Yolen introduces a grand collection of 14 tales with a letter to her sons and grandsons. Each features clever males as heroes who stick to their word and never resort to force. The young lad in “The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs” uses his respectful behavior to enlist the Devil’s own grandmother’s help with obtaining the hairs as well as the answer to three questions for which he’s richly rewarded. In a lesser-known Israeli tale, “And Who Cured the Princess?,” three brothers work together to use their cleverness to cure the princess and win, for one of them, her hand in marriage. Several tales have new twists, such as “Jack and His Companions,” reminiscent of the Bremen Town Musicians, but here the treasures are returned to their rightful owner. Yolen, an undisputable queen of storytelling, shines with these retellings. Colón’s black-and-white scratchboard drawings are scattered throughout, presenting a troll just menacing enough, a shepherd just confident enough, and a princess just—well, just demure. A stellar read-aloud volume as well as just right for independent readers. (Folktales. 8-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-15-216391-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Silver Whistle/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2003
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating...
Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively.
When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess-like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after.
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80669-8
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1996
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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