An enjoyable coming-of-age tale that’s also a next-level Space Camp adventure.
Five young astronauts join a two-year scientific research mission in this children’s SF novel.
Ten-year-old Kai of Hilo, Hawaii, is beyond thrilled that he’s going to be a real astronaut, like his hero Ellison Onizuka. He’s been chosen for a two-year NASA youth mission that will travel to the dwarf planet Ceres, where they’ll also get a good view of Mars. Four other kids will participate: Greg, 13, from Texas; 12-year-old Floridian twins Mary and David; and Keola, 11, from Southern California, with each youngster working on a special research project. Greg’s, for example, involves a time-travel mechanism, and Kai wants to test a device that could sense life-supporting elements and minerals on asteroids. In addition, Kai is bringing his cat, Cappy, to measure how weightlessness affects him, although he receives many warnings that the animal must stay inside his pod (spoiler: he doesn’t). While studying, testing, collecting, and reporting data for individual projects, the young astronauts must work as a team and with adults to address challenges that arise. It’s a learning experience in several ways, testing the kids’ maturity and intelligence. In the end, they earn Capt. Bowie’s praise and look forward to future adventures. Co-authors Jeffries, in her third children’s book, and Bob, in his debut, offer improbably accomplished young characters in this story, but it’s a fantasy that will appeal to any kid who dreams of space exploration. The book fairly vibrates with enthusiasm—and employs many exclamation points—but also takes science seriously, modeling teamwork and depicting realistic problems. A shuttle-door malfunction, for example, is diagnosed by examining a schematic that shows a weak connection—and requires a cool spacewalk to fix it. Rosenberg presents monochrome illustrations with lively compositions that capture the story’s fun.
An enjoyable coming-of-age tale that’s also a next-level Space Camp adventure.Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: BWPublications
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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