Adventures aplenty, with oodles of scene-stealing monsters both mega and mini.
While seeking her kidnapped father, an 11-year-old English girl is astonished to discover that they both belong to a secret community of people who are gifted with the ability to conjure magic creatures from remembered emotions.
Eva Ibbotson meets Edward Lear in this extravagantly silly series opener. Even before Elizabeth “Bitsy” Wilder’s widowed father is abruptly whisked away in the first chapter, a horned, purple, bathtub-size hamstoceros wrecks her home. This calamity is followed in short order by encounters with a teeming horde of other winsome magicores with specific abilities and comical names, such as the huffluff, scutterflix, and flabberghast. Some, like the aptly named doomicorn and a dangerous spiderpede capable of shooting “acidic snot bombs,” add excitement to the ensuing thrill ride. Bitsy, who presents white, and her British Sri Lankan bestie, Kosh Ranasinghe, work together to track down Bitsy’s dad with help from a remarkable reference book that flips open to provide just the information they need. Kosh turns out to be cosmodynamic, like Bitsy and her dad, and the friends compete with evil chaos-conjurors in the hunt for a prized magical artifact called Arkwright’s Gyrowheel. The end leaves the villains temporarily thwarted but far from vanquished, setting things up for the sequel. Wyatt’s whimsical, detailed spot illustrations open each chapter, highlighting a charming array of magicores.
Adventures aplenty, with oodles of scene-stealing monsters both mega and mini. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781536241600
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 5, 2025
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
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
BOOK REVIEW
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