An engaging introduction to what’s sure to be a breezy fantasy series.
A boy chances upon a remarkable girl who’s also sometimes a bird in this opening installment of Butler’s chapter-book series.
Third grader Ben has trouble believing his new friend Olivia’s story about a “Bird Girl.” This “wild girl” lives in the state park and makes it her mission to free caged birds. But then Ben meets Bird Girl, sitting high in a tree with her black hair jutting out like spread wings. She doesn’t have a name—for now, she calls herself Benita. She mentions a club; its members include herself, Olivia, and two other school kids. They’re all young, as Benita is invisible to any human over the age of 9. While the members are oddly mum about the club’s “true purpose,” Ben does witness Benita transform into a crow. He also gets the chance to help Benita do what she does best when two recently liberated parakeets are recaptured and in need of rescue. Butler’s compact tale is one of discovery and wonderment—Ben has many things to ask after learning about Benita, who has to limit him to five questions at his first club meeting. His untiring inquisitiveness opens up a profound theme of identity—is Benita a girl who turns into a bird, or a bird who turns into a girl? Despite the book’s brevity, it has memorable personalities aplenty on offer: Olivia is reluctant to provide Ben with club details, one member worries about their upcoming dreaded 10th year, and parents write off Bird Girl tales as “dribble.” In lively prose, the author delivers such memorable images as Benita, in bird form, who “strutted across the steel pole like an Olympic gymnast.” Butler’s lightly shaded black-and-white illustrations are modest, though Benita and her distinctive hair always stand out. This book’s ending, perhaps unsurprisingly, sets up the next installment.
An engaging introduction to what’s sure to be a breezy fantasy series.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780982034286
Page Count: 82
Publisher: Pinchey House Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart.
A boy who visits a little free library gets more than he bargained for when he becomes a sleuth caught up in the middle of his town’s most enduring mystery.
Ever since a tragic fire destroyed the Martinville Library, the town has been left without a place to borrow books. That is, until a little free library suddenly pops up, guarded by a fluffy orange cat named Mortimer. Fifth grader Evan McClelland selects two books from its shelves. Inside them he finds puzzling clues that lead him to chase down the real story behind the library fire. The book is told from multiple perspectives, including those of Evan, Mortimer, and ghost librarian Al, who perished in the blaze and is responsible for the upkeep of the little free library. Evan’s tenacious and curious character is relatable. His relationship with likable best friend Rafe, a brave, kind boy with overprotective parents, is easily one of the most endearing parts of the story. The puzzle over the library fire, a secret involving Evan’s family, a popular writer’s connection to Martinville, and the supernatural elements are presented in ways that are just right for middle-grade readers. The pacing is strong, and the twists and turns are satisfying even if perceptive readers may catch hints of the ultimate truth along the way. Physical descriptions of the human characters are largely absent.
A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781250838810
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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