A fast-paced tale with many magical twists and turns.
This sequel to The House on Hoarder Hill (2021) continues the magical adventures of 10-year-old Spencer van Beer; his 13-year-old sister, Hedy; and their cousins Jelly and Max.
Two years on, the children are once again staying at Hoarder Hill with John Sang, their grandfather and a former magician. He reluctantly agrees to take them to the Fantastikhana, a magicians’ convention which takes place in a magical underground space. Accompanying them is Rani Pal, the owner of a magic shop who turns out to have the ability to create the titular map. The children embark on a quest to find the mysterious symbols on the map, encountering many dangers and discoveries—and Hedy discovers her own powers as a map appears on her body, tattooed onto her skin. When they become trapped in a cavern by Sleight, an evil organization of senior magicians, the children use Hedy’s map to try to escape. Things go awry when the villainous Albert Nobody from the first book reappears. The complex plot is sustained through puzzles, a roller-coaster ride of adventures, a satisfying mix of imaginative events (including a poetry duel), and magical creatures such as giants, kelpies, and a troll. The ending leaves the door open for future adventures. The British family, who read as White, have some remote Chinese ancestry; Mrs. Pal’s name cues her as being of Indian descent.
A fast-paced tale with many magical twists and turns. (Paranormal mystery. 8-13)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-66519-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A snappy mystery that’s full of heart.
A group of bright friends tackles the puzzle of their lives.
Elmwood, New Hampshire, 11-year-old Gina Sparks is small in stature but big on reporting ongoing dramas for the local newspaper with support from her journalist mom. When an unbelievable scoop comes her way, Gina must rely on her tightknit crew of sixth grade best friends whose initials happen to spell GEEK, a label they choose to proudly reclaim. She and science-minded prankster Elena Hernández, theater kid Edgar Feingarten, and driven math genius Kevin Robinson decide to get to the bottom of things when they learn that the Van Houten Toy & Game Company heir made elaborate plans to leave everything to the town of Elmwood before her death—but only if a member of the community could solve an intricate multistep puzzle. Gina hopes that deciphering the clues and finding the missing fortune will be just the thing to revitalize the down-on-its-luck town and bring the Elmwood Tribune back into the black, saving her mom’s job and Gina’s passion project. The GEEKs work together, using their individual talents and deductive reasoning skills to unravel the mystery. Infused with media literacy pointers, such as the difference between fact and opinion and reminders to avoid bias when reporting, the story encourages readers to think critically. Gina and Edgar read as White; Elena is cued as Latinx, and Kevin is implied Black.
A snappy mystery that’s full of heart. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37793-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans.
Only children, rejoice! A cozy mystery just for you! (People with siblings will probably enjoy it too.)
Debut novelist Cornett introduces the One and Onlys, a trio of mystery-solving only kids: Gloria Longshanks “Shanks” Hill, Alexander “Peephole” Calloway, and narrator Paul (alas, no nickname) Marconi. The trio has a knack for finding and solving low-level mysteries, but they come up against a true head-scratcher when the yard of a resident of their small town is covered in rubber ducks overnight. Working ahead of Officer Portnoy, who’s a little on the slow side, can Paul, Shanks, and Peephole solve the mystery? Cornett has a lot of fun with this adventure, dropping additional side mysteries, a subplot about small businesses, big corporations, and economics, and a town’s love of bratwurst into the mix. Most importantly, he plays fair with the clues throughout, allowing astute readers to potentially solve the case ahead of the trio. The tone and mystery are perfect for younger readers who want to test their detective skills but are put off by anything scary or gory. The pacing would serve well for chapter-by-chapter read-alouds. If there are any quibbles, it’s the lack of diversity of the cast, as it defaults white. Diversity exists in small towns, and this one is crying out for more. Hopefully a sequel will introduce additional faces.
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-3003-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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