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
Readers’ ribs aren’t the only ones that get a vigorous tickle in this aquatic escapade.
Receiving help from a nearsighted mermaid and a self-propelling island with self-esteem issues, a young lad sets out to rescue his explorer parents.
Having spent all 10 years of his life climbing mountains and exploring trackless jungles with his parents, Oliver Crisp is well-equipped to chase after the Thurlstone, an evil floating island that has added his mom and dad to its elaborate crown of sea wrack. It’s one of the Rambling Isles, on its way to the Hallowed Shallows for the Night of the Seawigs, a celebration held every seven years to give the islands a chance to show off all the stuff they’ve collected. Fortunately, another peripatetic island, this one so mild-mannered it hasn’t got a name, befriends Oliver. Together with Iris the mermaid and a sniffy albatross, Oliver and the newly named Cliff set out to get Oliver’s parents back. Before the rescue can come off, though, Oliver must stand up to the smart-mouthed seaweed of the Sarcastic Sea, get past an army of green furred, hyperactive sea monkeys spilling “down the Thurlstone’s face like a river of snot,” and face like unusual challenges. McIntyre illustrates Reeve’s sly and dashing tale with simply drawn cartoon monkeys (lots of monkeys) and other figures peeking in from the margins or tucking themselves between passages of text.
Readers’ ribs aren’t the only ones that get a vigorous tickle in this aquatic escapade. (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 22, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-385-38788-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2014
Ultimately less than the sum of its parts, this earnest effort may disappoint rather than enchant.
Losure has chosen a popular topic—witches—for her first work of fiction.
Nettle and Bracken, two young witches, are the main characters. The apparently orphaned cousins discover the human world when a magical disaster rends the veil that protects their valley. Tricked into searching for a solution (and a treasured magical artifact) by a renegade member of their coven, the two discover more than they bargained for on their journey. A friendly farmer and an oddly engaging talking raccoon offer assistance and some humor, while a pair of slightly befuddled elderly ladies winds up playing an unexpectedly bittersweet role in the adventure. Overall, however, the human characters, like the girls’ fellow witches, are sketchily drawn and fail to generate much interest. The format also poses some challenges, as fantasy fans have come to expect a bit more action and drama than they’ll find in the straightforward storyline, while chapter-book readers could feel overwhelmed by the relatively lengthy text, lack of illustration and sophisticated vocabulary. The somewhat open-ended conclusion could likewise cause confusion or frustration.
Ultimately less than the sum of its parts, this earnest effort may disappoint rather than enchant. (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3160-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014
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