Pass this regrettable title and its companions by.
Gory bits of information offered in brief text and amusing cartoon illustrations combine for a quick exploration of various epidemics throughout history.
Problems, like diseases, are legion in this entry (and the three others in the Sickening History of Medicine series). Each double-page spread provides ever so superficial coverage of a major epidemic, including the Black Death of 1346-1353, malaria, tuberculosis, smallpox, and the influenza epidemic of 1918. Illustrated panels include some vignettes related to the disease but seemingly chosen for their value to titillate and to amuse more than to inform. One box, “Don’t Blame the Rats,” reports that Black Death may have first originated in gerbils rather than rats, although on the next spread a “Plague Pathway” shows and describes the usual mode of transmission from rats as well as gerbils to fleas to humans, leaving the rats…blameworthy. There are no source notes to indicate where these “facts” were collected, but many appear dubious: “If someone throws up, their vomit often seems to contain carrots even if they haven’t eaten any! These are actually parts of the stomach lining that have come off,” is typical. The humorous, neatly rendered illustrations are eye-catchingly bright, by far the best aspect of the series. Other entries suffering from the same issues but to a lesser extent are Quacks & Con Artists, Strange Medicine, and Tiny Killers.
Pass this regrettable title and its companions by. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-1557-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hungry Tomato/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not your typical kid-with-cancer book.
A rare form of cancer takes its toll in this novel based on the author’s experience.
Seventh grader Ross Maloy wants nothing more than to be an average middle schooler, hanging out with his best friends, Abby and Isaac, avoiding the school bully, and crushing on the popular girl. There’s just one thing keeping Ross from being completely ordinary: the rare form of eye cancer that’s reduced him to the kid with cancer at school. Ross’ eye is closed in a permanent wink, and he constantly wears a cowboy hat to protect his eyes. The doctors are hopeful that Ross will be cancer free after treatment, but his vision will be impaired, and the treatments cause him to lose his hair and require the application of a particularly goopy ointment. This isn’t a cancer book built upon a foundation of prayer, hope, and life lessons. The driving force here is Ross’ justifiable anger. Ross is angry at the anonymous kids making hurtful memes about him and at Isaac for abandoning him when he needs a friend most. Ross funnels his feelings into learning how to play guitar, hoping to make a splash at the school’s talent show. The author balances this anger element well against the typical middle-grade tropes. Misunderstood bully? Check. Well-meaning parents? Check. While some of these elements will feel familiar, the novel’s emotional climax remains effectively earned. Characters are paper-white in Harrell’s accompanying cartoons.
Not your typical kid-with-cancer book. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-1514-9
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
Offers a hauntingly truthful view of secrets and strength.
A tale of survival, friendship, and the strength that comes from overcoming fears.
Middle schooler Jac is dealing with the fallout of a real-life nightmare: childhood cancer. But it’s not just the fear of recurrence that she has to handle, but the reality of surviving and carrying the burden of her mom’s constant worry. When Jac discovers a large house that wasn’t there before looming at the end of a street in her suburban New Jersey neighborhood, she worries it’s a hallucination, which could mean a recurrence of her illness. But after her best friend, a boy named Hazel, sees the house too, her sense of adventure takes over. Provoked by a couple of bullies who dare them to enter and then follow them inside, Jac and Hazel explore the house and are met with surprises—like a key with Jac’s likeness on it—that suggest her connection to this strange and terrifying place is personal. Before long, the kids realize they are trapped inside. Shocks follow with every new door they open as they search for an exit and discover ever increasing frights. Delightfully nightmarish visions chase Jac, offering the feel of a thrilling game with twisted and terrifying imagery, as she navigates the house, seeking to understand her connection to this unusual place in this emotionally resonant story. Characters seem to default to White.
Offers a hauntingly truthful view of secrets and strength. (Paranormal. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-313657-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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