By a Norwegian librarian who has `` `spent a lifetime' studying the Chiricahua Apaches,'' a novel that ``was named the Best Book for Children and Young People by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture'' in 1985. Orphaned two days after his birth in a massacre by Mexican troops, Son-of-Thunder is heroically transported by the village midwife, the only other survivor, to his uncle's family; he's raised with his cousin—the young Cochise—as a mentor, and comes to full manhood as a warrior in the well-organized attack on a Mexican fort during which the Apaches' military leader acquires the name ``Geronimo.'' HolmÜs's straightforward narrative is rather old-fashioned in its deliberate inclusion of instructive detail (e.g., the characters' exact apparel), and, while lucid, the text (at least in translation) has the choppy quality sometimes assumed in imitation of Native American speech. Still—though with neither the artistry nor the immediacy of Jan Hudson's Sweetgrass (1990) or O'Dell and Hall's Thunder Rolling in the Mountains (1992)— it's an admiring, deeply sympathetic, sometimes vivid portrayal of these beleaguered tribes, culminating in a notable victory against their antagonists (shown here as predatory racists). Interesting because of its source, and for what truths it holds about a terrible conflict. (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-943173-88-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1993
A courageous teen’s moral dilemma—and how he comes to terms with it—underscores this well-written, sometimes gripping story. A young child, for whom 15-year-old Brady Parks once baby-sat, dies after his family’s kayak sinks during an outing. Brady’s valiant attempts to revive little Ben actually get him to breathe for a few minutes. Sadly, the tiny boy succumbs and Brady’s plagued with guilt and grief. His sorrow is nothing, though, compared with the shock of discovering that the tragedy was the result of a malicious prank by his two best friends. Even worse is Brady’s discovery that he himself unwittingly gave them the idea. This sickening fact, reluctance to rat on his pals, and the thought that he, too, could be criminally charged in the death keep Brady silent. In the end, though, Brady knows what he must do. The bland title and cover might keep kids away from this strong effort. Too bad: it deserves an audience. (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-525-47317-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004
The poster boy for relentless mischief-makers everywhere, first encountered in No, David! (1998), gives his weary mother a rest by going to school. Naturally, he’s tardy, and that’s but the first in a long string of offenses—“Sit down, David! Keep your hands to yourself! PAY ATTENTION!”—that culminates in an afterschool stint. Children will, of course, recognize every line of the text and every one of David’s moves, and although he doesn’t exhibit the larger- than-life quality that made him a tall-tale anti-hero in his first appearance, his round-headed, gap-toothed enthusiasm is still endearing. For all his disruptive behavior, he shows not a trace of malice, and it’ll be easy for readers to want to encourage his further exploits. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48087-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
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