An uplifting tale that will especially resonate with horse lovers.
The stories of a horse named Trendsetter and a girl named Sarah unexpectedly intertwine.
The first foal of the season born to his farm in Luttelgeest, Netherlands, Trendsetter is viewed as exceptional from the start, and he’s expected to become a talented show jumper. But between the pressure of competition and unfeeling trainers, stubborn Trendsetter refuses to perform at two crucial events, and a new owner takes him to America to train as an Olympic horse. Meanwhile, over 3,000 miles away in New York City, Sarah, a horse-loving 10-year-old, struggles with her schoolwork because she has trouble spelling. As years go by, she decides to stop doing her homework altogether, but when her beloved grandmother falls ill, Sarah is inspired to try again in order to write Grandma Frieda’s story of fleeing Austria to escape Jewish persecution. Chapters alternate between Trendsetter’s and Sarah’s perspectives and include life lessons within the context of the story. As their stories move closer to their linked destiny, Trendsetter and Sarah finally meet in an ending that will melt hearts and leave readers dabbing away happy tears. Readers will readily draw parallels between the two characters, both of whom struggle with doing what’s expected of them and who flourish with kindness and encouragement. Physical descriptions of characters are minimal.
An uplifting tale that will especially resonate with horse lovers. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781951836672
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Cameron Kids
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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
This really special triumph is bound to be widely discussed by teachers and writers, and widely esteemed by Creech’s devoted...
Versatile Newbery Medalist Creech (A Fine, Fine School, p. 862, etc.) continues to explore new writing paths with her latest, written as free verse from the viewpoint of a middle-school boy named Jack.
Creech knows all about reluctant writers from her own years of teaching, and she skillfully reveals Jack’s animosity toward books and poetry, and especially about writing his own poems. He questions the very nature of poetry, forcing the reader to think about this question, too. Jack’s class assignments incorporate responses to eight well-known poems (included in an appendix) and gradually reveal the circumstances, and Jack’s hidden feelings, about the loss of his beloved dog. Jack’s poetry grows in length, complexity, and quality from September to May, until he proudly sends his best poem about his dog and a heartfelt thank-you poem to Walter Dean Myers after the author’s school visit. The inclusion of the eight poems is an advantage, because comments on the poems are often part of Jack’s poetry. Others not already familiar with these famous poems, though, might miss the allusions in Jack’s work. (There is no note at the beginning of the book to point the reader to the appendix.) But it’s a quick read, offering a chance to go back and look again. Teachers will take this story to heart, recognizing Miss Stretchberry’s skilled and graceful teaching and Jack’s subtle emotional growth both as a person and a writer.
This really special triumph is bound to be widely discussed by teachers and writers, and widely esteemed by Creech’s devoted readers. (Fiction/poetry. 9-13)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-06-029287-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2001
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