A fine author who won Carnegie medals in both 1987 and 1992 for YA novels re-creates the sensibilities of a young child in three linked stories. After moving to ``a big town, far away,'' Willa is lonely. When she meets Miss Annie, her bent, twisted old hands frighten Willa and she doesn't understand her words, ``so tiny that you could hardly hear them. They were more like secrets.'' Willa thinks Miss Annie has a ``ghost'' in her garden; at night, the white form resembles one, but it's really a lonely goat; by the time Willa and Miss Annie find him an appropriate home the two are friends. In the long central chapter they happen on a pony that has nearly died after being tethered and abandoned—a heartwrenching animal story tempered by its happy outcome and the gritty, satirical characterizations of the villains. ``Vicky Fox'' presents the sad probabilities inherent in trying to keep a wild pet and the differing perceptions of old and young towards possession and friendship between humans and animals; here Willa makes another friend, her own age. Astutely observed, elegantly crafted, and easily read, these thoughtful stories deserve a place beside Phillipa Pearce's A Dog So Small and Dick King-Smith's Sophie books. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1994
ISBN: 1-56402-331-1
Page Count: 92
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1994
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-23848-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
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