In an exciting fantasy, the author of Songs of Power (2000) and Matter of Profit (2001), creates a world at war, one in which the rulers of a theocracy attempt to exterminate a non-human race as well as those humans with magical powers who aren’t priests. That’s why 12-year-old Makenna watches her sorcerer mother’s drowning on the order of the village priest. Filled with hatred, she escapes into the forest and organizes the goblins into a guerilla force, orchestrating their withdrawal behind a wall that separates the country’s south from north. Meanwhile, Tobin, a young aristocrat from the south, is manipulated by the religious authorities and sent to trap Makenna and allow the priests’ leaders to break the power of the goblins. As usual, Bell’s story is complex, with several subplots, and a surprising, satisfying ending; likewise, the character development is exceptional: the humans are very real and understandable, while the goblins are convincing and sympathetic. This raises questions about the ethics of war, justifications for revenge, and motivations of human conduct. Strong, likable characters and the involving plot make this a surefire winner. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: April 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-051371-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Eos/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2003
Four fifth-graders are recruited by a scheming magician in this hefty bonbon from the author of the Fablehaven tales. At first, Nate, Summer, Trevor and Pigeon think they have it good. Having asked them to help her recover a hidden treasure that (she says) belongs to her, Belinda White, friendly proprietor of a sweets shop that has just opened in their small town, provides some uncommon candies—like Moon Rocks, that give them the ability to jump like grasshoppers, and literally electrifying Shock Bits. When she begins asking them to commit certain burglaries, though, their exhilaration turns to unease, and rightly so; Mrs. White is actually after a draft from the Fountain of Youth that will make her the world’s most powerful magician. And, as it turns out, she isn’t the only magician who’s come to town—not even the only one whose magic is tied to sweets. Filling out the supporting cast with the requisite trio of bullies, plus magical minions of various (and sometimes gross) abilities, Mull trots his twist-laden plot forward to a well set-up climax. Leaving the door open an inch for sequels, he dishes up a crowd-pleaser as delicious—if not so weird—as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . (Fantasy. 10-13)
Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59038-783-2
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2007
Hillenbrand takes license with the familiar song (the traditional words and music are reproduced at the end) to tell an enchanting story about baby animals picked up by the train and delivered to the children’s zoo. The full-color drawings are transportingly jolly, while the catchy refrain—“See the engine driver pull his little lever”—is certain to delight readers. Once the baby elephant, flamingo, panda, tiger, seal, and kangaroo are taken to the zoo by the train, the children—representing various ethnic backgrounds, and showing one small girl in a wheelchair—arrive. This is a happy book, filled with childhood exuberance. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201804-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
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