A well-written, engaging exploration of the maxim, “Be careful what you wish for.”
A young girl with a magic pair of scissors makes a collage out of reality in Safran’s debut YA novel.
Mona adores her flamboyant, fun grandmother Rose, who lives in the apartment upstairs and always offers the young girl yummy treats and a sense of adventure. Life at home often centers on Mona’s sister, Violet, who’s two years older, and her anxious fears. When Rose decides to buy amateur collagist Mona a fancy, gold, bejeweled pair of scissors for her birthday, the consignment shop owner warns her to read the instructions and “never, ever use them when you’re angry.” But when Rose dies, Violet hides the purse holding Mona’s present. Mona later finds it, and she uses the scissors to make a collage expressing her frustration, wishing, among other things, that “VIOLET WOULD JUST GO AWAY!” The surreal results are at first amusing and gratifying; Rose comes back to life, the family acquires a butler named Jeeves, and chocolate cake is on constant offer. But soon events turn sinister—and Mona must work to restore the life she knows. Safran writes with sympathy about the grief, insecurities, and unfairness experienced by young tweens and teens. The book nicely portrays the close, important relationship between a grandparent and grandchildren; Mona’s sadness over Rose’s death is entirely relatable, and it gives emotional force to her use of the magic scissors. Safran’s characterizations are skillful, especially in her balanced portrait of the sisters. The younger girl’s envy of the attention her older sister receives will make sense to anyone with a troubled sibling, and Mona’s view of Violet’s anxious episodes is as humorous as it’s critical: “SPEW (a noun): a public yelling fit often triggered by dirt, grime, general disorder, food groups touching, funerals, regular life, being asked questions you don’t want to answer.” It’s part of Mona’s journey to appreciate how hard Violet must work to manage her anxiety. The author also builds tension well as she adds on spooky elements and ends the story with a satisfying resolution.
A well-written, engaging exploration of the maxim, “Be careful what you wish for.”Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2015
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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