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
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read...
When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville’s new public library.
The author of numerous mysteries for children and adults turns his hand to a puzzle adventure with great success. Starting with the premise that billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello has donated a fortune to building a library in a town that went without for 12 years, Grabenstein cleverly uses the tools of board and video games—hints and tricks and escape hatches—to enhance this intricate and suspenseful story. Twelve 12-year-old winners of an essay contest get to be the first to see the new facility and, as a bonus, to play his new escape game. Lemoncello’s gratitude to the library of his childhood extends to providing a helpful holographic image of his 1968 librarian, but his modern version also includes changing video screens, touch-screen computers in the reading desks and an Electronic Learning Center as well as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories. Although the characters, from gamer Kyle to schemer Charles Chiltington, are lightly developed, the benefits of pooling strengths to work together are clear.
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87089-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
