A satisfying read, full of real-life lessons and good-hearted characters.
As Easter approaches, sixth-grader Sophie Washington and her little brother, Cole, struggle with giving up tattling and video games for Lent in this lighthearted children’s chapter-book sequel.
Ellis (Sophie Washington: Things You Didn’t Know About Sophie, 2017, etc.) delivers another positive episode in the life of Sophie Washington, a preteen living with her family in Houston. Apart from the fact that she butts heads with her little brother on a regular basis and really wants a cellphone, she has few complaints, as she belongs to a happy family and has a diverse group of good friends. However, when Sophie’s parents decide that the family must give up something for Lent, she and Cole must confront their bad habits. Over 40 days, the two children find new ways to focus their energies, spending more time with friends, family, and a stray dog that happens to find them after school one day. Even the canine helps keep Sophie and Cole accountable to their commitments in ways that they didn’t expect. At one point, when Cole slips up, Sophie faces a dilemma, as she must decide between keeping her own Lent fast or breaking it. By the end of the story, both children grow and change in authentic ways. Young readers will relate to Sophie’s frustrations when it comes to relationships with friends, feeling left out, dealing with little brothers and moral dilemmas, and just having a bad day. She’s a realistic, engaging, and aptly flawed protagonist with room to grow as a character. Other positive aspects of the story include its uplifting portrayals of family life, faith, and multicultural friendships. The simple, black-and-white line drawings in every chapter successfully direct readers’ imaginations without overpowering them. Although the focus on daily life activities may not make it an overly exciting story, Sophie’s genuine personality and relatable experiences make it enjoyable.
A satisfying read, full of real-life lessons and good-hearted characters.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4575-5780-4
Page Count: 102
Publisher: Dog Ear
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An entertaining tale for adventure-hungry readers.
In Zaman’s well-paced debut YA novel, 11-year-old Clara Skilten has adventures at a training academy.
Clara has always sensed that she is different, particularly after a tragic fire consumed her home and stole her family’s lives. Lifted from an upsetting, stressful experience at an orphanage, she shows promise at a new academy, particularly in her fighting classes. She makes a new friend in a young girl nicknamed Lithium. Yet mysteries abound; for example, the name Muscaria seems to terrify students and faculty alike. Gradually, Clara learns that Queen Muscaria is a tyrannical ruler who plucks children from the academy, whisks them away to her palace, and imprisons them. Clara is offered a chance to go to Muscaria’s palace to try to find out the queen’s intentions. It turns out that Muscaria is responsible for many other crimes, and she has many enemies, including Clara’s own deceased father. Indeed, it soon becomes clear that Clara was chosen for the task not at random, but as part of a calculated plan. She finds herself tested physically and emotionally as she fights for her life and those of her peers and countrymen. Zaman shows remarkable finesse in her ability to situate readers in an unknown world, balancing expository descriptions with thrilling fight scenes and creative wordplay (one aggressive character’s name, for example, is Diator Glad). Clara is a compelling heroine whom young readers will cheer as she battles against pure evil. At times, the worldbuilding seems shaky, as it’s hard to determine whether the book is meant to be fantasy, dystopian, or contemporary realistic fiction. Furthermore, Clara seems to be a remarkably mature preteen, speaking with an elevated vocabulary and sophisticated syntax that seem somewhat unrealistic. However, the teenage Zaman is a promising new voice in YA fiction who can clearly write circles around much older authors.
An entertaining tale for adventure-hungry readers.Pub Date: July 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-938136-53-5
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Lucky Penny Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This second book will inspire those unfamiliar with the first to seek it out.
A young Native American girl and her friends, all of whom possess superhuman abilities, must stop an alien plot to take over Earth in the second book by the father-daughter team of Jeff and Erynn Altabef (Wind Catcher, 2015).
Native American teenager Juliet Wildfire Stone was injected as a child with alien DNA, which gave her superhuman abilities, including the power to read minds. With her friend Troy, she travels to New York City to find others like her, known as Chosen. She knows they’re facing a threat from an alien civilization that could destroy the human race. The more Juliet learns how to use her new powers under the tutelage of their teacher, the Host, the more she’s scared that she’ll become completely alien. However, she has little choice, because only by working together to harness the power of all the Chosen can they all defeat this dire threat to humanity. The plot of this second book in the series unspools as swiftly and smoothly as the first. The authors write descriptively: “We unfold ourselves from the small car and follow her as she bounces toward the park entrance, her curly ringlet-infused hair flowing behind her like a cloud.” The book is also full of sly humor, as when one character “waves his smartphone as proof of his awesomeness.” All the characters are distinct and memorable, such as Connor, who uses alcohol as a crutch, and Akari, a quiet but lethal Japanese girl. The book also contains references to Native American beliefs such as the Coyote and Wind Spirits, which were central to the first book’s success. There are numerous similarities to Star Wars here, starting with the hoary “Chosen” theme; the wise teacher, the Host, is reminiscent of Yoda and occasionally even talks like him (“Move you must”). However, the fast-paced story, quirky dialogue, and engaging characters help the book escape the static holding pattern common to many other second installments.
This second book will inspire those unfamiliar with the first to seek it out.Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-62-253316-9
Page Count: 342
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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