Featuring 466 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction, Children's and YA Books

KIRKUSVOL. LXXXVII, NO. 14 | 15 JULY 2019 REVIEWS

Suspenseful and mysterious, insightful and tender, Helen Phillips’ new thriller, The Need, cements her standing as a writer with a singular sense of story and style. p. 14 from the editor’s desk:

Chairman Playing Favorites HERBERT SIMON President & Publisher BY TOM BEER MARC WINKELMAN #

Chief Executive Officer MEG LABORDE KUEHN [email protected] Photo courtesy John Paraskevas What is your favorite book? Wait—don’t answer too fast. For a book Editor-in-Chief TOM BEER junkie like me, and most readers of Kirkus Reviews, choosing a favorite [email protected] Vice President of Marketing book is a daunting prospect. We’ve read hundreds, if not thousands, of SARAH KALINA books over the years and received joy from so many various titles; how [email protected] Managing/Nonfiction Editor ERIC LIEBETRAU could anyone select just one? [email protected]

I recently joined the Kirkus team as editor-in-chief, and my first Fiction Editor LAURIE MUCHNICK official duty was to select a favorite book for my business card. It [email protected] Children’s Editor felt as though I’d never face a harder challenge during my tenure at VICKY SMITH the magazine. [email protected] Young Adult Editor Tom Beer All Kirkus staffers have their favorite books listed on their business LAURA SIMEON [email protected]

cards, and it’s the first thing you learn when we introduce ourselves to you—an easy identi- Editor at Large MEGAN LABRISE fier and an icebreaker. Fiction editor Laurie Muchnick’s card says Transit of Venus, the 1980 [email protected] Vice President of Kirkus Indie novel by the late, great Shirley Hazzard. Nonfiction editor Eric Liebetrau went forAnother KAREN SCHECHNER [email protected] Roadside Attraction, the inimitable counterculture classic by Tom Robbins. Sue Townsend’s Senior Indie Editor was the pick of Laura Simeon, our Young Adult DAVID RAPP The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾ [email protected] Editor. Children’s Editor Vicky Smith selected C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Ward- Indie Editor MYRA FORSBERG robe. Indie editor Karen Schechner got three books for the price of one with Margaret [email protected] Associate Manager of Indie Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy. I’ve read the Robbins—it’s wacky and exuberant fun, like all KATERINA PAPPAS [email protected] Robbins’ novels—and the Narnia books were childhood favorites, but I haven’t read Transit Editorial Assistant or , so I have some new additions to my TBR list. You might, too. CHELSEA ENNEN of Venus Adrian Mole [email protected] One of the appealing things about coming on board at Kirkus Reviews is the good for- Mysteries Editor THOMAS LEITCH tune to work with so many people who care deeply about books and never tire of discussing Contributing Editor them. Outgoing editor Claiborne Smith, who is leaving to write his own book and to direct GREGORY McNAMEE Copy Editor the San Antonio Book Festival, has In the Darkroom by Susan Faludi on his business card. In BETSY JUDKINS Designer his nearly seven years at the magazine, Clay has led a crack team of editors and overseen ALEX HEAD

dramatic changes. Kirkus covers more books, more thoroughly and thoughtfully, than ever Director of Kirkus Editorial LAUREN BAILEY before. I’m honored to pick up the baton from him and excited about changes still to come. [email protected] Production Editor As for my business card, I agonized for the better part of a week CATHERINE BRESNER over many contenders before deciding on The Line of Beauty, the 2004 [email protected] Website and Software Developer Man Booker Prize–winning novel by Alan Hollinghurst. It’s a story PERCY PEREZ [email protected]

about being gay in 1980s England and the terrible ravages of AIDS Advertising Director MONIQUE STENSRUD but also about the darkly seductive hold that the upper-class Fedden [email protected] Advertising Associate family holds over Nick Guest, a middle-class outsider who will have TATIANA ARNOLD his illusions about wealth and privilege shattered. Like all of Holling- [email protected] Graphic Designer hurst’s fiction, it’s gorgeously written, full of sentences to luxuriate in. LIANA WALKER [email protected]

Even as I write this, however, I am thinking of two or three Controller MICHELLE GONZALES other titles that might have taken its place. That’s the thing about [email protected] books—there are always more to discover and new favorites to for customer service or subscription questions, come. Check back with me again in a few months. please call 1-800-316-9361

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2 | 15 july 2019 | from the editor’s desk | kirkus.com | you can now purchase books online at kirkus.com contents fiction INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 4 The Kirkus Star is awarded REVIEWS...... 4 to books of remarkable EDITOR’S NOTE...... 6 ON THE COVER: HELEN PHILLIPS...... 14 merit, as determined by the H.G. PARRY’S UNLIKELY DEBUT...... 24 MYSTERY...... 35 impartial editors of Kirkus. & FANTASY...... 42 ROMANCE...... 46 nonfiction INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 49 REVIEWS...... 49 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 50 BEN FOLDS’ CHEAP LESSONS...... 64 THE KING TRANSFORMS LAS VEGAS...... 70 children’s INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 83 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 83 REVIEWS...... 85 PABLO CARTAYA CREATES A SPARK...... 100 BOARD & NOVELTY BOOKS...... 152 CONTINUING SERIES...... 159 young adult INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 161 REVIEWS...... 161 EDITOR’S NOTE...... 162 DEBBIE RIGAUD GETS ROYALLY ROMANTIC...... 168 CONTINUING SERIES...... 180 In The Only Plane in the Sky, journalist indie Garrett M. Graff delivers wrenching, highly INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...... 181 personal accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath. REVIEWS...... 181 Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text EDITOR’S NOTE...... 182 should check their pulses: Something is wrong INDIE Q&A: DAVID LEADBEATER...... 188 QUEERIES: NICOLE DENNIS-BENN...... 196 with their hearts. Read the review on p. 62. Don’t wait on the mail for reviews! You can read pre-publication reviews as INDIE BOOKS OF THE MONTH...... 205 they are released on kirkus.com—even before they are published in the magazine. Kirkus Reviews FIELD NOTES...... 206 You can also access the current issue and back issues of on our website by logging in as a subscriber. If you do not have a username or password, APPRECIATIONS: THE GODFATHER, 50 YEARS LATER...... 207 please contact customer care to set up your account by calling 1.800.316.9361 or emailing [email protected].

| kirkus.com | contents | 15 july 2019 | 3 fiction These titles earned the Kirkus Star: A GIRL NAMED ANNA Barber, Lizzy MIRA (320 pp.) NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo...... 5 $15.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-7783-0899-7 NIGHT BOAT TO TANGIER by Kevin Barry...... 6 CHANGE ME by Andrej Blatnik; trans. by Tamara M. Soban...... 8 On the 15th anniversary of her sis- ter’s disappearance, a young woman A DANGEROUS MAN by Robert Crais...... 11 launches her own investigation in British author Barber’s U.S. debut. BANSHEE by Rachel DeWoskin...... 12 Rosie Archer was only a baby when her 3-year-old sister, Emily, disappeared OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT by Petina Gappah...... 16 at Astroland, a Florida amusement park they visited while on THE LIAR by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen; trans. by Sondra Silverston...... 17 vacation from England. Her parents haven’t given up hope that Emily is still alive, but Rosie and her younger brother, WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS by Nancy Hale...... 18 Rob, have largely borne the brunt of the fallout. The high pro- file of Rosie’s famous music producer father has ensured that THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW by Alice Hoffman...... 20 everyone knows who Rosie is. It’s not the kind of celebrity ONCE UPON A TIME IN FRANCE by Fabien Nury; she wants, and her parents are understandably overprotective; illus. by Sylvain Vallée & Delf & Haley Rose-Lyon; Rosie chafes at this situation with risky behavior. Fifteen years trans. by Ivanka Hahnenberger...... 27 haven’t blunted the guilt and blame that cycle between Emily’s parents, and while it’s obvious they’ve done their best by Rosie A SONG FOR A NEW DAY by ...... 28 and Rob, the siblings’ lives have been irrevocably shaped by the sister they never knew. When Rosie finds out that the trust THE STRANGER INSIDE by Lisa Unger...... 34 set up to fund the search for her sister is about to run out, she RUSTY BROWN by Chris Ware...... 34 decides she’s going to find out what happened to Emily and hopefully get closure for herself and her family. Meanwhile, in RED AT THE BONE by Jacqueline Woodson...... 35 Florida, 18-year-old Anna Montgomery lives with her reclusive, ultrareligious mother, Mary, and is ecstatic to be heading for the HEAVEN, MY HOME by Attica Locke...... 39 forbidden Astroland with her boyfriend, William. It’s there that JADE WAR by Fonda Lee...... 43 she flashes on some disturbing memories, and a letter hand- delivered to her mailbox calling her by another name causes GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir...... 44 Anna to her entire existence and do a little digging (literally) of her own. Readers will quickly know the “who” of THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE by Annalee Newitz...... 44 the story—it’s the “why” that’s the focus, and Rosie’s and Anna’s CHILLING EFFECT by Valerie Valdes...... 45 dual narratives lend intimacy and emotional resonance. Anna’s story often veers into Carrie territory, and Barber renders the SAPPHIRE FLAMES by Ilona Andrews...... 46 Archers’ heart-wrenching plight with realistic emotional inten- sity. While it stretches credulity a bit that a teen, even a clever one like Rosie, would have more luck than all those Scotland Yard investigators and private detectives, readers willing to just go with it will find a lot to enjoy. A page-turning look at the aftermath of a parent’s worst nightmare.

4 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | ELEVATOR PITCH secret societies (Lethe is the eponymous Ninth House) are not Barclay, Linwood just old boys’ breeding grounds for the CIA, CEOs, Supreme Morrow/HarperCollins (464 pp.) Court justices, and so on, as they are in ours; they’re wielders $26.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 of actual magic. Skull and Bones performs prognostications by 978-0-06-267828-7 borrowing patients from the local hospital, cutting them open, and examining their entrails. St. Elmo’s specializes in weather People in Manhattan are falling to magic, useful for commodities traders; Aurelian, in unbreak- their deaths in maliciously rigged eleva- able contracts; Manuscript goes in for glamours, or “illusions tors. Is it terrorism at work? And if so, and lies,” helpful to politicians and movie stars alike. And all are the terrorists foreign or domestic? these rituals attract ghosts. It’s Alex’s job to keep the super- If anyone is going to get to the bot- natural forces from embarrassing the magical elite by releasing tom of things, it’s hard-charging news- chaos into the community (all while trying desperately to keep paper columnist Barbara Matheson. Overwhelmed New York her grades up). “Dealing with ghosts was like riding the subway: Mayor Richard Headley, her favorite target, still has no idea Do not make eye contact. Do not smile. Do not engage. Otherwise, you what’s going on after the third elevator crash or what measures never know what might follow you home.” A townie’s murder sets to take: Dare he shut down all 70,000 elevators in the Big Apple, in motion a taut plot full of drug deals, drunken assaults, cor- especially on the eve of the spectacular opening of Top of the ruption, and cover-ups. Loyalties stretch and snap. Under it all Park, the city’s second-tallest building? When a murder victim runs the deep, dark river of ambition and anxiety that at once found on the popular High Line walkway with his fingertips cut powers and undermines the Yale experience. Alex may have off is belatedly identified as an elevator technician, the police more reason than most to feel like an imposter, but anyone

have a possible link to the gruesome elevator deaths. But what who’s spent time around the golden children of the Ivy League young adult does the subsequent bombing of a cab have to do with them? will likely recognize her self-doubt. Barclay (A Noise Downstairs, 2018, etc.) is an old hand at twisty, With an aura of both enchantment and authenticity, tantalizing plots. But as promising as the premise is, it never Bardugo’s compulsively readable novel leaves a portal ajar really goes anywhere. A combination of so-so surprises, con- for equally dazzling sequels. trived turns, and gratuitous elements take the air out of the story, which also involves Barbara’s contentious daughter, Arla, and the mayor’s belittled son and adviser, Glover. A recurring WHAT ROSE FORGOT motif is characters with restrictive physical conditions being Barr, Nevada forced to climb many flights of stairs. They include police detec- Minotaur (304 pp.) tive Jerry Bourque, whose shrink’s diagnosis that his wheezing $28.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 condition is psychosomatic gets put to the test. 978-1-250-20713-5 While there’s much to enjoy in Barclay’s latest, the book too often sells itself and the reader short. Barr takes a break from her bestsell- ing series about National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon (Boar Island, 2016, etc.) for NINTH HOUSE a one-of-a-kind stand-alone that follows Bardugo, Leigh the adventures of a woman committed to Flatiron Books (448 pp.) a Memory Care Unit for dementia as she $27.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 fights to claw back her life. 978-1-250-31307-2 There’s a lot of stuff Rose Dennis doesn’t know. She doesn’t know when and how she got out of Longwood or when and how Yale’s secret societies hide a super- she arrived there in the first place. She’s surprised and pained natural secret in this fantasy/murder when people remind her that although she grew up in New mystery/school story. Orleans, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, with Harley, Most Yale students get admitted her husband of 15 years, and that he’s died. At one point she’s not through some combination of impres- even sure whether she’s 68 years old or 103. After a pair of order- sive academics, athletics, extracurricu- lies hustle her back to Longwood, however, Rose resolves that lars, family connections, and donations, or perhaps bribing it’s the medications she’s being fed that are sapping her pow- the right coach. Not Galaxy “Alex” Stern. The protagonist of ers of mind and will and vows to stop taking them and escape Bardugo’s (King of Scars, 2019, etc.) first novel for adults, a high again, this time for keeps. Fortunately, her second attempt school dropout and low-level drug dealer, Alex got in because takes her to the home of Melanie Dennis, Harley’s levelheaded, she can see dead people. A Yale dean who’s a member of Lethe, resourceful 13-year-old granddaughter, who’s more than ready one of the college’s famously mysterious secret societies, offers to do whatever it takes to keep Gigi, as she calls Rose, two steps Alex a free ride if she will use her spook-spotting abilities to ahead of her pursuers. Unfortunately, one of those pursuers, a help Lethe with its mission: overseeing the other secret soci- shadowy man armed with a knife, breaks into the old house eties’ occult rituals. In Bardugo’s universe, the “Ancient Eight” where Rose is hiding out and tries to kill her. More adventures

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 5 novels about work that aren’t work to read

