A funny, cautionary tale for the age of social media
Beware the dangers of YouTube celebrity!
Eleven-year-old Isabella is in a serious bind. Her cousin Vincent, who is a film school student, filmed her playing herself for a class project. And what a character she is! A white New Jersey girl from an Italian-American family, her character is portrayed with an over-the-top, frenetic brush. Every archetype of both Jersey and Italian-Americans is pushed to the max with warmth and a sense of humor. When Vincent posts his video on YouTube, Isabella becomes an instant sensation. Unfortunately, Isabella has been leading a double life. She has just started attending a private school and, in an effort to fit in with her peers, has been pretending to come from a much more glamorous background. Now with her newfound but most definitely unwanted celebrity she will be exposed as a “fibbing, faking, phony.” The story is told in a mix of narrated film scenes (with the occasional multiple take) and Pham’s comic art, both contributing to accelerate the pace of the account. This is a timely story in an age where kids are being constantly reminded of the perils of revealing too much on social media.
A funny, cautionary tale for the age of social media . (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 10-12)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-14846-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
Like its predecessor, a satisfying, Incredibles-style mix of awesome exploits and common family issues.
Deprived of superpowers in the previous episode (Almost Super, 2014), can the Bailey and Johnson clans put aside their squabbles to tackle their common nemesis, the Joneses?
Determined to prove that they have the mettle to join their parents and relatives in fighting crime, 13-year-old Rafter Bailey, his little brother, Benny, and erstwhile rival Juanita Johnson (definitely the brains of the trio) kick off their own search for the Joneses’ secret hideout. Little do they suspect that those clever villains have planted a ringer in their very midst. Sabotage and other distractions ensue, until Juanita’s sudden disappearance sharpens not only the urgency of the search, but also Rafter’s guilt for being a poor friend. The kidnapping turns out to be a crucial mistake for the bad guys, however, as resourceful Juanita gets off a call for help that both brings the Baileys and Johnsons together for a collective rescue operation and, amid much breakage of glass and heroic feats of derring-do, foils the evil schemes of scenery-chewing archfiend October Jones. Rafter makes a likable narrator, emotionally open and determined to be both a good superhero and a good friend.
Like its predecessor, a satisfying, Incredibles-style mix of awesome exploits and common family issues. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-220958-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
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