A moving story about the struggles of an Iranian migrant.
A young boy with a heroic name faces an uncertain future in this myth-inspired novel.
As Lillehei’s book begins, an 11-year-old named Sam is traveling across barren terrain in Iran with a driver and two other boys, 15-year-old twins Amir and Amin, with an aim to cross the border into Turkey. Although Sam is very young, he senses that this trip is different from any other he’s taken; he’s leaving behind his mother and sisters, and his father clearly expects never to see him again. Against this humble, even desperate backdrop, Lillehei establishes a steadily stalwart folktalelike tone: “Warriors appear in many sizes, shapes and guises. Sometimes they’re only eleven years old, slight of frame, but with the heart of a lion and the strength of a tiger.” Sam’s father is a devout Muslim and a proud Persian, and he’d steeped Sam in heroic stories from Persian legend, to which the story often alludes; Sam is even named after a legendary king. The plot follows Sam and his fellow travelers on their sometimes-arduous journey through hostile country, and over perilous border crossings, in their attempt to reach the West. Throughout, Lillehei tells the tale in a straightforward manner, and this simplicity meshes well with its focus on Sam’s youthful perceptions during his voyage, including extracts from the youngster’s notebooks. Occasionally, however, the author spoils the tone with ungainly moments of exposition: “Turkey relied on agricultural products from Iran. Therefore, the trade continued but was hidden from the western countries whose desire to isolate Iran was unrelenting.” That said, this remains an ultimately uplifting tale of indomitable heroism.
A moving story about the struggles of an Iranian migrant.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 307
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A fun and fiery follow-up.
Princess Rowan and company return to battle monsters, bestial and human alike, in Armstrong’s action-packed sequel to A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying (2019).
Having flouted tradition to trade roles with her twin brother, 12-year-old royal monster hunter Rowan has at last settled into routine—if you can call wyvern attacks, gryphon births, and political undermining from ambitious cousins “routine.” The court is thrown into upheaval once again when the gryphon that Rowan captured in the previous title as part of her monster hunting trials dies giving birth, and the fledgling beast rapidly grows bigger and more dangerous than Rowan can manage. After an accident, the princess reluctantly volunteers to return the creature to the wild—a task easier said than done when every monster in the kingdom seems to dog the princess’s steps. Armstrong follows the second-installment playbook almost to the letter, introducing new monsters and every fight sequence imaginable to test Rowan’s, Dain’s, and Alianor’s expanding skill sets and saving any real plot advancement for the inevitable third book. But action is no sin with such an impressive menagerie to feature—belligerent koalas and carnivorous aquatic horses just for starters—nor does Armstrong waste the opportunity to show readers the growing depth of Rowan’s sense of purpose and relationship with her friends. Rowan’s illustrated field guide continues to expand in the backmatter as well. Armstrong’s setting is a thoroughly multiracial (but not racialized) one, with the principals’ skin tones of varying shades of brown.
A fun and fiery follow-up. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6538-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Puffin/Penguin Random House Canada
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A thoughtful and entertaining look at both sides of the bullying dynamic.
Two girls struggle with rivalries and self-acceptance in this debut middle-grade novel.
Even before the school year begins, fifth grader Hannah Hardy has been plotting revenge against her classmate Meg Greene for a pointed remark she made last spring break. Hannah also looks down on Meg for her messy hair and unfashionable clothes. Hannah’s goal is to make Meg “sad and lonely” by getting her friend Alexis Martinez to drop her through the tempting prospect of entry into the bully’s popular group. Hannah’s scheme works, but that’s not enough when Meg annoys her further on the first day of school by noticing geese nesting in the courtyard. The school makes the area off-limits, foiling Hannah’s plans to sit on the courtyard’s benches at recess. Hannah steps up her bullying; she calls Meg “Goose Girl,” a name that catches on. But Hannah doesn’t have things all her own way. First, classmate Jack Eddy defends Meg, and teachers help her. Hannah gets in trouble for her behavior, and Meg rescues a gosling that she names Garrett. To Hannah’s disgust, Meg starts becoming more popular than she is. After a showdown, both girls come to recognize that they have opportunities for self-improvement. In his book, Suhre uses alternating point-of-view chapters, each with an authentic voice, to give insights into both the bully’s and the victim’s perspectives. For example, Meg comes to admit that not brushing her hair or wearing clean clothes “made me a bigger target.” Hannah, it develops, has several reasons for her behavior and has some admirable gifts as well. Realistically, the girls aren’t meant to be best pals, but a mature detente is possible. In addition, the goose family provides a nice metaphor for growing up, with fledglings learning to spread their wings.
A thoughtful and entertaining look at both sides of the bullying dynamic.Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73559-870-3
Page Count: 172
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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