A welcome return of the colorful and curious trio—their next can’t arrive soon enough.
The protectors of the forest return to face a monstrous new threat in the sequel to The Mysterious Abductions (2016).
Sugar glider and master of love Bismark, nervous pangolin Tobin, and fearless fox Dawn—the Nocturnal Brigade—face an unprecedented mystery in the woods. Without warning, the ground cracks, ashes fill the sky, and a large boom shakes the air. No one can predict when the earth will open again or say what is causing this terrible occurrence. A solitary tuatara, Polyphema, appears to have the answers. She tells them a great monster is in their midst, a beast bent on destruction and death. However, something about her raises concerns for Dawn. How does she know of this danger? What brought the creature to the forest? Everyone else believes that Polyphema holds the key to surviving the terror—even Bismark and Tobin believe Polyphema knows best. Will the Nocturnal Brigade survive the rift in their ranks, or will the monster get to them first? Hecht continues to charm readers with delightfully drawn characters and consistent suspense. Bismark's trademark, multilingual adulations fuel both Dawn's eye-rolls and readers' chuckles. Tobin remains cautiously adventurous. His quiet remarks and social perceptiveness ground Bismark's slapstick and elicit warmth from Dawn's cool leadership. Each animal, from the common to the exotic, shines with quirky personality and endearing traits.
A welcome return of the colorful and curious trio—their next can’t arrive soon enough. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-944020-03-3
Page Count: 232
Publisher: Fabled Films
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Entrancing and uplifting.
A small dog, the elderly woman who owns him, and a homeless girl come together to create a tale of serendipity.
Piper, almost 12, her parents, and her younger brother are at the bottom of a long slide toward homelessness. Finally in a family shelter, Piper finds that her newfound safety gives her the opportunity to reach out to someone who needs help even more. Jewel, mentally ill, lives in the park with her dog, Baby. Unwilling to leave her pet, and forbidden to enter the shelter with him, she struggles with the winter weather. Ree, also homeless and with a large dog, helps when she can, but after Jewel gets sick and is hospitalized, Baby’s taken to the animal shelter, and Ree can’t manage the complex issues alone. It’s Piper, using her best investigative skills, who figures out Jewel’s backstory. Still, she needs all the help of the shelter Firefly Girls troop that she joins to achieve her accomplishment: to raise enough money to provide Jewel and Baby with a secure, hopeful future and, maybe, with their kindness, to inspire a happier story for Ree. Told in the authentic alternating voices of loving child and loyal dog, this tale could easily slump into a syrupy melodrama, but Pyron lets her well-drawn characters earn their believable happy ending, step by challenging step, by reaching out and working together. Piper, her family, and Jewel present white; Pyron uses hair and naming convention, respectively, to cue Ree as black and Piper’s friend Gabriela as Latinx.
Entrancing and uplifting. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-283922-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
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