In this debut middle-grade fantasy tale, the first in a series, three brothers set out on a quest to uncover the identity of a magical arsonist and protect their homeland from a sinister scheme.
The kingdom of Galray is a typical, old-school fantasy realm, in which knights spar, dragons soar, and women are few and far between. When a freak lightning storm sets the nearest village ablaze with an unquenchable flame, King Reynold suspects foul play, so he enlists his three sons to track down the perpetrator and determine his motives. His eldest son, Ingle, and twins Horace and George think they have a lead, as they spied a shadowy figure skulking around the castle tower on the night of the storm. Now they must trek through Galray and other, more distant lands to seek the Oracle of the mountain, who they believe can direct them to the truth. Along the way, they get cryptic advice from gnomish trickster Rifflesly and encounter a rogue ice dragon who might be the key to solving the mystery. It’s a story as straightforward as a role-playing-game campaign, and Cumming provides clean, effective prose throughout. It reads like a well-designed Dungeons & Dragons session, and like D&D heroes, the brothers are defined more by their skills, such as their sharp senses, than by their personalities. Similarly, the supporting cast is as two-dimensional as the book’s black-and-white illustrations. The drawings’ cartoonish simplicity identifies the novel as one meant for the younger set, as does the shape-shifting Rifflesly, Cumming’s version of the Cheshire Cat. His eccentric speech patterns and riddles may frustrate or delight readers, but they may wonder why he or the Oracle would bother to help the brothers. It’s equally hard to grasp the motivations of the villain, the Black Knight, but perhaps the author will explore his psyche further in the sequel.
A lightweight, pleasant adventure for younger readers, featuring derring-do but little psychological depth.
Pub Date: June 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1460238455
Page Count: 144
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A snappy mystery that’s full of heart.
A group of bright friends tackles the puzzle of their lives.
Elmwood, New Hampshire, 11-year-old Gina Sparks is small in stature but big on reporting ongoing dramas for the local newspaper with support from her journalist mom. When an unbelievable scoop comes her way, Gina must rely on her tightknit crew of sixth grade best friends whose initials happen to spell GEEK, a label they choose to proudly reclaim. She and science-minded prankster Elena Hernández, theater kid Edgar Feingarten, and driven math genius Kevin Robinson decide to get to the bottom of things when they learn that the Van Houten Toy & Game Company heir made elaborate plans to leave everything to the town of Elmwood before her death—but only if a member of the community could solve an intricate multistep puzzle. Gina hopes that deciphering the clues and finding the missing fortune will be just the thing to revitalize the down-on-its-luck town and bring the Elmwood Tribune back into the black, saving her mom’s job and Gina’s passion project. The GEEKs work together, using their individual talents and deductive reasoning skills to unravel the mystery. Infused with media literacy pointers, such as the difference between fact and opinion and reminders to avoid bias when reporting, the story encourages readers to think critically. Gina and Edgar read as White; Elena is cued as Latinx, and Kevin is implied Black.
A snappy mystery that’s full of heart. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37793-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Contagiously goofy and fun.
Area 51 gets its first new resident in 5 years—and a new mystery.
When her grandma moves into a kid-free retirement home, 12-year-old orphan Priya “Sky” Patel-Baum and Spike, her pet hedgehog, relocate to Area 51 to live with Sky’s eccentric Uncle Anish. At 51, humans and Break Throughs (government-speak for aliens) live together off-grid in harmony. Unfortunately, several Zdstrammars (one of many Break Through species) mysteriously disappear, disrupting the base’s harmony and contributing to feelings of suspicion. Despite being deputy head of the Federal Bureau of Alien Investigations, Uncle Anish becomes a prime suspect. Can Sky and Elvis, her alien classmate, prove Uncle Anish’s innocence and find the missing Zdstrammars before it’s too late? YA author Buxbaum’s middle-grade debut is a rip-roaring series opener complete with over-the-top characters and jokes galore. Naidu’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations extend the comedy with ongoing commentary that smartly interacts with the prose. The cast of Break Through species—like Audiotooters, Galzorian, and Sanitizoria—have hilariously creative on-the-nose names with illustrations to match. Sky is coded biracial, with a White dad and Indian mom. Aliens appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors; Elvis shape-shifts but looks like a brown-skinned boy to Sky. Though the main mystery is neatly wrapped up, the cliffhanger ending promises more laughs.
Contagiously goofy and fun. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42946-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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