SIR FIG NEWTON AND THE SCIENCE OF PERSISTENCE

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SIR FIG NEWTON AND THE SCIENCE OF PERSISTENCE

Name: SIR FIG NEWTON AND THE SCIENCE OF PERSISTENCE
Author: Sonja Thomas
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8492-4

by Sonja Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2022

A noteworthy debut.

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A precocious 12-year-old spends the summer trying to save her furry companion.

Mira “Miranium” Williams, future astronaut and astrophysicist, already felt like her family was living on the edge of a black hole after her father became unemployed, causing her mom to spend less time doing community theater and more time at her accountant job. Worse, her best friend, Thomas, moved from Orlando to Washington, D.C., and her nemesis, Tamika, has moved into his old house. Luckily, she still has Sir Fig Newton, her best feline friend. Concerned that Fig has become lethargic, is eating less, and has sweet-smelling breath, Mira researches and concludes that he has diabetes, known as the silent cat killer. Unfortunately, they can’t afford to treat Fig, and the only way to avoid her parents’ plan to give him up for adoption is to raise $2,000 for treatments within a month. With help from an unlikely source, Mira finds a way to save her cat and keep everyone’s spirits up. Thomas’ debut will pull at readers’ heartstrings. Mira displays tremendous spirit as she continually advocates for her beloved cat. As well as being heartwarming, this well-paced novel also contains numerous interesting facts about famous scientists that will make readers just as excited about science as Mira. Mira is biracial, with a Black father and White mother; Thomas is White, and Tamika is Black.

A noteworthy debut. (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 22, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-5344-8492-4

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- PERSPECTIVES
4 Middle-Grade Novels Celebrating Black Families

- PERSPECTIVES
‘What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?’

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RACE FOR THE RUBY TURTLE

by Stephen Bramucci ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 3, 2023

A wild romp that champions making space for vulnerable creatures and each other.

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A boy with ADHD explores nature and himself.

Eleven-year-old Jake Rizzi just wants to be seen as “normal”; he blames his brain for leading him into trouble and making him do things that annoy his peers and even his own parents. Case in point: He’s stuck spending a week in rural Oregon with an aunt he barely knows while his parents go on vacation. Jake’s reluctance changes as he learns about the town’s annual festival, during which locals search for a fabled turtle. But news of this possibly undiscovered species has spread. Although Aunt Hettle insists to Jake that it’s only folklore, the fame-hungry convene, sure that the Ruby-Backed Turtle is indeed real—just as Jake discovers is the case. Keeping its existence secret is critical to protecting the rare creature from a poacher and others with ill intentions. Readers will keep turning pages to find out how Jake and new friend Mia will foil the caricatured villains. Along the way, Bramucci packs in teachable moments around digital literacy, mindfulness, and ecological interdependence, along with the message that “the only way to protect the natural world is to love it.” Jake’s inner monologue elucidates the challenges and benefits of ADHD as well as practical coping strategies. Whether or not readers share Jake’s diagnosis, they’ll empathize with his insecurities. Jake and his family present white; Mia is Black, and names of secondary characters indicate some ethnic diversity.

A wild romp that champions making space for vulnerable creatures and each other. (Adventure. 8-11)

Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023

ISBN: 9781547607020

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE DANGER GANG AND THE PIRATES OF BORNEO!
by Stephen Bramucci ; illustrated by Arree Chung

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THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE ATE PIZZA

From the First Cat in Space series , Vol. 1

by Mac Barnett ; illustrated by Shawn Harris ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2022

Epic lunacy.

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Will extragalactic rats eat the moon?

Can a cybernetic toenail clipper find a worthy purpose in the vast universe? Will the first feline astronaut ever get a slice of pizza? Read on. Reworked from the Live Cartoon series of homespun video shorts released on Instagram in 2020 but retaining that “we’re making this up as we go” quality, the episodic tale begins with the electrifying discovery that our moon is being nibbled away. Off blast one strong, silent, furry hero—“Meow”—and a stowaway robot to our nearest celestial neighbor to hook up with the imperious Queen of the Moon and head toward the dark side, past challenges from pirates on the Sea of Tranquility and a sphinx with a riddle (“It weighs a ton, but floats on air. / It’s bald but has a lot of hair.” The answer? “Meow”). They endure multiple close but frustratingly glancing encounters with pizza and finally deliver the malign, multiheaded Rat King and its toothy armies to a suitable fate. Cue the massive pizza party! Aside from one pirate captain and a general back on Earth, the human and humanoid cast in Harris’ loosely drawn cartoon panels, from the appropriately moon-faced queen on, is light skinned. Merch, music, and the original episodes are available on an associated website.

Epic lunacy. (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)