A wholesome, heartwarming series of exploits.
A young outcast finds new friends in a magical underground land in this middle-grade novel.
Jimmy Crikey is a little boy with blue eyes, bright red hair, pointy ears, and adult-sized feet. Jimmy lives with his Aunt Ethel and is happy at home. But at school, he is teased and bullied because of his appearance. In Part 1 of the book, Jimmy runs away in search of greater acceptance and falls down a hole into Roombelow, an underground world. Jimmy makes his first real friend when he rescues Gemma, a “little lady,” from the bottom of the town well. He is soon accepted by the townsfolk, who are quick to recognize his kindheartedness and selfless bravery. After a flurry of brief escapades, it is clear that Jimmy has found a new home. Part 2 is more measured and takes Jimmy and Gemma to Lithania, a nearby land of caverns and tunnels. Lithania is lit by precious crystals, the theft of which brings about a great adventure. In Part 3 of the book, Jimmy returns by spaceship to his birthplace—the planet Attalia, where all the men have red hair, pointed ears, and feet as big as Jimmy’s. In this last episode, can Jimmy help the peace-loving Attalians defend their world from Kursh, the militant leader of the nearby planet Ock? Jimmy’s adventures call to mind Enid Blyton’s classic Noddy stories or, more recently, the Tashi books of Anna Fienberg. Jimmy and his friends are models of good behavior and succeed due to their positive qualities. For the most part, the perils they find themselves in are those of circumstance and misunderstanding (rather than villainy). The danger is therefore safe for young readers. Briggs writes in a straightforward manner but with a vocabulary stretching to the upper reaches of the target age group. The pacing of the three sections changes from fast to slow to medium, but the characters are lovable, upbeat, and ever bonhomous. Occasional full-page pencil images by debut illustrator Sledzikowska bring them further to life. Budding bookworms will find plenty to chew on.
A wholesome, heartwarming series of exploits.Pub Date: June 11, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 302
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Future quests for these adventuresome girls are assured—and will be most welcome.
Two girls bond over knights, castles, toys, and real treasure in this series opener inspired by a video game.
Nine-year-old Demelza Penrose and her pet goose, Captain Honkers, live in a little camper on a caravan site owned by her father on Penfurzy Island in Cornwall, England. Demelza’s life is upended when a mysterious girl called Nessa breaks in during a storm. When Demelza finds out that her father needs to sell the camper park due to declining revenues, she and Nessa spring into action to defend the property. Their discovery of Demelza’s deceased mother’s notebook containing clues to the legend of the Penfurzy knights and their lost treasure propels them on a series of hair-raising adventures. Fixing up a couple of old bikes to serve as steeds, the girls embark on a lengthy quest, which takes them to a junkyard in search of the Staff of Truth, up a high tor, and into a sunken castle where they engage in battle with sinister knights and discover a roomful of treasure. A satisfying plot twist ensures a happy ending for Demelza and her father and cements the girls’ friendship. This is a lighthearted, swashbuckling tale in which physical bravery as well as smarts and honesty are rewarded. Expressive cartoon-style black-and-white illustrations dot the pages. Nessa is of Asian Indian descent; Demelza is cued as White.
Future quests for these adventuresome girls are assured—and will be most welcome. (map) (Adventure. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72823-728-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Baking, celebrating, storytelling: The high points of the Purim holiday are here in this amusing series addition.
In her latest series outing, a 10-year-old Jewish girl has big plans for Purim.
With her “super-nose,” Saralee, her grandfather’s executive assistant at their family restaurant, can identify the ingredients of any dish with just a whiff. The Siegel House Restaurant is planning a special Purim celebration, with historical costumes and décor, and, in order to make hamantashen with the exact ingredients used in the original Purim story, Saralee will draw on her special talent. Her entire family helps out with preparations—Zadie, Bubbie, Aunt Bean and Aunt Lottie, Uncle Sam, and even Saralee’s younger cousin, Josh (Saralee’s parents aren’t mentioned)—but a party coordinator has also been hired…one who wears fancy robes and has a strangely deep knowledge of ancient Persia. Saralee’s suspicion grows as he usurps her role and becomes closer to her beloved Zadie. She realizes that her fantastic nasal power is magically bringing aspects of the ancient story to life—could the stranger be Haman, the evil royal adviser who in the story of Purim wanted to destroy the Jews? Slowly revealing the holiday’s origins, Saralee’s energetic first-person narrative story about her eccentric, loving family offers a different approach to one of the most joyous Jewish festivals. The humorous grayscale illustrations show major characters as light-skinned, with some tonal variations.
Baking, celebrating, storytelling: The high points of the Purim holiday are here in this amusing series addition. (hamantashen recipe) (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781681156071
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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