A phenomenal debut with smooth execution, exciting capers, and heaps of originality.
A desperate monster hunter gambles on a magical heist.
Twelve-year-old apprentice trapper Rosa, whose “not-quite-black hair” goes in “at least seventy-three different directions,” removes deadly monstros under the direction of avó Leonor, her grandmother, but she wishes she could be a keeper and use charms on locks. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic Ministério dos Monstros’ heavy fees squash social mobility, limiting opportunities for people like Rosa and her pickpocket best friend, Tiago, an aspiring tailor, whose hair has “tight coils” and skin is “cork bark–colored.” Right before the Festival of Lights, an unfair Ministry financial demand threatens to destroy Rosa’s family business. Luckily, her keeper abilities have caught the eye of the mysterious band of thieves the Tea Leaves. All she has to do is pass her audition, pull off the greatest heist of all time, and bond with her teammates—trust is essential for their work. But Rosa struggles with the ways she hasn’t always been a good friend and the lie she told about her keeper status. A late twist adds additional urgency for her success. Rosa’s interpersonal struggles balance perfectly with daring heist sequences, where sudden obstacles strain the Tea Leaves’ abilities and cool. Mendonca’s worldbuilding is exquisite and meticulous—the Portuguese-flavored fantasy world’s history and society (which is grounded in corruption and conspiracy) is as well developed as the fresh magical system. The epilogue teases an exciting sequel.
A phenomenal debut with smooth execution, exciting capers, and heaps of originality. (Fantasy. 8-13)Pub Date: July 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781335012883
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read...
When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville’s new public library.
The author of numerous mysteries for children and adults turns his hand to a puzzle adventure with great success. Starting with the premise that billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello has donated a fortune to building a library in a town that went without for 12 years, Grabenstein cleverly uses the tools of board and video games—hints and tricks and escape hatches—to enhance this intricate and suspenseful story. Twelve 12-year-old winners of an essay contest get to be the first to see the new facility and, as a bonus, to play his new escape game. Lemoncello’s gratitude to the library of his childhood extends to providing a helpful holographic image of his 1968 librarian, but his modern version also includes changing video screens, touch-screen computers in the reading desks and an Electronic Learning Center as well as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories. Although the characters, from gamer Kyle to schemer Charles Chiltington, are lightly developed, the benefits of pooling strengths to work together are clear.
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87089-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
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
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