by Holly Webb ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2013
Character and the day-to-day workings of a wealthy household overshadow magic and plot in this engaging tale of an orphan...
In this orphan-makes-good mystery/thriller with a magical twist, Rose and her compatriots—an apprentice magician, a spoiled 7-year-old and a shape-shifting talking cat—work together to figure out who has been kidnapping local children and come up with a plan to rescue them.
At the tender age of 10, Rose, who has lived an impoverished and cloistered life in an orphanage, goes into service as the second housemaid at the home of renowned and wealthy magician and alchemist Mr. Aloysius Fountain. Rose, who had barely been outside the orphanage gates, slowly adjusts to her new circumstances, which are luxurious to her modest eyes. Rose’s growing knowledge of the world outside the orphanage, her own burgeoning and increasingly emphatic magical power, and her relationships with other members of the household turn out to be more engaging and suspenseful than the story’s mystery. The climactic battle, which features the power of hope, is talky, still explaining at a time readers should be enveloped in action. Still, Rose is sympathetic and a pleasure to root for, the secondary characters have room to grow, and the ending can be read as a new beginning, leaving plenty of room for a sequel.
Character and the day-to-day workings of a wealthy household overshadow magic and plot in this engaging tale of an orphan servant-girl. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-8581-3
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
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by Holly Webb ; illustrated by Artful Doodlers
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by Holly Webb ; illustrated by Sophy Williams
by Annie Matthew ; developed by Kobe Bryant ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 24, 2021
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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by Annie Matthew ; developed by Kobe Bryant
by Aubrey Hartman ; illustrated by Christopher Cyr ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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