A clever and enjoyable chapter book for the younger set about love, friendship, and restitution.
A whimsical YA fantasy featuring fierce members of the Hummingbird Nation.
In 1820, Hubert Hummingbird is the husband of Helena and father of Mason; another hatchling is soon to be born. One day in June, Hubert is blissfully imbibing flower nectar in his favorite meadow and spots a bunch of threatening crows circling high above, about to attack. Hubert escapes, but it’s the third hostile appearance in one week by members of the Crow Nation; it turns out to be the harbinger of a vengeful plot devised by aging hawk Hatchet. Back when Hubert was not yet hatched, his father had sacrificed his own life to protect him; in the battle that ensued, Hubert’s father destroyed Hatchet’s left eye—and now Hatchet’s determined to ruin Hubert’s life. It’s a clever scheme that causes Hubert to lose the respect of his peers and results in his and his family’s banishment from the colony. After 100 years, the descendants of the original Hubert were allowed to return, but his name was still a source of ridicule. A century after that, in 2020, a new fledgling is born, and his father chooses to name him after his unfairly derided ancestor. The young Hubert may be the one to finally reclaim the family’s honor. In his preface, Paschall offers his readers an informative introduction to the intricate behavior and abilities of the remarkable hummingbird, which can fly forward and backward, hover in place, and endure 500 miles of speedy flight without rest. All of this lays a nice foundation for an imaginative narrative, which builds upon the real-life antics of this tiny bird and its intense instincts toward protection of family and territory. Young Hubert and his friends are portrayed as being full of personality, and their adolescent adventures are exciting enough to keep the story engaging and frequently amusing. Illustrator Hull presents compelling two-page spreads, including images of an angry eagle and a sleeping mountain lion.
A clever and enjoyable chapter book for the younger set about love, friendship, and restitution.Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2022
ISBN: 9781954779679
Page Count: 133
Publisher: Emerald Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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