A fun, inventive, and mostly well-written middle-grade novel.
This mashup of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz follows a desperate girl’s escapades.
Young Sophie Mae Bastrop is in a bad way. It’s the middle of not just the Depression, but also the Dust Bowl. After her beloved Grandma Hattie dies, she tries to survive alone on the farm in Drycrop, Oklahoma. A mysterious box arrives, and it transports her to Gardenia, the estate of her late great-aunt in Evenland, Minnesota. Gardenia is a peculiar place under the sway of the alchemist George the Great Cain. Here, magic rules. Thanks to George’s potions, eating is unnecessary, invisibility is commonly practiced, and extraordinary creatures abound, like Mary Louise, the talking elephant, and Leggy, the giraffe. There is also Ernest Wade, a shadowy figure who used to be George’s assistant but is now banished from Gardenia. Something is not right, but who’s the bad guy? George or Ernest? Of course it eventually gets sorted out. Bell is clearly enjoying herself, which is always good. And Sophie Mae is appropriately spirited. One theme that runs through the book is her need for a place to belong, for a real family. Things move along quickly, and there are amusing effects, such as an ex–circus bear that can fly and other thaumaturgies. It should be pointed out that even the putative villains are more misguided than evil (Ernest was not a very good alchemist; he cut corners), an important lesson. There is a Hooverville near Gardenia, and both George and Ernest want to help the unfortunates living there. Cultural touchstones pop up regularly. For example, there is a place in the Gardenia mansion that is very much like Star Trek’s Holodeck, and when Ernest becomes righteously enraged, he resembles, appropriately, the Hulk. Bell deploys delightfully strange verb choices, almost Tom Swift–ian (“ ‘I beg your pardon,’ she flustered”). The subtitle is A Sophie Mae Adventure, so presumably this bodes for more in the series, one that will be welcomed by fans of the fantastic.
A fun, inventive, and mostly well-written middle-grade novel. (acknowledgments)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73590-720-8
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Two Turkey Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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