In this sequel to Miranda and the Movies (1989), Miranda Gaines and her Aunt Lucy travel by train to Hollywood to join up with and Bobby, streetwise orphaned young actor who is Miranda’s best friend, and C.J., the charming if rascally director of silent movies in which Miranda hopes to act. Upon arrival, Lucy sorts out C.J.’s disastrous financial mess while Miranda and Bobby star in a series of low-budget westerns, and get bit parts in epochal movies such as D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance. Headstrong young heroine! Charming rogue! Plucky orphan! With its careening plot, overblown descriptive passages, and larger-than-life characters, this novel is similar to the overlong melodramas Miranda finds under production in Hollywood. But if much of the humor is over the heads of the target audience, and if too much movie jargon remains oblique, this broad, entertaining period piece carries readers along with its sheer good spirits and provides them with a vivid glimpse of an unfamiliar era. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-202059-4
Page Count: 246
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
paper 1-57505-442-6 This entry in the On My Own Biography series provides a serviceable introduction to running star Rudolph, once considered “the fastest woman in the world.” The facts of her story will fascinate this age group: she was the 20th of 22 children; she contracted polio yet became a runner; she won multiple gold medals at the 1960 Olympics. Colorful illustrations are used throughout, and a single photograph is provided in the afterword, which follows Rudolph through college, marriage, parenthood, and her support of other African- American athletes. The short sentences and plentiful illustrations will help make this biography accessible; Sherrow offers more information than Kathleen Krull’s Wilma Unlimited (1996) while her book is easier to read than Tom Biracree’s Wilma Rudolph (1988). The brief chronology indicates that Rudolph died on November 12, 1995, while all other sources indicate she died on that day in 1994. Despite that hitch, readers will find this an inspiring story. (Biography. 8-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2000
ISBN: 1-57505-246-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Jeram brings back characters from Bunny, My Honey (1999) for this poignant tale about families. Although they are different species, the three friends—Bunny, Little Duckling, and Miss Mouse—form a unique family along with Mommy Rabbit. Instead of trying to make her “little Honeys” conform to some one ideal, the wise mother rabbit embraces their differences, incorporating their individuality into a special song created for the trio. Soft pastel illustrations capture both the playfulness of the threesome, and the loving bonds of the family. Through the song and the games the Honeys play, Jeram encourages readers to rejoice in diversity—a warm and timely message in a world full of complex and extended families. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0846-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
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