I always enjoy reading books about follow, some of them involving Rose’s hermitlike sister, Marion work, books that introduce readers Bliss, who offers all the help a life spent online allows, some to the deep mechanics of a job—the involving Karen Black, the hapless Longwood nurse Rose gets way Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter the better of on three separate occasions. It’s both a nuisance (2016) brings you inside the restaurant and a personal triumph when the media get hold of Rose’s story business or by and label her “Gun Granny.” The Belles Lettres Papers A tour de force that thickens its thriller plot with a Charles Simmons operates in the world razor-sharp view of its heroine’s unreliable but perceptive of, ahem, a book review journal. (Of that mind. novel, Kirkus said in 1987: “Brilliant tac- tics, piquant dialogue, a clutch of pho- ny Shakespeare sonnets, and dry-point NIGHT BOAT characterizations—all you regret is that there isn’t more.” If TO TANGIER you’re reading this, you’ll love it.) Barry, Kevin Lately, I’ve noticed a small spate of books about sci- Doubleday (272 pp.) $25.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 entists and mathematicians written by women, which I 978-0-385-54031-5 find a heartening development. Not that it’s entirely new; check out Three Times Table by Sara Maitland, about a pa- In this gifted Irish writer’s muscular, leontologist, or Margaret Drabble’s Realms of Gold, about magical, and often salty prose, several an archaeologist. lives take shape as two older men look Catherine Chung’s The Tenth Muse (June 18) is about for a young woman in a ferry terminal. a mathematician named Katherine who was “one of the Maurice and Charles, both past 50, only female graduate students at MIT are “fading Irish gangsters” once involved in bringing Moroc- can hashish to Ireland via Spain. As the novel opens, they’re sit- in the early 1960s,” according to our ting in the Algeciras ferry terminal because they’ve learned that starred review. “Despite being sur- Maurice’s daughter, Dilly, who took off three years earlier, may rounded by men who either dismiss be coming through on her way to Tangier. As the men question her outright or want to use her aston- young vagrant travelers about Dilly—there’s a complicated dog ishing intelligence for their own gains, connection, among other things, that identifies such targets— Katherine never loses her ambition to flashbacks reveal the men’s drug-trading days, dovetailing with have an academic career and to solve Ireland’s roaring Celtic Tiger economy. With wealth come the Riemann hypothesis, one of the poor choices, paranoia, and real threats. Maurice’s marriage to Cynthia suffers, the men fall out—marked by a brilliant bar- greatest mysteries in math.” Chung room scene—and over this trio hangs a much larger question herself studied math at the University that helps explain the Dilly vigil at Algeciras. The daughter is of Chicago and did research for this revealed as a strong, intriguing in all-too-brief appear- novel at the Institute for Advanced ances while the pivotal Cynthia inexplicably gets short shrift. Study in Princeton. Our review concludes that this is “a Mostly the two men talk, with a profligate, profane, comic powerful and virtuosically researched story about the mys- splendor that mixes slang, Gaelic, artful insult, and the liturgy teries of the head and the heart.” of long friendship. Barry (Beatlebone, 2015, etc.) delights in the (April 2) by Nell Freudenberger is about sound of two voices at play. In City of Bohane (2011), the banter Lost and Wanted of a brace of thugs named Stanners and Burke winds through Helen Clapp, a physicist at MIT who gets a text mes- the main tale. In the story “Ernestine and Kit” from Dark Lies sage from her dead best friend. Our the Island (2013), two women in their 60s trade seemingly harm- starred review says “Freudenberg- less insults to comic effect, barely masking their evil intentions. er is good at explaining physics, but Ever playful, the author titles the new novel’s opening chapter her real genius is in the depiction of “The Girls and the Dogs,” which is also the title of a story in relationships” and that the book is Dark Lies the Island that alludes to the Moroccan hash trade. “brimming with wit and intelligence Barry adds an exceptional chapter to the literary his- and devoted to things that matter: tory of a country that inspires cruelty and comedy and uncommon writing. life, love, death, and the mysteries of the cosmos.” Sounds like everything you’d want in a novel. —L.M.

Laurie Muchnick is the fiction editor.

6 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | NOTES WITHOUT A TEXT lead work is an odd novel centering on a sea captain who is And Other Writings never at home in the world and especially not in his own home, Bazlen, Roberto where he feels untoward urges toward his wife: “I really have Trans. by Andriesse, Alex to hit her.” In the company of strange players with names like Dalkey Archive (352 pp.) Peg-Leg and the One-Eyed Man, he sails from harbor to harbor, $19.95 paper | Sep. 20, 2019 meeting other stock characters like “an Oriental,” “the Gypsy 978-1-62897-312-9 Woman,” and “the negress,” who do pretty much as they would in an old Popeye cartoon, allowing for extra helpings of surreal- Omnibus edition of works by an ism and non sequitur (“the Captain was close to death, but he Italian writer who might have been a was awfully cultured”). Included are sketches of characters like modernist master had he not been more The Cabin Boy, who says to the Captain, “It would be unfair not intent on sowing literary confusion. to take you adequately into account—and besides I’m indebted Calasso, who introduces this collection of texts by Trieste- to you for a couple of pesos (and a flask of wine too).” The hal- born translator and editor Bazlen (1902-1965), gives a rather lucinatory mode prevails. Bazlen’s essays and notes on writ- murky account of the centrifugal tendencies of a writer who ers such as Italo Svevo and Habsburg-era Triestine culture are wrote but did not publish: “Preparing for emptiness…is an more straightforward (“it was a musical city…where everyone abnormal occurrence—it always has been—and not only that: sang”), and his witty editorial reports come as a relief after the the modes of existence most prevalent at present teach us to unrelenting peculiarity of the more “literary” writing. All in all, forget even the possibility of emptiness.” Accepting Calasso’s though, it’s a slog. contention that Bazlen made himself right at home in the void, A puzzling, incomplete set of notes toward a text; of

the texts brought together here vary in intent and quality. The some interest to students of postwar European literature. young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 7 A woman starts a new life on a small island…but soon finds herself in the middle of a hurricane. no judgments

CHANGE ME identity, character, free will, and choice are up for grabs. A pas- Blatnik, Andrej sage referring to one character will end one chapter, and then Trans. by Soban, Tamara M. the same passage will begin the next chapter, referring to the Dalkey Archive (194 pp.) other, the husband and then the wife, or vice versa. (“Some- $15.95 paper | Sep. 26, 2019 thing had changed. Everything would have to be reorganized. 978-1-62897-336-5 It wasn’t too late.”) The man has not only walked away from his family, but from his computers, which he had once used as a Global consumerism is a nightmare musical mixer and later as a genius advertising sloganeer, “the from which one nuclear family is trying boy wonder of his generation,” who, according to his wife, was to awaken. “so efficiently helping to maintain the smooth running of the This novel was published in Blat- conveyor belt of goods fetishism and consumerism.” It was nik’s (Law of Desire, 2014, etc.) native he who had come up with the “brand name for the toothpaste, Slovenia in 2008, making it all the more remarkable how timely, DissiDent.” Yet he has apparently come to revile the values that even prescient, it seems now. On the surface, it’s a love story, he long worked to promote, and so he has taken off while leaving beginning and ending with the same note from a husband to his family well provided for. His wife finds herself torn between his wife, the wife he is leaving with their two sons, without her professional obligations, running a firm that involves occu- warning. “It’s here now, this story, all of it,” he writes. “It’s here pational retraining for this new globalism, and her personal to say: I love you.” Though perhaps he has been warning her fears and desires. Her life is also transformed by her husband’s all along, perhaps the whole novel is a cautionary tale, one in decision to transform his. By the end of the story, which ends which nothing is as simple as it seems, and the very notions of where it began, little has changed and everything has changed. With some echoes of Kafka and Vonnegut, this novel looks for the soul of the 21st century and finds an abyss.

NO JUDGMENTS

Cabot, Meg “A superb haiku collection for readers Morrow/HarperCollins (384 pp.) $15.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 who thought they didn’t like poetry, 978-0-06-289004-7

richly expressive and very accessible.” A woman starts a new life on a small —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) island…but soon finds herself in the mid- dle of a hurricane. Bree Beckham needs to start over. After her boyfriend’s best friend tries to sexually assault her, no one supports her—not even her mom or boyfriend. So Bree retreats to Little Bridge Island, the site of many treasured childhood vacations. She finds work as a waitress at the Mermaid Café and, after three months, feels like she fits in with the quirky locals. When Hurricane Marilyn heads straight toward Little Bridge, Bree decides to stay—despite everyone on the mainland encouraging her to evacuate. Like many residents, she has a good reason not to leave—her senior cat, Gary, who can’t travel. Bree and Gary ride out the storm at the large, generator-powered home of her bosses, who choose not to evacuate because last time they did, someone broke into their restaurant and stole an industrial meat slicer. Bree rides out the storm in relative luxury, but when it’s all over, she realizes that not everyone was so lucky. There’s significant property damage on the island, but worst of all, the www.TheWonderCode.com storm took out the bridge to the mainland. When Bree finds out that many owners left their pets behind, assuming they’d Publisher inquiries welcome: be able to come back in a couple of days, she takes it upon herself to rescue them. With the help of her mother, a famous please contact [email protected] radio host, she instructs people to call her landline if they have stranded pets. But Bree doesn’t have to do it all alone—her bosses’ nephew, the hunky playboy Drew Hartwell, wants to

8 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | help. After her bad experiences with men, Bree swears she’s on A SINGLE THREAD a man-cation…but Drew is pretty cute and obviously interested Chevalier, Tracy in her. Cabot (Bridal Boot Camp, 2018, etc.) creates a story that’s Viking (336 pp.) full of timely issues, most notably the tendency of 24/7 news $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 channels to sensationalize big storms. Through Bree, Cabot 978-0-525-55824-8 encourages readers to avoid judging people who stay behind in a hurricane to care for loved ones or protect their businesses. It’s been 14 years since the Great And although animal-lover Bree is initially horrified that pets War ended, and Violet Speedwell is still were left behind, she quickly learns that many people had grieving the loss of her brother and her good reasons for evacuating without their animals. Written in fiance. A daring move—living on her Cabot’s typically entertaining, breezy style, with tons of quirky own—will bring her a chance to breathe side characters to liven up the story, this book will encourage and love again. readers to think compassionately about people who make hard Of course, life as an independent woman in 1932 is hard. A decisions in the face of natural disasters. typist for Southern Counties Insurance, Violet barely makes A fun, fast, and romantic story. enough money to cover her rent at Mrs. Harvey’s boarding- house. Budgeting for one hot dinner a week and subsisting on margarine and Marmite sandwiches leaves Violet practically THE SOUND OF THE HOURS starving. She’s emotionally starving, too. Chevalier (New Boy, Campbell, Karen 2017, etc.) masterfully portrays the bleak lives of the “surplus Bloomsbury (464 pp.) women” left to carry on after a generation of young men—their

$29.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 young adult 978-1-4088-5737-3

Sparks fly between unlikely allies— an African American GI and an Italian girl stripped to her essence by suffer- ing—in a World War II romance set in the harshly defended Tuscan mountains. Eighteen-year-old Vittoria Guidi joins the Italian partisans after she has lost almost everyone—her mother shot by the Nazis; her father deported to Germany; her cousins likely massacred in a nearby village. With family and meaning torn away and her town ransacked by the retreating German army, she has, she thinks, nothing left to lose. But recently, in Lucca, she met Frank Chapel, an Ameri- can soldier in the Buffaloes—a segregated troop in the U.S. Army—and a connection sprang to life between them. Frank, battle-hardened by the loss of compatriots, the sheer physical toll of routing the Germans, and the steady drip of racial preju- dice, will fight his way to Vittoria’s community, and what began as a glance and a feeling will find the space to blossom. At its best, Campbell’s (Rise, 2015, etc.) impassioned, impressionistic prose infuses her lead characters’ feelings and circumstances with an intensity to match the merciless pressures of the era. Exploring a less familiar corner of the battlefield and the con- flicting politics of place and time (Vittoria’s mother supported the fascists, as did many Italians; black soldiers were the subject of intense negative propaganda), she delivers striking imme- diacy. It’s at the periphery, with the secondary characters, that the novel seems weaker—the cartoon Blackshirt, all sneers and “pus-laden” acne; the token Jews; the gluttonous, meaty German general. Even college-boy Frank, smart and handsome, leans toward , but the love story, though familiar in form, becomes irresistible, especially in its late, poetic, heroic blaze of selflessness. For fans of indomitable heroines and love in the time of conflict, here’s a stirring new addition to the genre.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 9 potential husbands—were killed in World War I. Telling the freer, if funkier environs of Philadelphia, where he continues to tale of the Lost Generation from a woman’s perspective, Cheva- test his power and prepare to return to Virginia to emancipate lier fills in the outlines of these forgotten women with unending the women he left behind—and to confront the mysteries of his penny-pinching, mended dresses, and lonely evenings with tea past. Coates’ imaginative spin on the Underground Railroad’s and a Trollope novel. Yet a chance glimpse into a special service history is as audacious as Colson Whitehead’s, if less intensely at her church opens the door to Violet’s healing: She finds the realized. Coates’ narrative flourishes and magic-powered pro- broderers, a group of women embroidering gorgeous, colorful tagonist are reminiscent of his work on Marvel’s Black Panther seats and kneelers for the church. Led by the vibrant Louisa comic book, but even his most melodramatic effects Pesel (and her dour assistant, Mrs. Biggins), the broderers’ guild are deepened by historical facts and contemporary urgency. offers Violet a chance to make something beautiful and lasting An almost-but-not-quite-great slavery novel. in a world that has been dark and has cut off life at its knees for too long. In Chevalier’s novel, the embroidery circle becomes a metaphorical tapestry, threading all these women together. THE BRAID Soon Violet has not only joined the circle, but also made unex- Colombani, Laetitia pected friends. Violet also discovers her own courage to try for Trans. by Lalaurie, Louise Rogers love, a love her society would condemn, but in these days and in Atria (224 pp.) this author’s hands, all love is sacred. $16.00 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 A compelling portrait of women not lost but thriving 978-1-9821-3003-9 against the odds. True to its title, this novel, which was published as La Tresse in France THE WATER DANCER in 2017, weaves together the stories of Coates, Ta-Nehisi three intrepid women living in different One World/Random House (432 pp.) countries. $28.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 In India, Smita demands a better life for her daughter than 978-0-399-59059-7 the one she has known as a member of the Dalit caste. In Italy, Giulia must secure her family’s future after an accident befalls The celebrated author of Between her father, patriarch of the last traditional hairpiece and wig the World and Me (2015) and We Were workshop in Palermo. And in Canada, Sarah faces breast can- Eight Years in Power (2017) merges magic, cer without support. Colombani tells these stories in concise adventure, and antebellum intrigue in his chapters that alternate among the three women’s points of view. first novel. While most of the novel unfolds in these close third-person In pre–Civil War Virginia, people perspectives, a few brief interludes, including a prologue and an who are white, whatever their degree of refinement, are con- epilogue, punctuate the narrative with the lyrical first-person sidered “the Quality” while those who are black, whatever their voice of a fourth woman, adding even more texture and depth degree of dignity, are regarded as “the Tasked.” Whether such to the already charming story of how these women’s lives con- euphemisms for slavery actually existed in the 19th century, they nect. Colombani’s prowess as a film and theater writer is on full are evocatively deployed in this account of the Underground display. The prose hums along without fuss, and several chap- Railroad and one of its conductors: Hiram Walker, one of the ters end with terrific suspense. Only occasionally does the story Tasked who’s barely out of his teens when he’s recruited to help stall, as when the author shoehorns in exposition to make a guide escapees from bondage in the South to freedom in the point about gender inequality or when she oversteps by mak- North. “Conduction” has more than one meaning for Hiram. ing too direct a comparison between characters’ lives. Smita’s, It’s also the name for a mysterious force that transports certain Giulia’s, and Sarah’s individual stories and how they’re intercon- gifted individuals from one place to another by way of a blue nected are strong enough elements on their own without any light that lifts and carries them along or across bodies of water. false equivalencies. While the novel presents a romanticized Hiram knows he has this gift after it saves him from drowning version of globalization, it’s unapologetic about its agenda of in a carriage mishap that kills his master’s oafish son (who’s celebrating the bonds of womanhood. The story’s masterful Hiram’s biological brother). Whatever the source of this power, structure and plotting more than make up for the narrative’s it galvanizes Hiram to leave behind not only his chains, but also rose-colored glasses. the two Tasked people he loves most: Thena, a truculent older An impeccably crafted love letter to the oft-unseen and woman who practically raised him as a surrogate mother, and ignored work of women across the world. Sophia, a vivacious young friend from childhood whose attempt to accompany Hiram on his escape is thwarted practically at the start when they’re caught and jailed by slave catchers. Hiram directly confronts the most pernicious abuses of slavery before he is once again conducted away from danger and into sanctu- ary with the Underground, whose members convey him to the

