An educational and entertaining series opener.
When third graders Pablo, Violet, and Deepak enter the Maker Maze, their new friendship—and their knowledge of science—is put to the test.
Pablo is looking forward to third grade. He’s got a spaceship T-shirt that matches his sneakers, he’s in the same class as his best friend, Violet, and he is ready to learn about his favorite subject: science. But new student Deepak’s wearing the exact same outfit and starts to make friends with Violet. Pablo feels jealous, but before he can process his feelings, he, Violet, and Deepak discover a mysterious riddle. Solving it together sucks them into a magical scientific world where a rainbow-haired white woman named Dr. Crisp tells them that they must solve a series of puzzles to get out of the Maker Maze. Using their knowledge of ecosystems, the three must finish in time—which they can only do if Pablo puts aside his resentment of Deepak. The book features a diverse and likable cast. Pablo’s Puerto Rican and speaks Spanish, Deepak is South Asian, and Violet appears black in the illustrations. The language in this chapter book is light and easy to read, and the scientific content is accurate, interesting, and well presented. At times, the conflict between Pablo and Deepak feels forced, but the momentum of the maze challenge carries the story past a few awkward moments. The backmatter offers two science activities.
An educational and entertaining series opener. (Science fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-12298-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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