This series spin on the alien-next-door trope gets off to a slow start.
Second-grader Harris Walker’s sure something’s odd about the new kid at school, whose family has just moved in next door.
Harris has seen Zeke do impossible things, but no one else has. Meanwhile, Zeke, or Zekelabraxis, is unhappy to be starting over in a new school on a new planet. Due to his scientist parents’ research, the family moves around a lot, and Zeke misses everything about his home, Tragas. It’s hard making friends while hiding your true self. Harris’ best friend, Roxy Martinez, feels sorry for Zeke and includes him when she can, urging Harris to do the same. After a successful play day at Harris’ house, Harris is ready to be friends with Zeke…but not ready to give up trying to prove Zeke’s not of this world. Newton’s first in a series of easy chapter books is largely occupied by setup, simply establishing characters and relationships with very little plot. Mild humor is found in Zeke’s attempts to conceal his true nature, but the alternating third-person focus between Harris and Zeke blunts much of its potential. Human diversity is signaled (Harris may be black; Roxy is evidently Latina) but not explored; in his human form, Zeke appears to be white, though he’s actually fairly squidlike. Sarkar’s cartoon illustrations on every page pair well enough with the text. (Final art not seen.)
This series spin on the alien-next-door trope gets off to a slow start. (Science fiction. 5-9)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0559-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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