Beautifully turned phrases and perfectly captured descriptions beg for this to be used in middle- and high-school writing...
Poetic phrases and gorgeous illustrations introduce readers to the harsh environment of the Arctic.
Stunted, ragged and lonely, a lone pine growing above the treeline witnesses the changes that the seasons bring throughout one Arctic year—from the snowy darkness of the winter months to the snowmelt and blooming of spring, the year completes its cycle in darkness once again: “The sun retreated. / The colors followed, hunted by the cold. / The world turned silver under black. / Bright stars freckled the sky. / The moon reclaimed its throne.” Frisch’s elegant language, while lovely, precludes this being used by the youngest audiences, who will notice the lack of a plot and may miss the allusions to migration and the northern lights. Delessert’s watercolor-and–colored-pencil artwork helps bridge this gap a little by bringing to life the colors and textures of the Artic. While a few of his animals look a little awkward, most scenes are filled with up-close views of the animals and landscape of the far north, the pine always visible, even if only the tips of its needles.
Beautifully turned phrases and perfectly captured descriptions beg for this to be used in middle- and high-school writing classes. (Picture book. 9-13)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-56846-214-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
After Castro’s takeover, nine-year-old Julian and his older brothers are sent away by their fearful parents via “Operation Pedro Pan” to a camp in Miami for Cuban-exile children. Here he discovers that a ruthless bully has essentially been put in charge. Julian is quicker-witted than his brothers or anyone else ever imagined, though, and with his inherent smarts, developing maturity and the help of child and adult friends, he learns to navigate the dynamics of the camp and surroundings and grows from the former baby of the family to independence and self-confidence. A daring rescue mission at the end of the novel will have readers rooting for Julian even as it opens his family’s eyes to his courage and resourcefulness. This autobiographical novel is a well-meaning, fast-paced and often exciting read, though at times the writing feels choppy. It will introduce readers to a not-so-distant period whose echoes are still felt today and inspire admiration for young people who had to be brave despite frightening and lonely odds. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-168-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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