A droll picture of life yesteryear in a—seemingly—ordinary Italian town.
Nine-year-old Sergio may not be the brightest bulb in town, but he shines after helping to settle a 137-year-old feud between two ghosts in Marciano’s latest visit to Benevento.
Alas! When poor Sergio manages to lose a basket of “caca diapers” he had been sent down to the river to clean, his angry mother exiles him to the attic to stay with Bis-Bis, the surly spirit of his five-times-great grampa “who died in the earthquake of 1688, but not quite enough.” Can Sergio escape the gassy ghost (“Skeevo!”) and regain his mom’s good graces by reuniting her with her beloved cousin Zia Carozzo, long separated by an old quarrel between Bis-Bis and the Carozzo family’s house spirit? Though one young resident’s anachronistic “Mushroom hunting is the dorkiest, lamest thing ever!” rather spoils the period flavor, this latest episode in an interwoven series set in 1820s Benevento, historically renowned for its witches and magical creatures, winningly blends broad comedy with eerie encounters. Blackall festoons the small-format pages with expressive two-color drawings of the light-skinned townsfolk, along with an occasional rubbery-looking specter, and Marciano closes with notes on the town’s history and supernatural residents.
A droll picture of life yesteryear in a—seemingly—ordinary Italian town. (map, cultural note) (Historical fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-451-47183-3
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
Both cozy and inspiring, this eco-fable conveys both grim truths and a defiant call to action.
The best birthday present is a magical train full of talking animals—and a new job.
On Kate’s 11th birthday, she’s surprised by the arrival of rich Uncle Herbert. Uncle Herbert bears a gift: a train. Not a toy train, a 102.36-ton steam engine, with cars that come later. When Kate and her brother, Tom, both white, play in the cab of the Silver Arrow, the train starts up, zooming to a platform packed with animals holding tickets. Thus begins Kate and Tom’s hard work: They learn to conduct the train and feed the fire box, instructed by the Silver Arrow, which speaks via printed paper tape. The Silver Arrow is a glorious playground: The library car is chockablock with books while the candy car is brimful of gobstoppers and gummy bears. But amid the excitement of whistle-blowing and train conducting, Kate and Tom learn quiet messages from their animal friends. Some species, like gray squirrels and starlings, are “invaders.” The too-thin polar bear’s train platform has melted, leaving it almost drowned. Their new calling is more than just feeding the coal box—they need to find a new balance in a damaged world. “Feeling guilty doesn’t help anything,” the mamba tells them. Humans have survived so effectively they’ve taken over the world; now, he says, “you just have to take care of it.” (Illustrations not seen.)
Both cozy and inspiring, this eco-fable conveys both grim truths and a defiant call to action. (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-316-53953-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ultimately less than the sum of its parts, this earnest effort may disappoint rather than enchant.
Losure has chosen a popular topic—witches—for her first work of fiction.
Nettle and Bracken, two young witches, are the main characters. The apparently orphaned cousins discover the human world when a magical disaster rends the veil that protects their valley. Tricked into searching for a solution (and a treasured magical artifact) by a renegade member of their coven, the two discover more than they bargained for on their journey. A friendly farmer and an oddly engaging talking raccoon offer assistance and some humor, while a pair of slightly befuddled elderly ladies winds up playing an unexpectedly bittersweet role in the adventure. Overall, however, the human characters, like the girls’ fellow witches, are sketchily drawn and fail to generate much interest. The format also poses some challenges, as fantasy fans have come to expect a bit more action and drama than they’ll find in the straightforward storyline, while chapter-book readers could feel overwhelmed by the relatively lengthy text, lack of illustration and sophisticated vocabulary. The somewhat open-ended conclusion could likewise cause confusion or frustration.
Ultimately less than the sum of its parts, this earnest effort may disappoint rather than enchant. (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3160-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014
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