An adventure story with a lot to say about identity, ambition and character. (Historical fiction. 9-13)
Set in the quaint town of Gold Beach in the 1930s, this sequel picks up right where William S. and the Great Escape (2009) left off.
Eighth-grader William, his brother, Buddy, and his two sisters, Trixie and Jancy, have been living with their Aunt Fiona since they escaped the clutches of their cruel father and half-brothers. William thoroughly enjoys his new life, especially when the opportunity arises to try out for the role of Puck in a prestigious summer production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After a spectacular audition, William clinches the role of Puck and makes himself an enemy in the process—a boy called Bernard, the son of the Dean of Performing Arts, who was sure he had the role locked up. A girl named Clarice, who is quite infatuated with William, insists on trying to solve his problem with Bernard and ends up only complicating things further. Finally, in an initially interesting but not entirely successful subplot, Jancy and William have to face the fact that Buddy is behaving like one of their half-brothers, starting fights and making quite the nuisance of himself. Nevertheless, the description of William’s severe case of stage nerves and his techniques for coping with this and other challenges will resonate with readers.
An adventure story with a lot to say about identity, ambition and character. (Historical fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1442419971
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dominican lore brings a fresh perspective to a thrilling tale.
A gutsy tween faces mystical dangers to protect the ones she loves and bring peace to the island of Zafa for good in this duology closer.
It’s been almost a year since Pilar Ramirez, now 13, defeated demons and escaped from Zafa, the magical world inhabited by Dominican legends and influenced by the ruthless real-life dictator Rafael Trujillo. Unsure of how and when to break the news of the reappearance of her cousin Natasha, who had been missing for 50 years and presumed dead, Pilar is still grappling with the terror of what she experienced in Zafa while learning to hone her newly acquired bruja powers. Pilar is excited to tag along on a trip to the Dominican Republic with her family and her sister’s professor (who played an instrumental role in the previous volume), hoping to find more answers about her heritage and abilities there. It’s no relaxing vacation however, as Pilar immediately begins experiencing unsettling visions and is soon contacted by Carmen, her dear Zafan friend who happens to be a ciguapa, a mythological being from Dominican folklore. Up against terrifying new enemies, Pilar returns to Zafa to find the answers she’ll need to protect her family from sinister supernatural danger. Pilar celebrates her Afro-Latina heritage and is open about her desire to improve her Spanish; she uses Spanish words and phrases liberally throughout the story, adding to the text’s delightful rhythm and flavor.
Dominican lore brings a fresh perspective to a thrilling tale. (Adventure. 9-13)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-77412-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
This powerful introduction to a great warrior and leader invites readers to ponder the meaning of “hero.” (author’s note,...
School bullies claim Jimmy McClean’s blue eyes, fair hair, and Scottish surname mean he’s not a real Indian; to validate Jimmy’s Lakota heritage, Grandpa Nyles suggests a road trip in search of another Lakota with fair hair and skin: Crazy Horse.
Their journey takes them across the Great Plains to where Crazy Horse first witnessed attacks on his people and where he fought to end white appropriation of their homeland. Accounts of battles and stories of his integrity and commitment to providing for the weak and elderly in need bring Crazy Horse into focus. The Lakota author’s first book for children (The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn, 2007, etc.) doesn’t airbrush tragic events; they are here, placed in context. At each site, Nyles tells the story (set in italics) of what happened to Crazy Horse there. Between stops, Nyles answers Jimmy’s questions in conversations that allow readers distance to process often bleak events and to reflect on their meaning today (the art’s storybook sensibility helps here). The story’s heavy in losses and defeats, but it’s also uplifting in ways seldom addressed in children’s fiction. Crazy Horse could have led his last small band of warriors to a heroic end in battle. But great leadership mandates a different kind of courage. He chose surrender as the best hope for protecting his people—the vulnerable children, women, and elderly.
This powerful introduction to a great warrior and leader invites readers to ponder the meaning of “hero.” (author’s note, glossary, bibliography) (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0785-8
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
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