A trio of friends travel to a magical kingdom to save the day in a syrupy series opener.
Shy Summer, bold Jasmine and artistic Ellie are inseparable best friends. While helping clean up after a school rummage sale, they discover a mysterious wooden box decorated with a mirror, carved designs and glass stones. After they wipe the dust off of the mirror, a riddle appears. When the girls solve it, the box magically summons Trixi the pixie and King Merry, the ruler of their home, the Secret Kingdom (a magical world that exists alongside ours). The box was one of Merry’s inventions, designed to help him save his kingdom from his wicked sister, Queen Malice. Summer, Jasmine and Ellie go to the Secret Kingdom to stop Malice from spreading unhappiness. The evil queen has hidden six thunderbolts infused with wickedness throughout the kingdom, and the first one is planted somewhere at the palace, where it will ruin Merry’s birthday celebration. In addition to exploring the magical land, the girls must rescue Merry’s presents. In a theatrical final showdown with Malice’s forces, the girls must fill in on stage to thwart Malice’s evil plot to sabotage Merry’s birthday. The girls promise to return whenever they’re needed. Readers who can’t wait to return to the Secret Kingdom won’t have to—the second book, Unicorn Valley (978-0-545-53554-0), is scheduled to publish simultaneously. Glitter, sparkles, tiaras and magic ahoy. (Unicorn Valley preview, Ellie character profile, character quiz) (Fantasy. 6-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-53553-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2013
An absorbing read that balances lessons about friendship and science.
When a hurricane threatens to ruin Diwali, teamwork—and a little bit of magic—is all a young Indian girl needs to save the day.
It’s Diwali, and Sejal, 8, can’t wait to draw rangoli, light sparklers, and devour a traditional Indian feast with her family, including her younger brother, Abu, her older cousin Mira, and her dog, Fluff Monster. But then a hurricane threatens to put a damper on the festivities. Determined to save the day, Sejal gathers up Professor Cheetah, her “best stuffie friend,” and hops into her cardboard box, which, with a little bit of magic, transforms into a “hurricane-hunting aircraft.” She’s soon joined by a frantic Abu, an enthusiastic Fluff Monster, and a reluctant Mira, who no longer believes in cardboard-box magic. It isn’t until the team meets a group of scientists in the center of the storm that Mira admits that magic is just as real as science—and that some jobs require a degree of imagination that only children possess. Prasad layers the narrative with internal and external conflicts, investing just as much importance in Sejal’s determination to salvage her relationship with her cousin as she does in the children’s mission to save Diwali. At its best, Sejal’s narratorial voice crackles with intelligence and perseverance; at times, however, the language is a bit clunky. Overall, though, the book is a well-plotted, entertaining story about science, tradition, creative thinking, and growing up.
An absorbing read that balances lessons about friendship and science. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781665911788
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Use your milkweed: Read this!
A wild rabbit narrates a tale of friendship, bravery—and storytelling.
Young Butternut and her siblings receive an in-depth education from their mother, who in turn learned from Butternut’s grandmother Sage, a wise, experienced rabbit who’s determined to keep her family safe. Humor shines through as Butternut describes lessons in survival, storytelling, and grooming. Grandmother tells the younger rabbits that just as monarch butterflies have the advantage of eating milkweed (which makes them toxic and keeps them safe from predators), “Our milkweed is our brain power.” Despite her family’s misgivings, Butternut—known for her “brambles” (or anxiety) and storytelling prowess—befriends Piper, a baby robin who enjoys using alliteration. The duo soon start venturing out at night to help an injured fawn, and more adventures ensue as Butternut slowly learns that there are some things in life worth taking risks for. By the time of the titular rescue, a host of secondary characters have been introduced, including a bullying blue jay and a “little female human.” Cleverly, the text uses Butternut’s voice to point out literary devices and techniques as she tells her tale. Witty, engaging, and heartfelt, this novel compares favorably with Cynthia Voigt’s gray squirrel odyssey, Toaff’s Way (2018), expertly entwining actual, observed facts about wildlife with whimsical anthropomorphism. The charming illustrations complement the text and show the girl to be light-skinned.
Use your milkweed: Read this! (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781623543334
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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