Fans of ballet will be disappointed by the lack of detail, and fans of magic will be as disappointed by the smoothness of...
There’s magic onstage and off in this production of The Nutcracker.
Unfortunately, there’s little call for applause. Georgie, a blonde white girl, wins the coveted role of Clara, the girl who helps defeat the Mouse King and travels to the Kingdom of Sweets with the Nutcracker prince. The magic begins when Georgie holds the antique Nutcracker doll used as a prop in her hands. He has been under a spell for 200 years, and this is the final time he can call for help before he is imprisoned forever. Georgie is determined to do what she can. As she says: “I believe in magic.” Rehearsals follow with visits to the Nutcracker’s mysterious otherworld, easily entered and easily left. A new friend, Noah, who’s black and who is not in the ballet, helps her and is able to travel in and out of the magic as readily. Georgie juggles concern for her sick grandfather, a busy rehearsal schedule, and a messy friendship with a former BFF who has not been cast. She also uncovers a connection between the E.T.A. Hoffmann classic tale, her teacher, and the Nutcracker doll. It’s a holiday package all conveniently tied together, with too little delving into its elements to satisfy.
Fans of ballet will be disappointed by the lack of detail, and fans of magic will be as disappointed by the smoothness of the spells. (Magical realism. 10-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55668-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Quilting offers a perfect metaphor in this thoughtful tale of a tween piecing together a new life.
Sixth grader Jubilee and her paternal grandmother, Nan, move so frequently from town to town that they have Relocation Rules.
Jubilee’s father died in a motorcycle accident when she was 4 and her mother took off to become a country singer. A great fan of the TV show Queen of Neat, hosted by Arletta Paisley, Jubilee loves crafting. After she and Nan arrive in Hope Springs, Texas, Jubilee befriends Abby, whose mother is the mayor. A job in a fabric store puts her organizational skills to great use, and the shop owner teaches her how to quilt. Jubilee is thrilled to learn that Arletta grew up in Hope Springs and will be coming to visit as the spokesperson for a new big-box store, but this leads to concerns about the survival of local businesses—and a glimpse for Jubilee of the person behind the TV personality. Another thread in the story is the strained relationship between Jubilee and her absent mother. Her friendship with Abby and her growing feelings for the townspeople lead Jubilee to question whether she can arrange her life as neatly as she can objects. With a town festival and occasional directions for craft projects thrown into the mix, debut author Berry allows Jubilee to grow and mature to the point where she can implement Staying Put Procedures. Characters follow a White default.
Quilting offers a perfect metaphor in this thoughtful tale of a tween piecing together a new life. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-54057-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
An insightful exploration of a girl’s inner tickings.
The musical and natural worlds help a tween understand her family and her personal dynamics.
Twelve-year-old Madrigal begins her story in November in a diminuendo mood. Maddie is studying the oboe, the instrument that voices the Duck in Peter and the Wolf, and she is dedicated to improving her technique so she can perform the solo in her school’s winter concert. Her world changes when her older brother, Strum, a college student deeply concerned about the environment, disappears. Maddie compulsively counts objects and believes that even numbers are the best. She is a gifted math student who appreciates order and regularity, eating the same precisely prepared sandwich for lunch every day. January is a month of staccato as Maddie thinks of herself as a fraction, divided from the brother who makes her whole; reflecting his favorite color, she plays Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. She regards February as a month of crescendo when, as a member of the environmental club at school, she visits a blue morpho butterfly exhibit that gives her an idea as to where Strum has gone. The combination of free verse and first-person narrative convey Maddie’s thoughts as she learns to appreciate that both music and family follow strong emotional currents, not just the precision of a metronome. The family defaults to White.
An insightful exploration of a girl’s inner tickings. (Verse novel. 10-12)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4862-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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