This second installment about Oahu-dwelling Calvin builds on the engaging story line first introduced in the chapter-book series’s debut title, Calvin Coconut, Trouble Magnet (2008). Annoyed by the teasing doled out by their 16-year-old houseguest Stella, Calvin borrows Zippy, a neighborhood cat, and places it on her pillow, which causes a nasty allergy attack. Afterward, Calvin is unexpectedly consumed by guilt and he soon hatches a scheme to make it up to her with a snazzy but pricey birthday gift. With the help of his friends, Calvin searches the island high and low for ways to make money (while avoiding bully Tito), and the inevitable hijinks ensue. While somewhat formulaic, this slice-of-life–styled look at Calvin’s working-class family includes the experiences of having an absentee father, a busy-but-more-than-capable mom and siblings, complete with realistic strife, all of which add some depth. Rogers’s simple black-and-white illustrations are a fine embellishment. Light in tone, rich with cultural details and populated by likable characters, this slim volume will appeal to many a young reader. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-385-73702-9
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2009
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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