by Kathy Hoopmann ; adapted by Mike Medaglia ; illustrated by Rachael Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 21, 2015
Two stories, both sketchy, that, while not actually at cross purposes, never really move in tandem.
In this graphic version of a 2001 novel, a lad with Asperger syndrome finds the world at least a little easier to navigate after he unearths a magic bottle.
Naturally hoping that there is a genie inside the big blue flask they find in the shrubbery, Ben and his short friend, Andy, engage in a round of wild wishes before passing the discovery on to Ben’s crabby teacher in hopes of softening her up. A few days later, Ben and his widowed dad win big in the lottery, and Andy experiences a sudden, major growth spurt that earns him a coveted spot on the school’s basketball team. But what was that third wish? They can’t remember, until an amusing twist leads to a resolution. Superimposed on this plotline with almost no actual contact is an infotale centered on Ben’s condition that features frequent expository asides (“I feel comfortable when things are the same”) and includes experiences with his teacher’s mood swings and, later, with a pair of bullies. This leads to a diagnostic tally of Asperger causes and symptoms delivered to his clueless father by a doctor—from secondhand descriptions, apparently, since she never actually meets her patient in the book. The block-lettered dialogue and narrative are legibly clear, as are the figures’ actions in the simply drawn sequential panels.
Two stories, both sketchy, that, while not actually at cross purposes, never really move in tandem. (Graphic fantasy. 9-11)Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-84905-650-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kathy Hoopmann
BOOK REVIEW
by Louis Sachar ; illustrated by Tim Heitz ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020
Ordinary kids in an extraordinary setting: still a recipe for bright achievements and belly laughs.
Rejoice! 25 years later, Wayside School is still in session, and the children in Mrs. Jewls’ 30th-floor classroom haven’t changed a bit.
The surreal yet oddly educational nature of their misadventures hasn’t either. There are out-and-out rib ticklers, such as a spelling lesson featuring made-up words and a determined class effort to collect 1 million nail clippings. Additionally, mean queen Kathy steps through a mirror that turns her weirdly nice and she discovers that she likes it, a four-way friendship survives a dumpster dive after lost homework, and Mrs. Jewls makes sure that a long-threatened “Ultimate Test” allows every student to show off a special talent. Episodic though the 30 new chapters are, there are continuing elements that bind them—even to previous outings, such as the note to an elusive teacher Calvin has been carrying since Sideways Stories From Wayside School (1978) and finally delivers. Add to that plenty of deadpan dialogue (“Arithmetic makes my brain numb,” complains Dameon. “That’s why they’re called ‘numb-ers,’ ” explains D.J.) and a wild storm from the titular cloud that shuffles the school’s contents “like a deck of cards,” and Sachar once again dishes up a confection as scrambled and delicious as lunch lady Miss Mush’s improvised “Rainbow Stew.” Diversity is primarily conveyed in the illustrations.
Ordinary kids in an extraordinary setting: still a recipe for bright achievements and belly laughs. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-296538-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Louis Sachar
BOOK REVIEW
by Louis Sachar
BOOK REVIEW
by Louis Sachar
BOOK REVIEW
by Louis Sachar
by Steve Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 15, 2010
A familiar story skillfully reimagined for today’s gadget-savvy youth.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Hannah Hadley is a young special agent who must thwart a clear and present danger to the United States in Hoover’s “smart is cool” young adult novel.
Hannah Hadley might seem like most 13-year-old girls. She enjoys painting, playing with her MP3 player and spending time with friends. But that’s where the similarities end. Hadley doubles as Agent 10-1, among the youngest spies drafted into the CIA’s Div Y department. She’s joined in her missions by her 10-pound Shih Tzu, Kiwi (with whom she communicates telepathically), and her best friend Tommie Claire, a blind girl with heightened senses. When duty calls, the group sneaks to a hidden command center located under the floor of Hadley’s art studio. Her current mission, aptly named “Operation Farmer Jones,” takes her to a secluded farmhouse in Canada. There, al-Qaida terrorists have gathered the necessary ingredients for a particularly devastating nuclear warhead that they intend to fire into America. The villains are joined by the Mad Madam of Mayhem, a physicist for hire whom the terrorists force to complete the weapon of mass destruction. With Charlie Higson’s Young James Bond series and the ongoing 39 Clues novellas, covert missions and secret plans are the plots of choice in much of today’s fiction for young readers, and references to the famed 007 stories abound in Hoover’s tale. But while the plot feels familiar, Hoover’s use of modern slang—albeit strained at times—and gadgets such as the iTouch appeal to today’s youth. Placing girls in adult situations has been a mainstay since Mildred Wirt Benson first introduced readers to Nancy Drew in The Secret of the Old Clock, but Hannah Hadley is like Nancy Drew on steroids. Both are athletic, score well in their studies and have a measure of popularity. Hadley, however, displays a genius-level intellect and near superhuman abilities in her efforts to roust the terrorists—handy skills for a young teen spy who just so happens to get the best grades in school.
A familiar story skillfully reimagined for today’s gadget-savvy youth.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-0615419688
Page Count: 239
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.