A page-turning tale about an appealing, young narrator suddenly thrust into a magical world.
Life isn’t going so great for Haley until she finds out one of her teachers is her fairy godmother.
Haley is a typical middle-schooler: Her older sister is seemingly perfect and gets all her parents’ attention; she has a tough time with her classes; the boy she likes doesn’t pay attention to her; and all she wants to do is eat junk food, hang out with her best friend and babysit the neighborhood kids. After a particularly tough day at school, she starts hearing her language arts teacher’s voice in her head and realizes that Ms. Hagglesworth, a warm, friendly, understanding woman who lets her students sit on the floor and drink tea, is her fairy godmother. Haley starts to depend on Ms. Hagglesworth to help her out of difficult situations—trying out for violin chair in band, forgetting her instrument and getting home on time after a night of babysitting. But Haley soon learns that the help she receives has a price, not the least of which is forgetting the impending due date for a science-fair project, something that slips her mind while she’s learning to fly with Ms. Hagglesworth and otherwise engaging in magic. The story has a few twists, including the ending, which changes the tone of the story. Veil, author of several young adult and children’s stories has mastered the vocabulary and tone of a kid’s lit; e.g., “ ‘Ank ew,’ I said with a very full mouth. My mom would have been very disappointed in my diet and my lack of manners. Ms. Hagglesworth was so much fun to be around.” Haley is a likable, sympathetic main character, and the supporting characters are also fleshed out. The pacing is exactly right; Veil takes time to set the scene and introduce characters before beginning the magical parts of the book. Finally, it’s an attention grabber, particularly when the plot turns darker toward the end of the story.
A page-turning tale about an appealing, young narrator suddenly thrust into a magical world.Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1492831556
Page Count: 114
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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