An uplifting tale that will especially resonate with horse lovers.
The stories of a horse named Trendsetter and a girl named Sarah unexpectedly intertwine.
The first foal of the season born to his farm in Luttelgeest, Netherlands, Trendsetter is viewed as exceptional from the start, and he’s expected to become a talented show jumper. But between the pressure of competition and unfeeling trainers, stubborn Trendsetter refuses to perform at two crucial events, and a new owner takes him to America to train as an Olympic horse. Meanwhile, over 3,000 miles away in New York City, Sarah, a horse-loving 10-year-old, struggles with her schoolwork because she has trouble spelling. As years go by, she decides to stop doing her homework altogether, but when her beloved grandmother falls ill, Sarah is inspired to try again in order to write Grandma Frieda’s story of fleeing Austria to escape Jewish persecution. Chapters alternate between Trendsetter’s and Sarah’s perspectives and include life lessons within the context of the story. As their stories move closer to their linked destiny, Trendsetter and Sarah finally meet in an ending that will melt hearts and leave readers dabbing away happy tears. Readers will readily draw parallels between the two characters, both of whom struggle with doing what’s expected of them and who flourish with kindness and encouragement. Physical descriptions of characters are minimal.
An uplifting tale that will especially resonate with horse lovers. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781951836672
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Cameron Kids
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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