While not entirely original, a captivating and enjoyable start to what promises to be an engaging series.
Barnes, Farley and Parker begin a bibliophilic magical adventure series for middle-grade readers.
Tweens Ben, Maya, and Bridgette are in the library for different reasons on a Friday evening when they are interrupted by the sound of “hundreds of birds...trying to claw their way through the door” of the library. The librarian, Mr. Lozano, quickly shields them in his office as the windows shatter and “large black birds with creepy red eyes” invade the space. In an attempt to fend off these ominous attackers, Ben throws an ancient book at the birds, surprisingly unleashing a dragon from its pages. The dragon aids their escape while Mr. Lozano guides the kids to a mysterious “portal” that leads to the Library of Alexandria. Though it resembles a mechanic’s garage, this modern library houses the contents of the original, is managed by the Muses, and is concealed from the world. Hidden within the library is Helicon Academy, a training ground for future librarians who are entrusted with defending the institution against the Pierides, mortal enemies who are intent on infiltrating and destroying the library. Although the trio are not descendants of the original librarians (and thus typically ineligible), they are given the opportunity to undergo the “Trials” and potentially gain admittance. After being accepted into the academy as future librarians, the three must navigate their schoolwork while unraveling the hidden secrets within Helicon Academy. What follows will be familiar to readers of similar fare: The protagonists’ journey is not dissimilar to the experiences of characters in popular series like Harry Potter and The School for Good and Evil. But despite the familiar setting and structure, the story is written with a light comic touch, and the unique voices and perspectives of the three central characters distinguish the novel from recent titles in the same genre.
While not entirely original, a captivating and enjoyable start to what promises to be an engaging series.Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9798989015016
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Infinity House Creative
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unforgettably quirky, fast-paced fun.
In a race against their enemies, the Porch girls must find a peculiar pearl in order to foil a fiendish plot.
After defeating a monstrous Kyrgalops in The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science (2024), Gertrude, Eugenia, and Dee-Dee Porch find themselves (after a series of madcap events) at Lake Kagloopy’s Purple Pearl Hotel with their mentor, Millicent Quibb. Quibb informs the trio that they must find the titular pearl before the members of their evil mad-scientist rivals, the KRA, do. If they fail, the KRA (whose members include the malevolent mayor, Majestina DeWeen, and her slimy sycophantic lawyer, Ashley Cookie) plans to use the gem to bestow the Gift of Endless Vibrancy on the villainous Talon Sharktūth. Hilarity ensues as the Porches attend the annual Shrimp Ball, encounter Umbrella Turkeys, search for Cloudite (floating cloud rocks), and don invisible but smelly woolen coats. Jokes aside, the girls’ story is intriguing, offering more clues to their mysterious backgrounds and tantalizing tidbits promising later adventures. McKinnon offers bountiful backstory (alongside a running joke to encourage readers to pick up the preceding volume) and enough guffaw-inducing jokes, zany footnotes, and creative jargon to enthrall readers both new and old with her delightful sophomore effort. Mixing humor, found family, and well-wrought worldbuilding, this sequel is a certain crowd pleaser. Final art not seen; in the previous book, the grayscale illustrations showed the girls with varying skin tones.
Unforgettably quirky, fast-paced fun. (appendices) (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9780316555296
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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