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FANTASTIC FLORA

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST, BADDEST, AND SMELLIEST PLANTS

An attractive package that will intrigue and enlighten readers.

Say hello to some peculiar plants.

From the Venus flytrap to the flying-duck orchid, McCallum Staats uses descriptions of very large, very poisonous, very smelly, and very strange flora as jumping-off points to introduce basic botanical concepts. A profile of the Bolivian water lily, for instance, segues into an explanation of simple vs. compound leaves. An entry on the giant sequoia is accompanied by discussions of dendrochronology (tree aging) and coniferous vs. deciduous trees, while the profile on the sandbox tree leads to an explanation of the differences among thorns, spines, and prickles. These smoothly written, chatty entries cover a great deal of material, such as scientific names and details about related plants. Though the plants come from all over the world, McCallum Staats often mentions more familiar relatives. (The sandbox tree, for example, is related to the poinsettia.) Ingram includes both lush, striking illustrations of the plants as well as diagrams and close-ups of individual elements, such as the reproductive parts of a flower. Most similar books emphasize various botanical concepts; this clever reversal spotlights the extraordinary examples the writer has chosen, conveying plenty of general information while also wowing young readers.

An attractive package that will intrigue and enlighten readers. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Pub Date: May 6, 2025

ISBN: 9781536232837

Page Count: 144

Publisher: MIT Kids Press/Candlewick

Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025

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CLUES TO THE UNIVERSE

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

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PAX

Moving and poetic.

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  • Kirkus Reviews'
    Best Books Of 2016


  • New York Times Bestseller

A motherless boy is forced to abandon his domesticated fox when his father decides to join soldiers in an approaching war.

Twelve-year-old Peter found his loyal companion, Pax, as an orphaned kit while still grieving his own mother’s death. Peter’s difficult and often harsh father said he could keep the fox “for now” but five years later insists the boy leave Pax by the road when he takes Peter to his grandfather’s house, hundreds of miles away. Peter’s journey back to Pax and Pax’s steadfastness in waiting for Peter’s return result in a tale of survival, intrinsic connection, and redemption. The battles between warring humans in the unnamed conflict remain remote, but the oncoming wave of deaths is seen through Pax’s eyes as woodland creatures are blown up by mines. While Pax learns to negotiate the complications of surviving in the wild and relating to other foxes, Peter breaks his foot and must learn to trust a seemingly eccentric woman named Vola who battles her own ghosts of war. Alternating chapters from the perspectives of boy and fox are perfectly paced and complementary. Only Peter, Pax, Vola, and three of Pax’s fox companions are named, conferring a spare, fablelike quality. Every moment in the graceful, fluid narrative is believable. Klassen’s cover art has a sense of contained, powerful stillness. (Interior illustrations not seen.)

Moving and poetic. (Animal fantasy. 9-13)

Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-237701-2

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2015

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