10 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A taut, exceptional thriller. a dangerous man

A DANGEROUS MAN and “various private military contractors”—makes him sit up Crais, Robert and pay attention. He follows along in his own Jeep, and when Putnam (352 pp.) the SUV stops for a traffic light, Isabel’s abductors don’t stand $28.00 | Aug. 6, 2019 a chance. Then, when Isabel is kidnapped again, Joe feels com- 978-0-525-53568-3 pelled to find her. He enlists Elvis Cole, his longtime friend and private eye, whose laconic style and sharp wit are a helpful coun- If you’ve always wished Lee Child’s terbalance to Joe’s terse style. As they search for answers, more Reacher had a little more balance dead bodies pile up, and the men wonder just how innocent this in his life—but the same formidable bank teller really is. Told from the alternating perspectives of talents—you’ll love Joe Pike and the lat- Joe, Elvis, and various criminals, the story becomes multilay- est book in this long, superb series (The ered while the tension builds. Crais never loses control of his Wanted, 2017, etc.). clean, clear prose or his ability to sketch fully fleshed characters All Joe wanted to do was go to the bank and make a deposit. in a few scenes, with Joe providing the action and Elvis provid- He knew Isabel Roland, the young teller, seemed a little inter- ing the insight. ested in him, but he doesn’t mix romance and money. Sitting in A taut, exceptional thriller. his car shortly after leaving the bank, though, he notices Isabel walking outside and putting on a pair of sunglasses, and then he sees her talking to a man and disappearing into an SUV with him, “a flash of shock in her eyes.” Joe’s training—which includes stints in the Marine Corps, the Los Angeles Police Department, young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 11

DeWoskin once again finds literary gold in painful circumstances. banshee

BANSHEE head rages like an inferno. After the stress of conducting the DeWoskin, Rachel poetry workshop in which her new lover is a student, she wants Dottir Press (296 pp.) “to hide inside Elizabeth Bishop’s letters, to stop my mind from $22.95 | Jun. 4, 2019 thinking its own language and instead live in hers,” but instead 978-1-94834-010-6 she pitches herself into the affair with willfully self-destructive and self-indulgent intensity. Her kind husband, her beloved A breast cancer diagnosis kicks off a daughter, and her mother, a breast cancer survivor, watch help- feral midlife crisis for a mild-mannered lessly from the sidelines. “If anyone thinks her tenancy in the poetry professor. land of the sane and healthy was reliable, she should probably Samantha Baxter, 42, has a great hus- think again, because our bodies and minds have a million shards band and daughter in college, a success- and parts, so many in contradiction with each other that we fully published volume of poetry, a good job teaching in a college cannot count on ourselves not to revolt against ourselves.” The town. She also has breast cancer and is scheduled for a double narration of this book is so engaging and powerful and the con- mastectomy in three weeks. Almost immediately, she finds her- fusion and despair Samantha experiences so visceral and terri- self in a bathtub caressing the soapy hip of one of her students, fying, reading it feels like being dragged along by the hand by a redhead named Leah, a girl about her daughter’s age. “My life one’s braver best friend through a scary fun house. Surely she dissolved like an old-fashioned slide show catching fire,” she can get us out of here, you think, but you can’t be sure. explains. “I just got sick and wanted to burn the world down.” With X-ray-vision, empathy, and vivacity under For the nearly 300 pages of DeWoskin’s (Someday We Will Fly, fire, DeWoskin once again finds literary gold in painful 2019, etc.) impassioned rant of a novel, the inside of Samantha’s circumstances.

12 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com |

DOPPELGÄNGER Elín Jónsdóttir is a woman in her late 60s living alone in Drndi�, Daša Reykjavík. She makes her living creating props—severed limbs Trans. by Curtis, S.D. & and decaying corpses, especially—for the theater and Nordic Hawkesworth, Celia crime films. Elín crosses paths with Ellen Álfsdóttir, the 19-year- New Directions (160 pp.) old daughter of famed playwright Alfur Finnsson and author $15.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 of a new play that’s garnering a lot of buzz. This atmospheric, 978-0-8112-2891-6 disorienting tale is narrated by Elín, who says “the reason I decided to write this is that if I don’t, no one will,” and that it’s An elderly artist meets an elderly “an attempt to connect signs that were conveyed in waking life dandy in the late Croatian writer and in dreams.” Elín, who had a difficult childhood, has spent Drndić’s (EEG, 2019, etc.) brief but her adulthood pushing others away. She claims that she “[can] potent novel, and the rest is history‚ with see feigð, someone’s death approaching.” Long ago, she “acci- all its inevitable tragedy. dentally got mixed up in the most salacious story of them all”: Born in time to witness some of the worst episodes of the one involving Ellen’s philandering father, who was discovered 20th century, Artur and Isabella are very different people, he dead halfway between his wife’s house and that of his mistress— “the greatest wearer of hats in this country,” she a quiet pho- Ellen’s mother. Elín’s work in the theater brings her close to tographer who fled her native Germany decades earlier. They Ellen, and she spies on the young woman and her artist mother. meet on a New Year’s Eve, and after a few hours together, “The people I wanted to get to know were far beyond my reach,” they depart this life, statistics for a police ledger. All that is Elín confesses, and the unexpected delivery of boxes full of by way of prelude to Drndić’s larger story, centering on a mel- memorabilia from her dead grandmother’s house forces her to

ancholic fellow, aging but not elderly, named Pupi, who has an young adult unusual attachment to the rhinos at the city zoo, “wild beasts, heavy beasts.” Pupi doesn’t much like the name he bears—he thinks of himself, Drndić writes, by his formal name, Printz, —and he doesn’t much like the life he is living, caring for an elderly father, nursing a variety of complaints, and collecting an odd assortment of facts for his notebook: The year of his birth, 1946, was, he calculates, also one in which numerous Nazis met their deaths: “Joachim von Ribbentrop, German war criminal, hung; Hans Frank, German war criminal, hung; Julius Streicher, German leader, hung; Wilhelm Keitel, Ger- man field-marshal, hung.” Printz has odd little habits besides his obsessive collecting of facts, including pilfering things like food and bottles of wine from trade shows while excusing himself by noting that the French philosopher Louis Althusser did the same thing. Of course, Althusser also killed his wife, though Printz excuses him with the thought that “he helped her to kill herself because she wanted to kill herself.” That slender thread joins Isabella’s story to Printz’s, which ends as it began, in the company of rhinos—which is not necessarily a good thing. Pensive and ponderous: a work of continental gloom that promises that no one gets out of here alive.

A FIST OR A HEART Eiríksdóttir, Kristín AmazonCrossing (202 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5420-4403-5

In award-winning Icelandic novelist Eiríksdóttir’s English-language debut, an older woman fixates on a young play- writing prodigy, and both women come to the realization that they are linked by shared trauma in their pasts.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 13

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Helen Phillips

AN INTRUDER UPENDS THE LIFE OF A YOUNG MOTHER IN HER NEW THRILLER, THE NEED By Bridgette Bates

Photo courtesy David_Barry in the novel, the main character, Molly, finds a bizarre masked intruder in her living room. Molly is an overwhelmed mother of two young chil- dren. She has a loving and supportive husband, but he’s out of town for work. She’s struggling to balance her per- sonal and professional lives as a paleobotanist at a fossil quarry where strange artifacts have recently been found. She’s sleep deprived, burned out, and questioning her own sanity and life choices in the climactic confrontation at the beginning of the book: “When she was pregnant with Viv she had imagined having a baby, but she never imagined having a child: a child who could be a sidekick, a helpmate, a collaborator; who could follow complicated instructions. Who could fetch a weapon,” writes Phillips. As all domestic normalcy slips away, Molly must con- tinue with the daily toil of being a mother while also tack- ling a larger mysterious threat that has upended her life. Her children not only need to be kept safe, but they need to be fed, dressed, thrown birthday parties, taken to the park, rationalized with over the unrational. The story comes alive through the mundane quotidian details that have always been indirectly about survival but now have a new urgency: Seven years ago, writer Helen Phillips was home alone with her baby. Naked and nursing and slightly delusion- The children were eating breakfast. They were hav- al, like many new moms, she imagined hearing someone ing yogurt and jam. They needed things. More yo- in another room. It was nothing, but the sensation of gurt. More jam. Spoon flipping onto floor. Mess! the moment stayed with her. “I just thought, Wow, what Wet washcloth. But this one reeks. So: another. would I do, right now in this vulnerable position that I’m Laundry, soon. Hands white with yogurt. A hand- in, if there was an intruder in my house?” Phillips says. print here. A handprint there. Wait. Stop. Don’t Phillips’ prior works (Some Possible Solutions: Stories touch. Come here. Let me…. [2016]; The Beautiful Bureaucrat [2015], etc.) used specula- tive, metaphorical questions and made them literal. Her Under other circumstances, the same old thought poetically subversive new Kirkus-starred novel, The Need, might have crossed her mind: being a mother of solidifies Phillips as a master of literary augmented real- two = ushering a pair of digestive tracts through ity. Fueled by the all-too-real panic and primal anxiety of each day. being a mother, The Need opens with a disturbing scene much like what Phillips experienced herself, though But this morning she thought: tracts, intact.

14 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | I talked to Phillips while she was at home, before dren knew about death, and it was pretty refreshing to taking cupcakes to her daughter’s school. She describes be around people who didn’t know about death, but then her literary influences as a mashup between Margaret they come to realize it when they’re about 3, and you start Atwood and Ursula K. Le Guin with Rachel Cusk and to see a shift of their understanding and a new darkness.” Jenny Offill Dept.( of Speculation), an apt comparison as Molly experiences her own shift of perspective as Phillips infuses her otherworldly premise with raw hu- she endures the most viscerally scary thing that could man experiences. happen: “The scariest dream of all is the one that takes “Molly takes her daily grind for granted in the early place in the room where you’re sleeping,” writes Phillips part of the book, and she’s worn down by it. The reality as Molly begins to awaken to a greater empathy for all is really challenging,” explains Phillips. “But when con- things occupying her life. fronted…she comes to see the preciousness of her daily Phillips, who sold the book to Simon & Schuster after life, which is something that she had gotten overly accus- frenzied interest from multiple publishers, thinks Molly’s tomed to. So part of what I’m trying to do with the book journey to return to her own pleasures and humanity is is return to Molly her daily life in all of its glory.” what resonates most with readers. “People have said it’s a Not to give away any spoilers, but the pacing of the sad book. People have said it’s a scary book—and I would thriller is often escalated or interrupted by the blessings agree with those comments—but I also have this inten- and curses of motherhood. No matter the drama of the tion that it might provide a balm or sort of joy to, say, a moment, Molly’s body never forgets it’s lactating, paving mother, because it’s about not taking for granted these a parallel battle for survival in the form of breastfeeding little moments.” her baby. As her milk lets down at inconvenient times, she also pines for the bonding and intimacy with her Bridgette Bates’ poetry collection, What Is Not Missing Is child. This back-and-forth tension between life’s burdens Light, is the recipient of the Black Box Poetry Prize. The Need and joys presses on the mother’s consciousness. received a starred review in the April 1, 2019, issue. “When you have a child, you make yourself so vulner- able to the world in a new way, because if something hap- young adult pened to them, that is worse than something happening to you,” says Phillips. Eight weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Phillips’ older sister died. Her sister had Rett syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that was not un- derstood by doctors at the time Phillips’ infant sister first showed signs. Her parents spent years trying to diagnose why their seemingly healthy baby stopped progressing at the age of 1. “Right as I’m falling in love with my baby, my parents were losing their baby, and I was losing my sis- ter. It made me think a lot about different experiences of motherhood,” she says. “I felt like I was standing at this portal of life and death.” Phillips wanted to interrogate the vulnerability of tee- tering on this threshold. “How do you exist when life and death are so prevalent and so close together all the time? How do you navigate that? How do you live and deal with day-to-day realities when you know the people you love could die—and will die someday? Basically, how do you live knowing that death exists?” These of course are heavy, existential questions that The Need explores, but filtered through the lens of a family, there’s often an innocence pulling the story back from the brink of gloom. “One thing that’s interesting about kids THE NEED is that for a couple of years they don’t know that death ex- Phillips, Helen ists—and there’s something very potent about spending Simon & Schuster (528 pp.) all this time around people who don’t know about death,” $26.00 | Jul. 9, 2019 Phillips explains. “I thought about that before my chil- 978-1-9821-1316-2

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 15 recall that she has obsessed over others before with traumatic OUT OF DARKNESS, and tragic results. As Ellen’s play is produced and Elín circles SHINING LIGHT closer to the girl, she finally acknowledges the spell she’s under Gappah, Petina and that “trauma is, of course, nothing but an enchantment.” Scribner (320 pp.) A dreamlike meditation on isolation and the bone-ach- $27.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 ing desire for companionship. 978-1-9821-1033-8

A rollicking novel that retells the NOTES ON JACKSON AND history of British colonial exploration HIS DEAD in Africa from the perspective of his- Fulham-McQuillan, Hugh torical figures who have otherwise been Dalkey Archive (192 pp.) silenced. $17.95 paper | Sep. 20, 2019 Zimbabwean writer Gappah (The Book of Memory, 2016, etc.) 978-1-6287-287-0 tells the story of the black attendants who bore the Scottish explorer David Livingstone’s corpse from present-day Zambia Eighteen stories that flirt with both to the African coast in the late 19th century. As the prologue psychological horror and philosophical says, “This story has been told many times before, but always speculation through the unremitting set- as the story of the Doctor.” Gappah turns the tables by mak- ting of the ordinary life. ing Livingstone’s attendants into protagonists. Our heroes are Fulham-McQuillan’s debut collection Halima, a young slave woman Livingstone purchased as a part- introduces the reader to a cast of hapless characters embroiled ner for his assistant, the abusive and cruel Amoda; and Jacob in situations that are increasingly difficult to define. In the title Wainwright, a former slave from East Africa who was educated story, the speaker is a documentary filmmaker exalting in the by Christian missionaries in Mumbai. Halima is a jovial and singular opportunity to film Jackson, a former conductor beset headstrong young woman who speaks boisterously despite her by a sort of viral existentialism that results in all his past selves status. “Why any man would leave his own land and his wife and manifesting as corpses in the wake of his every movement. In children to tramp in these dreary swamps...is beyond my under- “whiteroom” a man and his late wife have reduced their lives standing,” she wonders about Livingstone. Jacob is Halima’s to the eternal simplicity of their pure white room in order to opposite, a self-serious young man who keeps a journal which enter into a fraught immortality of the mind. In “A Tourist,” a he hopes will be published in the future. When Livingstone dies man attracted by the memory of himself standing in a place of malaria, his attendants decide to carry his body to the coast before it fell to ruin “[visits] the grief of his past,” setting up in a display of loyalty, so that it may be carried back to England. camp in a desolate valley where he is haunted by a duo of shad- After burying his heart in the village where he died, the band owy others who attempt both communication and violence. sets off toward Zanzibar in a show of dedication. The arduous To call these stories heady is an understatement of both their journey through hostile terrain gradually erodes their reverence intent and form. Deeply influenced by continental philosophy for the doctor, though. Halima begins to wonder how worthy (Kierkegaard is mentioned, Lacan is evoked, Simone Weil is he is of her dedication. “Was he worth it? What were we doing, quoted), the book also plays with the formal influence of Poe’s taking a father to his children when he had let one of those chil- sensual grotesques, Dostoevsky’s tormented psychological real- dren die?” Meanwhile, Jacob reads Livingstone’s journals and ism, Borges’ cerebral mythos. The results are ambitious and finds a man whose anti-slavery ideals clash with his actions as uneven. In “Winter Guests,” for example, the staff of a resort a colonialist explorer. The journey to the coast turns out to be in the off-season report on the mounting tensions between a an education in how the band is oppressed by colonial power. single guest and the beautiful female caretaker of a wheelchair- Along the way, though, Gappah captures the diverse cultural bound and totally bandaged patient. The story is haunting, milieu of colonial Africa with compelling detail. The result is suspenseful, and intricately detailed. Its philosophy lingers in a rich, vivid, and addictive book filled with memorably drawn the realization of its characters; its unanswerable questions characters. rise organically from the setting of the winter seashore and the This is a humane, riveting, epic novel that spotlights isolation of the nearly empty hotel. Other stories, however, are marginalized historical voices. less successful and overwhelm the reader with their insistence on mingling Poe’s obsessive stylings with a more contemporary cynicism—or perhaps late-20th-century mass-produced weari- ness—reminiscent of Beckett or Georges-Olivier Châteaurey- naud. These influences make for an uneasy pairing, one whose tremendous potential is sometimes buried beneath a miasmic stylistic expression. An intriguing, if uneven, debut.

