The profound pleasure of living on a farm, in constant contact with the natural world, pervades this story of a Vermont farm family whose luck turns, then turns again. Unlike her older brother, Lucien, who wants to be a writer, Iris, 13, can't imagine being anything but a farmer. After a year that begins with her grandfather's death and culminates in double disaster when the barn burns down and her father, Hazen, loses a leg cutting lumber for the new barn, Iris is ready to soldier on, but Hazen isn't; he angrily announces that he's calling it quits and puts the machinery and livestock up for auction. Kinsey- Warnock (The Summer of Stanley, p. 723, etc.) draws characters and conflicts simply and strongly, balancing a Pollyanna-ish subplot about a classmate who lives in a house made of hay bales with a hilarious comeuppance of bossy Aunt Lurdine; also figuring in the story are Iris's inner struggle when she learns that a cousin caused the barn fire and her sharp, almost fierce appreciation for the land and its gifts. Hazen conquers his depression, and Sturgis, his businessman brother-in-law who is a farmer at heart, comes in as co-owner to save the farm. The Christmas scene that caps this is almost overkill, but there's plenty of appeal in this sometimes surprising story. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-525-65236-1
Page Count: 139
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1997
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood.
In this prequel to Newbery Award–winning The Crossover (2014), Alexander revisits previous themes and formats while exploring new ones.
For Charlie Bell, the future father of The Crossover’s Jordan and Josh, his father’s death alters his relationship with his mother and causes him to avoid what reminds him of his dad. At first, he’s just withdrawn, but after he steals from a neighbor, his mother packs a reluctant Charlie off to his grandparents near Washington, D.C., for the summer. His grandfather works part-time at a Boys and Girls Club where his cousin Roxie is a star basketball player. Despite his protests, she draws him into the game. His time with his grandparents deepens Charlie’s understanding of his father, and he begins to heal. “I feel / a little more normal, / like maybe he’s still here, / … in a / as long as I remember him / he’s still right here / in my heart / kind of way.” Once again, Alexander has given readers an African-American protagonist to cheer. He is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially two brilliant female characters, his friend CJ and his cousin Roxie, as well as his feisty and wise granddaddy. Music and cultural references from the late 1980s add authenticity. The novel in verse is enhanced by Anyabwile’s art, which reinforces Charlie’s love for comics.
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood. (Historical verse fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-86813-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
SEEN & HEARD
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