An engaging, touching, and heartbreaking adventure.
Inspired by a Civil War newspaper article, this middle-grade historical novel tells the story of a devoted dog who accompanies his owner to the battlefield.
It is December 1861, in Chicago, and Bärchen, a large black pointer, is enjoying the warmth of the fireplace when he becomes aware of tension in the family. Louis W. Pfeif has reenlisted in the Union Army, much to the chagrin of his wife, Elizabeth, and their 5-year-old daughter, Louisa. Elizabeth’s father and uncle have raised funds to form a new regiment, and Louis is given the rank of second lieutenant. But once Louis has bid his family farewell and departed the house, Bärchen leaps up and charges the door. He barks “furiously, hurling himself against it again and again.” He insists on joining Louis. And so the fiercely loyal canine heads off to war as a member of the 58th Regiment. His self-appointed mission is to protect his beloved Louis. Caruthers’ Civil War tale follows the 58th from its training in Illinois until April 1862, when it arrives in Tennessee and engages in the brutal Battle of Shiloh. Bärchen quickly endears himself to the young soldiers when he performs his showstopping mock salute: At Louis’ command, he rears up on his hind legs, raising his right paw to his eyebrow. He also gets himself into a variety of scrapes. Without anthropomorphizing the dog, the novel successfully develops Bärchen into a full-fledged central character who expresses himself, as canines do, through movements of his ears, an assortment of vocalizations, and deep sighs of contentment as he settles down beside Louis. The dog’s antics lighten the drama with humorous episodes, but there are also passages that are quite poignant. Caruthers has done her research and creates a vivid portrait of the confusion that reigned during the early months of the war—the faulty weaponry, changing orders, frequent troop desertions, and lack of food. When the 58th reaches Tennessee, skirmishes with the Confederates add violence to the story. But nothing will prepare young readers for the tragedy that befalls Bärchen in the Battle of Shiloh.
An engaging, touching, and heartbreaking adventure.Pub Date: July 7, 2022
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 166
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike.
Even robot cats have a mind of their own.
All 12-year-old Canadian Lacey Chu’s ever wanted was to become a companioneer like her idol, Monica Chan, co-founder of the largest tech firm in North America, Moncha Corp., and mastermind behind the baku. Bakus, “robotic pets with all the features of a smartphone,” revolutionized society and how people interact with technology. As a companioneer, Lacey could work on bakus: designing, innovating, and building. When she receives a grant rejection from Profectus Academy of Science and Technology, a school that guarantees employment at Moncha Corp., she’s devastated. A happenstance salvaging of a mangled cat baku might just change the game. Suddenly, Lacey’s got an in with Profectus and is one step closer to her dream. Jinx, however, is not quite like the other bakus—he’s a wild cat that does things without commands. Together with Jinx, Lacey will have to navigate competitive classmates and unsettling corporate secrets. McCulloch effectively strikes a balance between worldbuilding and action. High-stakes baku battles demonstrate the emotional bond between (robotic) pet and owner. Readers will also connect to the relationships the Asian girl forges with her diverse classmates, including a rivalry with Carter (a white boy who’s the son of Moncha’s other co-founder, Eric Smith), a burgeoning crush on student Tobias, who’s black, and evolving friendships new and old. While some mysteries are solved, a cliffhanger ending raises even more for the next installment.
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike. (Science fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8374-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
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