A quick, enjoyable novel about a teen fugitive scraping by in Arizona.
Clark tells the story of a resourceful runaway in this debut YA novel.
Danny Ockham’s family lives a nomadic life, drifting around the Arizona high desert, sleeping in campgrounds as his alcoholic father looks for work. Thing are more or less bearable until his mother escapes without him, leaving him to contend with the full brunt of his father’s abuse. When his dad gets arrested after accidentally starting a brush fire, 13-year-old Danny takes the opportunity to strike out on his own: “I did not sleep that night; couldn’t find a good spot, no food, and firefighter planes flying around. About dawn, the fire was far away…I snuck down to the creek above where Dad had burned the junk, got some water, washed up and headed up stream.” On his own for the first time, Danny must learn the skills necessary for survival in an unforgiving landscape: foraging, hunting, scavenging, and evading the dangers—human and otherwise—that threaten his safety. Possessed of a resilience formed by his already rough life, Danny manages to make his way on his own terms. He is so successful that when he is presented with the opportunity to return to normal society—maybe even to see his mom again—he faces a difficult choice. Clark’s narration of Danny is direct, simple, and endearing (“On the second try I snagged a small bass for supper. Then, at noon, when the store was busy, I bought some Dinty Stew in the metal can, $3.59. The chocolate bars sure looked good”). Despite its lack of polish and very basic storytelling, the book is genuinely captivating from the beginning, and though Danny is not a character of tremendous introspection, he invites a real emotional investment from the reader. Huck Finn is an obvious comparison, though this tale is not so knowingly constructed. Rather, it reads like an earnest account from a runaway. It’s a short book at only 115 pages, and though Danny’s suggestion of a sequel is handled clumsily, the reader should nonetheless be glad to hear the news.
A quick, enjoyable novel about a teen fugitive scraping by in Arizona.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Muddy Rudder Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires.
Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.
His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced.
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-27244-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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Preserving the look of the classic board book—even to the trim size and rounded corners—this makeover folds new into old in such inventive ways that it may take more than a few passes to discover all the interactive features. Aboard a ship that rocks in response to a tilt of the tablet a set of animal passengers bounce belowdecks. First they take a bath featuring user-created bubbles, and then they brush their teeth using water so hot that the whole screen hazes up with wipe-able “steam.” Pajama-clad, all then wobble—or, tweaked by a finger, rocket—back outside for a bit of exercise before bed. (Readers control this part by twirling the moon.) In the finest animation of all, every touch of the night sky in the final scene brings a twinkling star into temporary being. Along with making small movements that resemble paper-engineered popup effects, Boynton’s wide eyed passengers also twitch or squeak (or both) when tapped. And though they don’t seem particularly sleepy or conducive to heavy lids, an optional reading by British singer Billy J. Kramer (whose well-traveled voice also pronounces each word individually at a touch), backed by soothing piano music, supplies an effectively soporific audio. “The day is done. / They say good night, / and somebody / turns off the light.” This is as beautiful as the developer’s earlier PopOut! Peter Rabbitwhile styling itself perfectly to Boynton's whimsy. (Ipad board-book app. 1-3)
None NonePub Date: March 7, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Loud Crow Interactive
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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