What’s meant to be a romp through a boy’s imagination occasionally feels more prescription than fun.
Henry Penwhistle knows he is the only one who can save the world, or at least his school, from his artwork.
When his drawing of a dragon comes alive and begins to take on the shapes of drawings Henry’s done in the past, Henry realizes that he is being called to a quest. Luckily, he’s wearing his raincoat—or, ahem, suit of armor. At school, the dragon wreaks havoc in the classroom, hallways, and even in the lunchroom, where the Lunch Lady is trying to prepare for an art show and pizza party. Henry and his friends must reach deep within themselves to find the courage and understanding necessary to keep the dragon from ruining everything. A tale about the power of art and the call for artists to share their art with the world without fear, this book tends to thrust its message to the forefront with a heavy hand, overshadowing the more charming aspects of the story. “You have to be brave to be an artist,” says Mr. Bruce, the bus driver. “You have to squeeze your fear down deep in your chest, and make something new.” Good advice, but it’s repeated too often in this short novel. All the humans in Schipper’s line drawings appear to be white.
What’s meant to be a romp through a boy’s imagination occasionally feels more prescription than fun. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9863818-8-1
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Rabbit Room Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Set in a candy factory as tantalizingly fragrant as Willy Wonka’s, this half-mystery, half–jigsaw-puzzle novel is a mild-mannered cousin to The Westing Game and When You Reach Me. Four 12-year-olds enter a candy-making contest. Logan lives in the confection plant with his parents, who own it; he narrates first, then the arc rewinds for the other contestants’ viewpoints. Miles, who witnessed a drowning, adds a poignant fragility in his portion. Daisy narrates and readers see—shockingly—that she’s a professional spy. Philip’s no spy, but his section reveals unsavory intentions on multiple levels. There’s no murder here—nor even death, it turns out; instead, there’s forgiveness, correction of dishonor and an alignment of seemingly disparate events. This isn’t fantasy, though it calls for a heaping cup of (enjoyable) suspension of disbelief (unflaggingly supportive grown-ups; chocolate pizza for lunch; adult confirmation that chocolate could potentially turn into gum and back again). Sweets fans will love the gooey sensory details. Earnest and sweet, with enough salty twists not to taste saccharine. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-00258-5
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting emotional roller coaster chronicling a loyal dog’s last days with her human family.
A retired working dog protects and cares for her family until her dying breath in Hoyle’s middle-grade novel.
Retired North Carolina Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement dog Ripley is a stalwart, loyal German shepherd who has dedicated herself to taking care of her young human, Charlie, as well as Charlie’s mom, Amelia, ever since Charlie’s father, Max, died five years ago. Sadly, Ripley can sense that she is nearing the end of her own life after she falls getting off of Charlie’s bed. The vet confirms that Ripley has osteosarcoma, devastating Charlie and her mother with the news. The two have been fairly isolated since Max’s death, and Ripley worries that her humans will not have enough support after she’s gone. As the dog and her family check items off a bucket list of the former’s favorite activities, like chasing sandpipers at the beach, they find themselves truly reckoning not only with her death, but Max’s as well. Charlie and Amelia both start to make new friends, including a boy named Nathan who is dealing with the recent loss of his mother. There is no rest for the weary—Ripley must unofficially return to duty to protect her humans from dangerous poachers who threaten the preserve where Amelia works. This tearjerking middle-grade novel is the passionate and tender fourth installment in Hoyle’s canine-centric bibliography, following Millie (2024). Written in the first person from Ripley’s point of view, the narrative roots itself in sensory details, such as the “nervous chemicals [that] tint [Charlie’s] breath” when Ripley falls and the physical strain of the family’s financial woes (“I don’t know what it is about the word money, but it always makes my girls tense and their words stiff”). Peppered throughout are Tarkela’s black-and-white digital illustrations, which are proficient but less emotionally evocative or memorable than the story itself.
An affecting emotional roller coaster chronicling a loyal dog’s last days with her human family.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781639934164
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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