Lackluster.
A cat suspects her clanmates when food goes missing.
This spinoff graphic novel installment focuses on orange and white–furred Brightheart, who lost an eye after a savage dog attack that not only compromised her sight, but also shattered her trust in her Thunderclan clanmates. When her romantic partner, Cloudtail, is assigned an apprentice kit and she is not, Brightheart is disappointed. However, this wears off quickly when she learns she is pregnant with Cloudtail’s kits. Soon, the clan finds their food stores are vanishing each night; Brightheart is suspicious that some of the other cats may not be loyal to Thunderclan, and her reservations deepen as Thunderclan’s leader, Firestar, grows more and more distant. This latest about Hunter and Jolley’s feline empire fails to land on all four paws. The central mystery is resolved hastily, and other plot threads feel as quickly disregarded. Barry’s brightly hued art brings a cinematic feel to the orderly panels, depicting the cats’ world as a harsh juxtaposition of violence and beauty. Long-standing fans of the series may be pleased to revisit this world, but a sagging resolution and the sheer volume of name-dropping may prove too much for a newcomer cat fancier.
Lackluster. (Graphic fantasy. 8-11)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9780063240223
Page Count: 208
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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
An uplifting, sympathetic portrayal of dyslexia and friendship.
A young dyslexic girl struggles with reading.
Stella Martinez can’t wait to start fifth grade. She and her BFFs, Latasha and Emiko, even get to sit together in Miss Marin’s class. But to Stella’s dismay, school soon feels like “one big reading class.” Even math, one of her favorite subjects besides art, has word problems, and the fifth grade project is a Young Authors Competition. Textbooks have longer words and fewer pictures, making comprehension time-consuming, and Stella falls behind. Even the new online universe for Stella and her friends’ favorite show, Witchlins, requires a guidebook, which Stella has trouble following. As her BFFs and classmates discuss the game, Stella feels left out. Will reading ruin her friendships? Garcia, who based Stella’s story on her daughter’s journey of coming to terms with dyslexia and her own experiences with neurodivergence, introduces a multifaceted protagonist with a learning disability and encouragingly highlights various coping strategies. Adults are warmly supportive, barring a dour, gray-haired, light-skinned librarian whose misconception that graphic novels aren’t “real” books is emphatically dispelled. In keeping with Miss Marin’s affirmation that “all brains work differently,” the book’s clear lettering, decodable text, and expressive art invite readers of all abilities to root for Stella. Stella and her dad and sibling are brown-skinned and cued Latine; Mom is pale-skinned. Latasha presents Black, Emiko is of East Asian descent, and Miss Marin has light-brown skin.
An uplifting, sympathetic portrayal of dyslexia and friendship. (resources, cover design process) (Graphic fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781250840882
Page Count: 208
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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