by Evan Dahm ; illustrated by Evan Dahm ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2021
A dazzling mix of excitement and philosophical adventure.
Sola’s ocean world grows larger even as she encounters an existential threat to her islands’ way of life.
In this sequel to Island Book (2019), the young sea captain returns to her friend Chief Hunder’s Fortress Island with a cargo of lenses. There, Capt. Alef has just arrived with his own find—a set of long-lost objects that form a nautical map to a continent, an infinite land. Alef persuades Hunder to join the voyage of discovery aboard his ship, the Wake. Sola, at odds with Capt. Alef’s obsession, sets out to follow and must be rescued from a storm by a ghost ship. The “ghosts”—sailors who make decisions democratically—remember a past of aggressive conquering and believe that the continent must be kept safe. They vote to stop Alef, but Sola’s fate is left in doubt by the cliffhanger ending. Sola’s green-skinned people stand out among a multihued cast of humanoids with rounded, marine-life features. She encounters some old companions during the voyage and shares a poignant moment of deep connection and a chaste kiss in a brief reunion with her friend Esha. Bright, well-defined panels feature action set against backdrops of sea and sky that are stunning in their visual impact. The concise dialogue telegraphs deeper meanings while leaving much about the characters’ relationships and motivations to imagination and individual interpretation.
A dazzling mix of excitement and philosophical adventure. (Graphic fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-23629-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Anna Abramskaya ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 29, 2023
An entertaining and funny take on middle school drama with a light magical touch.
Heidi is a young witch attending middle school at Broomsfield Academy, a boarding school catering to both magical and nonmagical students.
Kids with magical powers must only use those skills for schoolwork, but Heidi can’t always control herself, like when she’s running late for class and needs to get dressed in a hurry. Her obsession with classmate Hunter McCann (aka Hunter McCutie) is threatening to take over her life. Melanie, her roommate and once her hometown enemy but now almost a friend, also has a crush on Hunter, who is actually a really nice boy. Heidi tries to hide her feelings from Melanie, but she pours out her heart to good friends Sunny and Annabelle. She also writes to Lucy, her BFF back home, about her situation. While Melanie is interested in flirting and makeup, Heidi’s closest friends give her good advice: “Just be yourself.” Nevertheless, Heidi keeps using witchcraft: first, growing long hair to attract Hunter (it backfires when her hair grows uncontrollably). She later attempts the love potion spell that inspires the title, hoping to isolate Hunter so that she can have him to herself. However, Heidi soon learns how harmful her behavior was. Readers looking for breezy fare will enjoy this second series installment, which uses varied size fonts, ample white space, and humorous digital grayscale illustrations. Most main characters present white.
An entertaining and funny take on middle school drama with a light magical touch. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781665937207
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Anna Abramskaya
by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Anna Abramskaya
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by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Anna Abramskaya
BOOK REVIEW
by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Anna Abramskaya
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by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Priscilla Burris
by Aubrey Hartman ; illustrated by Christopher Cyr ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 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
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