A four-inch Moses leads his people in the general direction of the Promised Land—in this funny satire from the author of The Colour of Magic (1985, published for adults but also enjoyed by young people). Thousands of years after being shipwrecked on Earth, the Borrower-like Nomes have forgotten their origins and are living happily under the floors of a department store full of goods and huge, stupid humans, all created for them by their god, Arnold Bros (est. 1905). Thanks to the labors of the Stationeri tribe, the demesnes of Haberdasheri, Ironmongeri and the rest are uneasily at peace; but there are Signs—"Final Reductions," for instance, and "Everything Must Go"—that all is not well in the "world." Then a group of strangers, led by an often-bewildered and always self-pitying antihero named Masklin, appears from the mythical Outside bearing the Thing, a small black box that suddenly lights up and announces that the store will be destroyed in less than a month. How to move several thousand Nomes and all their possessions in a hurry? Desperate, Masklin decides to steal a human truck. How to drive it? No problem: he asks the ingenious inventor Dorcas del Icatessen to form a steering committee! Nomes and readers are both in for a wild ride, as time is even shorter than Masklin thinks. Again, Pratchett gives his cast plenty of personality and fuels the plot with nonstop comedy; he also wields a satirist's blade against human politics, mores, and preconceptions. Though Masklin settles the Nomes in an old quarry, sequels are obviously planned.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1990
ISBN: 0552551007
Page Count: 209
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1990
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world.
The Pixie Dust Root is in danger, and one fairy is determined to save it—and the Pixie Dust Tree that all of Pixie Hollow depends upon.
In this stand-alone story set in the same world as Allison Saft’s Wings of Starlight (2025), Periwinkle, a frost-talent who has a gift for finding things—or maybe they have a way of finding her?—discovers a lost thread of magic that grants her the ability to dream. But not all dreams are as sparkly as Periwinkle. One night, she awakens from a nightmare to find herself in the Winter Woods with a fairy she’s never met, a sparrow man named Weaver, who claims to be a rare dream-talent. Disconcertingly, Weaver knows her—he calls her “perfect Periwinkle” and for some reason doesn’t seem to like her very much. Nevertheless, Periwinkle finds herself drawn to Weaver. When he tells her he can save the Pixie Dust Root by spinning her dreams into thread if she helps him find the magic tools he needs, Periwinkle agrees. Their journey leads the pair, who are pale-skinned, to discover things they like about each other, too. This is an opposites-attract adventure with romantic tension, a high-stakes quest, personal discovery, and betrayal. The characters struggle with inner turmoil while also adjusting their understanding of each other. Bright balances the fun with explorations of themes of snap judgments, labels, and weaponizing fear.
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
ISBN: 9780736447362
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney/Random House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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