Heartfelt, witty, and wonderfully original.
An accident brings a 10-year-old boy face to face with the infamous Loch Ness monster and lands him in the middle of a mystical battle for Scotland in this middle-grade novel from Cooper (Jason Steed: Royal Decree, 2014, etc.).
Archie Wilson’s world is in ruins. After his beloved mother is killed in a car crash, the London boy is sent to dreary Foyers, Scotland, to live with his father—a man he’s never met and knows nothing about. Yet despite the pain and sadness he feels, he senses something calling to him from the murky depths of nearby Loch Ness. While peering into the gigantic lake one afternoon, he loses his footing and tumbles into the ice-cold water. He tries to swim to the surface only to find something has “clasped his ankle tight,” pulling him deeper in the darkness. When the boy awakens later in an underwater cavern, he receives the shock of a lifetime: the Loch Ness monster is real. But rather than being a threat to humans, the gentle-hearted sea dragon (who goes by the name of Gordon) is an ally who’s protected mankind for centuries. Later, when an evil creature threatens to rear its ugly head, Gordon must decide whether to risk his freedom to save the human race again—or it may be up to Archie to tackle the dreaded Nuckelavee. This fast-paced, multilayered adventure story is ideal for young readers to curl up with under the covers. Action abounds, but Cooper also invests heavily in the emotional life of his protagonist. As a result, the day-to-day trials that Archie faces at home and in school are just as engrossing as his battles with mythical creatures. In particular, the author beautifully renders Archie’s evolving relationships with his father as well as with his friend Chloe. Overall, this story will connect with kids despite the text’s occasional copy-editing and formatting errors. Cooper masterfully plays with well-worn myths and folklore to create a new Scottish tale imbued with its own playful magic.
Heartfelt, witty, and wonderfully original.Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5120-5488-0
Page Count: 222
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
For readers seeking an introduction to classical music, an easy, entertaining alternative to searching online.
A personable if anachronistic beginner’s guide to classical music.
Selecting over 125 of his favorite pieces of music from the baroque, classical and romantic periods, as well as his favorite recordings of them, music enthusiast Nielsen (Warriors, 2009) has compiled an encyclopedic resource for people looking to expand their music collections. Each one-to-two–page entry, in addition to introducing the composition and recording, offers some biographical information about the composer, conductor and musicians, interspersed with Nielsen’s corny but affable humor (he can’t pass on a good “Baroque”/”broke” pun). Nielsen describes his musical “cup of tea” as “light, lively, and very melodic,” which does influence the tenor of his recommendations; ardent appreciators of contemporary classical, for instance, are likely to differ in opinion on what constitutes “the best,” though Nielsen is always forthcoming with his personal biases. While greats such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven deservedly have quite a few works featured, Nielsen also includes music by Albinoni, Fesca and the lesser-known Haydn brother, all refreshing suggestions from the canon. In an attempt to be comprehensive, Nielsen provides information in each entry about the manufacturer, price and online purchasing of each recommended CD—but recognizes in his introduction that these can change quickly, and some may already be out of date. For that reason, in addition to the sometimes repetitious nature of the blurbs, the guide feels as though it might be better suited to a searchable online format. Its structure, too, doesn’t seem to necessitate book form: Primarily comprising alphabetical entries on instrumental music, it concludes with three much shorter and more lackluster sections on vocal music, Christmas music and some comic composer biographies. That said, for readers who are less comfortable navigating the Internet, or just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of recordings and reviews to be found there, Nielsen’s guide will be a helpful starting point. As his music criticism tends a bit toward the superficial, neophytes stand to gain some basic knowledge, but experts should probably pass.
For readers seeking an introduction to classical music, an easy, entertaining alternative to searching online.Pub Date: March 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-1467958394
Page Count: 310
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Despite minor shortcomings, this daring tale will find its audience among fans of fantasy and adventure.
In the same vein as Lewis Carroll, debut novelist Pumphrey creates a fantastical world full of magic, mayhem and mystery.
In this first installment of a four-book series, 13-year-old Drake seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time—an explosion lights up the woods in front of him, leaving a strange, shimmering stone at the base of the damaged trees. Colorful, bright and hot to the touch, the stone captures Drake’s curiosity and causes him to see strange visions. Intrigued, he carefully brings the stone home and places it underneath one of his most beloved books, Luke of Kropite. Drake soon discovers that both the book and the stone are missing—the most likely culprit is his little sister, Bailey. In a flash, Drake spins in midair (not unlike Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole or Harry’s travel via the Floo Network) and lands in a giant field that smells like lavender and popcorn. An oversized bug named Sponke and a gentle giant named Groger help Drake adjust to his new surroundings. The three travel over mountains and into danger, but Drake still has no idea where he is or why he’s there. As he meets hide-a-binds, mezorks, rock benders, kreetons, foreadors and more, he discovers that he may be more familiar with this strange land than he realizes…and he may possess abilities that could make him just as powerful as his favorite fictional character, Luke. Pumphrey does well in her creation of Kropite, a unique and thrilling alternate universe, and she keeps the pace brisk. Less successful, however, is the novel’s introduction. One of the first characters we meet is Reigan, who is set up to be a major character but then disappears from view until the conclusion of the story. Conversely, Bailey is rarely mentioned until we discover that she’s missing. Lastly, Pumphrey dreams up a huge team of characters, many irrelevant to the plot. This may be a setup for successive books, but readers may feel inundated with too many players.
Despite minor shortcomings, this daring tale will find its audience among fans of fantasy and adventure.Pub Date: May 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468183641
Page Count: 308
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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