by Jessica Scott Kerrin & illustrated by Joseph Kelly ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2005
Aimed at “Horrible Harry” fans, but a cut above in content, these three domestic episodes weigh in with some unusually meaty insights. First, young Martin sees a special gift intended for someone else work a miraculous change in the disposition of his surly school bus driver; then, troubled by a neighbor’s request to replace in secret her small daughter’s dead hamster, he starts to wonder whether his own parents lie to him sometimes; and finally, feeling that he’s not getting proper credit for suggesting that his friend Alex paint flames on a widely admired model rocket, Martin goes into a snit—but only until he figures out that a good friend is worth a little give and take. Pale ink-and-wash sketches on every spread nicely capture Martin’s changing moods and close family relations. Fledgling chapter-book readers of a reflective bent will appreciate Kerrin’s way of delivering life lessons without hammering them home. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 2005
ISBN: 1-55337-688-9
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2005
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by Renée Watson ; illustrated by Niña Mata ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2021
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit.
A new baby coming means Ryan has lots of opportunities to grow love.
Ryan has so much to look forward to this summer—she is going to be a big sister, and she finally gets to go to church camp! But new adventures bring challenges, too. Ryan feels like the baby is taking forever to arrive, and with Mom on bed rest, she isn’t able to participate in the family’s typical summer activities. Ryan’s Dad is still working the late shift, which means he gets home and goes to bed when she and her older brother, Ray, are waking up, so their quality daddy-daughter time is limited to one day a week. When the time for camp finally arrives, Ryan is so worried about bugs, ghosts, and sharing a cabin that she wonders if she should go at all. Watson’s heroine is smart and courageous, bringing her optimistic attitude to any challenge she faces. Hard topics like family finances and complex relationships with friends are discussed in an age-appropriate way. Watson continues to excel at crafting a sense of place; she transports readers to Portland, Oregon, with an attention to detail that can only come from someone who has loved that city. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and occasional illustrations by Mata spotlight their joy and make this book shine.
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0058-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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by Renée Watson ; illustrated by Andrew Grey
by Renée Watson ; illustrated by Niña Mata
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by Renée Watson ; illustrated by Ekua Holmes
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by Kate Biberdorf with Hillary Homzie ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2020
A fun-if-flimsy vehicle for science lovers.
A fifth grade girl brings her love of chemistry to the school play.
Kate loves science so much she’s determined to breathe fire. Of course she knows that she needs adult supervision, and so, with her science teacher’s help, Kate demonstrates an experiment with cornstarch and a blowtorch that nearly sets her teacher’s cactus on fire. Consequences ensue. Can someone who loves science as much as Kate does find pleasure spending her fall break at drama camp? It turns out that even the school play—Dragons vs. Unicorns—needs a chemist, though, and Kate saves the day with glue and glitter. She’s sabotaged along the way, but everything is fine after Kate and her frenemy agree to communicate better (an underwhelming response to escalating bullying). Doodles decorate the pages; steps for the one experiment described that can be done at home—making glittery unicorn-horn glue—are included. The most exciting experiments depicted, though, include flames or liquid nitrogen and could only be done with the help of a friendly science teacher. Biberdorf teaches chemistry at the University of Texas and also performs science-education programs as “Kate the Chemist”; in addition to giving her protagonist her name and enthusiasm, she also seems represented in Kate-the-character’s love of the fictional YouTube personality “Dr. Caroline.” Kate and her nemesis are white; Kate’s best friends are black and South Asian.
A fun-if-flimsy vehicle for science lovers. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11655-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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