16 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | One very hot summer in an Israeli city, two lonely people discover the life-changing power of a lie. the liar

GUN ISLAND no one had yet tasted her, the only girl in her class still a vir- Ghosh, Amitav gin, and next summer when the fields yellowed, she would be Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) wearing a soldier’s army green.” Nofar’s name means “water lily” $27.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 but she thinks of herself as “zit face.” Her friends have dropped 978-0-374-16739-4 her, her younger sister is more beautiful and popular, and when a rude customer cruelly insults her, she loses it entirely. She In the face of apocalyptic climate rushes from the store screaming, the customer follows her, a change, an Indian immigrant searches crowd forms, the cops arrive—and a charge of attempted rape for the truth behind a Bengali legend. of a minor is made. Only an unhappy boy watching from his Deen Datta travels each year from apartment knows it didn’t happen. As his attempt to black- Brooklyn, where he works as a dealer in mail Nofar turns into her first romance, she’s also becoming a rare books and Asian antiquities, to his national celebrity, lauded for her bravery and supplied with free native Calcutta, “or Kolkata, as it is now formally known,” visit- designer outfits for TV appearances. Gundar-GoshenWa ( k ­ ing family and scouting new purchases. As Ghosh’s (Flood of Fire, ing Lions, 2017) pauses Nofar’s story to introduce Raymonde, 2015, etc.) novel opens, a smart-alecky relative tells him the tale a resident of a senior citizens’ center who assumes her dead of a Bengali folk called the Gun Merchant, whose story best friend’s identity so she can take a trip the other woman is rooted in a shrine in the Sundarbans, “a tiger-infested man- was about to go on. She didn’t realize this would entail becom- grove forest” at the mouth of the Ganges. Another relative, an ing a speaker about her (nonexistent) experiences surviving the elderly woman who grew up in the islands, has more stories to Theresienstadt concentration camp. Like Nofar, Raymonde’s tell—and so does a young marine biologist named Piya Roy, who lie brings her magical good fortune. Ah, if it were only that

is studying the effects of climate change on whales and dolphins, young adult once abundant in the storm-lashed Sundarbans. Deen is a col- lector not just of old things, but also of interesting friends from all over the world, such as the Italian scholar Giacinta Schia- von, who makes an urgent case for taking folktales seriously as descriptions of the world and auguries of things to come, even as Deen protests that he is “a rational, secular, scientifically minded person.” There is good reason to beware of signs and portents, for even as the Sundarbans disappear beneath the ris- ing sea and cobras strike unwary victims, places like Los Angeles are falling before a wall of fire, “a glowing snake hurtling towards me, through the flames,” while legions of displaced people are in flight, walking across continents, fleeing aboard boats “crowded with refugees.” Much of Deen’s story is a fictional rejoinder to Ghosh’s 2016 polemic, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, and, as with that book, blends elements of journalism, folklore, science, and history to describe a world on the verge of catastrophe—and one in which people, in the end, have nowhere to go. Ghosh’s story, involving and intricate, speaks urgently to a time growing ever more perilous.

THE LIAR Gundar-Goshen, Ayelet Trans. by Silverston, Sondra Little, Brown and Company (352 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-316-44539-9

One very hot summer in an Israeli city, two lonely people discover the life- changing power of a lie. “In the ice cream parlor next door, the girl went behind the glass counter and began handing spoons of ice cream to those who wanted to taste, knowing that summer vacation was about to end and

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 17 simple. The author unfurls her ironic fable—simultaneously A COSMOLOGY OF timeless and contemporary—from a God’s-eye view, with capti- Hamill, Shaun vating authority and in lush prose. “His heart had pounded furi- Pantheon (336 pp.) ously all night, not even letting up at dawn, as if a new branch $26.95 | Sep. 16, 2019 of a twenty-four hour supermarket had opened in its chambers.” 978-1-5247-4767-1 A psychological page-turner, rich in setting, character, and wisdom. A Texas family that runs a haunted house is haunted by monsters for decades. This ambitious, grotesque debut WHERE THE novel is a love letter to H.P. Lovecraft’s LIGHT FALLS Cthulhu Mythos, so it may not be the Hale, Nancy easiest horror novel to parse or explain. Ed. by Groff, Lauren That said, this is a very scary coming-of-age tale that lives in the Library of America (336 pp.) same space as Stranger Things, Stand By Me, and Stephen King’s $26.00 | Oct. 1, 2019 It (1986). The story is told by Noah Turner, who matter-of-factly 978-1-59853-642-3 recounts the dark and terrible fortunes of his family. He opens with the sweet romance between his parents, Harry and Mar- Esteemed in her lifetime but largely garet, who marry and start a comic book store and a haunted forgotten today, short story master Hale house called The Wandering Dark in the small town of Van- (1908-1988) gets a welcome reintroduc- dergriff, Texas. But terrible things keep happening, including tion in this collection of 25 astute, finely Harry’s untimely death, Margaret’s bottomless grief, the sud- wrought tales. den disappearance of Noah’s oldest sister, Sydney, and his sister Novelist Groff, who made the judicious selections, also pro- Eunice’s crippling mental illness, not to mention the increas- vides an introduction sketching the writer’s background: Born ingly frequent disappearances of children from Vandergriff. into Boston’s Yankee aristocracy, the daughter of bohemians These events would be frightening by themselves, but Hamill without a lot of money, Hale was a debutante who cast a cold adds another layer by introducing a huge supernatural creature eye on the class she came from while enjoying its glamorous that turns up on Noah’s doorstep one night and declares it’s accoutrements. The early stories from the 1930s and early 1940s his friend while giving him a few magical powers to boot. But have backgrounds that would have been familiar to Fitzgerald: things like giant monsters always turn out to be something... coming-out parties, jazz orchestras, Ivy League athletics, fast else, and in Noah’s adolescence, this one does, too. The way driving in fancy cars. Yet they paint quietly acid pictures of Hamill weaves his way between the phantasmagorical elements Southern snobbery (“That Woman”), male dominance masking and Noah’s everyday dramas is nimble in a way reminiscent fragility (“Crimson Autumn”), and ethnic tensions in summer of King, who practically invented this narrative style. Creepy communities (“To the North”). Hale is rarely overtly political, interstitial entries dubbed “The Turner Sequences” flesh out but two stories from the ’40s, “Those Are as Brothers” and the fates of Noah’s family. Eventually, an older Noah meets a “The Marching Feet,” stingingly make the point that fascism group of people calling themselves The Fellowship who can also has home-grown versions. Long before the feminist movement see these monsters, and Noah’s instinct is to run as far away as was reborn, she acknowledged women’s ambivalence about hav- possible. But darkness unleashed can never really be escaped, ing children (“The Bubble”) and the potential oppressiveness and readers are bound to find themselves shuddering at the of marriage (“Sunday—1913”). Hale’s personal experience of novel’s lurid denouement. mental illness sparks some of the collection’s best work: “Who An accomplished, macabre horror saga and a promising Lived and Died Believing” expertly blends a harrowing account debut from an imaginative new author. of electric shock treatment with a sharp portrait of a kind nurse’s romance with a callous resident; “Some Day I’ll Find You…” and “Miss August” both anatomize intricate social inter- THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS actions in psychiatric sanatoriums, the former with a comic OF JANUARY touch, the latter in a darker tone. Hale’s prose is elegant without Harrow, Alix E. calling attention to itself, like the well-cut dresses one is sure Redhook/Orbit (384 pp.) her female characters wear. There’s a slight slackening in some $27.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 of the later stories, but not in “Rich People” (1960), a marvel- 978-0-316-42199-7 ously complex examination of a woman’s seething ambivalence about her “high thinking and plain living” family and herself An independent young girl finds a that closes with the anguished question, “Where is my life?” blue door in a field and glimpses another Classic examples of the art of short fiction, captur- world, nudging her onto a path of discov- ing the variety of human experience with sophisticated ery, destiny, empowerment, and love. economy. Set at the turn of the 20th century, Har- row’s debut novel centers on January Scaller, who grows up under

18 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 19 the watchful eye of the wealthy Cornelius Locke, who employs her While Lea’s experiences toughen and mature her, Ettie never father, Julian, to travel the globe in search of odd objects and valu- stops mourning her sister but finds something like love with a able treasures to pad his collection, housed in a sprawling Vermont gentle gentile doctor who has his own heartbreaking backstory. mansion. January appears to have a charmed childhood but is sti- In fact, everyone in the large cast of supporting human charac- fled by the high-society old boy’s club of Mr. Locke and his friends, ters—as well as the talking heron that is Ava’s love interest and who treat her as a curiosity—a mixed-race girl with a precocious Azriel, the Angel of Death—becomes vividly real, but Ava the streak, forced into elaborate outfits and docile behavior for the golem is the heart of the book. Representing both fierce mater- annual society gatherings. When she’s 17, her father seemingly dis- nal love and the will to survive, she forces Lea and Ettie to exam- appears, and January finds a book that will change her life forever. ine their capacities to make ethical choices and to love despite With her motley crew of allies—Samuel, the grocer’s son; Jane, the impossible circumstances. Kenyan woman sent by Julian to be January’s companion; and Bad, A spellbinding portrait of what it means to be human in her faithful dog—January embarks on an adventure that will lead an inhuman world. her to discover secrets about Mr. Locke, the world and its hidden doorways, and her own family. Harrow employs the image of the door (“Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of THE FIRST STONE every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges”) as Jensen, Carsten well as the metaphor (a “geometry of absence”) to great effect. Sim- Trans. by Mussari, Mark iles and vivid imagery adorn nearly every page like glittering gar- AmazonCrossing (588 pp.) lands. While some are present, such as the depiction $24.95 | $14.95 paper | Sep. 1, 2019 of East African women as pantherlike, the book has a diverse cast 978-1-5420-4439-4 of characters and a strong woman lead. This portal fantasy doesn’t 978-1-5420-4438-7 paper shy away from racism, classism, and sexism, which helps it succeed as an interesting story. No one is sinless enough to cast the A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written proverbial stone—but in this freighted, word, and the power of many kinds of love. violence-punctuated novel by Danish journalist Jensen (We, the Drowned, 2011, etc.), the sins mount page by page. THE WORLD THAT Why are Westerners, including a detachment of Danish sol- WE KNEW diers, in Afghanistan, especially so long after bin Laden has been Hoffman, Alice done away with? Well, says a tough-as-nails commander named Simon & Schuster (384 pp.) Schrøder, “We believe in free will, don’t we? That’s why you’re here. $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 That’s why I’m here. And that’s why the Americans are here. To 978-1-5011-3757-0 force the Afghans to recognize the existence of free will.” That observation comes toward the end of a long, bloody tale that In this tale of a young German Jewish would do Søren Kierkegaard proud—if, that is, Kierkegaard had girl under the protection of a golem—a been a novelist. Jensen depicts a group of one-foot-in-the-grave magical creature of Jewish myth created fighters, men and women who learn in the decidedly situational from mud and water—Hoffman (The arena of Afghanistan that things are never as they seem: The Rules of Magic, 2017, etc.) employs her American mercenaries whom they fight alongside have loyalty only signature lyricism to express the agony of the Holocaust with a to their wallets, a predilection that soon enough infects members depth seldom equaled in more seemingly realistic accounts. of the Danish contingent, who are quick to abandon their philo- The golem, named Ava, comes into being in 1941 Berlin. sophical interests in the quest for dollars. “Are you working for Recently made a widow by the Gestapo and desperate to get the Taliban?” a senior officer asks Schrøder, who answers, “Good her 12-year-old daughter, Lea, out of Germany, Hanni Kohn question….I work for myself. I take advantage of the chances I hires Ettie, a rabbi’s adolescent daughter who has witnessed her get. Today’s friends are tomorrow’s enemies.” Indeed, about the father creating a golem, to make a female creature who must obey only people to be trusted in Jensen’s twist-full story are the Taliban Hanni by protecting Lea at all costs. Ettie uses Hanni’s payment fighters arrayed against the Americans, Danes, and Brits who pop- to escape on the same train toward France as Lea and Ava, but the ulate it: They, at least, have moral clarity and a sense of purpose, as two human girls’ lives take different paths. Ettie, who has always opposed to Schrøder, who had worked in civilian life as a designer chafed at the limits placed on her gender, becomes a Resistance of video games in which “skinhead assassins” unleashed all sorts of fighter set on avenging her younger sister’s killing by Nazis. Lea, mayhem—good training, as it happens, for the ugliness to come. under Ava’s supernatural care, escapes the worst ravages of the Jensen is unflinching in describing that mayhem as it figures in the war, staying first with distant cousins in Paris (already under real world of his novel, from rape and torture to one particularly Gestapo rule), where she falls in love with her hosts’ 14-year-old brutal scene in which flayed bodies line a road like so many victims son, Julien; then in a convent school hiding Jewish girls in the on the road to Golgotha. Rhone Valley; then in a forest village not far from where Ettie has A grim examination of the effects of war on those who partnered in her Resistance activities with Julien’s older brother. would give anything not to be waging it.

