A rich, satisfying story for young readers with a taste for time travel and history.
Time-traveling, food-loving siblings Phigg and Clyde Hoffman return in Berkin's middle-grade SF sequel.
This installment opens with a helpful prologue recapping the duo’s previous encounter with Timebreaker Mumpsimus’ diabolical plan to erase breakfast from history; it’s a clever introduction that quickly brings new readers up to speed while refreshing returning fans’ memories. Phigg (short for Iphigenia) and her younger sibling, Clyde, are among the youngest Timekeepers—a special group dedicated to repairing broken timelines and ensuring that history remains on track. They use their Uncle Phineas’ old pocket watch, The Watcher, to navigate the Timesphere, where every conceivable timeline exists; it allows them embark on missions anywhere at any time. Seeking to impress the classmates and teachers at their new school, they both travel into the past: Phigg to interview surrealist artist Leonora Carrington and Clyde to obtain Sandy Koufax rookie baseball cards. They return to find their parents frozen in time—a consequence of bringing objects from the past to the present. Their actions land them in Timeville, a “permanent time-out” for unruly Timekeepers, as they await a hearing before a panel. The pair receive guidance from the Fays, an eccentric couple of former Timekeepers, and their pet lion; soon, the siblings learn how to use the rules of the new world to go on new adventures. However, they also fall for a trick that forces them to go on a mission to save the history of chocolate. Despite occasionally getting bogged down in its own complexities, Berkin triumphantly weaves together elements of history, science, and the culinary arts to deliver a fast-paced, ever-changing story with smart central characters. Along the way, there’s plenty of humor: “You got a hot dog AND a soda for less than a dollar?” Phigg asks Clyde after he visits 1965. “You got change back even? “ The author also includes 10 recipes, from “Easy Mole” to “The Palmer House Brownie Recipe From 1893,” resulting in a book that both delights and informs.
A rich, satisfying story for young readers with a taste for time travel and history.Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2024
ISBN: 9798873872084
Page Count: 379
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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