Unlike a cryptid sighting, this tale is unremarkable.
Moving across the country is a big change, but it may bring Jake closer to proving Sasquatch’s existence.
Since Gramps told Jake about his Sasquatch encounter, Jake has been interested in cryptids. When his single mom decides they are moving from Orlando, Florida, to Gramps’ home in Washington state, Jake realizes this will give him better access to the legendary beast. Sixth grade at Hawthorne Elementary is off to a rough start when Jake makes an enemy, but eventually his unique interest leads to him becoming friends with pretty, popular Jasmine and smart third grader Lanny. The trio form Sasquatch Hunters of Washington, Inc., and make plans to seek out stories of other encounters and find proof that Sasquatch is real. The premise takes a bait-and-switch approach and winds up being less about cryptids and more about human connections, especially when Jake makes a discovery about his absent father. It’s not entirely successful, however, as the familial drama feels too quickly and easily resolved, while the Sasquatch story is left open, presumably to be explored in future books. Jake, his family, and Jasmine are cued White; Lanny is Indian American, and there is some racial diversity among incidental characters. The characters are decently developed, but sometimes the way the race or ethnicity of characters of color is revealed is clumsy or rooted in stereotypes.
Unlike a cryptid sighting, this tale is unremarkable. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-4788-6852-1
Page Count: 204
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
Provocative issues that never overwhelm storytelling make this a winner.
Vanguard Middle School’s no place for breaking rules; computerized Vice Principal Barbara sees to that.
Sixth-grader Maxine “Max” Zelaster and her friends struggle to pass the Federal School Board’s nonstop tests in the newly instituted Constant UpGrade program. The kids think they are doing well, but their grades don’t reflect their work. Their cumulative scores are dragged even lower by discipline tags and citizenship infractions, all noted by Barbara’s all-seeing electronic eyes. Enter Fuzzy, the government’s attempt to create a robot that will program itself. Scientists in the Robot Integration Program ask Max to show Fuzzy around because of her interest in robots, but this leads to further trouble for Max at school and at home; Barbara just seems to have it in for her. Fuzzy uncovers irregularities with test scoring and begins to suspect something’s wrong with the vice principal, but can he save his new friend Max while evading corporate spies and his creators’ plans for his future? Origami Yoda creator Angleberger teams up with science-fiction writer Dellinger for this funny, thrilling, and thought-provoking page-turner. Riffing on some of the same issues as Origami Yoda’s second trilogy—individuality and the dangers of standardized testing—the duo have crafted a day-after-tomorrow cautionary tale of friendship with a fuzzy, robotic heart.
Provocative issues that never overwhelm storytelling make this a winner. (Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2122-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
Come for the mystery, stay for the backmatter.
This gentle, fast-paced mystery will hook readers with interesting details.
Julieta Leal, 9, is a magnet for disasters. She has a reputation at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, where both her parents work, for making trouble. Julieta is just trying to help, and it’s not her fault that sometimes things get broken or she has a hard time following the rules. When Julieta’s dad invites her along on a trip to Paris regarding the loan of some pieces from the Louvre, she jumps at the chance to add another purple pin to her family’s world-travel map. She promises to be helpful and stay out of trouble and desperately wants to shed her reputation of being a liability. This proves difficult when the dazzling Regent Diamond is stolen and Julieta and her dad are implicated in the theft. With her dad’s job in peril and the prized gem missing, Julieta must rely on her keen observations and tenacity to clear their names. Detailed descriptions of Paris landmarks and factual information about museum pieces are woven naturally into the fast-moving plot so that readers come away with knowledge of these topics alongside a satisfying story. Several pages of backmatter notes bolster the learning. The endearing Julieta is bilingual, and she and her family are Mexican American.
Come for the mystery, stay for the backmatter. (glossaries) (Mystery. 8-11)Pub Date: June 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64379-046-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Tu Books
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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