20 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Fans of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and historical fiction alike will enjoy this hard-hitting yarn. a hero born

A HERO BORN vast Mongol army led by none other than Genghis Khan, or Jin Yong Temujin, who enjoys a good massacre: “His heart quickened, Trans. by Holmwood, Anna and a laugh bubbled up from within. The earth shook with St. Martin’s (416 pp.) the shouts of his men as they withdrew from the bloody field.” $27.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 Fighting their way across the landscape with Guo are bands 978-1-250-22060-8 of Song dynasty patriots and traitors as well as legendary mar- tial artists with names like The Eastern Heretic Apothecary Kung fu epic from one of the world’s Huang and Double Sun Wang Chongyang—oh, yes, and the bestselling authors, translated for the Seven Freaks of the South (one is blind, one 3 feet tall, one deft first time into English. at chopping up enemies with a butcher’s knife), who would Jin Yong, the pen name of Louis Cha, prefer to be known as the Seven Heroes. Jin Yong draws on a was a Hong Kong–based journalist who body of legend, history, Taoist precepts, and various martial died last year at 94. Between 1955 and 1972 he wrote 14 novels arts traditions to serve up a tale of stylized contests (“Nan in the genre called , historical fiction with lots of martial threw a bone-piercing awl and Gilden Quan shot a concealed arts brawling and “the clanging of metal.” In this book, the from his sleeve”) and good/evil binaries that ends on a first of the Legends of the Condor Heroes tetralogy published satisfyingly cliffhanging note. Though Jin Yong’s epics have in 1957, he puts all the conventions of the genre to work. A been likened to Tolkien’s and George R.R. Martin’s, think somewhat simple-minded young man named Guo Jing, raised Darth Vader’s message to Luke Skywalker, “I am your father,” by his mother after his father’s untimely death, grows up in as filtered through Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat. a world torn apart by palace intrigues and stewing political Fans of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and historical fic-

factions behind the Great Wall. On the other side, there’s a tion alike will enjoy this hard-hitting yarn. young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 21 BARON WENCKHEIM’S though the Hungary to which he returns has no end of wind- HOMECOMING mills against which to tilt—including oil derricks everywhere. Krasznahorkai, László Krasznahorkai fills his pages with knowing nods to European Trans. by Mulzet, Ottilie nationalism: An Austrian train conductor, for instance, sniffs New Directions (576 pp.) that “even they”—the Hungarians on the other side of the $27.95 paper | Sep. 23, 2019 border—“had been trying to conform to European standards” 978-0-8112-2664-6 when it came to safety, schedule, and other things train con- ductors are supposed to worry about. The baron cuts a mem- A daunting experimental novel by Hun- orable figure, but the real star of Krasznahorkai’s story isa garian writer Krasznahorkai (The World Goes philosopher who has cut himself off from society and lives in On, 2017, etc.), who blends his trademark hermitage in a forest park, concerned with problems of being interests in philosophy and apocalypse. and nonbeing: “Everything is a kind of philosophical boxing The baron of the title is an “unspeakably elegant” member match that leads only to non-existence, and this is, in all likeli- of the erstwhile Habsburg nobility of Hungary who has been hood, the greatest error of existence.” Even the erstwhile pro- living in exile in Argentina until, finally, his debts at the casino fessor has his prejudices, grumbling along with the townsfolk catch up to him. Nostalgic and elderly, though still given to about the gypsies who have dared pitch their own camp nearby. dandyish ways, he returns to the countryside haunts of his Krasznahorkai tends to long, digressive passages that build on youth, hoping along the way to rekindle a long-ago romance and allude to other pieces, and the word “non-existence” turns with a woman whom, late in the story, a factotum likens to up often enough to suggest a theme. But no matter: In the end, Cervantes’ Dulcinea del Toboso. The baron is no Quixote, the worlds the philosopher, the baron, and other characters inhabit are slated to disappear in a wall of flame, an apocalypse that, as Krasznahorkai assures, is not just physical and actual, but also existential. A challenge for readers unused to endless sentences and unbroken paragraphs but worth the slog for its wealth of ideas.

DEAD FLOWERS Laidlaw, Alexander Nightwood Editions (200 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 28, 2019 978-0-88971-355-0

Over the course of eight short sto- ries, characters have their young lives disrupted by curious and uncanny encounters. After she moves across the country to be with her boyfriend, a young college student’s life is increasingly unsettled by her unpredictable roommates (“On Gordon Head”). As he ages, a man continues to recount his discovery of a murder victim and yet is never quite sure how to interpret his experience (“One Time I Wit- nessed A Murder”). A young father’s collegial workplace envi- ronment devolves when a new manager is hired (“War Story”). Laidlaw’s collection skillfully positions primarily 20-some- thing characters in proximity to moments of strangeness, such as dead bodies, cars that may have disappeared into bodies of water, and car accidents, and asks how these moments are either incorporated into a sense of self or dismissed as inexpli- cable. As one character notes: “Really, most of my time I spend just trying to make sense of our existence. Because as far as I can tell, ours is an existence wherein not much of consequence happens…I think that in fact we spend so much of our lives waiting for something to happen, that we begin to forget we are waiting.” Set in various Canadian provinces, these stories

22 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | align well within the genre of Canadian literature interested in AFTER THE WAR identity. The narrative tone of the stories varies from serious Le Corre, Hervé but bewildered to wry and amused, and yet each main char- Trans. by Taylor, Sam acter is attempting to determine a narrative and direction for Europa Editions (544 pp.) their life that transcends the day-to-day monotony of being $19.00 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 young, broke, and in unstable living situations. Any sense of 978-1-60945-539-2 resolution is temporary at best and somehow all the more gratifying because of its precariousness. This is a bleak tale of personal ven- Enigmatic ideas craftily underlie a direct style. geance set in Bordeaux, France, where memories of the German occupation remain fresh in the late 1950s as the country faces a new conflict in Algeria. French writer Le Corre (Talking to Ghosts, 2014, etc.), known for his crime fiction, has the basics of the genre at work here while history supplies characters and motives. Andre Vail- lant has returned to his hometown in Bordeaux in 1958 seek- ing revenge against Police Superintendent Albert Darlac, who betrayed him during World War II. In a plot with several nar- rative streams and expansive psychological portraits, Le Corre gradually reveals Vaillant’s experiences at Auschwitz and during young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 23 fictional characters come to life in this bookish debut

If you could have any magical power, what would it be? a postwar period in Paris before he comes home with plans to In discussing this question with a class, H.G. Parry came hurt people tied to Darlac. Vaillant’s son, Daniel, whom he was up with the perfect power for an English major: bring- forced to leave behind during the war, copes with military life in Algeria in some of the novel’s most compelling scenes. At ing characters (or even objects) out of a book and into the center of everything is the monstrous Darlac, who controls the real world. “We were talking Photo courtesy Fairlie Atkinson much of Bordeaux’s illicit activities with favors and sadism, as about literary theory and how he did during the occupation, when “all cops were collabora- maybe if you brought them out tors.” It’s an ambitious work, and Le Corre doesn’t entirely suc- you could bring out your own par- ceed in melding the many parts into a cohesive whole, but even ticular interpretation,” she says. somewhat digressive segments enrich characters and themes. Meanwhile, the police are busy with a string of murders, all So if different people brought blamed on Vaillant but not all committed by him. The other the same character out of a book, culprit is Darlac, who uses the investigation to mask killings he each version would look com- commits for his personal agenda: one cop, two henchmen, and pletely different. two people close to home. He also beats and rapes his wife and That idea developed into Par- barely controls his passion for their 15-year-old daughter. His unrelenting cruelty is excessive, as is Le Corre’s prose at times, ry’s debut novel, The Unlikely Es­ (July 23). Narra- but the writing is generally high-end noir or better and well cape of Uriah Heep served by the translation. tor Rob is perfectly content with H.G. Parry Graphic in its violence but rich in history and psychol- his ordinary life in Wellington, but ogy, this novel is vivid proof that “after the war, sometimes his unexciting existence is upended when his brother the war continues.” Charlie returns from abroad. Charlie can read characters into existence when he concentrates closely on a text. Unfortunately, he’s an English MISSING PERSON Lotz, Sarah professor, so this ends up hap- Mulholland Books/Little, Brown pening rather a lot—but the (480 pp.) trouble doesn’t really start until $27.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 someone else starts summoning 978-0-316-39664-6 fictional characters and sending them out into the world. A missing person case gets upgraded Rob is an unusual protago- to murder when the members of an online forum turn to sleuthing. nist for a fantasy novel: He’s a For 20 years, Shaun believed his successful lawyer with a sup- uncle Teddy was dead after he left Ire- portive and loving girlfriend. In land rather mysteriously and cut ties with his siblings. So when other words, he pretty much a stranger shows up, claiming that Teddy is alive and was last has it together. Charlie, on the heard from in New York, Shaun is nonplussed. Still, he’s curious other hand, is brilliant but scat- enough to post a picture on the internet looking for informa- tion, where it’s picked up by the members of a missing per- tered, prone to working at all son site who immediately recognize Teddy as “The Boy in the hours of the night and accidentally leaving his phone Dress,” found murdered in Minnesota nearly 20 years before, in the refrigerator. Those differences breed misunder- wearing a pink prom dress. The narrative follows Shaun; the standings, which are then rewritten as facts—much in website admin, Chris, who has personal reasons to want to the same way we reinterpret fictional characters. “Espe- solve these cases; website moderator Ellie, who has previously cially with family members who we think we know really gotten in trouble for getting carried away with her sleuthing; well,” Parry says, “we can sometimes read them the way and website enthusiast Pete, who claims to be a former cop and sets up a GoFundMe to bring Shaun to the United States. we want to read them rather than the way they need to be As the group begins to bond by working the case, someone is read or the way they are.” —A.H. manipulating the situation for their own protection; someone doesn’t want the truth about the boy in the dress to come to Alex Heimbach is a writer and editor in California. The Un- light—and might be willing to kill to keep their secrets. Lotz’s likely Escape of Uriah Heep received a starred review in the (The White Road, 2017, etc.) previous novels have hardly been short on either terror or drama; this one is curiously lacking in June 1, 2019, issue. both. Instead, it follows the slow progress of the investigation, moving appropriately to emphasize the mundanity, perhaps,

24 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | When a skull is discovered in the lake by a manor house, a 30-year-old mystery comes to light. the nanny

but devoid in the end of true mystery or suspense. The charac- her childhood are mostly unhappy, especially after her beloved ters form a likable band of misfits who deserve a more exciting nanny, Hannah, left under mysterious circumstances. Despite plot. Perhaps there’ll be a second chance in a sequel? her mother’s frosty warnings, Jo takes Ruby out on the lake one A legitimate but hardly original moral: Be careful day, and they unearth a human skull. The detective who comes whom you trust on the internet. to investigate has a chip on his shoulder about the upper class and would like nothing better than to prove the village rumors that the Holt family has casually disposed of inconvenient bod- THE NANNY ies throughout the years. Jo’s mother knows exactly to whom Macmillan, Gilly the skull belongs—and she wants to keep the truth from Jo as Morrow/HarperCollins (400 pp.) long as possible. Jo herself suspects it might belong to Hannah, $26.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 who never would have left her voluntarily—but then suddenly, 978-0-06-287555-6 out of the blue, a handsome older woman turns up on their doorstep, claiming to be Hannah. No one is quite sure what to When a skull is discovered in the lake believe, but Jo, desperately wanting to rekindle the closeness by a manor house, a 30-year-old mystery she once had with Hannah and chafing against the coldness of comes to light. her mother, invites the woman into her home to help care for When Jo’s husband dies suddenly, she Ruby—a mistake, we know, of catastrophic proportions. Mac- reluctantly brings her 10-year-old daugh- millan (I Know You Know, 2018, etc.) strives to create a gothic ter, Ruby, home to Lake Hall. Despite the atmosphere, but the setting falls short of true creepiness. Her seeming affluence of her aristocratic family, Jo’s memories of decision to switch narrators does add layers to the story, but the young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 25 A memorable portrait of a people at war—a war that has long demanded recounting from an Ethiopian point of view. the shadow king

voices all seem to tell more than they show, and no character is had suffered 40 years earlier. They might have remembered sympathetic enough, or charismatic enough, to really draw the how fiercely the Ethiopians fought. Certainly the protagonist of reader into the mystery. Mengiste’s story, a young woman named Hirut, does. In a brief Art forgery! False identities! Adultery! Murder! But in prologue, we find her returning to the capital, where she has the end, sadly, it’s more melodrama than true thriller. not been for decades, in 1974, in order to find an audience with the emperor, Haile Selassie, who is just about to be overthrown. She has a mysterious box, inside of which, Mengiste memorably THE SHADOW KING writes, “are the many dead that insist on resurrection.” The box Mengiste, Maaza comes from the war nearly 40 years earlier, and it is an artifact Norton (448 pp.) full of meaning. Hirut was nothing if not resourceful back then: $26.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 A servant in a wealthy household, she becomes a field nurse, but 978-0-393-08356-9 as the war deepens, she takes up arms and becomes a fighter her- self, “the brave guard of the Shadow King”—the Shadow King An action-filled historical novel by being a villager who bore a reasonable enough resemblance to Ethiopian American writer Mengiste the emperor, who has gone into hiding, to be dressed like him, (Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, 2010). taught his mannerisms, and sent out in public in order to rally The Italians who invaded Ethiopia in the dispirited Ethiopian people. “There are oaths that hold this 1935 under the orders of the man whom world together,” Mengiste writes, “promises that cannot be left the conquered people insist on calling, in undone or unfulfilled.” Such is the oath that the emperor broke quiet resistance, Mussoloni came aching to avenge a loss they by fleeing the fight. Mengiste is a master of characterization,

26 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | and her characters reveal just who they are by their actions; THE FRAGILITY OF BODIES always of interest to watch is the Italian colonel Carlo Fucelli, Olguín, Sergio who is determined to win glory for himself, and a soldato named Trans. by France, Miranda Ettore Navarra, who has learned Amharic and wants nothing Bitter Lemon Press (382 pp.) more than to live a quiet life, preferably with Hirut by his side. $14.95 paper | Sep. 19, 2019 Hirut herself is well rounded and thoroughly fascinating—and 978-1912242-191 not a person to be crossed. A memorable portrait of a people at war—a war that Young boys from poor families in has long demanded recounting from an Ethiopian point of Buenos Aires are being lured into lethal view. games of chicken on the railroad tracks. Investigating the story, dedicated maga- zine reporter Veronica Rosenthal faces ONCE UPON A TIME threats of her own. IN FRANCE The deadly games pit one boy against another. The last to Nury, Fabien jump away from the onrushing train to safety is paid 100 pesos— Illus. by Vallée, Sylvain & Delf & the equivalent of $2 American but a huge sum to these kids. Rose-Lyon, Haley The deaths have cast a pall on train travel, traumatizing driv- Trans. by Hahnenberger, Ivanka ers. One tormented engineer who also ran over three suicidal Dead Reckoning/Naval Institute Press adults violently kills himself. Other drivers, including Lucio, (368 pp.) who becomes Veronica’s guide through this underworld, can’t

