A fun romp with a feline detective.
Ra, the Pharaoh’s self-centered, pampered cat and self-proclaimed Great Detective, is not interested in a new mystery.
Ra and his buddies—Khepri, a scarab beetle, and Miu, the kitchen cat—have already solved two mysteries, but Ra much prefers a lazy life of napping and snacking. He is looking forward to a cruise along the Nile with Pharaoh and his children, but Pharaoh must remain in Thebes, and Ra is charged with the task of accompanying and protecting 12-year-old crown prince Dedi and his 6-year-old sister, Kiya. When they dock at the palace of Lady Satiah, vicious crocodiles surround their barge. Lady Satiah behaves very strangely, and her household is filled with odd characters. She takes the children’s jewelry, separates them from their trusted servants, and brags about her remarkable zoo. When Dedi disappears, Ra and his cohorts find themselves with a multitude of suspects, both human and animal—along with plenty of red herrings, intrigue, danger, and some surprise twists—before the culprits are apprehended and the crime is solved. Horne’s elongated, exaggerated black-and-white illustrations perfectly capture the setting and characters’ idiosyncrasies. The animal leads engage in delightful, often hilarious repartee, speaking in modern syntax easily understood by young readers. While keeping the action moving briskly, Greenfield seamlessly provides information about the mores and culture of ancient Egypt.
A fun romp with a feline detective. (glossary of names, author’s note) (Mystery. 7-11)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4649-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A wild romp that champions making space for vulnerable creatures and each other.
A boy with ADHD explores nature and himself.
Eleven-year-old Jake Rizzi just wants to be seen as “normal”; he blames his brain for leading him into trouble and making him do things that annoy his peers and even his own parents. Case in point: He’s stuck spending a week in rural Oregon with an aunt he barely knows while his parents go on vacation. Jake’s reluctance changes as he learns about the town’s annual festival, during which locals search for a fabled turtle. But news of this possibly undiscovered species has spread. Although Aunt Hettle insists to Jake that it’s only folklore, the fame-hungry convene, sure that the Ruby-Backed Turtle is indeed real—just as Jake discovers is the case. Keeping its existence secret is critical to protecting the rare creature from a poacher and others with ill intentions. Readers will keep turning pages to find out how Jake and new friend Mia will foil the caricatured villains. Along the way, Bramucci packs in teachable moments around digital literacy, mindfulness, and ecological interdependence, along with the message that “the only way to protect the natural world is to love it.” Jake’s inner monologue elucidates the challenges and benefits of ADHD as well as practical coping strategies. Whether or not readers share Jake’s diagnosis, they’ll empathize with his insecurities. Jake and his family present white; Mia is Black, and names of secondary characters indicate some ethnic diversity.
A wild romp that champions making space for vulnerable creatures and each other. (Adventure. 8-11)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781547607020
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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