A worthwhile series expansion written from a new perspective.
As the Nihil terrorize the galaxy with the Nameless, their Force-eating monsters, a nature-loving Huttlet, an ambitious Jedi youngling, and a senator’s daughter unite as they try to survive on a ransacked planet.
Churo the Hutt never wanted to leave the security of his greenhouse, but he has no choice when his sister sends him to steal a mysterious weapon from the Nihil. After he crash-lands on Palagosal, a once-peaceful planet, he meets Jamil Sollis, a human Jedi youngling who dreams of advancing to the rank of Padawan, and Zenny Greylark, the daughter of a Republic senator who’s searching for her sister. Despite Churo’s concerns about his family’s approval and his fear of encountering danger, he joins Jamil, Zenny, and their team as they set out to investigate the remains of an outpost that was evacuated after the Nihil’s invasion. Dangers lurk in the shadows of the wreckage, and the unlikely allies must rely on each other to confront it. Alternating between the perspectives of a cast of diverse and endearing characters, this High Republic adventure centers on three young heroes who are seeking to better understand themselves, their values, and their places in the galaxy. Through Churo, Córdova adds refreshing complexity to the Hutts, who are traditionally depicted as the embodiment of corruption. The characters’ emotional growth occurs amid high action and conflict with a daunting enemy. Final art not seen.
A worthwhile series expansion written from a new perspective. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781368095198
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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