A promising, fast-paced series opener.
Twins Pew and Basket Church find clues to their pasts and a dangerous foe in a literally Revolutionary setting.
Upon leaping through a time portal to escape 12 years of misery in the misleadingly named Sweet Loveliness Home for the Nurturing Development of De-Parented Children, the intrepid foundlings land back in 1777—not far from where George Washington, in the wake of the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn Heights, is on the verge of throwing in the towel. Can they convince him to change his mind? Their efforts are complicated by a hidden treasure lying at the end of a trail of riddles, a megalomaniacal fellow time traveler out to manipulate history rather than preserve it, and the fact that Pew is a Black boy and Basket is a white girl. A second, ill-managed time jaunt results in their hands being swapped on their bodies. Although this mishap leads to sibling strife—“Stop picking your nose with my fingers!”—the course of history is righted by the end of an expertly crafted whirl of chases, betrayals, escapes, and revelations. A flimsy rationale for not asking a grateful Washington to abolish slavery in return for the twins’ game-changing help sounds a sour note, but the parade of (more or less) accurately rendered historical persons and events, several tantalizing mysteries, and the smart and resourceful protagonists will be enough to carry readers through multiple sequels. Schweizer’s occasional illustrations add humor and liveliness.
A promising, fast-paced series opener. (historical notes, bibliography) (Adventure. 9-13)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780316447010
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2024
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read...
When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville’s new public library.
The author of numerous mysteries for children and adults turns his hand to a puzzle adventure with great success. Starting with the premise that billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello has donated a fortune to building a library in a town that went without for 12 years, Grabenstein cleverly uses the tools of board and video games—hints and tricks and escape hatches—to enhance this intricate and suspenseful story. Twelve 12-year-old winners of an essay contest get to be the first to see the new facility and, as a bonus, to play his new escape game. Lemoncello’s gratitude to the library of his childhood extends to providing a helpful holographic image of his 1968 librarian, but his modern version also includes changing video screens, touch-screen computers in the reading desks and an Electronic Learning Center as well as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories. Although the characters, from gamer Kyle to schemer Charles Chiltington, are lightly developed, the benefits of pooling strengths to work together are clear.
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87089-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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