Another triumph of storytelling filled with heart and wonder.
The Riverdale Academy Day School crew is back and ready for an adventure to the City of Lights.
This newest installment in Craft’s groundbreaking middle-grade graphic novel series finds eighth grade African American boy Jordan facing a milestone all too familiar to many teenagers: the arrival of a school admissions letter. Attending art school is Jordan’s dream come true, but getting one’s heart’s desire comes with a fresh set of worries. Going to a different school means leaving his best friends behind and becoming the new kid once more; worst of all, he only has a few weeks to make up his mind about whether to accept the offer. A school trip to Paris, something that is both exciting and nerve-wracking, stands as a metaphor for the life changes that Jordan is facing, and his friends are on hand to help him make the most of things. At the heart of Craft’s series are the three-dimensional relationships forged among the diverse cast of characters in Jordan’s orbit, and this novel fully delights on that score. From Jordan’s dad, who insists on the family’s watching Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) on VHS; to Andy, his obtuse nemesis who secretly longs for acceptance; and Ramon, the hardworking Nicaraguan classmate for whom this is the trip of a lifetime, readers will love this European escapade with characters who reflect the richness and multiculturalism of modern America.
Another triumph of storytelling filled with heart and wonder. (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780062885548
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A smart sequel that’s filled with surprises and heart.
In this follow-up to The Rhythm of Time (2023), young time-traveling adventurers face their biggest challenge yet, forcing them to question themselves and one another.
Rahim looks forward to starting eighth grade with best friend Kasia even though he anticipates a tough transition after homeschooling. Kasia makes friends as seamlessly as she makes the cool beats that Rahim skillfully raps over. Although Rahim, who’s a target for bullies, feels a bit left behind, the duo still has their music and a rather unusual extracurricular: on-demand time-travel adventures at the behest of their future selves and the mysterious Aevum Organization. Rahim’s parents place a lot of pressure on him and dismiss his hip-hop dreams as impractical. Adult Rahim and Adult Kasia present the pair with a mission to 1978 Honolulu, where temporal anomalies have been detected. They’ll be facing Chrononauts, time travelers who are trying to change the world to suit their own selfish ends. This entry markedly raises the stakes in ways that challenge even Kasia’s genius. Rahim’s intuition and emotional development are thoughtfully plotted as the kids leave their parents in the dark and take big risks. This nuanced story centering on Black middle schoolers explores trust and care, putting friendship to the test even as the Hawaiian setting offers a provocative allegory for being thoughtful about our global (and interdimensional) impact. Final art not seen.
A smart sequel that’s filled with surprises and heart. (Science fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9780374393175
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)
Traumatized by his father’s recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.
Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father’s death and his mother’s new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life.
Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-49728-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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