Secrets rock the flower friends in the fourth entry in Myracle's Flower Power series (Oopsy Daisy, 2012, etc.).
Fifth-graders Katie-Rose, Yasaman, Milla and Violet are looking forward to a quiet week, but there is never a dull moment at Rivendell Elementary. Milla is asked out on a date by her adorkable boyfriend, Max, but is having trouble telling her moms about it, let alone the flower friends. Good-girl Yaz sneaks a peek at a note she's been asked to deliver between two teachers and discovers a budding romance. Katie-Rose keeps finding tiny stuffed hedgehogs, but she can't figure out who is leaving them. Meanwhile, Violet tries to rescue the enigmatic new student, Hayley, from the clutches of mean-girl Modessa. But Violet's focus on making sure Hayley becomes a flower friend instead of an evil chick has Yaz feeling left out. Myracle continues her brilliant exploration of the complicated lives of preteens as they navigate first crushes, bullying and the struggle to stay true to themselves. However, this latest entry lacks the edge of the earlier series installments. The ongoing battle between Modessa and the flower friends feels tired, and Myracle focuses more on the girls’ friendships and budding romances than on social issues, like mental illness, as she did in previous entries. Still, the girls' giggle-worthy antics and enough dangling plot threads will keep readers wanting more.
A solid, if not outstanding, entry in the Flower Power series. (Fiction. 9-13)
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0405-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Jan. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2013
After Castro’s takeover, nine-year-old Julian and his older brothers are sent away by their fearful parents via “Operation Pedro Pan” to a camp in Miami for Cuban-exile children. Here he discovers that a ruthless bully has essentially been put in charge. Julian is quicker-witted than his brothers or anyone else ever imagined, though, and with his inherent smarts, developing maturity and the help of child and adult friends, he learns to navigate the dynamics of the camp and surroundings and grows from the former baby of the family to independence and self-confidence. A daring rescue mission at the end of the novel will have readers rooting for Julian even as it opens his family’s eyes to his courage and resourcefulness. This autobiographical novel is a well-meaning, fast-paced and often exciting read, though at times the writing feels choppy. It will introduce readers to a not-so-distant period whose echoes are still felt today and inspire admiration for young people who had to be brave despite frightening and lonely odds. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-168-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
Eleven-year-old Griffin Bing is “the man with the plan.” If something needs doing, Griffin carefully plans a fix and his best friend Ben usually gets roped in as assistant. When the town council ignores his plan for a skate park on the grounds of the soon-to-be demolished Rockford House, Griffin plans a camp-out in the house. While there, he discovers a rare Babe Ruth baseball card. His family’s money worries are suddenly a thing of the past, until unscrupulous collectables dealer S. Wendell Palomino swindles him. Griffin and Ben plan to snatch the card back with a little help. Pet-lover Savannah whispers the blood-thirsty Doberman. Rock-climber “Pitch” takes care of scaling the house. Budding-actor Logan distracts the nosy neighbor. Computer-expert Melissa hacks Palomino’s e-mail and the house alarm. Little goes according to plan, but everything turns out all right in this improbable but fun romp by the prolific and always entertaining Korman. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-439-90344-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2008
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