Nothing new to see here; for hard-core fans only.
Goosebumps “most wanted” monsters return in all-new tales intended to terrify.
Twelve-year-old Noah “Bean” Bienstock is frightened of monsters, and he’s been having awful dreams of a huge, dark beast dragging him underwater. He’s so bothered by the dream that he sees monsters everywhere: running down the street, in the school’s pool, even in his best friend’s apartment. He knows they’re real, and he’s sure they’re after him. Could Monroe, the new kid in Sternom House Apartments, be the monster? Could it be Harlan, the bully who takes Bean’s lunch money every day? Why isn’t Bean’s best friend Lissa more helpful? Why aren’t his parents more supportive? Is he going crazy? When the dream changes, and the monster tells Bean he’s next, Bean really wigs out. Stine’s new Goosebumps subseries recycles monsters that starred in the original volumes. The writing is repetitive and formulaic, but it’s a formula that has worked for over 20 years: silly/scary covers with only a few frights inside, chapter-ending cliffhangers resolved in the first few sentences of the next chapter and a twist ending. Bean’s first-person narration is full of hyperbolic, goggle-eyed mugging and lots of horrifying italics!
Nothing new to see here; for hard-core fans only. (Horror. 8-12)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-41800-3
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
SEEN & HEARD
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
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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