An angst-ridden sixth-grader struggles with family feelings as his gifted little sister acquires an invisible, but possibly not imaginary, companion in this overwrought debut. Reading Hamlet and speaking fluent Spanish at five years old, Annie is a mystery to her fellow kindergartners, teachers, and brother Jack. She’s on her way to becoming even more of an outsider with the announcement that Sarah Slade, an invisible traveler from the 25th century, is her new best friend. Reckoning for some reason that no one has yet noticed Annie playing with, and chatting gaily to, thin air, Jack takes her to and from school under close escort; meanwhile, however, personal items belonging to those who have teased or angered her begin to disappear. Sarah’s work, Annie guiltily insists. Continually cycling between envy, anger, and guilt, Jack makes an ill-tempered, insensitive narrator who expresses his resentment at every turn while, confusingly, claiming that he has always concealed it, even from himself. The waters muddy further when the children’s father, who left years ago, gets back in touch; in a genuinely perfunctory resolution to that subplot, Jack allays Annie’s anxiety about what he’ll think of her by explaining that he’s no longer a significant member of the family. Readers are not likely to warm to these characters, nor, given the story’s patchy internal logic, come to understand them—and as Dhami coyly leaves the question of whether Sarah is real or not up in the air, even that minor satisfaction is denied. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: July 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7868-2528-6
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2001
Summertime finds a strange combination of five middle-schoolers high up in a leafy tree house in their newly formed support group, the “R.U. Club,” where the secret is what “R.U.” means and what they do in the club. They could not be more unlike one another and yet each deeply understands what it is like to live in a new family because of death or divorce: They feel like leftovers, “even though we are right under their noses.” Each one takes a turn to describe her concern or worry. Anonymously, in written suggestions and then in group brainstorming sessions, they discuss solutions. Then as the girls put their trust in collective wisdom and thoughtfully apply effort and action through careful heartfelt adherence to club rules, camaraderie develops. Mounting interest in the characters and their adjustments to family life builds to a too-sweet conclusion, which could be redressed in a sequel, yet five genuine multifaceted characters together with their families make a large cast of characters. which Deriso handles adeptly. An interesting group that begs for a sequel. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: July 10, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-385-73334-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2007
The creators of The Wishing Bone: and Other Poems (2003) offer two gently massaged chestnuts and a lesser-known bonbon from various versions of Arabian Nights. Sandwiched by “Ali Baba” and a full rendition of “Aladdin,” Mitchell’s retelling of “Abu Keer and Abu Seer”—which he suggests from internal evidence is “the most modern of all the tales”—puts a scheming Egyptian dyer and a kindly, forgiving barber through several sudden and severe reversals of fortune. Though he does slip in the occasional anachronistic touch, such as a feast in “Aladdin” that includes “crystal bowls filled with pistachio, almond, cherry-chocolate, and mocha-chip ice cream,” most of Mitchell’s additions to the three stories are seamless. And he tells each tale in a fluid prose that is divided into short chapters and largely free of the usual heavy-handed ornamental flourishes. Following Mitchell’s (and Sir Richard Burton’s) lead, Pohrt gives Aladdin Chinese features in his finely detailed illustrations, and endows all of his figures, even the genies, with distinct, animated personalities. Rich in danger, intrigue and astonishing acts of largesse, these celebrations of loyalty, courage and generosity are as entertaining as they are edifying. (extensive source notes) (Folktales. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8027-9639-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2007
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