Fast-paced intrigue, especially for reluctant readers; there may be a plethora of survival stories, but this one doesn’t...
In this entry in a series of heroic-girl survival stories, Emmi must escape the relentless flames of the Great Chicago Fire.
Emmi has lived in Chicago for two years, but she still misses the high mountaintops and fresh air of her hometown in Germany. She immigrated with her father, her only family, so he could start a toy shop in America. Emmi doesn’t think she will ever fit in. Seamus and Cara, a pair of Irish-immigrant twins, are particularly cruel to her. However, once the wall of fire begins to advance across the city and Emmi is separated from her father, she suddenly finds that her two enemies might be her only chance of survival. Emmi, Seamus, and Cara run through choking smoke and burning embers, trying to outmaneuver the flames. Perilous close calls, with some admittedly convenient coincidences, make for a gripping storyline. Although all three primary characters are white, Alikhan does explore prejudices immigrants faced along with tensions between religious groups. An author’s note further explains that the Great Fire had a way of equalizing everyone. Tragedy often brings unity. Alice on the Island, Ann Fights for Freedom, and Noelle at Sea publish simultaneously, spotlighting Pearl Harbor, the Underground Railroad, and the Titanic, respectively.
Fast-paced intrigue, especially for reluctant readers; there may be a plethora of survival stories, but this one doesn’t disappoint. (glossary, connection questions) (Historical fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4965-8011-5
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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