An impressive addition to a supernatural series that should delight a wide range of readers.
Two girls travel to the past in search of answers about a new friend in this middle-grade novel.
When Wilhelmina “Willy” Snodgrass learns that her family plans to move from Illinois to Oregon, she is upset. On the brink of seventh grade (which Willy already figures is the worst), she predicts that it will ruin her life. Fortunately, that isn’t the case—Willy quickly makes friends with Tomasina “Tommy” Andretti, and, with the help of three ghosts, the girls help reopen the Willamette Wig Factory, a town landmark defunct since the 1970s. Just one question remains—who the heck is Harvey Stingle, the man who assisted them with the factory and who seems to be the main communication point for the ghosts? Tommy and Willy are determined to find out, and because Harvey won’t tell them himself, he sends them back to the late 1800s. As Tommy and Willy dive deeper into the history of their small town, they get closer to unraveling the mystery of Harvey. Is he friend or foe? Why can he talk to ghosts? Of course, the answer leads to a whole new adventure for the girls. The second in the Wilhelmina series, the work picks up about three months after the first ends, so there’s little lag time for fans. Dineen (Mimi Plus Two, 2016, etc.) began her career composing stories for adults, but her voice is right at home in middle-grade fiction, perfectly suited to the age she’s writing for. Many times authors can’t nail down just how kids speak, but the characters here sound like middle schoolers. It adds an authenticity to the work that can’t be faked. The plot is imaginative and complicated enough to hold the attention of older readers, and Dineen refuses to pad the tale with superfluous characters. The wholesome story and pacing are tight and precise, with tension and mystery ramping up as Tommy and Willy get closer to finding out Harvey’s identity. The recipes at the end are a lovely touch—hopefully, the time traveling and historical details that Tommy and Willy learn about Monteith, Oregon, will encourage readers to do some research of their own.
An impressive addition to a supernatural series that should delight a wide range of readers.Pub Date: June 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5334-3317-6
Page Count: 210
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
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