by Sophie Bell ; illustrated by Chris Battle ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
Girls will overlook its flaws to find a superhero story written for them.
The tongue-in-cheek origin story of hypersparkly, girl-power superheroes.
In a rather extended prologue, second-graders Iris, Cheri, Scarlet and Opaline’s sleepover party at the laboratory their mothers work at goes awry when they are splashed by a volatile, mysterious chemical. Shortly after, the foursome is broken apart by parental moves and new schools. Four years later, the group reunites just in time for the chemical’s alterations to their DNA to be made manifest. Artistic Iris has grown purple hair and has the ability to change things’ colors; Cheri has super math powers and can telepathically communicate with her beloved animals; tough tomboy Scarlet gains super dance powers. But while her friends bond over trying out their new superpowers, shy Opal feels left out, as her abilities are slow to develop. Meanwhile strange, mutated creatures are attacking the town, and they’re connected to the mysterious “bio-cosmetic” company BeauTek. BeauTek is located in the vacant Mall of No Returns, whose storefronts parody chain stores and feature labs, not merchandise, run by a six-inch-stiletto–wearing madwoman. The main storyline meanders past subplot after subplot, taking far too long to get started. The chatty, pun-filled narration will engage readers but only partially makes up for the padded length. Battle’s illustrations give a cartoony, Powerpuff Girls vibe that meshes perfectly with the voice.
Girls will overlook its flaws to find a superhero story written for them. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-59514-603-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
Share your opinion of this book
by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Aaron Reynolds
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown
BOOK REVIEW
by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown
BOOK REVIEW
by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown
by Kate DiCamillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Tenderly resonant and memorable.
Ferris finds herself in the midst of several love stories during the summer before fifth grade.
Emma Phineas Wilkey’s moniker comes from the circumstances of her birth: under the Ferris wheel at the fairground. Her contained world, centered around her family and best friend, is filled with kindness, humor, and singular personalities, while the indeterminate late-20th-century small-town setting feels like a safe place from which to observe heartbreak and loss. Ferris’ architect father and her pragmatic mother, on break from teaching high school math, anchor her home life, along with Pinky, her hilariously ferocious 6-year-old sister, and Charisse, her grandmother, who claims to have seen an unhappy ghost in their big old house. Ferris’ best friend, Billy Jackson, whom she’s loved since kindergarten, hears the music of the world: “The whole world is singing all the time.” Ferris, serious and sensitive, is attuned to the ways that the vocabulary words they learned in Mrs. Mielk’s fourth grade class describe moments in her life. DiCamillo’s gift for conveying an entire person and world in a few brushstrokes of storytelling provides depth and quiet magic to this account of an eventful summer in which a ghost is appeased, an outlaw (Pinky) is somewhat reformed, and an uncle and aunt are reconciled. Ferris experiences two surprising moments of transcendence and becomes aware of the ways love suffuses everything. Characters are cued white.
Tenderly resonant and memorable. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781536231052
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kate DiCamillo
BOOK REVIEW
by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Julie Morstad
BOOK REVIEW
by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
BOOK REVIEW
by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Sophie Blackall
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.