An appealing YA shipwreck story.
In Bruck’s debut novel, three teenagers shipwrecked on an island must use their intelligence and bravery to find their way back home.
Daniel White is a talented 13-year-old athlete at Los Angeles’ Thomas Jefferson High. When the principal announces that all students are eligible to apply for the upcoming Youth Olympic Competition in Sydney, Australia, Daniel and other students clamor for the chance to try out. Through a combination of luck and perseverance, Daniel and his two friends, Amy and Tammy, are selected for the trip. Unfortunately, their class rivals, a trio of mean-spirited students, are chosen as well. The adolescents board the Queen Victoria and begin their Olympic training while at sea. However, a violent storm interrupts their trip and cracks the ship in two, separating Daniel and his friends from their peers. The main trio is stranded on the isolated island called Pacifia, where they meet a native tribe whose customs, traditions and scientific understanding draw on Eastern and past Western European influences. Daniel and his friends must collaborate with their new allies if they hope to make it home. Bruck’s novel is well-paced and engaging throughout. The dynamic between the young Americans and the native tribe is portrayed somewhat stereotypically at first, with the natives bowing down in awe to the power of modern Western weaponry; the non-English speaking natives even revere their part-British, English-speaking members. However, the relationship that develops between the adolescents and the tribe becomes more thoughtful and sensitive as the story goes on, with the teens learning new lessons from the natives. Although the good and bad characters are clearly delineated, players on both sides have flaws and strengths that make them relatable. The characters’ youth and the nature of their adventure make the novel most suitable for a young teen or preteen audience.
An appealing YA shipwreck story.Pub Date: March 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-0989550703
Page Count: 412
Publisher: PACIFIA
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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