When their dad dies suddenly, Kate, 11, her brother Jesse, 9, her adopted Asian sister, Sookan, 5, and their mom have to give up their comfortable brownstone and friends in Brooklyn to move to Massachusetts because money is a problem. The country house is a dump and immediately casts eerie feelings as Sookan runs screaming from her bedroom decorated with weird doll-like wallpaper. Strange events escalate as the TV turns itself on, a moving blue light appears, homework answers appear overnight, and a sinister-looking antique doll (looking like the wallpaper) is found in the barn. The ethereal activity centers around Sookan, who seems familiar with the blue light and talks to an imaginary friend (Korean words dot the dialogue), leading the search for the “right” hidden antique. As money pressures increase, more inexplicable events occur. Enough details are left untied to make this interesting, leaving the premise of ghosts a possibility. The caring family chemistry feels real, especially Sookan’s charming character. The light-handed spookiness, large print, and quick pace will satisfy younger readers. (Fiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: May 12, 2003
ISBN: 0-618-27599-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2003
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers.
First volume of a planned three, this edited version of an ongoing online serial records a middle-school everykid’s triumphs and (more often) tribulations through the course of a school year.
Largely through his own fault, mishaps seem to plague Greg at every turn, from the minor freak-outs of finding himself permanently seated in class between two pierced stoners and then being saddled with his mom for a substitute teacher, to being forced to wrestle in gym with a weird classmate who has invited him to view his “secret freckle.” Presented in a mix of legible “hand-lettered” text and lots of simple cartoon illustrations with the punch lines often in dialogue balloons, Greg’s escapades, unwavering self-interest and sardonic commentary are a hoot and a half.
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-8109-9313-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
Told from the point of view of two warring siblings, this could have been an engaging first chapter book. Unfortunately, the length makes it less likely to appeal to the intended audience. Jessie and Evan are usually good friends as well as sister and brother. But the news that bright Jessie will be skipping a grade to join Evan’s fourth-grade class creates tension. Evan believes himself to be less than clever; Jessie’s emotional maturity doesn’t quite measure up to her intelligence. Rivalry and misunderstandings grow as the two compete to earn the most money in the waning days of summer. The plot rolls along smoothly and readers will be able to both follow the action and feel superior to both main characters as their motivations and misconceptions are clearly displayed. Indeed, a bit more subtlety in characterization might have strengthened the book’s appeal. The final resolution is not entirely believable, but the emphasis on cooperation and understanding is clear. Earnest and potentially successful, but just misses the mark. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: April 23, 2007
ISBN: 0-618-75043-6
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2007
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