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SECRETS OF THE UNDER-UNDER WORLD

CREATURES

This delightful, compact tale mingles the natural world and a hint of magic.

Youngsters scour the globe for precious stones to prevent the worst of all dinosaurs from hatching in this middle-grade fantasy sequel.

Eight months after Sam’s adventure in the fascinating subterranean Under-Under World, she happily reunites with its leader, the Great Hildinski. It turns out she’s met and inadvertently revealed secrets to the Great Hildinski’s diabolical twin sister. Sam, certain she’s put Under-Under at risk, gets dangerously close to The Sister and learns this woman has her hands on four giant eggs of the Slashasaurus. As that’s definitely not a benevolent dinosaur species, the only apparent defense is freezing the eggs before they hatch. But to do that, Sam, her friend, her little brother, and Gemini the cat must find six rubies on six different continents, starting on Sam’s North America. Thanks to physics-defying tunnels and a magic compass, the kids can knock this out in a matter of hours. But that still might not be enough time to stop the “spectacularly evil plan” that The Sister has cooking with the soon-to-hatch Slashasauri. Along with the excitement below, absorbing drama unfolds aboveground in Whatever’s second series installment. For example, an accident left Sam’s beloved guardian, Aunt C, in a coma, while a jeweler accuses Sam of stealing Aunt C’s pearls, which the girl tries to sell to feed herself and her brother. Although this novel shows little of the Under-Under World realm, the trade-off is a superb journey around the world; Sam and others trek a vast desert, explore a sunken ship, and bask in the sights and fragrances of a city’s open-air spice market and festive garlands. Gemini once again enchants; she seems an ordinary feline but somehow knows where everyone needs to go. As in the earlier novel, the author’s simple, vibrant artwork enhances this story, from the characters to the places they roam.

This delightful, compact tale mingles the natural world and a hint of magic.

Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2022

ISBN: 979-8408735044

Page Count: 259

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2022

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THE LION OF LARK-HAYES MANOR

A pleasing premise for book lovers.

A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.

When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)

A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9780316448222

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

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THE SASQUATCH ESCAPE

From the Imaginary Veterinary series , Vol. 1

More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience.

Ben Silverstein’s summer with Grandpa is about to go wild.

When his parents need to “work out some troubles,” 10-year-old Ben gets shipped off to tiny Buttonville, where everything seems to be closed or out of business since the button factory was shuttered years ago. Ben’s used to spending summers in the pool in his Los Angeles backyard with his friends, and Buttonville looks positively coma-inducing. When Grandpa’s mouser Barnaby deposits what has to be a baby dragon on Ben’s bed, Ben and his new friend Pearl (whom the whole town calls “troublemaker” on account of a few innocent incidents) decide to visit the new “worm doctor” who has moved into the abandoned button factory. (Ben had heard her strange assistant Mr. Tabby buying ingredients for “dragon’s milk” at the grocery....) When their visit unleashes a hairy, pudding-loving imaginary beast on the town of Buttonville, Ben and Pearl volunteer to catch him. Selfors kicks off her Imaginary Veterinary series with a solid, entertaining opener. Ben and Pearl are Everykids that readers will relate to, and the adults of Buttonville are often delightfully weird and clueless. Twenty-five pages of backmatter include information on wyverns and sasquatch as well as the science of reptiles and a pudding recipe.

More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience. (Adventure. 8-12)

Pub Date: April 2, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-316-20934-2

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

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