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GOING WHERE IT'S DARK

Name: GOING WHERE IT'S DARK
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
ISBN: 978-0-553-51242-7

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 12, 2016

Buck’s strength is inspirational, and his family’s love and respect are heartwarming.

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Thirteen-year-old Buck Anderson knows the dangers of exploring underground caves alone, but when he discovers a new hole in the ground, it proves too tempting to resist.

Buck hates keeping secrets from his family, but he knows they would never understand his obsession with caving. And unfortunately, the only person who would is his friend David, who has recently moved away. When his uncle asks him to look in on a curmudgeonly neighbor, Buck reluctantly agrees, thinking he can use the extra money for the caving equipment he needs. However, the new connection proves to be more than a paycheck. The retired doctor tells Buck he might be able to cure the boy of his stuttering, something Buck can barely imagine. Unfortunately his stutter is only part of the problem. When he sticks up for himself against the school bully, the retribution is swift and potentially deadly. Buck’s hidden talents may be his only chance at survival. Naylor’s signature ability to coax profound truths out of ordinary characters and familiar events shines, and she avoids supplying easy answers. Change is hard. Familial relationships are complicated. And healing takes time.

Buck’s strength is inspirational, and his family’s love and respect are heartwarming. (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-553-51242-7

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ZACK AND THE TURKEY ATTACK!
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor ; illustrated by Vivienne To

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A SHILOH CHRISTMAS
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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NOW I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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THE WILD ROBOT PROTECTS

From the Wild Robot series , Vol. 3

by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.

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Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.

When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9780316669412

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
CREEPY CRAYON!
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown

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FRED GETS DRESSED
by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WILD ROBOT ESCAPES
by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown

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CHARLOTTE'S WEB

by E.B. White illustrated by Garth Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1952

The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...

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A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.

Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.

The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.