An unevenly executed morality tale with some dramatic moments.
Debut author Peña offers a middle-grade tale of middle-school high jinks.
Thirteen-year-old Amanda Muse is a kind, smart girl from New York City who’s new to Colorado’s Lakewood Junior High. She makes friends easily but also has run-ins with school bully Mildred Riley. Mildred has difficulties of her own: She struggles with being bigger than most kids, and her alcoholic father is often absent from her home. Amanda’s seemingly perfect life irritates Mildred to no end, but in reality, Amanda’s mother moved the family to Colorado because her husband—Amanda’s father—had an affair. Amanda is also expected to take care of her autistic older brother, Junior. She suffers through Mildred’s torments silently, for the most part, but one day, Mildred goes too far: One of her victims reacts with violence, landing her in the hospital with severe memory loss. Due to a bizarre series of events, Amanda and her family are forced to take care of Mildred, so Amanda decides to trick her into believing that they’re friends—and she gets the entire school to play along with the ruse. Her plan is to effectively reprogram the school bully, transforming her into a nicer girl. Peña has a keen sense of drama, and the threat of Mildred’s memory returning effectively hangs over the feel-good moments that make up much of the novel. However, the story never delivers on this threat. A host of colorful characters help Mildred become the best version of herself, including Amanda’s spirited, formerly homeless friend, Bo. Mildred is also shown to benefit from staying with the churchgoing Muses. But the story glosses over the darker aspects of her overall situation, as well as the assault that sent Mildred to the hospital in the first place. This is a puzzling narrative decision, as the book has no qualms about frankly moralizing on other subjects, such as infidelity and drug use.
An unevenly executed morality tale with some dramatic moments.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-947191-48-8
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Zeta Publishing Inc.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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