Seeded with love and hope, a tale that nevertheless addresses turmoil and pain.
A young girl searches New Orleans for her beloved dog, Roux.
Glory, a strong-willed 9-year-old, has a quick temper like her dad, whom she adores, despite her suspicion that he may have something to do with Roux’s disappearance. After a falling-out with her BFF, Marcelle, she ditches school to seek help from Seven, an unhoused man whom she and her mother have delivered food to in the past. Though Glory’s mother grounds her for skipping school, she takes precious time off work to help make “missing” posters, and Marcelle stops by to help search. Things are looking up until Glory’s daddy shows up, drunk, angry, and unpredictable. Sumner’s rhythmic verse suits Glory’s feisty voice and outsize personality. The novel has a strong sense of setting, with NOLA streets and neighborhoods coming alive, from Napoleon Avenue, where Glory and her father first met Roux, to Bywater, “home to all the best graffiti.” Sumner sensitively considers the harsh realities of loving someone who can turn violent, but tender bonds of friendship and gentle humor alleviate the darkness as Glory comes to accept some difficult truths (“Understandin’ / doesn’t stop the hurt”). Glory’s wide neighborhood is diverse; in Monnin’s delightful drawings, Glory and her parents appear light-skinned while Marcelle and Seven are darker-skinned.
Seeded with love and hope, a tale that nevertheless addresses turmoil and pain. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9781665905718
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 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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