A sweet Christmas coming-of-age tale.
Depner’s fourth installment of her Fernsnickle Hooves children’s book series sends her protagonist on a holiday adventure.
As part of a high school memoir assignment, 16-year-old Fernsnickle reflects on the most transformative year of her life, when she was 10: her first Christmas in Connecticut. As soon as she arrived at Snowenbloke Farmhouse from Miami, she was immersed in the quaint, nostalgic charm of a rural New England holiday, complete with snow and sleigh bells. However, no Fernsnickle tale would be complete without a dash of complexity. Elated to support her dear friend Mrs. Peabody’s upcoming marriage, Fernsnickle watched in shock as the re-emergence of her pal’s former love nearly derailed the nuptials. Greater still was her dismay when her best friend, Alison, fell for Fernsnickle’s own crush, Toby, who appeared to reciprocate Alison’s love. Determined to be a strong, confident young woman, Fernsnickle worked to put aside her feelings for Toby, and her angst toward Alison, to support Mrs. Peabody on her special day. Along the way, she discovered her skill at clothing design, a gift that played a precious role in her life to come. Though her first time at Snowenbloke Farmhouse shows her that relationships are not always easy, happy endings abound for most characters, as do lessons. Fernsnickle learns about the value of forgiveness and sees that life and love are full of wonderful surprises. Depner effectively ushers readers through a consistently paced, heartwarming tale, enveloping them in the cozy charm of a snowy New England holiday. With each falling snowflake, adolescent readers will delight in the machinations of a playful hero with plenty of heart. She’s shown to be smart and caring, with a flair for the dramatic—a positive role model for modern youth as she prioritizes her friends, family, and future over negativity and strife. Best of all, Fernsnickle also pursues her passion, showing readers that they, too, can be fun, sassy, and successful, all at the same time.
A sweet Christmas coming-of-age tale.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2022
ISBN: 9798848566383
Page Count: 141
Publisher: Jelliroll, Inc
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level.
A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created.
The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in “a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting.” The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist’s shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche’s earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is “A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book” at the end with such words as “protagonist” and “antagonist” (glossed as “Hero and Heroine” and “Evil Overlord,” respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch.
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2935-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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