by Sue Wilkowski & illustrated by C.B. Decker ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2007
Fourth-grader Addison Darby fights some powerfully negative mojo in order to overcome the curse of a chair. Every kid at Brookside Elementary is terrified of the Bad Luck Chair, which has the power to curse anyone whose tush has to sit in it. From Bart Levit, who cursed it originally, to Olivia Brown, who lost her ability to dance and on to Jon, who lost his lucky powers, children at the school live in terror of The Chair. The notably unscary premise is not enough to carry this short novel to its ending. Addy and Sam, sole members of the Word Nerds, do face their challenges with energy and make new friends as they try to solve the curse-reversing riddle, but the plot is so slow-moving that it’s hard to care. Odd, dated word choices like “doody” and “wowville” serve to further distract the reader. When Addy magically figures out the clues left by a strangely absent Jon and convinces her classmates to partake in a truly unbelievable ritual to reverse the curse, readers will wonder what the fuss was about. (Fiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: July 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-525-47794-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2007
Share your opinion of this book
by David Shannon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by David Shannon
BOOK REVIEW
by David Shannon ; illustrated by David Shannon
BOOK REVIEW
by David Shannon ; illustrated by David Shannon
BOOK REVIEW
by David Shannon ; illustrated by David Shannon
by Rebecca Bond ; illustrated by Rebecca Bond ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2015
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...
A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.
Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33217-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More by Rebecca Bond
BOOK REVIEW
by Rebecca Bond ; illustrated by Salley Mavor
BOOK REVIEW
by Rebecca Bond ; illustrated by Rebecca Bond
BOOK REVIEW
by Rebecca Bond ; illustrated by Rebecca Bond
© 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.