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 successful call for creating and imagining, even if the story itself falls short.
In the dystopian, totalitarian world of 2099, 14-year-old Tessa and her family are desperate to solve the mystery of her twin brother Theo’s disappearance.
Tessa is growing up in a time when playgrounds are historical relics, surveillance cameras are everywhere, music is outlawed, and owning books is illegal. Under the absolute rule of Zokiris, the decadeslong leader of her territory, people are heavily controlled. When Theo vanishes under mysterious circumstances and his name is erased from the Territory Statistics list, Tessa’s 135-year-old neighbor, Miriam, gives the family contraband books that become central to figuring out Theo’s whereabouts. Most books have long since been seized and stored away in Building 903; Tessa is intrigued by their presence in her home, while her mother is terrified. Lowry, the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Giver (1993), shines in her creation of uncomfortably believable dystopian societies. Tessa’s painfully limited world is fully imagined, with its own history, laws, and norms. Her relationship with her brother reads as realistic and tender and is crucial to the mystery. Miriam is the most strongly developed character: wise and independent, unafraid and hopeful. While the climb to the book’s climax is captivating, the hurried resolution is disappointing. The powerful messaging around the importance of literature and imagination certainly resonates, however. The main characters present white.
A successful call for creating and imagining, even if the story itself falls short. (Dystopian. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780063515109
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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