Future quests for these adventuresome girls are assured—and will be most welcome.
Two girls bond over knights, castles, toys, and real treasure in this series opener inspired by a video game.
Nine-year-old Demelza Penrose and her pet goose, Captain Honkers, live in a little camper on a caravan site owned by her father on Penfurzy Island in Cornwall, England. Demelza’s life is upended when a mysterious girl called Nessa breaks in during a storm. When Demelza finds out that her father needs to sell the camper park due to declining revenues, she and Nessa spring into action to defend the property. Their discovery of Demelza’s deceased mother’s notebook containing clues to the legend of the Penfurzy knights and their lost treasure propels them on a series of hair-raising adventures. Fixing up a couple of old bikes to serve as steeds, the girls embark on a lengthy quest, which takes them to a junkyard in search of the Staff of Truth, up a high tor, and into a sunken castle where they engage in battle with sinister knights and discover a roomful of treasure. A satisfying plot twist ensures a happy ending for Demelza and her father and cements the girls’ friendship. This is a lighthearted, swashbuckling tale in which physical bravery as well as smarts and honesty are rewarded. Expressive cartoon-style black-and-white illustrations dot the pages. Nessa is of Asian Indian descent; Demelza is cued as White.
Future quests for these adventuresome girls are assured—and will be most welcome. (map) (Adventure. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72823-728-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Both cozy and inspiring, this eco-fable conveys both grim truths and a defiant call to action.
The best birthday present is a magical train full of talking animals—and a new job.
On Kate’s 11th birthday, she’s surprised by the arrival of rich Uncle Herbert. Uncle Herbert bears a gift: a train. Not a toy train, a 102.36-ton steam engine, with cars that come later. When Kate and her brother, Tom, both white, play in the cab of the Silver Arrow, the train starts up, zooming to a platform packed with animals holding tickets. Thus begins Kate and Tom’s hard work: They learn to conduct the train and feed the fire box, instructed by the Silver Arrow, which speaks via printed paper tape. The Silver Arrow is a glorious playground: The library car is chockablock with books while the candy car is brimful of gobstoppers and gummy bears. But amid the excitement of whistle-blowing and train conducting, Kate and Tom learn quiet messages from their animal friends. Some species, like gray squirrels and starlings, are “invaders.” The too-thin polar bear’s train platform has melted, leaving it almost drowned. Their new calling is more than just feeding the coal box—they need to find a new balance in a damaged world. “Feeling guilty doesn’t help anything,” the mamba tells them. Humans have survived so effectively they’ve taken over the world; now, he says, “you just have to take care of it.” (Illustrations not seen.)
Both cozy and inspiring, this eco-fable conveys both grim truths and a defiant call to action. (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-316-53953-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Good news, if so. It is, to quote the children’s reaction to the gingermice, “extremely entertaining—and weird.” (Fantasy....
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle meets Mary Poppins.
Pinkwater is renowned for peculiar premises, and here he delivers again. Peering through a window and spotting a small house far below their new apartment, curious Nick and Maxine make their way down to the boiler room and out the rear exit. Waiting to welcome them at the end of a tidy garden is Mrs. Noodlekugel—a matronly sort with a distinctly Piggle-Wiggle–ish look in Stower’s loosely drawn illustration—who invites them in for apple cookies and tea. Joined by a multitalented talking cat named Mr. Fuzzface (who later takes a brief turn at the piano) and four not exactly blind but very farsighted mice, the children have a splendid time. After learning from their parents that Mrs. Noodlekugel will be their new babysitter, Nick and Maxine return the next day to make “gingermice” cookies that get up and dance before running outside to, their chaperone casually suggests, probably be eaten by crows. Written in mannered prose (free of contractions, except for the children’s dialogue), printed in generously sized type and liberally strewn with vignettes and larger illustrations, this ends abruptly and reads overall like the opening chapter of an episodic tale for newly fledged readers.
Good news, if so. It is, to quote the children’s reaction to the gingermice, “extremely entertaining—and weird.” (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5053-7
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
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