by Stephanie Spinner & Terry Bisson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2001
Twins Tod and Tessa face double trouble in a sidesplitting follow-up to Be First in the Universe (2000). When even an infusion of DNA extracted from evil Ned and Nancy Gneiss, descendants of Vlad the Impaler, proves too weak to save Planet Gemini from an invasion of galactic tourists known as Vorons, aliens Gemini Jack and his sister Jill return to Middle Valley Mall in search of more help from humans, renowned as the most annoying creatures in the universe. Meanwhile, not only have the altered Gneiss twins suddenly become sickeningly goody-goody, but veteran rock drummer Nigel Throbber has chosen Tod’s and Tessa’s barn to rehearse his thunderous magnum opus, “Drummerdämmerung.” Happily, relief is but a tangle of subplots, corny jokes, chases, general chaos, and clever twists away; by the end, the Gneiss twins are nasty again, and Throbber has happily departed on a wildly successful interplanetary tour. Though not a sequel that stands on its own, this will have readers rocking with laughter and rolling in the aisles. (Fiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: May 8, 2001
ISBN: 0-385-32690-4
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
Share your opinion of this book
More by Stephanie Spinner
BOOK REVIEW
by Stephanie Spinner & illustrated by Meilo So
BOOK REVIEW
by Stephanie Spinner and illustrated by Daniel Howarth
BOOK REVIEW
by Avi & illustrated by Brian Floca ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1995
The book is a cute, but rather standard offering from Avi (Tom, Babette, and Simon, p. 776, etc.).
An adolescent mouse named Poppy is off on a romantic tryst with her rebel boyfriend when they are attacked by Mr. Ocax, the owl who rules over the area.
He kills the boyfriend, but Poppy escapes and Mr. Ocax vows to catch her. Mr. Ocax has convinced all the mice that he is their protector when, in fact, he preys on them mercilessly. When the mice ask his permission to move to a new house, he refuses, blaming Poppy for his decision. Poppy suspects that there is another reason Mr. Ocax doesn't want them to move and investigates to clear her name. With the help of a prickly old porcupine and her quick wits, Poppy defeats her nemesis and her own fears, saving her family in the bargain.
The book is a cute, but rather standard offering from Avi (Tom, Babette, and Simon, p. 776, etc.). (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-531-09483-9
Page Count: 147
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1995
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Avi ; illustrated by Brian Floca
by Avi and illustrated by Brian Floca
by Avi & illustrated by Brian Floca
by Joseph Bruchac & illustrated by Dan Andreasen ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1997
A rare venture into contemporary fiction for Bruchac (The Circle of Thanks, p. 1529, etc.), this disappointing tale of a young Mohawk transplanted to Brooklyn, N.Y., is overstuffed with plotlines, lectures, and cultural information. Danny Bigtree gets jeers, or the cold shoulder, from his fourth-grade classmates, until his ironworker father sits him down to relate—at length- -the story of the great Mohawk peacemaker Aionwahta (Hiawatha), then comes to school to talk about the Iroquois Confederacy and its influence on our country's Founding Fathers. Later, Danny's refusal to tattle when Tyrone, the worst of his tormenters, accidentally hits him in the face with a basketball breaks the ice for good. Two sketchy subplots: Danny runs into an old Seminole friend, who, evidently due to parental neglect, has joined a gang; after dreaming of an eagle falling from a tree, Danny learns that his father has been injured in a construction- site accident. A worthy, well-written novella—but readers cannot be moved by a story that pulls them in so many different directions. (Fiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8037-1918-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1996
Share your opinion of this book
More by Joseph Bruchac
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© 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.