Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)
Traumatized by his father’s recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.
Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father’s death and his mother’s new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life.
Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-49728-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
A brainy, satisfying assemblage of puzzles with an immensely likable protagonist.
Winter in the inn above the River Skidwrack finds Milo and his parents hosting several guests who are not what they seem—and a mystery to be solved.
Just before Christmas Greenglass House is filled with unexpected visitors. A young man who claims to be an art student, studying the famous stained-glass windows of the house, is the sole guest until Georgie and Clem, young women who met the year before at Greenglass House, arrive. They’ve recently pulled off a caper, recovering a stash belonging to legendary smuggler Violet Cross. They hoped to find Cross’ derrotero, an incalculably valuable nautical map of the impossible, changing River Skidwrack. And then a troupe of midwinter revelers arrives in a kind of Morris-dancing tradition, singing carols and traveling with the horned skull of a hobby horse and a chimney sweep. Milo and his parents invite the carolers in, but a ceremonial chimney cleaning results in an overnight stay—and the game is afoot. Milford’s clever, complex plot is full of humor, tantalizing clues, and stories within the story. Adopted Milo, who has become conscious of the ways the world assumes things about him and his Chinese heritage, takes on a new hero persona that offers him confidence and insight into his emotions and strengths.
A brainy, satisfying assemblage of puzzles with an immensely likable protagonist. (Mystery/fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-99146-0
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A beautiful tale of perseverance.
A young girl tackles a learning disability and the uncertainty of daily life in early-20th-century Cuba.
Ten years old at the tale’s opening, Josefa “Fefa” de la Caridad Uría Peña lives with her parents and 10 siblings on their farm, Goatzacoalco. Diagnosed with “word blindness” (a misnomer for dyslexia), Fefa struggles at school and in a home rich with words, including the writings of Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. Discounting a doctor’s opinion that “Fefa will never be able / to read, or write, / or be happy / in school,” her mother gives her a blank diary: “Let the words sprout / like seedlings, / then relax and watch / as your wild diary / grows.” Basing her tale on the life of her maternal grandmother, Engle captures the frustrations, setbacks and triumphs of Fefa’s language development in this often lyrical free-verse novel. Her reading difficulties are heightened when bandits begin roving the countryside, kidnapping local children for ransom: “All I can think of / is learning how / to read / terrifying / ransom notes.” The author gives readers a portrait of a tumultuous period in Cuban history and skillfully integrates island flora, fauna and mythology into Fefa’s first-person tale. This canvas heightens Fefa’s determination to rise above the expectations of her siblings, peers and society.
A beautiful tale of perseverance. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 20, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-58131-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
