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
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
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
