Lively and self-aware. A fantasy escapade for readers of all ages!
In the fourth book of Wright’s middle-grade series, its teen protagonist journeys to a fantasy realm to save his crush from trolls.
Seventh grader Toby Baxter is on an end-of-school trip to Minnehaha Falls when he bumps into Rainie, his crush. Though they’ve never actually spoken, and Toby hasn’t seen her for a year, it seems that Rainie likes him, too. She gives him her phone number. Toby swoons! Then calamity strikes. A portal opens up to RiverHome, the magical world visited by Toby in previous adventures. Rainie is abducted by trolls. Toby runs to help, pursued by Derrick, the school bully. Both pass through the portal, though they end up in different parts of RiverHome, and Toby reunites with his river elf friends (a lengthy cast list is provided). Derrick joins Plythar, the troll leader, in his plan to destroy Toby once and for all. Rainie, meanwhile, finds herself locked up in a troll dungeon alongside the gnome Roxie, whose wedding (to Phoenix the elf) Toby is due to attend. Can Toby, Phoenix, and friends rescue their beloveds, or will Plythar and Derrick prevail in their villainy? Readers of previous Toby Baxter books will be familiar with Wright’s droll style, which layers frequent, italicized asides from Author (both a character in the story and the writer of books about Toby’s adventures) onto an omniscient third-person narrative told from various characters’ perspectives. These interjections often riff on notions of language and vocabulary. For example: “Deciding to remind Toby of who was the boss, he and his friends sauntered…sauntered? Is that like walking?…over to do a bit of friendly harassing of Toby.” Toby once again emerges as a typical teen boy, his reactions to kissing and romance a realistic blend of affected disgust and secret, burgeoning interest. As in previous volumes, the story contains a large number of superfluous characters. These may confound new readers, but they do provide a sense of familiarity when events stray into darker territory. Fans of the series will be well satisfied.
Lively and self-aware. A fantasy escapade for readers of all ages!Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 29, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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