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
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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