An entertaining, sometimes-dramatic glimpse into the life of a search-and-rescue dog.
In Troy’s middle-grade series entry, a trained service dog has adventures with his owner.
Dylan is a cocker spaniel whose owner, Casey, works hard to train him as a search-and-rescue dog. Dylan is smaller than typical animals in the field, but he’s smart and has an intuitive relationship with Casey. Dylan attends “Dream Big K-9 Academy,” where he’s trained by Roger, the academy’s owner. Sumo, Casey’s best friend, is a social media guru who promotes Dylan online to a growing fandom called “Dylan’s Dog Squad”: “ ‘Look this way, Dylan,’ yelled Sumo, taking the picture. ‘We’ve got to keep Dylan’s Dog Squad informed. Your fans want to see you.’ ” Soon, Dylan’s intuitive abilities are needed to find a dog named Lily in a practice search on Catalina Island. Although another dog-in-training is distracted by a skunk, causing chaos, Dylan saves the day. A promotional event at an ice cream shop turns into a free-for-all when Sumo accidentally promotes free ice cream in a social media post. Despite all the humorous antics, Dylan also accomplishes serious rescues, as when he finds a missing 6-year-old orphan named Luca. Troy uses italics to denote Dylan’s thoughts in one-sided pseudo-conversations with Casey throughout the book, which effectively gives Dylan a relatable, humanlike personality. One example shows Dylan’s hesitancy getting on a seesaw: “ ‘You’ve done the seesaw lots of times in Agility class.’ Casey gently turned Dylan’s muzzle toward him. ‘What’s the big deal?’ The seesaw is scary. It moves up and down.” Troy also employs occasional moments of humor that will appeal to the book’s young target audience: “Trotting behind Roger, Dylan studied the backs of his ragged tennis shoes. It would be so easy to nip your ankles.”
An entertaining, sometimes-dramatic glimpse into the life of a search-and-rescue dog.Pub Date: March 30, 2022
ISBN: 979-8442511635
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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