An engaging and child-friendly look at a growing lifestyle.
A young girl adapts when she and her family move into a tiny mobile house in this debut illustrated children’s book.
Sissy, a biracial girl, loves her life, especially waking up in her big, spacious room. One day, Sissy’s parents inform her that soon they will be moving out of their house and “going Tiny.” They explain: “Our new Tiny House will be on wheels…we can live wherever we want!…Living Tiny means we can own Fewer things and have More experiences.” Sissy is skeptical, especially when her mom says, “We must look at everything we own and keep only the things that have a necessary purpose or are very special to us. We’re going to do what’s called a possessions purge.” Sissy feels reassured after talking to friends who already live tiny. They teach her how to repurpose old items, such as turning her baby blanket into a pillow, and how to take pictures of her “Favorite Things” and put them in a memory book. Sissy feels good about donating her old toys to families in need and becomes very excited when the tiny house arrives. She is thrilled to explore the house on wheels and especially loves her tiny bedroom; the bookshelves feature maps and home-schooling works, indicating that her new journey is just beginning. Flansburg and Norrgard offer an inventive concept here. Weber’s (I Belong, 2018, etc.) illustrations are colorful and appealing, featuring friendly faces and realistic depictions that skillfully complement the text. Throughout the story, the authors deftly demonstrate their knowledge of the tiny house movement. The book also includes a page listing facts about tiny houses and a short history of Sissy (who was “named after” Norrgard’s tiny house, Sisu). The tale’s positive message should be welcomed by teachers and librarians. But the work relies heavily on telling instead of showing, with some long-winded descriptions (“The twinkle lights that used to be on her headboard were now wrapped around the handrail, and, just as she predicted, her homemade sun catcher glittered and danced in the light that streamed in from her new skylight window”). Still, the topic is timely, and Sissy’s situation will be relatable to many kids as the concept of tiny living gains traction.
An engaging and child-friendly look at a growing lifestyle.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-936-426-22-5
Page Count: -
Publisher: Audrey Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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