A solid, simple read that encourages altruism while remaining lighthearted.
Hilton tells a creative tale of a magical rural village in England.
Uncle Harry Finkle is an elderly man who keeps the village of Finkleton running smoothly; each farm receives exactly the correct amount of rain for the crop grown in its field. Finkleton has never had a bad crop or an unsuccessful business, and nobody ever wants to sell land to outsiders, however desperately the interlopers want to buy. After an unexpected incident, three resident children named Jack, Robert and Lizzy inherit their Uncle Harry’s general store, as well as all its secrets. As the children make discoveries, they find it necessary to keep secrets from their parents, thinking that it’s in their best interest. Hilton writes this tale in a clean, smooth and straightforward manner. Although more mature audiences will easily discern the plot’s movement, there are enough surprises to keep all readers interested. The book moves along smoothly from beginning to end, with realistic portrayals of sibling disagreements, as well as solidarity, throughout the book; conversations and arguments between the siblings suggest Hilton is savvy about familial politics. The author provides little depth to certain characters, notably the parents, though as the central focus of the book, the children are more richly constructed. Setting details are sparse, with the exception of three rooms in the basement of the general store in which most of the book’s action takes place. The author introduces magical artifacts such as hourglasses, scrolls and weathered maps with a perspective that is fresh and unique. Children and young adults alike will relate to the protagonists and may learn some moral lessons as the children decide to use the magical talismans for the good of the town, and not merely for their selfish desires.
A solid, simple read that encourages altruism while remaining lighthearted.Pub Date: April 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-1456570293
Page Count: 184
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read...
When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville’s new public library.
The author of numerous mysteries for children and adults turns his hand to a puzzle adventure with great success. Starting with the premise that billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello has donated a fortune to building a library in a town that went without for 12 years, Grabenstein cleverly uses the tools of board and video games—hints and tricks and escape hatches—to enhance this intricate and suspenseful story. Twelve 12-year-old winners of an essay contest get to be the first to see the new facility and, as a bonus, to play his new escape game. Lemoncello’s gratitude to the library of his childhood extends to providing a helpful holographic image of his 1968 librarian, but his modern version also includes changing video screens, touch-screen computers in the reading desks and an Electronic Learning Center as well as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories. Although the characters, from gamer Kyle to schemer Charles Chiltington, are lightly developed, the benefits of pooling strengths to work together are clear.
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87089-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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