Delightful illustrations and enduring underlying themes make this a fun, quick read.
Just as suddenly as she disappeared at the end of series opener Sadie’s Story (2015), Ms. M the witch pops back into the lives of three besties right when she's needed.
In the first book, a lonely Sadie befriends Ms. M while Jess and Maya are on vacation at Moosehead Lake. This time, Ms. M comes to Jess’ rescue. A natural athlete, Jess excels at basketball, soccer, tennis—just about any sport she tries her hand at. But when it comes to moves in the kitchen, Jess is no match for her chef mom. One afternoon when the babysitter cancels, Jess and her friends decide to make lasagna to surprise her mom. Unfortunately, their good intentions result in a smoked-filled kitchen. Jess is grounded, but all is not lost. Ms. M shows up as her new sitter, and the witch’s outrageous magic stunts and mutual love of sports cheer Jess up. Despite the witty humor, some jokes may go over young readers’ heads. For instance, Jess tries to learn Dog (yes, it’s a language) but “Fra, fra. Foow,” from Jess’ mouth is not the same as “Fra, fra. Foow,” from Ms. M’s. “It’s all in the intonation, dear. Like Chinese.” However, many preteen girls can identify with Jess’ thorny relationship with her mom; no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to make her mom happy. Marcero depicts a multiracial trio of friends; Jess and her mom appear to be Asian.
Delightful illustrations and enduring underlying themes make this a fun, quick read. (cooking tips, recipe, resources) (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: July 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-233841-9
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
During a school year in which a gifted teacher who emphasizes personal responsibility among his fifth graders ends up in a coma from a thrown snowball, his students come to terms with their own issues and learn to be forgiving. Told in short chapters organized month-by-month in the voices of seven students, often describing the same incident from different viewpoints, this weaves together a variety of not-uncommon classroom characters and situations: the new kid, the trickster, the social bully, the super-bright and the disaffected; family clashes, divorce and death; an unwed mother whose long-ago actions haven't been forgotten in the small-town setting; class and experiential differences. Mr. Terupt engineers regular visits to the school’s special-needs classroom, changing some lives on both sides. A "Dollar Word" activity so appeals to Luke that he sprinkles them throughout his narrative all year. Danielle includes her regular prayers, and Anna never stops her hopeful matchmaking. No one is perfect in this feel-good story, but everyone benefits, including sentimentally inclined readers. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-385-73882-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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