Baratz-Logsted and Co.’s intrepid octuplets return for the third installment in this eight-part series (Annie’s Adventures, 2009, etc.). Relying on equal measures of cleverness and courage, the Huit siblings need to discover their individual secret powers in order to unravel the mystery behind their parents’ disappearance. Here the authors revitalize their story line with a tale about the slightly cantankerous third sister. When Georgia receives her special gift at the beginning of the month—rather than its end—the feisty miss impetuously returns it to parts unknown. Her exhilarating adventure involves missing teachers, a diabolical substitute and a nefarious relative, culminating in a daring rescue that requires Georgia’s newfound ability to disappear at will. Some previously flat and one-dimensional characters take on greater depth and expand the girls’ stable of allies. Weber’s humorous sketches aptly capture the more comical elements of the story. This strong follow-up leaves the Sisters 8 and readers poised and eager for their next adventure. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 23, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-547-16699-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
The creepy-crawly close-up photo of a hairy spider on the cover will have kids (and adults) saying “Yuck!” while they grab the book to look for more inside. As with other Simon photographic nonfiction, this presents information on spiders in easy, understandable prose. The facts are made relative—for example, “jumping spiders can leap a distance of 40 times the length of its own body, the same as if you jumped the length of two basketball courts and made a slam dunk.” Examples interestingly describe the facts, e.g., “some spider silk is three times stronger than steel wire of the same thickness.” This is casual nonfiction, no chapters, categories, or index, but the amazing close-up color photos make the almost conversational text captivating. A subject that both fascinates and repels at the same time, this mini-documentary will have kids spinning their own stories about the spiders they’ve now discovered. (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-028391-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2003
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