A young ghost named Kaz is swept away from his home and ghost family by a strong wind, finally coming to rest in a library.
But it’s not just any library. Claire, who has a special talent for seeing ghosts, actually lives in the library, which is run by her grandmother. Kaz, who has never had any contact with “solids” like Claire, has a lot to learn. He’s never been able—or willing—to pass through objects, making it especially challenging to hide from her, his initial plan. Eventually, the two team up to try to track down one of two apparent ghosts that already haunt the library. Could one of them be Kaz’s older brother, previously swept away from home? Or could Claire’s grandmother have a role in the mysterious appearances of one of the haunts? Butler provides the right amount of back story to settle readers in this ghostly world, as well as a few amusing new ghostly abilities; the story’s definite lack of creepiness ensures that this effort isn’t likely to scare anyone. Both Claire and, especially, Kaz are well-rounded characters, and the frequent cartoon illustrations of them, with wide, oversized eyes and simplified features set in large, round heads, don’t do them justice.
Simple text, brief chapters and a high-interest topic all combine to make this, the first of a series, an easy sell to readers newly transitioned to chapter books. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-46243-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER
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Lupica kicks off a new series starring a pair of 8-year-old twins who solve sports-themed mysteries.
Even the pleasures of competing in various events during his school’s Spirit Week dim a smidge for Zach Walker when the prized autographed baseball he brings to his third-grade class for show and tell vanishes. Happily, his bookish but equally sports-loving sister, Zoe, is on the case, and by the time of the climactic baseball game at week’s end, she has pieced together clues and deductions that lead to the lost treasure—which had not been stolen but batted through an open window by the teacher’s cat and stashed in a storage shed by the custodian. In the co-published sequel, The Half-Court Hero, the equally innocuous conundrum hangs on the identity of the mysterious “guardian angel” who is fixing up a run-down playground basketball court. Along with plenty of suspenseful sports action, the author highlights in both tales the values of fair play, teamwork, and doing the “right thing.” The Walker family presents white, but in both the narrative and Danger’s appropriately bland (if inappropriately static) illustrations, the supporting cast shows some racial and ethnic diversity.
Wholesome, uncomplicated fare for the younger Matt Christopher crowd. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-425-28936-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Puffin
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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The Pharaoh’s pampered cat loves his snacks, his naps, and many other royal privileges.
Ra the Mighty is also lazy, vain, and entirely self-centered. He once solved a mystery and is exceedingly proud to have done so, considering himself a Great Detective (Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective, 2018). But he has no burning desire to become involved in a case now, especially if it would interfere with those naps and snacks. But a Great Mystery is thrust upon him when he travels to Thebes to be measured for his place in Pharaoh’s planned tomb. The tomb of Pharaoh’s ancestor—and of Ra’s own forebear—has been robbed. Reluctantly, Ra and his more-eager cohorts, Miu the kitchen cat and Khepri the scarab beetle, narrow their list of suspects and discover clues amid daring deeds and dastardly betrayals. To add insult to injury, Ra is mistaken for an ordinary cat when the evil Vizier sends a substitute to Pharaoh, and he must make do with ordinary food and a great deal of dirt and discomfort, complaining all the way. Of course innocents are saved, guilty ones are punished, and the Great Detectives triumph. Greenfield keeps the action fast-paced, seamlessly weaving in much information about ancient Egypt, and the interactions among the distinctive and delightful characters are hilarious. Horne’s elongated and exaggerated black-and-white illustrations add to the fun.
May Ra the Mighty (and friends) solve many more ancient mysteries. (glossary of names, note, author’s note) (Historical fantasy/mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4240-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION | CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER
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