Another intriguing, memorable adventure.
In this third series entry, Betty Widdershins and her sisters move to a peculiar village shrouded in witchcraft.
As 7-year-old Charlie, 13-year-old Betty, and 17-year-old Fliss move with Father and Granny from Crowstone to Pendlewick, they are filled with hope only to find their dilapidated new home, Blackbird Cottage, resembles a witch’s house. Warned to not talk about magic, they nevertheless keep encountering stories of witches in Pendlewick. A secret room in their cottage reveals the portrait and diary of Ivy, a girl who lived there but vanished two years ago after weird happenings made it appear she was a witch. After Miss Webb, a suspicious old woman, seems to curse her, Fliss begins to act dazed and bewitched. Suspecting that what happened to Ivy may now be happening to Fliss, Betty and Charlie spy on Miss Webb and are shocked to discover that there may be more to her story than they realized. Meanwhile, other elements in Pendlewick surreptitiously pursue Fliss for their own nefarious purposes while duping the villagers. Aided by Charlie, Betty must rely on her wits and a pinch of her own magic to untangle an insidious web of spells, leading them through treacherous Tick Tock Forest and back to Crowstone as they try to save their sister. Bizarre occurrences, unexpected revelations, and the overall dark, brooding atmosphere of isolation, suspense, and duplicity effectively reinforce the dominant witchcraft theme. Main characters read as White.
Another intriguing, memorable adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-358-68233-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Contagiously goofy and fun.
Area 51 gets its first new resident in 5 years—and a new mystery.
When her grandma moves into a kid-free retirement home, 12-year-old orphan Priya “Sky” Patel-Baum and Spike, her pet hedgehog, relocate to Area 51 to live with Sky’s eccentric Uncle Anish. At 51, humans and Break Throughs (government-speak for aliens) live together off-grid in harmony. Unfortunately, several Zdstrammars (one of many Break Through species) mysteriously disappear, disrupting the base’s harmony and contributing to feelings of suspicion. Despite being deputy head of the Federal Bureau of Alien Investigations, Uncle Anish becomes a prime suspect. Can Sky and Elvis, her alien classmate, prove Uncle Anish’s innocence and find the missing Zdstrammars before it’s too late? YA author Buxbaum’s middle-grade debut is a rip-roaring series opener complete with over-the-top characters and jokes galore. Naidu’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations extend the comedy with ongoing commentary that smartly interacts with the prose. The cast of Break Through species—like Audiotooters, Galzorian, and Sanitizoria—have hilariously creative on-the-nose names with illustrations to match. Sky is coded biracial, with a White dad and Indian mom. Aliens appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors; Elvis shape-shifts but looks like a brown-skinned boy to Sky. Though the main mystery is neatly wrapped up, the cliffhanger ending promises more laughs.
Contagiously goofy and fun. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42946-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch.
Basketball-playing twins find challenges to their relationship on and off the court as they cope with changes in their lives.
Josh Bell and his twin, Jordan, aka JB, are stars of their school basketball team. They are also successful students, since their educator mother will stand for nothing else. As the two middle schoolers move to a successful season, readers can see their differences despite the sibling connection. After all, Josh has dreadlocks and is quiet on court, and JB is bald and a trash talker. Their love of the sport comes from their father, who had also excelled in the game, though his championship was achieved overseas. Now, however, he does not have a job and seems to have health problems the parents do not fully divulge to the boys. The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch. (Verse fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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