$29.95 paper | Sep. 18, 2019 put aside their hatred for the victims for messing up the driv- young adult 978-1-68247-471-6 ers’ lives. Lucio, a married man who becomes Veronica’s lover and partner in punishing sex, helps her track down the families Writer Nury (Atar Gull, 2019, etc.), illustrator Vallée of the young victims—and potential victims, including 10-year- (Katanga, 2019, etc.) and translator Hahnenberger (The Jungle, old Peque. Accepted into a neighborhood soccer club by a coach 2019, etc.) deliver a twisty historical-epic crime saga that fol- out to program him as a train jumper, he survives his first bout lows a Jewish scrap-metal salesman’s relentless dedication to and quickly spends the money on candy, chips, and Coke. Even staying alive—and getting ahead—before, during, and after the after the deadliness of the game sinks in, he can’t stay away—just Nazi occupation of France. as Veronica can’t stay away from Lucio and the emotional perils As a child, Joseph Joanovici meets his future wife, Eva, as they he represents. It takes a while to adjust to Olguín’s flat narrative hide out from a czarist pogrom in 1905 Romania. They eventu- style and neutered tone, both of which may owe something to ally immigrate to Clichy, France, to stay with Eva’s uncle, and the translation. (Published in Spanish in 2012, this is the first of Joseph demonstrates an uncanny skill in sorting metal, proving Olguín’s novels to be translated into English.) But the story is himself valuable in the uncle’s scrap-metal shop. Though illit- so gripping and Veronica is such a fascinating departure from erate, the unconventionally ingenious Joseph devises a crude crime fiction convention—she’s 30, Jewish, brazen, and openly bookkeeping system that allows him to manage the shop’s flawed—that the book becomes difficult to put down. Also a finances—and skim off the top to support his growing family. very good novel about journalism, it’s the first installment of a The extra cash enables Joseph to turn a sticky predicament for trilogy. his uncle into a massive business opportunity for himself, and An unusual, intoxicating thriller from Argentina that this ability to turn danger to his advantage raises Joseph’s for- casts deeper and deeper shadows. tunes and reputation, bringing stability to his family even as the Nazis come to power, with reluctant—if profitable—material support from the Jewish ironmonger. The consummate oppor- THE HEART AND tunist, Joseph plays all sides, soon finding himself in league with OTHER VISCERA Nazis, criminals, police, politicians, gamblers, businessmen, Palma, Félix J. and the French Resistance, each move and alliance calculated Trans. by Caistor, Nick & Garcia, Lorenza to keep him and his loved ones alive even if it costs his soul and Atria (240 pp.) alienates those he protects. A vicious personal attack against an $17.00 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 investigator earns Joseph an enemy who lingers long after the 978-1-5011-6404-0 war. Nury’s story is gripping, brutal, and morally complex, dra- matizing the fleeting nature of power. The first chapter spills Palma, a Spanish writer best known out a jumbled chronology, presenting this complicated man as here for the Map of Time trilogy (The an overturned jigsaw puzzle, and the pages that follow fill in the Map of Chaos, 2015, etc.), returns with a blanks and tighten like a noose. Vallée’s art has the cartoonish book of imaginative stories. realism and cinematic verve of Steve Dillon’s. In “Snow Globe,” one of the stronger tales, a traveling ency- Thrilling, haunting, superb. clopedia salesman masquerading as the dead son of a senile and grief-stricken elderly woman describes the title item as “a toy

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 27 world that obeys its own laws….Everything inside it works dif- But it’s what happens when Luce and Rosemary collide, when ferently.” It’s a metaphor for the story at hand, but it could also Rosemary finally experiences human connection in all its messy apply to the book overall. “The Karenina Syndrome” unfurls beauty, that makes this story so unusual, and powerful, and an enigmatic tale about a man’s dread of Sunday dinners with cements Pinsker’s (Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea, his wife’s family into a domestic thriller centered around a love 2019) status as a rising star in the world of speculative fiction. letter bookmarking his in-laws’ tattered copy of Anna Karenina, A gorgeous novel that celebrates what can happen when deftly recalibrating the book’s themes into something new one person raises her voice. and alarmingly grotesque. “Roses Against the Wind” expands a similar premise of how little family members actually know about one another into a fantastical meditation on compas- LAMPEDUSA sion and escapism. But the title story—about a wealthy man Price, Steven who gives his wife pieces of his body over the course of their Farrar, Straus and Giroux (336 pp.) marriage—is indeed the standout and is practically dripping $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 with black comedy and potential interpretations. Are the eyes, 978-0-374-21224-7 appendages, and limbs passed across the table over lavish din- ners indicative of unbridled affection or “an act of tremendous A historical novel based on the life of egotism...akin to giving the church the clothes you no longer a revered Italian writer. wear”? In Palma’s tales, lecherous co-workers inevitably steal Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa jilted wives waiting at the foot of a staircase with their suit- only ever wrote one novel. The Leopard case, work crushes wind up the talismanic muses of magical was based on the life of his great-grand- figurines—all evoked with an onslaught of metaphor and simile father and set during the Risorgimento, that hits the nail so hard and so frequently that, in aggregate, or the unification of Italy. The novel became a classic in Italy, they have some trouble signifying. Palma has a piercing imagi- but Tomasi didn’t live to see its success: He died of emphysema nation hampered only by plots that are borderline contrived before the book was published. Price’s (By Gaslight, 2016, etc.) and an unchanging narrative voice. novel is based on Tomasi’s life at the time he was writing The Twelve well-paced stories straddling the line between Leopard. He was 60 years old, the last member of an aristocratic parody, magical realism, mystery, and farce. Sicilian family, and he was growing more and more ill. In Price’s telling, Tomasi is a sweet, shy, soft-spoken man. He spends his days at bookstores and cafes, reading voraciously. In the eve- A SONG FOR A nings, Tomasi gives informal lectures on English literature to a NEW DAY couple of students while his wife, a psychoanalyst (unusual for Pinsker, Sarah the time—it’s 1955), sees patients. The novel traces his writing of Berkley (384 pp.) The Leopard as well as his memories of his childhood and adoles- $16.00 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 cence. Price’s writing is lyrical, though he slips sometimes into a 978-1-9848-0258-3 certain preciousness; some passages are overwritten, even over- wrought. Other than that, this is a quiet novel without a blaring A post-apocalyptic tale about the plot. Tomasi writes, thinks, and remembers and struggles to tell power of art and the urgency of human his wife the truth about his illness. His “student friends”—Giò; connection. his fiancee, Mirella; and Orlando—are almost like children to Luce Cannon is on tour with her him. They’re also a kind of advance guard of a new, modern backing band when it happens. Shoot- age, which Tomasi recognizes his alienation from. History, he ings and bomb threats have already become common, but then knows, is passing him by, and Price shows how Tomasi works there’s an attack on a West Coast baseball stadium just before that understanding into his own novel. the band is supposed to go onstage for a sold-out concert in the A lyrical and sensitive portrait of a man nearing the end nicest theater they’ve ever played. The concert is canceled, and of his life. soon so are all public gatherings. Cut off from performing, and with no real home to go back to since she left her Orthodox Jewish family rather than come out to them as queer, Luce is adrift. Rosemary Laws never knew Luce’s world. She grew up after the attack and the pox. She works in virtual reality all day. The one time she went to a bar, it was a virtual bar—with the cocktails “droned to her doorstep.” But her first “live” concert experience takes her breath away. So when she gets a job offer from the company that produces those virtual reality concerts, she takes it even though it’ll require actual travel into the real, live world. The story of how Luce’s world—our world—turns into Rosemary’s is vividly rendered and chillingly plausible.

28 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | young adult

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 29 AN UNORTHODOX MATCH Yaakov Lehman, whose children she begins caring for. She Ragen, Naomi doesn’t know the prejudice she’s up against. Yaakov is struggling St. Martin’s (336 pp.) as well. It would be frowned upon for him to leave his full-time $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 Talmudic studies to make money, even if he had the skills to 978-1-250-16122-2 do so. Other skills he does not possess, by design, are house- keeping and child-rearing; both have fallen to his 15-year-old In her latest novel, Ragen (The Devil daughter, Shaindele. Will Yaakov and Leah find happiness? Of in Jerusalem, 2015, etc.) asks why a secular course. But first there must be hurdles. These come in the form Jewish woman might join an Orthodox of many terrible dates (for each of them) with outsized, terrible community and whether it would be pos- characters, courtesy of the local matchmakers. Shaindele, hurt- sible for her to find not only acceptance, ing and overburdened, throws some roadblocks at them, aided but family. in part by Yaakov’s mother-in-law, who acts as a window into the The daughter of a godless single mother who ran away from community and the threat it feels from . Additional her own Orthodox Jewish upbringing as a teenager, Leah (born chapters go into too much detail about Leah’s overstuffed, over- Lola) has been searching for religious meaning most of her life. complicated backstory (while still leaving out entire referred-to After two serious romances end disastrously, she becomes a chunks, like time spent living in Israel) but serve the purpose of baalas teshuva (“possessor of repentance”) in the Orthodox delaying the inevitable until the admittedly sweet ending. neighborhood of Boro Park, Brooklyn. Her goal is to learn the The Sound of Music meets Fiddler on the Roof, but without customs and philosophies of her ancestors but also to find a the singing. good man and start a family—like the one of recent widower

30 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A frightening fable about the watcher and the watched. five windows

FIVE WINDOWS In “The ,” an unnamed narrator considers the first card in Roemer, Jon the Major Arcana of the tarot, linking the image to her drive for Dzanc (184 pp.) self-destruction and her ability to fall in and out of love. Caught $16.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 between “fear and ecstasy, ecstasy and fear,” she knows only too 978-1-945814-94-5 well how to keep this rapturous back and forth at bay—and how to call it down upon herself. In “The Narrator,” the subject of Roemer’s debut offers a disquieting storytelling is debated by friends vacationing in a chalet. With take on Rear Window set in contempo- her customary wit, Serre has created two competing narra- rary San Francisco. tors—the title character, who has no control over the story he’s Our narrator is a workaholic book in, and the narrator of the story itself, who dishes up metacom- publisher who lives, post–marital breakup, mentary on the morality of narration: “To feel holier-than-thou in a beautiful but stripped apartment on with your precious images, yes, yes, that’s all very fine. But to a placid hillside. He rarely ventures out, subsisting on delivery- feel smug simply because you’re alone, simply because you’re service food and on the human contact provided by video calls different from others and in possession of a secret—morally, with authors and collaborators. All day he stares out from his that’s not so good.” As characters discover how they’ve been command post near the five high windows of the title, observ- portrayed throughout the story, they begin to revolt, pushing ing the people who come and go and—the panopticon works the title character to give up his power as a storyteller in order both ways, it turns out—being observed by them. There are to live in the world. But the crown jewel of this collection is the sinister undertones everywhere. The novel opens as the nar- perverse, absurd, and affecting story “The Wishing Table,” in rator observes a nearby house fire, one in a series of them. He which a young woman looks back on her childhood as a member

hears mysterious muffled explosions from across the street; his of an incestuous family. Although the narrator rejects the idea young adult upstairs neighbor shows up bloodied, pleads for the publisher of sexual abuse and embraces the “moral chaos” of her upbring- to call 911, then departs with his lover, who has, the neighbor ing, her social isolation and strangeness permeate her adult says, injured himself in a wood-carving accident; a transit hub relationships. Only after the death of her parents and years of is about to be built nearby, and the community is tense, wary, celibacy does she uncover how to marry love with desire by rec- angry. Then an international celebrity author, not the kind this onciling her past. “[You] had only—as I had always known and small outfit publishes, submits a novel manuscript that features believed—to pay close attention for a terrible joy to be born, for eerie parallels to the publisher’s situation. All the while the a work of art to emerge from your body, your hands, your eyes, reader has to grapple, too, with questions about the narrator’s your poor broken heart,” she thinks at last. reliability—why do his neighbors seem to think he’s a malig- A strange, beguiling collection about the perils of nant presence, this watcher who doesn’t hide behind the usual desire in all its forms. niceties (and window treatments)? Like Hitchcock, Roemer excels at establishing and then deepening the reader/viewer’s unease—but his interest is less in the plot complications that A MISTAKE fuel Hitchcock’s film than in the psychological drama unfolding Shuker, Carl within the apartment as the publisher’s life implodes. Roemer’s Counterpoint (192 pp.) achievement here is to discomfit the reader without sacrificing $25.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 the story’s fundamental realism. This book reads, often, like a 978-1-64009-249-5 dystopian novel, but—disturbingly—it’s one set in a dystopia we already live in. Where does responsibility for a mis- A frightening fable about the watcher and the watched. take lie: with a system? A circumstance? An individual? Shuker’s staccato recounting of an THE FOOL operating room mishap reveals as much And Other Moral Tales about the iconoclastic surgeon leading Serre, Anne the team as the doctor herself wants anyone to know: She plays Trans. by Hutchinson, Mark thrash metal on repeat while she works, she’s curt and demand- New Directions (176 pp.) ing in the OR, and she’s a brilliant, accomplished surgeon. The $15.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 complicated aftermath of the surgical error, committed by a 978-0-8112-2716-2 junior colleague, seems almost inevitable given Dr. Elizabeth (Liz!) Taylor’s propensity to do things her own way despite the In three mysterious tales, Serre confines of the misogynistic medical community of the novel’s explores the moral implications of self- setting, Wellington, New Zealand. In a parallel to the surgical destructive impulses, storytelling, and story, Shuker unfolds the events leading up to the space shuttle sexual taboo. Challenger disaster, an event Taylor uses to illustrate the impli- Serre (The Governesses, 2018), one of France’s finest fabulists, cations of “massive systems failure” to her surgical students. returns in full force in this slim, freshly translated collection. Taylor tells them there can be simple problems, complicated

