bookshelf

MAKENA'S SHADOW

Name: MAKENA'S SHADOW
Author: Monica K.K. Lee
ISBN: 978-0996132800

by Monica K.K. Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 24, 2015

Not perfect, but a worthwhile glimpse into a colorful culture.

bookshelf

In this coming-of-age story, Lee (Fricken Kids, 2013) tackles grief, teenage dissatisfaction, familial drama, and culture shock.

Gabriel Kane (pronounced kah-neh) Foster, 13, is desperately trying to deal with the grief and guilt caused by the death of his older sister, Makena. To make matters worse for Gabe, his parents have lost their house, and the whole family is moving from California to Hawaii, forcing Gabe to leave behind the house he grew up in and, even worse, his girlfriend, Deanna. Over it all is the shadow of Makena, never far away, because Gabriel’s mother insists on carrying her ashes around in a chunky plastic jar—and talking to them. Then there’s his extended family and the culture shock of a California teen thrust into the Hawaiian environment and culture. But it’s not all bad: his cousin U’i seems to like him, and her best friend, Napua, is one of the prettiest girls Gabe has ever seen. If he can just survive his bullying cousin Joe-Joe, abusive Uncle Nalu, aka Bob, and the family sport, paddling, Gabe might find that Hawaii isn’t far from the paradise everyone else seems to think it is. Lee does a commendable job capturing the voice of a disaffected teenage boy. Gabe’s struggles come across as authentic and true to life. Unfortunately, spending so much time in the point of view of an angst-ridden teenager has the effect of exaggerating many of the other characters to almost caricature levels, especially the adults. Gabriel’s mother reads as particularly horrible, and her abusive comments and reactions to her son are sometimes jarringly over the top. On the other hand, vibrant depictions of Hawaiian culture and language—vital to the characters’ lives—are skillfully blended into the story.

Not perfect, but a worthwhile glimpse into a colorful culture.

Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015

ISBN: 978-0996132800

Page Count: 230

Publisher: Makalii Productions

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2015

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

bookshelf

BETTER THAN A TOUCHDOWN

by Jalen Hurts ; illustrated by Nneka Myers ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2026

Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown.

bookshelf

In Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Hurts’ motivational picture book, a youngster rebounds from disappointment.

As Jalen heads off on his first day of school, he daydreams about joining the football team, but his friend Trey soon breaks the bad news. The garden club needed more space for vegetables, so the football field was used for planting. There will be no football this year. Jalen is despondent, but his teachers Mrs. Lee and Mr. Barry and bodega owner Mr. Muhammad offer guidance that spurs him and his friends into positive action. They work to flip a nearby empty lot into a football field, with Jalen echoing his mentors’ adages. Once the field is complete, Jalen feels a swell of pride in his and his friends’ work. While the idea of kids working together to effect change is a laudable one, the bland, wordy storytelling won’t inspire young people or hold their attention. Tired, cliched inspirational comments peppered throughout often slow down the narrative, and many adult readers will find the premise—a school dropping a high-interest sports program in favor of a community garden—wildly unrealistic. Though the illustrations are colorful, with a Disney Junior charm, strange stylistic choices, such as signs with odd combinations of scribbles instead of letters, give them an unpolished look. Like Hurts, Jalen is Black; his community is diverse.

Earnest and well meaning but not quite a touchdown. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 10, 2026

ISBN: 9798217040308

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Flamingo Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

bookshelf

HOW TO CATCH THE EASTER BUNNY

From the How To Catch… series

by Adam Wallace ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2017

This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.

bookshelf

The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.

The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.

This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)