by Janet Taylor Lisle & illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1991
Each of Lisle's books has been fresh, creative, and unlike its predecessors. In Afternoon of the Elves (Newbery Honor, 1990), grim reality was mitigated by a courageous child's imagination; here, fantastical creatures help convey truths that transcend the harsh realities of a world whose rituals and prejudices are all too familiar. Eric and Gullstone, the pet gull the boy keeps on a tether, live with dour Aunt Opal; as is common in their village, Eric's parents were lost at sea in one of the treacherous whirlpools. His ambition is to spear a lampfish—a magnificent, luminous creature, treasured for its bones but dangerous to catch. Before he gets his chance, he encounters old Zeke Cantrip, survivor of the most dreaded ``spout''; Cantrip's mission is to save the fish, whose beauty speaks so eloquently to Eric that he is horrified next time he witnesses the lampfish hunt's customary brutality. Cantrip takes him down the spout to ``Underwhirl,'' a paradisiacal world to which the lampfish are guides. The perilous journey home is made with the help of Gullstone, now free from Eric's protective custody. Eric himself is changed forever: like Cantrip, he has gained wisdom but become an outsider. In lyrical prose with frequent dashes of humor, an intriguing, fully realized allegorical world with vivid characters, a colorful special vocabulary—and the beguiling fish, who also appear in many of Halperin's excellent drawings. A splendid, unique fantasy. (Fiction. 10+)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-531-05963-4
Page Count: 161
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1991
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Janet Taylor Lisle
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Janet Taylor Lisle & illustrated by David Frankland
BOOK REVIEW
by Richard Peck ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2000
Set in 1937 during the so-called “Roosevelt recession,” tight times compel Mary Alice, a Chicago girl, to move in with her grandmother, who lives in a tiny Illinois town so behind the times that it doesn’t “even have a picture show.”
This winning sequel takes place several years after A Long Way From Chicago (1998) leaves off, once again introducing the reader to Mary Alice, now 15, and her Grandma Dowdel, an indomitable, idiosyncratic woman who despite her hard-as-nails exterior is able to see her granddaughter with “eyes in the back of her heart.” Peck’s slice-of-life novel doesn’t have much in the way of a sustained plot; it could almost be a series of short stories strung together, but the narrative never flags, and the book, populated with distinctive, soulful characters who run the gamut from crazy to conventional, holds the reader’s interest throughout. And the vignettes, some involving a persnickety Grandma acting nasty while accomplishing a kindness, others in which she deflates an overblown ego or deals with a petty rivalry, are original and wildly funny. The arena may be a small hick town, but the battle for domination over that tiny turf is fierce, and Grandma Dowdel is a canny player for whom losing isn’t an option. The first-person narration is infused with rich, colorful language—“She was skinnier than a toothpick with termites”—and Mary Alice’s shrewd, prickly observations: “Anybody who thinks small towns are friendlier than big cities lives in a big city.”
Year-round fun. (Fiction. 11-13)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 978-0-8037-2518-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2000
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More In The Series
More by Richard Peck
BOOK REVIEW
by Richard Peck
BOOK REVIEW
by Richard Peck ; illustrated by Kelly Murphy
BOOK REVIEW
by Richard Peck illustrated by Kelly Murphy
by Minfong Ho ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1991
Drawing on her experience with a relief organization on the Thai border, Ho tells the story of a Cambodian family, fleeing the rival factions of the 80's while hoping to gather resources to return to farming in their homeland. Narrator Dara, 12, and the remnants of her family have arrived at a refugee camp soon after her father's summary execution. At first, the camp is a haven: food is plentiful, seed rice is available, and they form a bond with another family- -brother Sarun falls in love with Nea, and Dara makes friends with Nea's cousin, Jantu, who contrives marvelous toys from mud and bits of scrap; made wise by adversity, Jantu understands that the process of creation outweighs the value of things, and that dead loved ones may live on in memory. The respite is brief: Vietnamese bombing disrupts the camp, and the family is temporarily but terrifyingly separated. Later, Jantu is wounded by friendly fire and doesn't survive; but her tragic death empowers Dara to confront Sarun, who's caught up in mindless militarism instigated by a charismatic leader, and persuade him to travel home with the others—to plant rice and build a family instead of waging war. Again, Ho (Rice Without Rain, 1990) skillfully shapes her story to dramatize political and humanitarian issues. The easily swayed Sarun lacks dimension, but the girls are more subtly drawn—Dara's growing courage and assertiveness are especially convincing and admirable. Touching, authentic, carefully wrought- -and with an unusually appealing jacket. (Fiction. 11-15)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-374-31340-7
Page Count: 163
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1991
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Minfong Ho
BOOK REVIEW
by Minfong Ho ; illustrated by Frances Alvarez
BOOK REVIEW
by Minfong Ho & illustrated by Holly Meade
BOOK REVIEW
by Minfong Ho
© Copyright 2022 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.