Heartwarming and entertaining, with memorable characters and positive messaging.
In Gaimari’s YA fantasy, circus animals join forces to rescue a kidnapped Amur Leopard and her newborn cub.
Molly, a clever poodle, once worked as a magician’s assistant. But when “the big storm” devastated New Orleans, Molly lost her human and her home. Now, she has escaped a second placement in an animal shelter and is back in the Big Easy. While she is enjoying the music and scents of Bourbon Street, she spots a dogcatcher with his sights set on her. She escapes but is soon challenged by a large Rottweiler. She trembles in fear as a large yellow Labrador named Axle comes to her rescue. This is how Molly comes to join the traveling circus that is visiting New Orleans—the mighty and tender-hearted Axle (who watches over the baby animals in the circus nursery) suggests that Molly’s acrobatic skills might earn her a place as a performer. When they enter the circus grounds, he introduces her to his best friend, the beautiful golden retriever Chief, who is guarding Taya, an endangered Amur Leopard currently in labor. Axle and Molly visit the nursery, where she meets a charming collection of youngsters. But trouble is brewing under the Big Top: The circus is suffering financial woes, Philip Andrews is a cruel Ringmaster, and Taya and her baby are about to be kidnapped. Gaimari’s beautifully composed tale (told by alternating animal narrators) contains all the elements of an engaging novel—romance and love, a bit of poignant tragedy, devoted friendships, and the excitement of adventure. The tale also works as a primer on compassion and acceptance of diversity. (Molly falls in love with a Jack Russel terrier instead of a member of her own breed, the prized circus poodle; the mighty Axle’s heart belongs to another male canine; and one of two little lion cubs is overwhelmed by insecurities.) A satisfying mix of laughter and tears, a frightening bear attack, a surprising encounter with a family of alligators, and even a melodramatic mouse named Morton add to the enjoyment.
Heartwarming and entertaining, with memorable characters and positive messaging.Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9798343597356
Page Count: 207
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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