A terrific trilogy of fast, freewheeling friendship tales.
Aided by magical animals, three kids with disabilities solve mysteries and save the day in this omnibus of middle-grade adventures.
Rasheed gets about in a wheelchair. His best friend, Jonathan Nguyen, needs a stick to walk. They live in a society where humans and magical creatures coexist and where those with disabilities are both accepted and respected. But prejudice still exists. Some of the lesser-known creatures are looked down on by their more famous brethren and by certain humans. But that’s about to change. Rasheed loves to solve mysteries. He has named his wheelchair Sonya and modified her for increased speed and functionality. Jonathan has built all sorts of gadgetry into his cane. Joined by their friend JosephineRodriguez, who has chronic anxiety, Rasheed and Jonathan set out to right some wrongs. In Book 1 (Mystery Force, Assemble!), they fly to Scotland to rescue animals from a sweatshop. It is here that they befriend Max the flying Fire Fox and Dan the Karkadan (an armor-plated rhinoceros). In Book 2 (The Case of the Stolen Horn), one of their teachers—a unicorn—has his horn stolen, and another instructor—a pegasus—is falsely accused. The friends have to track down the real culprit. In Book 3 (Blazing Blizzards), they trek through a labyrinth and to the top of a mountain to combat the villainous schemes of the aptly named Dr. Evilina Dorisova. Neill presents a simply written omniscient narrative in this series opener. The stories breeze along, each escapade offering plenty of action, peril, and ingenuity. The chapters are short, and the protagonists act with the good-heartedness and uncomplicated determination of the most firmly entrenched middle-grade heroes. Rasheed, Jonathan, and Josephine are very likable. While the author glosses over the exact nature of their impairments, they take charge of their environment and refuse to let their disabilities manifest as handicaps. This positivity is reflective of good values portrayed here more generally: compassion, selflessness, and bravery. Though the mystery element is actually quite light, young readers will be caught up and swept along amid dauntless deeds and acts of derring-do. Copious cartoon-style, black-and-white illustrations by Spooner bring the books to life and highlight their diversity.
A terrific trilogy of fast, freewheeling friendship tales.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2021
ISBN: 979-8486908149
Page Count: 330
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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