An exciting adventure weaving present-day threats with knowledge of the past.
T’Challa is forced to ponder how a people can focus on progress without losing sight of their history.
In the third book of the series, 13-year-old Prince T’Challa and Chicago friends Zeke and Sheila are in Wakanda and faced with a new challenge and foe. Tafari, another Wakandan tween, seems to think that the nation’s citizens have lost touch with what’s really important—their connection to the past—and he is bent on reminding them of what came before. Tafari comes from the isolationist Jabari Tribe that shuns technology, and he thinks Wakanda’s best era as a society was the time before the discovery of Vibranium, a precious metal and source of power. In an effort to bring that period back, Tafari decides to strike at the Festival of the Ancestors: While giving praise to the Originators, Tafari uses creatures and forces unknown to T’Challa to send the king, queen, and other influential Wakandans to the Nether-Realms, which exist in another dimension. T’Challa must work with his friends and sister Shuri to bring everyone home before they are stuck there forever. Interweaving themes of social justice and equity into the story, the novel gives readers much to contemplate. While journeying with T’Challa, readers will experience the angst, uncertainty, and anxiety that come with growing awareness and responsibilities. Series fans and new readers alike are sure to enjoy this installment.
An exciting adventure weaving present-day threats with knowledge of the past. (Fantasy. 8-13)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-07300-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Marvel Press
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
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
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun
It’s been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed “zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool” is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.
Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School’s biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the “ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success.” Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack’s pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate’s illustrations play an integral role in the novel’s success. They not only bring Brallier’s characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack’s “killer driving.” The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-670-01661-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
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