by Teresa Flavin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 9, 2011
Readers raised on Jon Agee's The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau (1988) will be delighted with Flavin's...
Video games and themes parks are no match for the world Il Corvo created.
Centuries ago, Fausto Corvo, an artist as famous for his works as for his knowledge of astral magic, disappeared along with paintings rumored to be enchanted; that is, canvases people could literally enter. Over the years, Il Corvo has been hunted by many; most notably, the power-hungry Soranzo and a rival, Bellini, anxious to steal Il Corvo's secrets. When Sunni's stepbrother Dean accidentally enters The Mariner's Return to Arcadia, which hangs in Blackhope Tower, she and school chum Blaise follow. As they traverse a fantastic labyrinth of the artist's making—one layer, one underpainting, after another—they confront fearful creatures and are pursued by villains as desperate to locate Il Corvo as the threesome are to find their way home. The plot, like a labyrinth, is full of unexpected twists, and there are threats to be faced at every turn. The settings are described in detail, and interesting facts about painting techniques are cleverly interwoven. The three youngsters each respond differently to the challenges presented by the journey and return home changed but ready to continue their day-to-day lives—just as the characters trapped in Il Corvo's painting will continue theirs.
Readers raised on Jon Agee's The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau (1988) will be delighted with Flavin's fully-realized, action-packed debut. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5694-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
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by Norma Simon & illustrated by Teresa Flavin
by Annie Matthew ; developed by Kobe Bryant ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 24, 2021
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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by Annie Matthew ; developed by Kobe Bryant
by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Anna Abramskaya ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Fun middle school antics with a dollop of light magic and considerations of loyalty.
Heidi Heckelbeck is a witch and first-year student at Broomfield Academy, a boarding school that educates magical and nonmagical kids alike.
Heidi’s an ordinary tween, concerned with clothes, friendships, crushes (currently on Nick Lee, who’s not in the School of Magic), and her tenuous relationship with Melanie, her often-mean “broommate” and acquaintance from home. She’s also excited about learning witchcraft and is pleased to receive private magic lessons from Mrs. Kettledrum. Her teacher instructs her in calming meditation techniques as a prelude to mind-reading and emergency spells. Sometimes Heidi writes spells enthusiastically but incorrectly, however, with unintended consequences. She also faces a difficult decision about revealing a big secret about new friend Isabelle. Heidi pushes the boundaries of appropriate behavior (both in the real world and the magical one) and must think hard about self-discipline. Breezy and fun, this volume will satisfy devotees who have enjoyed following this engaging character since she was in elementary school, with each entry slowly but surely moving up in complexity as Heidi grows and becomes a little more serious. Her latest adventures are delivered with the usual humorous grayscale illustrations and fonts that vary in size and style, moving the story along quickly. The volume will entice new fans, welcome reluctant readers, and please those who have been awaiting Heidi’s latest exploits. Isabelle reads Black; other central characters are cued white.
Fun middle school antics with a dollop of light magic and considerations of loyalty. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781665948340
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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