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 31 problems, complex problems…or chaos. (Her own assessment horrible Saudi ruler. This might be solid realpolitik, but it’s not of the operating room error as a “controlled emergency,” not terribly compelling fiction. a chaotic one, is one example of her sangfroid.) A pending ini- It may be time for Silva’s hero to retire from the field tiative to publish the results of medical outcomes lends addi- and let his protégés take over. tional drama to Taylor’s predicament; data alone is subject to misunderstanding and misinterpretation by nonphysicians, and a sole bad outcome can skew the results of years of hard-won AGAINST THE WIND successes. Shuker’s spare narrative leaves substantial room to Tilley, Jim theorize about Taylor’s emotional life as well as the ultimate Red Hen Press (296 pp.) assignment of blame for the surgical calamity. Scattered clues to $16.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 Taylor’s past allow insight into her relationship status, bisexual- 978-1-59709-835-9 ity, and temperament, but Shuker succeeds in providing a main character whose idiosyncratic self is most fully realized in the Tilley’s debut novel after several col- operating room and who has only herself to rely upon to survive lections of poetry traces the connections the repercussions of a mistake. between a disparate group of people in A character study and a morality tale wrapped up in a the United States and Canada. medical thriller. It begins with Ralph, a well-off lawyer in New York City, having a health episode that prompts him to revisit a canoe trip he undertook in 1965 THE NEW GIRL with several of his high school friends. Ralph’s high school girl- Silva, Daniel friend, Lynn, is a teacher; his old rival, Dieter, now works for a Harper/HarperCollins (496 pp.) company with a contentious wind farm project in the works. $28.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 Jean-Pierre, Lynn’s estranged husband, also has ties to the wind 978-0-06-283483-6 farm and often ponders his younger days, when he was deeply involved in Quebecois separatist politics. Many of the charac- Gabriel Allon partners with a dubi- ters are in late middle age, with decades of personal history and ous ally in the Middle East. professional rivalries behind them. The main exception, genera- When a 12-year-old is abducted from tionally speaking, is Jules, the grandson of Lynn and Jean-Pierre, an exclusive private school in Geneva, raised by them after the boy’s parents died in a plane crash. Jules Allon, head of Israeli intelligence, is is a high school senior with an interest in engineering, which con- among the first to know. The girl’s father nects him to many of Lynn’s old friends. Jules is also transgender, is Khalid bin Mohammed, heir to the Saudi throne, and he which leads to a few awkward moments between him and Jean- wants Allon’s help. KBM was once feted as a reformer, ready to Pierre, who is portrayed as being less understanding of Jules’ gen- bring new industries and new freedoms to his country. When he der than Lynn. Tilley’s novel charts the shifting balance of power, makes his appeal to Allon, though, KBM is the prime suspect both emotional and financial, within this group. Tilley handles in the murder of a journalist. If KBM immediately makes you most of his characters with sympathy, though an early revelation think of MBS, you are correct. Silva mentions Mohammad bin about Dieter helps to establish him as the closest thing this novel Salman, Saudi Arabia’s real-life heir apparent, in a foreword. But has to an antagonist. It’s a slow-burning work but written with a anyone who recognizes KBM as a fictional echo of MBS might solid attention to detail—even if its focus on quiet conflicts and find this book to be more old news than fresh entertainment. interpersonal dynamics can feel too restrained at times. In his last few novels, Silva has turned his attention to current Tilley handles decadeslong character arcs with empa- world affairs, such as the rise of the new Russia and the threats thy, resulting in a resonant and humanistic novel. of global terrorism. In novels like The Other Woman (2018) and House of Spies (2017), the author was inventive enough that these works felt compelling and original. And, in The Black Widow CALL UPON THE WATER (2016), Silva wrote much of the story from the point of view of Tillyard, Stella the French-born Israeli doctor Allon recruited for an under- Atria (288 pp.) cover mission while also expanding the roles of a few familiar $26.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 secondary characters. Allon is a wonderful creation. In the first 978-1-9821-2096-2 several novels in this series, he posed as an art restorer while working for Israel’s intelligence service. He adopted a variety Historical fiction that deftly weaves of personas and gave readers access to people and places few of engineering marvels, love, optimism, us will ever see. Now that he’s a public figure who can no longer and tragedy against the backdrop of war invent alter egos, his world is smaller and less fascinating. The and tensions in the mid-17th-century pacing here is slow, and any sense of urgency is undercut by the Old and New Worlds. matter of what’s at stake. Ultimately, this is a narrative about Jan Brunt is a Dutch engineer hired removing one horrible Saudi ruler in order to reinstate a less in 1649 for a mammoth project to drain 500 square miles of

32 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Something for everyone who digs things that go bump in the night. growing things

land in England. The successful project will create wealth and two stories. But she pulls her own narrative westward, setting riches for a group of so-called Gentlemen Adventurers by cre- up contrasts between Britain and the U.S. and problematical ating arable land from wetlands, or fens, where salt and fresh single-family homes on either side of the Atlantic. It’s a finely water compete with each other daily for mastery. But doing so phrased and observed piece of writing but doesn’t fully charac- means the destruction of that natural world and the livelihoods terize its narrator nor break the doomed family out of the mold. of those who live within it. As Jan begins his work on the Great Even though the Digby secrets are exposed and Annie moves Level—as it is called—Eliza arrives in his life, emerging from on to yet another (imperfect) relationship, little emerges in the the fens. Jan and Eliza are two people who are perfectly com- way of resolution. plete as and by themselves, yet they find joy in each other. This A small, brittle, not entirely focused story of class and book is about memories and about love: of place, of person, of lost illusions. things well made, of partners well cherished. It is also about survival. The locations—from the orderly streets of the Neth- erlands to the wild fens of England tamed by engineering, the GROWING THINGS swampy shorelines of Virginia thick with cypress trees and the And Other Stories burgeoning cityscape of New York–to-be—are so finely wrought Tremblay, Paul by author Tillyard (Tides of War, 2011, etc.) that they will embed Morrow/HarperCollins (352 pp.) themselves in your mind as distant places your thoughts return $25.99 | Jul. 2, 2019 to wistfully, as if you yourself have traveled there. But as much 978-0-06-267913-0 as this story is one of optimism, tragedy is still prevalent: wild- lands, families, bodies, engineering marvels, all are destroyed in Nineteen eerie short stories from

time. But everything can be rebuilt, and for Jan, it is in memo- an award-winning writer who clearly young adult ries, hard work, and future possibilities that he finds joy. embraces literary horror fully. A dense, delightful read. No lie: The Cabin at the End of the World (2018) was a tough read because it’s terrifying in an unusual way, so it’s not a surprise that these INHERITANCE frighteningly imaginative slices of horror are often far more Toynton, Evelyn chilling than their relatively mundane inspirations. Tremblay, Other Press (272 pp.) like Joe Hill, Chuck Wendig, Richard Kadrey, and their ilk, is $16.99 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 among the best in the literary business but chooses to play in 978-1-59051-921-9 a fairly specific genre, which is pretty much horror taken to another plane. Well-written, yes. But scary as hell, which is an The web of unhappiness ensnaring equally admirable trick to accomplish. The title story shows up the children of an upper-class English first, depicting a slow apocalypse via invasive plants not as a pan- family fascinates a restless American orama but as one family’s bitter end. It also contains the book’s visitor. most frightening line: “There are no more stories.” Next is Chilly, and peopled by a cast of more “Swim Wants to Know If It’s as Bad as Swim Thinks,” portraying or less damaged characters, Toynton’s a junkie—SWIM is a cipher for “someone who isn’t me”—who’s (The Oriental Wife, 2011, etc.) third novel spins a downbeat tale trying to describe her addiction online even as some exploring the destructive spiral of the Digby family, whose idyl- might be nearby. We get a couple of hardcore crime stories in lic Devon home is also the heart of its suffering. The house is “The Getaway,” in which a knockoff artist is struggling to escape presided over by matriarch and famous scientist Helena, whose his brother’s shadow, and “Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport,” domineering, narcissistic personality has extended a profound which might as well have been a deleted scene from Scorsese’s influence over her three children. This history is uncovered The Departed. The best, most challenging stories are completely slowly by an outsider, widowed American Annie Devereaux, meta. “Notes for ‘The Barn in the Wild’ ” details the Blair Witch who has fled New York after her husband’s sudden death. An Project–esque journey of someone trying to get to the bottom of unexpected encounter on a London street with Helena’s son, a story while “Something About Birds” finds a writer launching Julian, leads to a relationship that morphs from sex and sharing a zine delving into the mysterious history of a famous writer, all into withering cruelty, apparently Julian’s familiar pattern. But structured in unexpected ways. The rest are creepfests inspired before the relationship founders, Annie is introduced to Julian’s by everything from Poe to Lovecraft to King. There’s a little fan sister Isabel, who offers another facet of the family—beautiful, service as well—a character who seems to be Karen Brissette intellectual, and wounded. There’s also a third sibling, math from Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts waxes eloquent about prodigy Sasha, whose mental illness is at times an effective the horror genre in the extended “Notes From the Dog Walk- weapon against her selfishly controlling mother. Annie, with ers” while the memorable Merry from the same earlier book her Anglophilia and romantic view of Devon, courtesy of her anchors the equally creepy “The Thirteenth Temple.” long-absent father, is magnetized by both Isabel and her home. From high fantasy to monsters to (literally) Hellboy, The text is sprinkled with references to Brideshead Revisited, something for everyone who digs things that go bump in Toynton’s acknowledgement of some parallels between the the night.

| kirkus.com | fiction | 15 july 2019 | 33 THE STRANGER INSIDE community stuck in a rut. (“I would spend my life uncolonizing Unger, Lisa Chief Danny…save the North from him and every other loser Park Row Books (384 pp.) leader out there.”) Similarly, in “Man Babies,” a man attempts $26.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 to deliver some tough love to his new girlfriend’s layabout 978-0-7783-0872-0 son, who’s proving that “our warriors will remain couch pota- toes. That our languages and customs will die.” Van Camp can This complex psychological thriller tweak this approach to make it more compassionate, as in “The digs deep into the layers of trauma that Promise,” in which two boys practice pro-wrestling moves on linger long after a terrible crime. each other to help cope with their fathers’ absences. Or he can This is the 17th novel by Unger reshape it into bleak horror, as in a pair of stories in which global (Under My Skin, 2018, etc.), and it revisits warming unleashes an army of demons called the Wheetago; one of her frequent themes: the indelible our neglect of the environment dooms us to having our “heads impact of violence on the survivors of crimes. The survivor at like chalices served up as offerings, full of brains mixed with its center is Rain Winter, who at age 12 was one of three friends blackberries.” Those two stories aside, Van Camp is mainly con- who became the victims of a monster. At first glance, Rain seems cerned with everyday lives in the region where he grew up in to have overcome that nightmare. She’s happily married and the Northwest Territories, and he can give everyday experience reveling in motherhood, although she vacillates between the a Thurber-esque charm, as in “Ehtsèe/Grandpa,” in which the joy she finds in 1-year-old Lily and the tug of the job she left as narrator attempts to connect with his grandparents in absurd a hard-charging radio news producer. That tug increases when or ill-advised ways (watching E.T. with grandpa, getting both of she hears that a man whose murder trial she covered, a man them stoned). The lack of an overall consistent tone can make who was acquitted of killing his pregnant wife, has been found the collection feel centerless, but Van Camp seems capable dead—killed in just the same way his wife was. Rain was sure he of bringing glints of humor to nearly every predicament, be it was guilty, so she feels some dark satisfaction, and her investi- world-ending or just day-wrecking. gative instincts (and maybe something else) are aroused when Straight talk and dark fantasy from an underappreci- a dark web mole, tipster, and blogger tells her off the record ated corner of North America. that there have been other, very similar revenge murders, and they might be the work of the same person. That wakes her own worst memories: “There weren’t many people who remembered RUSTY BROWN Rain’s ugly history. It was big news once, but it had faded in the Ware, Chris bubbling morass of horrific crimes since then.” Its aftermath Illus. by the author included the children’s attacker being released from prison— Pantheon (356 pp.) and murdered. Chapters describing Rain’s pursuit of the story $35.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 of a possible vengeful serial killer are intercut with chapters nar- 978-0-375-42432-8 rated by a mysterious person from her past, one who is closer to her in the present than she knows. Unger skillfully peels back Ware (Building Stories, 2012, etc.) fans the layers of Rain’s emotional scar tissue to expose the truth of rejoice: The long-rumored and hinted-at adventures of Rusty what happened in her childhood and the fear, rage, and guilt it Brown finally come to the page after years in the making. left behind, with a series of shocking consequences. If Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan is indeed the smartest kid in the Surviving a crime is the beginning of the story, not the world, Rusty Brown is perhaps among the least comfortable end, in this astute, engrossing thriller. inside his own skin: He lives a life of quiet desperation in a snowy Midwestern suburb, obsessed with comic heroes such as Supergirl, who he’s sure would melt away the snow with her heat MOCCASIN SQUARE GARDENS vision (“maybe she has problems shutting it off sometimes”); for Van Camp, Richard his part, he wonders whether, in the quiet after a snowfall, he Douglas & McIntyre (160 pp.) might have developed superhearing. Rusty’s dad, Woody, is no $19.95 paper | Sep. 28, 2019 more content: A sci-fi escapist, he teaches English alongside an 978-1-77162-216-5 art teacher who just happens to be named Mr. Ware but seems happy only when he’s smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee An eclectic mix of stories, sometimes in the teachers’ lounge even if Mr. Ware is given to bewilder- irreverent and occasionally scarifying, ing him there with talk of Lacan, Baudrillard, and ennui. Joanne about First Nations peoples in northern Cole, an African American third grade language teacher, gen- Canada. tly empathizes with her angst-y little charges while nursing an “Super Indians,” one of the strongest impulse to learn how to play the banjo; it being the civil rights stories in this collection from the vet- era, the music store owner who sells her an instrument asks, eran Van Camp (Kiss by Kiss, 2018, etc.), has the wisecracking without malice, “So how’d you get interested in the banjo, any- attitude of early Sherman Alexie, as its young narrator bemoans way? Folk music? ‘Protest’ songs?” The lives of all these char- how the tribal leader, Chief Danny, siphons funds and keeps the acters and others intersect in curious and compelling ways. As

34 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | Woodson sings a fresh song of Brooklyn, an aria to generations of an African American family. red at the bone

with Ware’s other works of graphic art, the narrative arc wob- bles into backstory and tangent: Each page is a bustle of small mystery and large frames, sometimes telling several stories at once in the way that things buzz around us all the time, demanding notice. Joanne’s story is perhaps the best developed, but the picked- MYCROFT AND SHERLOCK on if aspirational Rusty (“I appear as a mortal, but…I may not The Empty Birdcage be…”), the dweeby Woody, the beleaguered Chalky, and other Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem & Waterhouse, Anna players are seldom far from view. Titan Books (336 pp.) An overstuffed, beguiling masterwork of visual story- $25.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 telling from the George Herriman of his time. 978-1-78565-930-0

A third round of Victorian detection RED AT THE BONE and domestic friction for the imperish- Woodson, Jacqueline able Holmes brothers. Riverhead (208 pp.) If there had been a 24-hour news $26.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 cycle in 1873, every hour would have been 978-0-525-53527-0 devoted to the Fire 411 killer, whose murders would never have been identified as such if he hadn’t insisted on leaving his call- Woodson sings a fresh song of Brook- ing card at each crime scene, a message reading “The Fire 411!” lyn, an aria to generations of an African The eight victims to date, ranging from a boy of 7 and a girl of

