Fans of the first will probably be disappointed; at best, it’s a desperation read-alike for Big Nate or Wimpy Kid.
Can Hal survive Camp Jamestown or will he becometh history?
Having completed sixth grade, Hal Rifkind was happy to put Mr. Tupkin’s time-capsule journal project behind him, but now he starts a new journal addressed to some future person (or alien) as a form of solace when his history-obsessed father sends him to Camp Jamestown, where it’s always 1607. Camp owner Mr. Prentice is nice enough, but he says “ye” and “thee” instead of “you” and won’t stop calling on Hal despite Hal’s lack of historical knowledge. Of course Ryan, who tortured Hal last year, is also at the camp. Thankfully, Hal makes new friends, and they have a treasure map of camp that may pay off. Also, skilled pioneer camper Cora seems interested in being friends…maybe history camp won’t be so bad. Without the time-capsule conceit of the previous book, the journal format in Campbell’s second Cartboy title falls flat. Doodles, timelines and photos again extend the story, but the clichéd appearance of the bully from home, Hal’s dad’s lack of character growth, and the coincidences and logic leaps that characterize the treasure hunt make this sophomore effort truly sophomoric. Even the ample fart humor can’t save it.
Fans of the first will probably be disappointed; at best, it’s a desperation read-alike for Big Nate or Wimpy Kid. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 9-12)Pub Date: June 10, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7653-3327-8
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Starscape/Tom Doherty
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
Deeply moving and tender.
Mo Gallagher’s life is upended when her beloved grandmother dies and she is thrust into foster care.
Nan had been her loving guardian, raising her in a New York City apartment that she must now leave. Her uncle is unwilling to assume her care, but he gives her a notebook with a letter to her from Nan on the first page. Hoping to remain connected in some mystical way, 11-year-old White girl Mo fills the notebook with frank letters to her grandmother, hoping for signs that she is being heard. But in the rest of her life, she withholds critical feelings and information, even avoiding telling Crystal Wang, her Chinese American best friend, the truth. The chance discovery of a homemade cookbook leads to a brilliant recipe project with her own website (recipes are also shared throughout the book). Her caring caseworker and her therapist help Mo deal with changes, especially as her uneasy relationship with her foster parents leads to a devastating surprise. Fortunately, Crystal remains a stalwart, loving ally, and Mo develops special relationships with a variety of supportive new friends. Mo is confused, feisty, frightened, sometimes self-destructive, intensely needy, and loving—and she has a bigger heart and is stronger than she thinks. Readers will laugh, cry, and embrace Mo completely as they rejoice at the wonderful twist that leads to a happy new beginning for her. The New York City setting is well integrated into the story.
Deeply moving and tender. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-984893-87-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
Fans of R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012) will appreciate this feel-good story of friendship and unconventional smarts.
Hunt draws a portrait of dyslexia and getting along.
Ally Nickerson, who’s passed through seven schools in seven years, maintains a Sketchbook of Impossible Things. A snowman in a furnace factory is more plausible than imagining herself doing something right—like reading. She doesn't know why, but letters dance and give her headaches. Her acting out to disguise her difficulty causes headaches for her teachers, who, oddly, never consider dyslexia, even though each notices signs like inconsistent spellings of the same word. Ally's confusion is poignant when misunderstandings like an unintentional sympathy card for a pregnant teacher make her good intentions backfire, and readers will sympathize as she copes with the class "mean girls." When a creative new teacher, Mr. Daniels, steps in, the plot turns more uplifting but also metaphor-heavy; a coin with a valuable flaw, cupcakes with hidden letters, mystery boxes and references to the Island of Misfit Toys somewhat belabor the messages that things aren't always what they seem and everyone is smart in their own ways. Despite emphasis on "thinking outside the box," characters are occasionally stereotypical—a snob, a brainiac, an unorthodox teacher—but Ally's new friendships are satisfying, as are the recognition of her dyslexia and her renewed determination to read.
Fans of R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012) will appreciate this feel-good story of friendship and unconventional smarts. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-16259-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
© Copyright 2025 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.
