While it may be a brave new world for Stephen, this is well-worn territory for middle-grade fantasy. Here’s hoping the...
A familiar-feeling protagonist delves into a new life and a new world of magic in this middle-grade series opener by wife-husband duo.
Stephen and his father, both white, move to New York City after his grandmother passes away and his dad is called to take over her job as the “Culinary Alchemist and head chef at the Hotel New Harmonia.” And—surprise!—the New Harmonia is a hotel for monsters and other magical folk (here called “supernormals”). On top of this, Stephen quickly learns that he is, in fact, half fae (thanks to the mother he never met), and the fae court wants him back. Luckily, kid human hotel residents Ivan La Doyt, who is white, and Sofia Gutierrez, a Latina with brown skin in the cover art, act as Ron and Hermione–like friends. When someone steals the hotel’s recipe book—necessary for Stephen’s dad to cook to the tastes of the supernormals and particularly vital for the dragon-in-residence’s upcoming birthday party—and Stephen is blamed, the trio takes matters into their own hands to solve the mystery. Sporadic black-and-white illustrations are friendly and accessible but add little, and the plot-driven third-person narration makes it difficult to feel invested in the characters.
While it may be a brave new world for Stephen, this is well-worn territory for middle-grade fantasy. Here’s hoping the second outing provides something fresh. (Fantasy/mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-245994-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sympathetic, compelling introduction to wolves from the perspective of one wolf and his memorable journey.
Separated from his pack, Swift, a young wolf, embarks on a perilous search for a new home.
Swift’s mother impresses on him early that his “pack belongs to the mountains and the mountains belong to the pack.” His father teaches him to hunt elk, avoid skunks and porcupines, revere the life that gives them life, and “carry on” when their pack is devastated in an attack by enemy wolves. Alone and grieving, Swift reluctantly leaves his mountain home. Crossing into unfamiliar territory, he’s injured and nearly dies, but the need to run, hunt, and live drives him on. Following a routine of “walk-trot-eat-rest,” Swift traverses prairies, canyons, and deserts, encountering men with rifles, hunger, thirst, highways, wild horses, a cougar, and a forest fire. Never imagining the “world could be so big or that I could be so alone in it,” Swift renames himself Wander as he reaches new mountains and finds a new home. Rife with details of the myriad scents, sounds, tastes, touches, and sights in Swift/Wander’s primal existence, the immediacy of his intimate, first-person, present-tense narration proves deeply moving, especially his longing for companionship. Realistic black-and-white illustrations trace key events in this unique survival story, and extensive backmatter fills in further factual information about wolves and their habitat.
A sympathetic, compelling introduction to wolves from the perspective of one wolf and his memorable journey. (additional resources, map) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-289593-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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