Certain to give readers the warm fuzzies
Gabriella and Renphlegena (Phleg for short) are two very different girls from vastly different worlds.
Gabriella is an only child, Phleg is one of 12; Gabriella is quiet and well-mannered, Phleg is loud and uncouth; Gabriella has excellent diplomacy skills and Phleg can communicate with animals; Gabriella has long dark hair, Phleg’s hair is short and iridescent silver; Gabriella is a human princess and Phleg is a fairy commoner. Their two worlds collide when Phleg makes a bet with her siblings that she can last three days as a changeling in the human world. As the story opens she’s already used her magic to trade places with the unsuspecting Princess Gabriella of Fairhaven. For the first time, Phleg doesn’t have to do chores or supervise her 11 noisy siblings, while Gabriella must do Phleg’s work. As high jinks ensue on both sides, each girl learns something valuable about herself. Among the fairies, Gabriella is not required to be a weak princess; she’s expected to speak up for herself. Meanwhile, Phleg allows her tough exterior to soften. Phleg provides readers with a fresh perspective on the absurdities of human propriety, while Gabriella is the frame through which readers become acquainted with fairy life and customs. The humorous third-person narration alternates between Phleg and Gabriella. Neither the human nor the fairy world appears to be racially diverse, and Phleg is depicted with a peach complexion on the cover.
Certain to give readers the warm fuzzies . (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-12147-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem.
A middle schooler struggles to adjust after moving to an idyllic Massachusetts town.
Trish Das is at a crossroads. Not only is the 12-year-old unhappy that her family has moved yet again due to her mother’s cardiology career, she also has to try out for a new baseball team. The fact that one of her new teammates is a former archrival further complicates matters. Math prodigy Ben Messina went head-to-head against fellow math whiz Trish at last spring’s Math Puzzlers Championship. When Trish emerged victorious, Ben was stunned. The two get closer when the team’s mysterious pregame snacks start making everyone play better while also causing magical side effects during games. Equally surprising are the cryptic puzzle booklets Trish and Ben receive in the mail that lead them to even more wins. But as the puzzles get harder to solve, the risk of failing to do so increases. Alternating between Trish’s and Ben’s perspectives, LaRocca’s novel—a companion to 2019’s Midsummer’s Mayhem—is a Much Ado About Nothing homage that explores parental expectations, complicated friendships, and teamwork. The protagonists’ love of problem-solving shines through, and the puzzles themselves are clearly explained. As a third-generation Indian American, Trish also has moving conversations about the circumstances that led her grandparents to emigrate and how those decisions still impact their lives. Ben is implied White. Final illustrations not seen.
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1101-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An enthralling fantasy debut exploring exploitation by those in power.
Will 12-year-old Nura be able to outsmart the trickster jinn and save herself and her friends?
Nura lives in the fictional Pakistani town of Meerabagh, where she has worked mining mica to help support her family of five—her mother, herself, and her three younger siblings—since her father’s death. In the mines she has the company of her best friend, Faisal, who is teased by other kids for his stutter, and she enjoys small pleasures like splurging on gulab jamun. Although Maa wants Nura to stop working and attend school, she has no interest in classroom learning and hopes to save up to send her younger siblings to school instead so they can break the family’s cycle of poverty. Following a mining accident in which Faisal and others are lost in the rubble, Nura goes to the rescue. In her quest, she is plunged into the magical, glittering jinn realm, where nothing is as it seems. The author seamlessly weaves into the worldbuilding of the story commentary on real-life problems such as the ravages of child labor and systems that perpetuate inequities. An informative author’s note further explores present-day global cycles of oppression as well as the life-changing power of education. This action-packed story set in a Muslim community moves at a fast pace, with evocative writing that brings the fantasy world to life and lyrical imagery to describe emotions.
An enthralling fantasy debut exploring exploitation by those in power. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5795-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
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