A realistic tale of coming to terms and coming-of-age, of friendship and loss, with a touch of magic and humor.
The Whispers know all the secrets of the universe. If they’re real, can they help Riley find Mama?
Eleven-year-old Riley’s mother has been missing for four months. The Fat Bald Detective that Riley sees weekly for questioning has made no progress in the case. Riley’s father, older brother, and grandparents don’t talk about Mama’s absence, which doesn’t help matters. Riley has begun wetting the bed, which he calls his “condition,” but there’s this “other condition” that he fears may be the reason his mother left or was taken: Riley wants to kiss boys rather than talk with his best friend, Gary, about a female classmate’s "miraculously inflated boobs." Riley is convinced the Whispers, unseen creatures from his mother’s favorite story, will accept an offering in return for his heart’s desire—his mother’s return—which drives the plot, along with Riley’s exploration of his identity as a gay preteen in the rural South. Howard places unreliable-narrator Riley at the center of his middle-grade debut. The slow reveal of what actually happened to Mama leads to a satisfying and touching conclusion, one that careful young readers may see before it arrives. Riley and his family are white; Gary is biracial (black/white); their classmates in their small South Carolina town are diverse.
A realistic tale of coming to terms and coming-of-age, of friendship and loss, with a touch of magic and humor. (Fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51749-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A young boy’s life takes an unexpected turn when he receives an old metal detector.
Cooper lives with his mom in upstate New York, where they run an antiques store in an old barn. Although he’s only 11 years old, Cooper manages the household and store. His mom, who used to bring Cooper to garage sales, changed after Cooper’s little brother died and his dad left. Now Cooper pays the utility bills with money he keeps in an old coffee tin and ventures to garage sales alone to find items for the store. Much to the dismay of Mr. Shepherd, the director of the town’s historical museum, Cooper has a knack for getting into sales early to snag the best items. When Cooper unexpectedly leaves a yard sale with a metal detector and finds 12 musket balls from the Revolutionary War in his backyard, it sets in motion a chain of events that will change his life forever, revealing not only history buried deep in his backyard, but family secrets as well. Narrated in the first person by Cooper, Osterweil’s novel reveals the inner workings of a sensitive boy trying to figure out how to help his family survive. Cooper’s active imagination is a stark contrast to the responsibility he assumes at home: He finds friendship in Decto, the french-fry–eating metal detector, and Squeaky, his rickety bicycle, among other objects. Cooper’s exchanges with these imaginary friends add enough silliness to keep young readers engaged. However, lengthy passages about battles, as told by Mr. Shepherd, slow the narrative’s flow and often feel dry, especially when compared to Cooper’s vibrant voice. Still, budding historians will have the opportunity to learn about an important moment in U.S. history—and may even be inspired to pick up a metal detector of their own.
A poignant coming-of-age story and history lesson rolled into one. (Fiction. 10-13)
Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-60898-149-6
Page Count: 243
Publisher: Namelos
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Wild and alive, this visually extravagant fable of the marvel, power and active nature of the creative process howls at the...
An award-winning British team conjures a haunting graphic novella that shows what happens when the complacent gods stop creating things and children pick up the slack.
The gods—slothful as Roman emperors—loll about half-naked in the clouds eating cake and looking down upon their creations, which range from mighty mountains to delicate wisteria. But they abandoned their world-building long ago, leaving empty gaps and spaces as huge as deserts or “no bigger than a fingernail.” Harry, Sue and Little Ben are children who inhabit the gods’ incomplete world. One day, Ben, finding this too-empty landscape peculiar, yells up at the gods, “It needs more things in it!” The children proceed to imagine—and then construct with twigs, clay and grasses—a few things themselves. The titular mouse, bird, snake and wolf spring to life! Spoiler: Creating the wolf backfires hideously. Skellig (2009) author Almond’s tale is as otherworldly as ever, his themes of imagination and creativity nuanced. In inventive comic-book–style panels and theatrical full-bleed spreads, McKean adds a fierce, frightening texture to the narrative. The edgy, toga-wearing gods above and children down below are sculptural, as if they were molded out of clay—a fitting image for a creation story.
Wild and alive, this visually extravagant fable of the marvel, power and active nature of the creative process howls at the moon. (art not seen in full color) (Graphic novella. 9-12)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5912-7
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
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