light touch. The cheery pencil illustrations show the school’s racially diverse population as well as the memorable image of Mr. Boone wearing an elephant costume. A minor oddity: why does a child so immersed in animal facts call his male chicken a rooster but his female chickens chickens?
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30223-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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