Fast-paced, suspenseful, but never scary, a middle-grade mystery with a singular voice and a welcome continuation of the...
A clever junior detective must solve an art heist in this New York City–set sequel to the late Siobhan Dowd’s London Eye Mystery (2008).
Twelve-year-old Ted Spark, his 14-year-old sister, Kat, and their mother, Faith, fly to the U.S. to visit Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim and eccentric aunt Gloria. Tourism soon segues into investigation when a painting at the Guggenheim, where Aunt Gloria works, goes missing and she becomes the prime suspect. Although overwhelmed by the strange city and uncertain about his friendship with Kat and Salim, Ted uses his encyclopedic knowledge, keen observation skills, and appreciation for patterns to try and prove Aunt Gloria’s innocence. Perplexed by figures of speech, Ted nonetheless embraces metaphors, relating his adventures through meteorology and Homer’s Odyssey. Although never explicitly identified as such, Ted presents as someone on the autism spectrum—literal, unfiltered, routine-oriented—but Dowd and Stevens (Murder Is Bad Manners, 2015, etc.) depict him as neither a savant nor a saintly sufferer. Rather, Ted Spark has a “funny brain, which works on a different operating system than other people’s,” much like his fictional predecessors Sherlock Holmes and Encyclopedia Brown. Ted notices racial differences, such as Salim’s brown skin, but he seems to adhere to the white default with respect to himself and the rest of the family.
Fast-paced, suspenseful, but never scary, a middle-grade mystery with a singular voice and a welcome continuation of the Sparks’ adventures. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-58235-9
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages.
Through the story of fifth-grader Mia Tang, readers experience the courage, hard work, and dreams of a young Chinese immigrant.
A small room behind the office of the Calivista Motel is home for Mia and her parents. Hired by the rich, coal-hearted Mr. Yao, the family works bone-numbing hours cleaning rooms, fixing problems, and managing the front desk. Troubles check in from every direction: at home, where her mom belittles her love of writing; at school, where bullies and lies surround her; and especially at the motel, where the family battles financial ruin. Yet along the seemingly endless roller coaster of poverty, hope appears in small places. Debut author Yang weaves in autobiographical content while creating a feisty and empowered heroine. The supporting characters are rich in voice and context, with multiple villains and friends that achingly reveal life in America in the 1990s for persons of color and those living in poverty. Heavy themes, including extortion, fraud, and racism, are balanced with the naïve dreams and determination of a 10-year-old. The power of Mia’s newfound skill in English pushes her to fight for her community, which has lovingly become her adopted family in this new land. With bittersweet information on Chinese immigration to America added in an author’s note, this book captures many important themes to explore individually or in the classroom.
Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages. (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-15779-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
An enjoyable story with lively and engaging protagonists.
A tween in Jacksonville, Florida, worries about changes in her closest friendship.
Daija and Maggie are best friends, two Black girls with plans to turn their hair-braiding skills into a summer business. Things become complicated with the arrival of Maggie’s new half sister, Callie; Callie’s White mom had kept her existence a secret from Maggie’s dad until just before her death. Maggie’s close-knit family absorbs their new addition, but there’s naturally some tension. Meanwhile, Daija desperately needs Braid Girls to succeed so she can afford private ballet lessons. The girls incorporate their braiding business into their duties as junior counselors at a local day camp and get off to a great start—until girls from another camp set up a rival business and try to steal their clients. This adversity, along with Daija’s worries about money and her place in Maggie’s life, creates a rift, revealing personality differences the friends had ignored. But they eventually realize their different ways of handling things can make them a stronger unit. In addition to the centrality of friendship in the lives of middle schoolers, the family connections are richly portrayed. Daija’s drive to prove herself to her father, now remarried, is always on her mind; Maggie’s need to play peacemaker is perceived as a weakness; and Callie puts on a brave face while mourning her mom. The story is told in the three girls’ alternating voices, and the supporting adult characters add realistic texture.
An enjoyable story with lively and engaging protagonists. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780316461610
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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