Combines realistic empathy with fantastical elements; as exquisite as it is moving.
A once-idyllic town blames an outsider for its woes.
Long ago, a fire claimed Stone-in-the-Glen’s beloved Library, which started a sequence of events that eroded all of the nicest things about the town, changing the identity of the place and the townspeople alike as citizens grew suspicious and closed off from one another. When the town fails to support the Orphan House, one orphan runs away so as to not take more resources. Cass is rescued and brought back by the sweet-natured Ogress who lives on a farm at the edge of Stone-in-the-Glen. But her return is spied by a man who misunderstands and thinks the Ogress is abducting children, and the townspeople become riled up against the Ogress by the self-serving, strife-loving Mayor. When the adults won’t listen to the children, they must find another way to help their generous neighbor and repair their broken community. The story’s told from a broadly omniscient perspective through slow, thoughtful pacing. Readers will make connections before the characters do—especially regarding the true nature of the villain—and they are given narrative assurance of a happy ending. This offers young audiences security as they grapple with nuanced, realistic portrayals of people who are neither all good nor all bad. It also gives them space to form their own opinions on the book’s philosophical and thematic questions, including the refrain: “The more you give, the more you have.” Main human characters read as White.
Combines realistic empathy with fantastical elements; as exquisite as it is moving. (Fantasy. 9-adult)Pub Date: March 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64375-074-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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