A remarkable cast and pleasantly snowy backdrop elevate this quiet mystery.
In this third installment of Chalmers’ middle-grade series, youngsters investigate thievery and avian deaths during a winter storm.
Eleven-year-old Berend “Bear” Houtman looks forward to a week on Oxbow Island in Maine—notwithstanding the impending blizzard—because it means spending more time with his beloved grandmother Sally Parker and tween friend Olivia Anaya. Unsurprisingly, the vicious December storm buries the island in three feet of snow and knocks out power, turning a simple trip to a local store into an arduous expedition. This doesn’t stop Olivia, however, from going ahead with a planned fundraiser at a local restaurant.She hopes to raise money for more accessible trails for such townsfolk as her dad, Victor, who’s used a wheelchair since suffering a major injury six years ago. The fundraiser gets a good turnout of townsfolk, who fill a giant pickle jar with donations, but later that night, the jar mysteriously disappears. Around the same time, Bear runs across dead crows in the area and suspects that someone is purposely killing them. He’s determined to track down the perpetrator while also helping Olivia hunt for the donations thief. Bear has a suspect in mind in each case but needs to find solid proof before he heads back home to Massachusetts. The snowy setting in Chalmers’ book sets an irresistible mood, and as characters trudge through snow and wrap themselves in quilts, readers may feel compelled to slip on an extra pair of socks themselves. As the author sublimely writes, “With each gust of wind, sparkly snow drifted from the tree branches onto their heads.” Bear is immensely likable, even when whip-smart Sally and Olivia set him straight after he leaps to conclusions. The mystery is sound, although the kids do little in the way of piecing together clues. The story perfectly captures a close-knit community, as do Hogan’s fine black-and-white illustrations, which depict such things as a cozy woodstove, surrounding woods, and handwritten notes on storefronts.
A remarkable cast and pleasantly snowy backdrop elevate this quiet mystery.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 185
Publisher: Maine Authors Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 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
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