A clever romp that’s enhanced, not lessened, by its message.
With his double life in danger of exposure, Darren Dirkowitz, aka Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, must complicate his personal life in order to keep his secrets.
Darren has always taken great care to keep his identity as a secret agent under wraps. Unfortunately, his one loose end has been discovered: a top-secret journal with all his adventures recorded for posterity. Before he knows it, Darren is at the mercy of his stepbrother (the nefarious and elusive “Waldo”), spying on his best friend and lying to the girl of his dreams. Friendships are strongly tested throughout the novel, which is peppered with imaginative turns of phrase and bursts of energy. The book is an enjoyable and quirky read. The author doesn’t go overboard and turn her characters into swirling cartoons: These are real kids behaving with all the creativity and energy one would expect of them. But beneath all the play and humor is a genuine emotional core, exploring the trials and tribulations all friendships endure when moving from elementary school on to junior high. A stunning last-minute twist pushes the book above and beyond.
A clever romp that’s enhanced, not lessened, by its message. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4598-0683-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
In this sequel to How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (2001), the luminous Tía Lola reluctantly accepts an invitation to teach Spanish as a volunteer at her nephew and niece’s elementary school. One year has passed since Tía Lola arrived in Vermont from the Caribbean. Miguel is in fifth grade, and he wants nothing but to start middle school. Juanita is in third grade and has her own troubles. Will they be happy having their own inimitable aunt teaching at their school? Using the charming voice of a third-person narrator and heading—and spicing up—each chapter with popular Spanish sayings, Alvarez creates a humorous and joyful story that can be read independently of the first Tía Lola story but that will leave readers eager for more of them. Within the tale, the author subtly touches on subjects that are relevant to the Latino population, such as immigration and bilingualism. An enjoyable read, not only for the amusing methods that Tía Lola uses to teach Spanish but for the sense of community and tolerance that breathes through her tale. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-375-86460-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Violet’s a bright, engaging biracial preteen, resigned to a “predictable summer of boring nothing” in small-town Washington; happily, for her and for readers, she couldn’t be more wrong.
Violet, 11, appreciates her loving family—busy neonatologist mom; sister, Daisy, 17; mom’s lively, ex-hippie parents—she’s just tired of explaining she belongs. She wouldn’t have to if her dad, an African-American doctor, hadn’t died in a car accident before her birth. In mostly white Moon Lake, Violet’s a rarity; her one black friend attends a different school. Adopting a kitten is fun, but lightening her hair? Big mistake. (It was supposed to look “sun-kissed,” like Daisy’s—not orange.) Although Roxanne, her dad’s mother, a famous artist, has refused contact (she has her reasons), Violet engineers a meeting at a Seattle gallery, persuading her mom to take her. Rebuffed at first, Violet persists until Roxanne invites her for a visit, and what was frozen begins to thaw. Both families are stable, intelligent and well-intentioned, but forgiveness and trust require contact; healing can’t happen at a distance. Violet’s no tragic mulatto—she’d survive estrangement, but in reconnecting with her dad’s family and cultural roots, she’ll thrive, fulfill her vast potential and, in doing so, enrich both families’ lives across the racial divide. Infused with humor, hope and cleareyed compassion—a fresh take on an old paradigm. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-25714-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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