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ATHLETE VS. MATHLETE

Despite the differing perspectives, though, it’s never more than a superficial exploration of the differences between...

Seventh-grade fraternal twins Owen and Russell are as different as night and day, and that spells trouble when both of them make the basketball team.

Owen is the quintessential jock: He plays basketball nearly all the time, and when he isn't playing, he's thinking about it. Russell, more concerned with academics, serves as leader of his school's Masters of the Mind team, a group that competes against other schools to solve tough mental puzzles. He's generally regarded as physically inept. Russell and Owen don't understand each other's worlds, but previously, it hardly seemed to matter. Then the new coach asks Russell to try out for the team because he's tall, and with that height comes a surprisingly satisfying skill in blocking shots. Owen, no longer the sole star athlete in his family, becomes increasingly jealous as his father, who once more or less ignored Russell, begins to focus on both sons. Chapters alternate between the brothers’ first-person accounts, providing readers with a nice look at their diametrically opposed thinking. Russell's chapters are amusing, as he discovers unexpected talents and abilities. Owen comes across as much less attractive; readers may be surprised by the level of his anger and his childish behavior.

Despite the differing perspectives, though, it’s never more than a superficial exploration of the differences between brothers, enlivened by welcome infusions of basketball. (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-59990-915-8

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013

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THE NIGHT GARDENER

Lots of creepiness, memorable characters, a worthy message, Arrasmith’s atmospheric drawings and touches of humor amid the...

Replete with engaging figurative language and literary allusions to works ranging from the Bible to Paradise Lost, Auxier’s creepy Victorian ghost story is an allegory on greed and the power of stories.

Fourteen-year-old Molly and her younger brother, Kip, orphans fleeing the Irish famine, seek work in England. The destitute siblings become servants at the Windsor estate, at the center of which is a decrepit house entwined with a huge and sinister tree. Although warned that this place contains something ominous that changes people, they are unprepared for the evil they encounter. The master, mistress and their two children grow pale and thin; their eyes and hair blacken. Entering the forbidden room at the top of the stairs, Molly finds a knothole in the tree—a knothole that produces whatever one wishes for (money, jewels, sweets). The price is a piece of the petitioner’s soul. Muddy footprints and dead leaves in the house attest to an evil nocturnal visitor, the titular Night Gardener, who wipes the sweat of fear from their nightmare-ridden brows to water the tree. In a heart-stopping climax, Molly and Kip attempt to stop this specter and the ancient curse.

Lots of creepiness, memorable characters, a worthy message, Arrasmith’s atmospheric drawings and touches of humor amid the horror make this cautionary tale one readers will not soon forget. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Pub Date: May 20, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4197-1144-2

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Amulet/Abrams

Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014

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ALL TOGETHER NOW

From the Eagle Rock series

Altogether perfect.

Bina wants a band, not a boyfriend: Is that so wrong?

In this follow-up to All Summer Long (2018), Bina, now in eighth grade, has formed a band with new-girl Darcy and aloof prodigy Enzo. When Enzo and Darcy start dating, Bina finds herself dumped by her band mates, who reorganize the group as a duo. Additionally, her neighbor and BFF, Austin, fresh from a breakup with his long-distance girlfriend, now seems to like like her; could her oldest friend become her boyfriend? Everywhere she turns, it seems that everyone is concerned with only one thing—dating—whereas Bina swoons solely for music. Bina feels she must present herself a certain way to find acceptance. Wanting something different from her peers causes her anxiety, and she struggles to be true to herself and her friends as opportunities swirl around her. Bina’s smart, likable, and familiar, and her coming-of-age fears are palpably engaging as she learns that romance need not be romantic. The story is written and drawn by Larson; colorists Sycamore and Edwards add a sophisticated two-toned, muted rose-gold scheme. Larson has a wonderfully sharp eye for her characters, including a range of skin tones, sexual orientations, and body types. Aftermatter includes Larson’s explanation of her artistic process and is sure to inspire budding artists. Bina presents as mixed-race, though it’s not explicitly stated; her dad presents White, and her mom has brown skin.

Altogether perfect. (Graphic fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-374-31162-9

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020

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