Nine-year-old Roxie Warbler knows a lot about dangers and pitfalls and how to overcome them; she is the niece of Uncle Dangerfoot, the sidekick of Lord Thistlebottom, the world-famous adventurer and author. But, though she has memorized the survival tips, she is a fearful little girl, afraid of thunder and lightning, floods and tornadoes and the gang of mean kids at school. Helvetia’s Hooligans are merciless in their assessment of Roxanne’s oversized ears. When Roxie ends up in a dumpster on her way out to sea with the Hooligans, she has to dig deep into her bag of survival tricks. In this genial melodrama, young readers will cheer for Roxie as she learns, above all, not to panic. With the help of her kind and attentive friend Norman, Roxie saves the day, makes friends with the Hooligans and captures the bank robbers! Uncle Dangerfoot and Lord Thistlebottom could not be prouder. Three cheers—and some gingersnaps and lemonade—for Roxie, the girl who does not panic. Jolly fun. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-4169-0243-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A rousing introduction to the life of a voyageur told from a unique perspective.
Stowing away with French Canadian fur traders in 1792, a loquacious red squirrel embarks on a life-changing adventure.
Each spring, Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, a squirrel with wanderlust, watches brave, strong voyageurs depart in canoes from Montreal and return the following autumn. Determined to be a voyageur, Le Rouge hides in a canoe paddled by eight stout voyageurs, part of a brigade of five. Soon his incessant chattering distracts the voyageurs, who become separated from the rest of the brigade, but, after ascending the highest tree, he points the crew back on course. More than once, pesky Le Rouge barely escapes becoming squirrel ragout. He’s just beginning to feel like a real voyageur when they reach the trading post on Lake Superior, where he discovers the voyageurs exchanging their cargo for animal skins to return to Montreal. Heartsick, Le Rouge decides he cannot be a voyageur if it involves trading animal skins, unless he can change things. Le Rouge relates his story with drama and flair, presenting a colorful prism through which to view the daily life of a voyageur. Peppered with historical facts and (italicized) French phrases and names, this exciting, well-documented tale (with a contemporary animal-rights subtext) proves educational and entertaining. Realistic pencil drawings highlight Le Rouge’s memorable journey.
A rousing introduction to the life of a voyageur told from a unique perspective. (map, pronunciation guide, historical and biological notes, recipe, further reading) (Historical fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4247-8
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Although no one will doubt the eventual outcome, since Sammy is way too cute to fail, this amusing tale will serve well as...
Sammy, a clever pet mouse, lives a contented life until his owner’s brother kidnaps him to serve as pilot for a remote-controlled plane. Then his adventures begin.
The plane gets away from the boy and crashes into distant woods, where Sammy encounters a community of mice, including a helpful young female, Phoebe. After his damaged plane—his only means to get back home—goes missing, he sets out to find Goggles, a raccoon rumored to have great ideas but who can only be reached after a long journey. Along the way, Sammy’s joined by a crow that can’t fly, a newt, a shrew, and finally, Phoebe. Their quest is threatened by an evil weasel and his wily band of rats. Characters are only thinly developed, and the story is just mildly suspenseful. It is so brief (despite page count) the potential dangers simply don’t get expanded upon enough to feel truly threatening. But the illustrations lift this effort above the pack. Cole’s soft, delicately shaded black-and-white artwork appears on nearly every spread, with numerous double-page spreads. The realistic woodland scenes populated with slightly anthropomorphized creatures beg for closer study.
Although no one will doubt the eventual outcome, since Sammy is way too cute to fail, this amusing tale will serve well as an early chapter book or read-aloud. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-866-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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