Still, the tale of Gertie and her grab for greatness is a rich and enjoyable read, and children will relate to her heartfelt...
A can-do attitude, loyal friends, and a foolproof plan prove insufficient when a seat-stealing new girl swooshes in.
Gertie Reece Foy is a feisty, white fifth-grader with an indomitable spirit and a surefire plan to be the greatest fifth-grader in the "whole school, world, and universe! And that was just Phase One." A for-sale sign in front of the house where her mother lives has pushed Gertie into action. Gertie lives with her dad and aunt, and she is totally fine with that. Yep! But she wants Rachel Collins, her mother, to know exactly how wonderful, remarkable, and great she is. Almost as soon as she launches her big plan, however, blonde, white new girl Mary Sue Spivey starts throwing wrenches in it. Beasley’s debut is populated with a cast of homespun characters that come alive in a tasty blend of twitches, aphorisms, and good, old-fashioned meanness. In addition to determination and an endless supply of Twinkies, she gives Gertie two good friends: Junior, who brims with nervous energy, and supersmart Jean with her extra-sharp No. 2 pencils. (Tamaki depicts the latter two as white and dark-skinned, respectively, in her charming grayscale illustrations.) Readers will wonder why Gertie's mom lives so close by but evidently has no contact with her daughter, a question that may drive some to distraction.
Still, the tale of Gertie and her grab for greatness is a rich and enjoyable read, and children will relate to her heartfelt emotions. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30261-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A satisfying, winning read.
Nick Hall is a bright eighth-grader who would rather do anything other than pay attention in class.
Instead he daydreams about soccer, a girl he likes, and an upcoming soccer tournament. His linguistics-professor father carefully watches his educational progress, requiring extra reading and word study, much to Nick’s chagrin and protest. Fortunately, his best friend, Coby, shares his passion for soccer—and, sadly, the unwanted attention of twin bullies in their school. Nick senses something is going on with his parents, but their announcement that they are separating is an unexpected blow: “it’s like a bombshell / drops / right in the center / of your heart / and it splatters / all across your life.” The stress leads to counseling, and his life is further complicated by injury and emergency surgery. His soccer dream derailed, Nick turns to the books he has avoided and finds more than he expected. Alexander’s highly anticipated follow-up to Newbery-winning The Crossover is a reflective narrative, with little of the first book’s explosive energy. What the mostly free-verse novel does have is a likable protagonist, great wordplay, solid teen and adult secondary characters, and a clear picture of the challenges young people face when self-identity clashes with parental expectations. The soccer scenes are vivid and will make readers wish for more, but the depiction of Nick as he unlocks his inner reader is smooth and believable.
A satisfying, winning read. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-57098-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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