A fast-paced, heartwarming read.
A boy finds himself in peril when he investigates the constant rain plaguing his city.
The city of Roan endures rain daily: 47 types in all, from a gentle wib to a life-threatening blanderwheel. Eleven-year-old Oscar Buckle is an umbrella maker’s son, which should come in handy. But business isn’t exactly booming; people prefer the shoddy but inexpensive umbrellas manufactured by Brawn Industries over Bilius Buckle’s durable but pricey creations. When Bilius informs Oscar he must leave school and become his apprentice, he is dismayed; he wants to carve wooden figures, not craft umbrellas. Even worse, Saige Cleverer, his best friend, is moving to the rich—and mysteriously sunny—part of town for her dad’s new job with Brawn Industries. Is there something sinister behind the precipitation deluging Oscar’s neighborhood? The worldbuilding, much of which occurs in wry footnotes provided by an unnamed narrator, relies heavily on the quirky names and vocabulary. Saige, a wheelchair user, lives up to her surname, designing a jet pack and a wheelchair flotation device to circumvent barriers. Readers may quickly guess what’s up, and the ending is somewhat anticlimactic after the narrator’s dramatic foreshadowing. However, Oscar and Saige’s friendship is believably portrayed, and Oscar’s relationship with his single dad is touching, as are his complex feelings about his mother’s death. Oscar and his dad read White; Saige has brown skin, and secondary characters are racially diverse. Final art not seen.
A fast-paced, heartwarming read. (glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780316470872
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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