A page-turner that doesn’t offer all the answers.
Budding cowboy Danny is faced with a crushing moral dilemma.
His border collie, Banjo, feral when adopted seven years ago, has been accused by a neighboring rancher’s sons of joining wild dogs in attacking their flock. They say they had to shoot at Banjo to stop him. Now the neighbor wants Banjo to be euthanized, claiming he’s dangerous. Danny knows Banjo wouldn’t attack livestock, but his dog has clearly been winged by a bullet. His earnest father allows the 13-year-old two days to find Banjo another home. When no one will agree to take the dog, Danny and his older brother bring him into the mountains and drive him away with gunfire, hoping he’ll recall his feral background and survive—then claim to have shot him. But Danny knows Banjo’s chances are uncertain, and he suffers agonizing guilt: He’s failed Banjo and deceived his father. Meanwhile, talented horse-whisperer Meg finds Banjo and cares for him but is determined to discover who would abandon such a good dog. Although Banjo’s placement is eventually resolved and his innocence proven, the moral ambiguity of the teen’s situation not only dominates the narrative, but will leave many readers wondering what other course he could have taken. White-default characters are carefully drawn, and the sustained suspense makes for an engaging tale set in rural Oregon.
A page-turner that doesn’t offer all the answers. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-375-84264-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism.
A summer spent summiting the Adirondacks allows a teenager to reckon with grief.
Thirteen-year-old Finn Connelly’s summer is off to a rocky start. In addition to several incomplete class assignments—including a poetry project about heroes—he’s facing vandalism charges after an angry outburst at the local cemetery. To avoid paying thousands in fines that his family can’t spare, he reluctantly agrees to the proffered alternative: climbing all 46 Adirondack peaks over 4,000 feet by Labor Day accompanied by Seymour, the enthusiastic dog who belonged to the woman whose headstone he damaged. As Finn attempts the hikes, he wrestles with what it means to be a hero, a term often used for his deceased father, a local hockey legend, New York City firefighter, 9/11 first responder, and paramedic who died on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. This verse novel is engaging and easy to follow. It encompasses varied structures, like haiku, sonnet, and found poetry. Other ephemera, such as letters, recipes, and school progress reports, create visual breaks evocative of a commonplace book. The first-person narration vividly conveys a disgruntled teenager’s feelings, including moments of humor and contemplation. The novel wrestles with loss and legacy intertwined with weighty events, challenges, and themes—PTSD, alcoholism, toxic masculinity—and their resulting impact on Finn’s emotional well-being. The supporting characters are encouraging adult role models. Characters present white.
An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism. (author’s note) (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781547616398
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Brava!
From award winner Telgemeier (Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage.
Seventh-grader Callie Marin is over-the-moon to be on stage crew again this year for Eucalyptus Middle School’s production of Moon over Mississippi. Callie's just getting over popular baseball jock and eighth-grader Greg, who crushed her when he left Callie to return to his girlfriend, Bonnie, the stuck-up star of the play. Callie's healing heart is quickly captured by Justin and Jesse Mendocino, the two very cute twins who are working on the play with her. Equally determined to make the best sets possible with a shoestring budget and to get one of the Mendocino boys to notice her, the immensely likable Callie will find this to be an extremely drama-filled experience indeed. The palpably engaging and whip-smart characterization ensures that the charisma and camaraderie run high among those working on the production. When Greg snubs Callie in the halls and misses her reference to Guys and Dolls, one of her friends assuredly tells her, "Don't worry, Cal. We’re the cool kids….He's the dork." With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer.
Brava! (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-32698-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
SEEN & HEARD
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