A short, charming tale of boyhood adventure in the great outdoors.
Two young brothers attempt to solve the mystery of a remote island in Burton’s debut YA novella.
Rick Brown, 14, and his brother, Bob, 12, are excited by the prospect of spending the summer in their parents’ tiny cabin on the otherwise uninhabited Glass Island. It’s only 8 miles from their small Canadian fishing village but a world away from the usual humdrum of summer vacation. They quickly set about to discover the island’s secrets—a strange overgrown path visible only from above, a network of caves and the inexplicable reflective phenomenon, seen only at night, that gives the island its name. Burton’s story hearkens back to an earlier era of YA by showing an earnest appreciation for simple activities such as hiking and camping, a love for animals, and a wondrous appetite for nature and mystery. The simplicity of these pleasures stands out when contrasted with the unpleasant realities of the boys’ normal lives. Their parents and neighbors work in the dangerous, inconsistent commercial fishing industry; relatives are sick, elderly and poor. These issues are never foremost in Rick’s mind, yet the reader can see how they lead to his need for adventure and escape. Burton’s strategy of allowing these motivations to remain in the background sets the story apart from much contemporary YA. The tale generates its own momentum instead of relying on the drama of tragedy, which stays at the margins. Despite a number of missteps that temporarily distract—all characters, young and old, sound like senior citizens, and a major plot point involves some highly anachronistic villains—the novella doesn’t flag. It’s not overly concerned with its own credulity or deeper meaning; it’s a campfire story, captivating and short-lived.
A short, charming tale of boyhood adventure in the great outdoors.Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-1483977997
Page Count: 126
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2014
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
In an imaginative wordless picture book, Wiesner (illustrator of Kite Flyer, 1986) tours a dream world suggested by the books and objects in a boy's room. A series of transitions—linked by a map in the book that the boy was reading as he fell asleep—wafts him, pajama-clad, from an aerial view of hedge-bordered fields to a chessboard with chess pieces, some changing into their realistic counterparts (plus a couple of eerie roundheaded figures based on pawns that reappear throughout); next appear a castle; a mysterious wood in which lurks a huge, whimsical dragon; the interior of a neoclassical palace; and a series of fantastic landscapes that eventually transport the boy back to his own bed. Most interesting here are the visual links Wiesner uses in his journey's evolution; it's fun to trace the many details from page to page. There's a bow to Van Allsburg, and another to Sendak's In the Night Kitchen, but Wiesner's broad double-spreads of a dream world—whose muted colors suggest a silent space outside of time—have their own charm. Intriguing.
Pub Date: April 20, 1988
ISBN: 978-0-06-156741-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1988
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