A powerful homage to young activists.
Jazz is strictly forbidden in 1938 Germany.
German teenager Albert plays jazz clarinet with his group, the Edelweiss Pirates. They swing dance, listen to records of all the jazz artists, paint graffiti over swastikas on city walls, and hand out anti-Hitler leaflets, all in defiance of Hitler Youth, thugs dedicated to upholding the Nazi regime by intimidation and violence. Albert’s younger brother, narrator Kurt, plays the trumpet, and his Jewish friend, Fritz, plays the saxophone, but Fritz must sneak into Kurt’s house when they play jazz together. At school Kurt witnesses many anti-Semitic incidents directed against Fritz, but, although they disturb him greatly, he does nothing. But at the school band concert, where they must play Hitler’s favorite composer, Wagner, Kurt raises his trumpet and plays Louie Armstrong’s “Saint Louis Blues” loudly and defiantly. Albert’s group comes swinging down the aisle and plays along with him. There may be serious consequences, but Kurt is now a full-fledged member of the Edelweiss Pirates. These anti-Nazi groups of teen jazz enthusiasts really existed, and their acts of sabotage plagued the Nazis throughout the war. By allowing Kurt to narrate the tale in the present tense, Elvgren makes the events personal and immediate for modern readers, who may have limited knowledge of the Holocaust and the war. Stamatiadi’s striking, mostly earth-toned or shadowed illustrations focus on the characters’ expressive faces and body stances.
A powerful homage to young activists. (author’s note) (Picture book. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5124-8360-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A sparkling tale of survival.
A family camping trip in the mountains turns interesting after an earthquake.
Eleven-year-old Vivian is so excited to be going camping with her 12-year-old cousin, Owen, and her 8-year-old sister, Amy. She’s talked her mother and Uncle Mike (both veterans of the outdoors) into camping at Sequoia National Park and, what’s more, letting the kids stay by themselves for 24 hours (the adults will camp just over a short mountain pass). Dusk comes, and Owen, who loves to cook, fixes a stellar meal on his little camp stove; the kids are blissful in their independence. Then comes the earthquake, shaking rocks down onto the trail and blocking the way back to the adults. Taking charge of the frightened Amy and disassociating Owen, Vivian determines that their only choice is to walk out the long way. While Owen has packed more food than necessary for one overnight, it’s not enough. Nevertheless, they start out. This is a tale of adventure and survival, but it’s far from grim; instead, it’s filled with effervescent writing and humorous dialogue. Vivian’s confidence and her joie de vivre in the beauty of her surroundings embrace Amy and Owen—as well as readers—with the usefulness of a positive attitude. If a story about three kids alone in the mountains with little food could ever be described as cheerful and uplifting, this one is it. All main characters read white.
A sparkling tale of survival. (map) (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781536234725
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Breathless action and engaging puzzles make this a page-turner.
In this follow-up to The Mystery of Locked Rooms (2024), young escape artists rashly accept a mysterious game designer’s offer to get a sneak peek at a challenging new set of escape rooms.
Worried by announcements of a new, high-tech fun house that might drive their employer, the Delta Game, out of business, middle schooler Sarah and her friends Hannah and West jump at the chance to give Mystery Mansion a try before it opens to the public. More’s at stake than they suspect, but Currie dispenses with the backstory in a perfunctory way at the end. Her real focus—and the chief appeal here—lies in the set of fiendishly clever escape rooms that she’s devised for the trio and the team dynamics that carry them through: Hannah is the reckless thrill seeker, West is the observant brainiac, and anxiety-prone Sarah has a knack for making correct choices. The story cranks up the suspense, and the Deltas call on all the courage and smarts they can muster, sweeping readers along as they work urgently against the clock to complete the course. Hannah is cued white, West is described as dark-haired, and narrator Sarah isn’t physically described.
Breathless action and engaging puzzles make this a page-turner. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781464234941
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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