American family. 10 up to a retired barrister in his 80s, have been so marginal young adult National Book Award winner Wood- that the case wouldn’t have enticed Mycroft, addict and some- son (Harbor Me, 2018, etc.) returns to her time foreign agent, if the ninth victim, Elise Wickham, weren’t cherished Brooklyn, its “cardinals and the stepdaughter of Queen Victoria’s cousin Count Wolfgang flowers and bright-colored cars. Little girls with purple ribbons Hohenlohe-Langenburg. In fact, the Count, a bully and a and old women with swollen ankles.” For her latest coming-of- swindler, had already attracted the attention of Mycroft and age story, Woodson opens in the voice of Melody, waiting on his Trinidadian friend, Cyrus Douglas, who now must switch the interior stairs of her grandparents’ brownstone. She’s 16, gears smoothly from seeking evidence of him to solving his making her debut, a “ritual of marking class and time and tran- stepdaughter’s murder to accommodate the queen. Their novel sition.” She insists that the assembled musicians play Prince’s solution is to farm the case out to Mycroft’s younger brother, risqué “Darling Nikki” as she descends. Melody jabs at her who’s a student at Downing College, Cambridge. Sherlock’s mother, Iris, saying “It’s Prince. And it’s my ceremony and he’s eagerness to follow the crooked trail of the Fire 911 killer leaves a genius so why are we even still talking about it? You already Mycroft free to oblige shipping magnate Deshi Hai Lin, whose nixed the words. Let me at least have the music.” Woodson life he saved in Mycroft and Sherlock (2018) and who now, as if he famously nails the adolescent voice. But so, too, she burnishes weren’t already indebted enough, begs Mycroft’s help in seeking all her characters’ perspectives. Iris’ sexual yearning for another and recovering Bingwen Shi, the fiance of his lovely daughter, girl at Oberlin College gives this novel its title: “She felt red at Ai Lin. The decision to assign each of the feuding brothers to the bone—like there was something inside of her undone and a separate case is great for the family peace, but it soft-pedals a bleeding.” By then, Iris had all but abandoned toddler Melody leading attraction of the series and produces enough back-and- and the toddler’s father, Aubrey, in that ancestral brownstone to forth plotting to put most readers in serious danger of whiplash. make her own way. In 21 lyrical chapters, readers hear from both Against all odds, the riddle behind the kidnapping turns out to of Iris’ parents, who met at Morehouse, and Aubrey’s mother, be more interesting, more surprising, and more logical than that CathyMarie, who stretched the margarine and grape jelly sand- of the Fire 411 killer. wiches to see him grown. Woodson’s ear for music—whether All the usual pleasures—blood and thunder, sibling Walt Whitman’s or A Tribe Called Quest’s—is exhilarating, as rivalry, historical walk-ons—but no great shakes as a is her eye for detail. Aubrey and little Melody, holding hands, mystery. listen to an old man whose “bottom dentures were loose in his mouth, moving in small circles as he spoke.” The novel itself cir- cles elegantly back to its beginning, Melody and Iris in 2001 for a brava finale, but not before braiding the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the fires of 9/11. The thread is held by Iris’ mother, Sabe, who hangs on through her fatal illness “a little while longer. Until Melody and Iris can figure each other out.” In Woodson, at the height of her powers, readers hear the blues: “beneath that joy, such a sadness.”

| kirkus.com | mystery | 15 july 2019 | 35 A CUP OF HOLIDAY FEAR must consider Fran, whom Everly found clutching a shattered Alexander, Ellie gnome, his first suspect. To add to the difficulties, Charm is St. Martin’s (304 pp.) in the midst of a rare major snowstorm that threatens to bury $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 evidence in drifts. The morning after Dunfree’s demise, Everly 978-1-250-21434-8 (No Good Tea Goes Unpunished, 2019, etc.) fires up her trusty golf cart and plows through the snow to town, where someone has Will a murder dash holiday spirits in stolen all the gnomes outside Blessed Bee. Everly is busy baking Ashland, Oregon? cookies night and day and planning her food for the progres- Sometime sleuth Juliet Capshaw is too sive dinner, a long-standing island tradition, but she can’t resist busy baking for Torte, the family bakery investigating the murder, much to Grady’s dismay. Though she and coffee shop in the heart of Ashland, begins to receive threats, Everly is undeterred. Grady has his to think about murder. Her staff is hard- own problems with his rich and powerful mother-in-law, Sen. pressed to keep Torte’s pastries and spe- Olivia Denver, who’s just bought a house on Charm and plans to cialty holiday coffee drinks available as they fly out the door. The run for mayor. Everly learns that there are a long string of peo- whole group is looking forward to the famed Dickens feast at the ple with grievances against Dunfree. Now she just has to pick Winchester Hotel, which Emma and Jon McBeth, friends of Jules’ out the killer before Christmas is ruined and her aunt’s arrested. mother, have owned for years. Since Jules’ husband, Carlos, is away Oodles of Christmas cheer bolster a thin mystery. at his job on a cruise ship, her dinner date is her pal Lance. Rumor has it the McBeths are selling the hotel, but Emma says the con- tract limits the changes that Cami, the buyer, can make. The food THE KILLER IN THE CHOIR is delicious, the wine a perfect complement, but it’s all spoiled by Brett, Simon Cami, who, seated near Jules’ party, is rude and obnoxious. Her Creme de la Crime (192 pp.) nastiness escalates when she gets into a fight over a cellphone with $28.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 Francine La Roux, a talented singer who’s part of the quartet pro- 978-1-78029-118-5 viding entertainment for the dinner, and threatens to stab her with a steak knife. Emma’s distraught over several complications that An unlikely accusation at a wake are ruining the carefully planned event, and when Jules offers to kicks off the latest case of murder in help, she finds Jon passed out in the wine cellar. The discovery of Fethering, that quaint little village time Cami with a steak knife in her chest forces Jules to start sleuthing forgot. along with the Professor, the stepfather whose advice has aided the Carole Seddon hadn’t known retired police in several earlier cases (Live and Let Pie, 2018, etc.). Between insurance man Leonard Mallett well baking night and day and cautiously meddling in her staff’s love enough to attend his funeral service out of a sense of personal lives, she somehow helps solve the crime. attachment, but her sense of communal responsibility—she Murder plays second fiddle to a foodie’s delight and a serves on the Committee for the Preservation of Fethering’s paean to awesome Ashland. Seafront, which he chaired—is rewarded when she’s made privy to his daughter Alice’s passing remark that he was killed by Heather Mallett, his second wife and Alice’s stepmother. The TIDE AND PUNISHMENT minor scandal that erupts has no impact on the police, who Baker, Bree stoutly continue to maintain that Mallett’s fall down his stair- Poisoned Pen (384 pp.) case was entirely accidental. Whatever Heather’s role in his $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 decease, she’s amply punished on the night of Alice’s wedding 978-1-4926-6481-9 to Roddy Skelton by someone who strangles her and dumps her body into the water, leaving it to wash up next day on that well- A gnomish murder muddles Christ- preserved seafront. The evidence doesn’t point to anybody in mas festivities on Charm Island. particular, but the title suggests that the guilty party is a member Charm is a small, clannish island of the Crown & Anchor choir, a group assembled specifically to on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. perform at the wedding ceremony. Given their vast experience Mayor Dunfree wants to keep it that in petty homicide (The Liar in the Library, 2018, etc.), it’s inevi- way; Fran Swan, one of his opponents table that Carole and her healer friend, Jude Nicholls, would in the current election, is supported resolve to find the killer. Their insinuating queries unearth sev- by Charmers for Change. One such Charmer is Everly Swan, eral questionable alibis, several more Christie-like red herrings, owner of the cafe Sun, Sand and Tea, who returned to Charm several revelations of musical misdirection and incompetence, after a difficult breakup and gave widowed police detective and one serious case of PTSD. This time, though, the plot is as Grady Hays the key to her heart. Clara and Fran, Everly’s eccen- disjointed as this list would suggest, and the denouement comes tric and beloved great-aunts, own Blessed Bee, a shop that fea- not with a bang but a bemused shake of the head. tures all things bee-related. When Dunfree is bashed to death Minor Brett, which is very minor indeed, but still a with one of Clara’s gnomes at Everly’s Christmas party, Grady treasure trove of microgossip.

36 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | The Brontë sisters take on their first sleuthing case—and it’s a dilly. the vanished bride

THE OFF-ISLANDER ties to government agencies. Sherlock’s own concussion causes Colt, Peter memory loss so severe that she doesn’t recognize Savitch or Kensington (240 pp.) remember their son, Sean. The whole incident seems more sus- $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 picious when a blood test from the splatter of the man Sher- 978-1-4967-2341-3 lock hit reveals that he’s Justice Cummings, an analyst for the CIA. The agency’s refusal to cooperate makes Savitch certain New England police officer Colt’s that Bexholt is involved in a deep-laid plot. Meanwhile, Special first novel is a boozy pipe dream of a pri- Agent Griffin Hammersmith is visiting friends who run a cafe vate eye’s search for a long-missing father in the touristy Virginia town of Gaffers Ridge. Hammersmith, during a period the narrator guilelessly who has psychic abilities, is taken aback when he hears in his describes as “a couple of years into [Rea- mind a woman’s cry for help. Reporter Carson DeSilva, who gan’s] first term.” came to the area to interview a Nobel Prize winner, also has psy- Geoffrey Swift, scion of the San Francisco Swift Aeronauti- chic abilities, and she overhears the thoughts of Rafer Bodine, cal juggernaut, has a serious shot at becoming the first Repub- a young man who has apparently kidnapped and possibly mur- lican senator from the Bay Area in years. So naturally Deborah dered three teenage girls. Unluckily, she blurts out her thoughts, Swift doesn’t want anything to stand in her husband’s gilded and she’s snatched and tied up in a cellar by Bodine. Bodine may way. A serious potential obstacle is her father, Charles Edgar be a killer, but he’s also the nephew of the sheriff and the son Hammond, a Korean War vet who stepped out for a pack of of the local bigwig. So the sheriff arrests Hammersmith and cigarettes while Deborah was still a child and never came back. refuses to accept his FBI credentials. Bodine’s mother has psy- Since the Army had Hammond’s fingerprints on file, it’s not chic powers strong enough to kill, but she meets her match in

likely that he died unidentified, but it’s impossible to say what Hammersmith, DeSilva, Savitch, and Sherlock. young adult scandals may be lurking beneath his disappearance. Deborah’s Greed, love, and extrasensory abilities combine in two already hired the Pinkerton agency to investigate his last known middling mysteries. whereabouts on Cape Cod, but the locals, true to New Eng- land form, have been standoffish toward the agency operatives, who’ve generated reams of paperwork but precious few leads. THE VANISHED BRIDE So Deborah asks Harvard-educated Boston attorney Danny Ellis, Bella Sullivan to recommend somebody local and flies Danny’s best Berkley (304 pp.) friend, Andy Roark, from coast to coast for a brief one-on-one $26.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 and an infusion of cash. Back in Massachusetts, Andy zeroes in 978-0-593-09905-6 on Hyannis, where several veterans’ benefits checks were sent to Hammond in 1968, and Nantucket, where his trail seems to The Brontë sisters take on their first lead. Throughout it all, Colt conscientiously supplies the oblig- sleuthing case—and it’s a dilly. atory complications of the hard-boiled formula—sexual come- In 1845, Emily, Charlotte, and Anne ons, gunplay, mob figures, betrayals—but in slow motion. It’s Brontë lead a plain, quiet life with their no wonder that Andy muses to his old friend: “This is a puzzle, father in Haworth Parsonage, with only almost a mystery.” Yep, almost. their brilliant imaginations for com- Not much incident but lots of attitude. pany. The Yorkshire quiet is shattered when their roustabout brother, Branwell, reports a bloody killing at nearby Chester Grange and the disappearance of the body, assumed to be that LABYRINTH of Elizabeth, the second wife of Robert Chester. The Grange Coulter, Catherine has been notorious ever since Chester’s first wife threw - her Simon & Schuster (512 pp.) self out the window some years back. Following this new hor- $27.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 ror, the sisters decide to engage in the newly developing career 978-1-5011-9365-1 choice of “detecting,” particularly because Matilda French, a schoolmate of Charlotte and Emily’s who’s the governess at Coulter’s treasured FBI agents take the Grange, witnessed the blood-soaked bed in Elizabeth’s on two cases marked by danger and per- chamber. Undaunted by the chilly reception they get from sonal involvement. the Grange’s housekeeper and their unpleasant first encounter Dillon Savitch and his wife, Lacey with the master of the house, the sisters investigate a nearby Sherlock, have special abilities that gypsy camp and a place in the woods where they find a charred have served them well in law enforce- bone and an intact tooth. While Anne and Branwell insinuate ment (Paradox, 2018, etc.). But that doesn’t prevent Sherlock’s themselves completely enough into the Grange to discover a car from hitting a running man after having been struck by a hidden panel, a secret staircase, bloody evening gloves, and an speeding SUV that runs a red light. The runner, though clearly incriminating note, Charlotte and Emily conduct wide-ranging injured, continues on his way and disappears. Not so the SUV interviews, sometimes as themselves and sometimes in disguise. driver, a security engineer for the Bexholt Group, which has Witnessing a macabre scene of obsession and remorse gives the

| kirkus.com | mystery | 15 july 2019 | 37 sisters more insight into Elizabeth’s life with Chester. And the LAND OF WOLVES more they learn about the unfortunate woman, the more sym- Johnson, Craig pathetic they feel and the more they’re willing to flout conven- Viking (336 pp.) tion and the more risks they’ll take to learn the truth. Along the $28.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 way, Ellis, a pseudonym for Rowan Coleman (We Are All Made of 978-0-525-52250-8 Stars, 2016, etc.), drops plenty of hints about where the sisters supposedly find inspiration for their future novels. Sheriff Longmire untangles a nasty Move over, Jane Austen, for the latest literary ladies family snarl. who snoop in this improbable but lively series debut. Back from Mexico, where his war against a drug lord (Depth of Winter, 2018) very nearly cost him his life, Walt A DEATH IN HARLEM Longmire, Sheriff of Absaroka County, Holloway, Karla F.C. Wyoming, is having trouble regaining his strength and char- Northwestern Univ. (248 pp.) acteristic swagger. Things at first seem fairly straightfor- $18.95 paper | Sep. 15, 2019 ward: A wolf designated 777M may or may not have killed a 978-0-8101-4081-3 sheep. Longmire and his undersheriff, Victoria Moretti, begin to investigate—the sheep’s DNA will be analyzed, a preda- A beautiful young woman’s fatal fall tor—wolf or mountain lion—will be identified. Either way, (or was it a push?) through a hotel’s win- 777M has rattled the populace, and wolf panic has set in. It dow provokes multiple investigations seems inevitable that 777M will be hunted down, and much into all manner of secrets in New York’s as he regrets this, Longmire cannot do much to prevent it. African American community at the Keasik Cheechoo (“Cree-Assiniboine/Young Dogs, Piapot height of the Harlem Renaissance. First Nation, a Native wolf advocate,”) appears to plead the Called to the podium of the Ninth Annual Opportunity wolf’s case, but Absaroka County’s legal structure has taken Awards Banquet to receive the prize for Creative Fiction for her the process out of the sheriff’s hands. Other Native characters short story “Sanctuary,” Olivia Frelon misses her cue because contribute to the narrative: Henry Standing Bear, a Northern she’s lying in the street outside the Hotel Theresa, her body Cheyenne, offers Longmire counsel, and for a while it seems shattered by the fall. At first the officers of the 30th Precinct 777M may be a manifestation of the spirit of Virgil White Buf- have little interest in her death. When they do act, it’s to arrest falo, who helped Longmire in the past. Henry Standing Bear is Vera Scott, Olivia’s dear friend, frequent hostess, and wife to a vivid and appealing character, but the suggestion of a spiri- Dr. Reynolds Scott, Olivia’s lover. Sadie Mathis, Vera’s maid, tual involvement is ultimately unrequited. As the investiga- convinced that her employer could never have killed even such tion goes on, things get much more complicated. The sheep a treacherous friend, asks Officer Weldon Haynie Thomas to belonged to Abarrane Extepare, a second-generation Basque look into the case on his own. As he patiently explains to her, American and one of the richest men in Absaroka County, and Weldon has no official standing to investigate; he’s not even a was herded by a Chilean shepherd named Miguel Hernandez. detective. But as “Harlem’s first colored policeman,” he surely When Longmire and Moretti find Hernandez, he has been has some standing in the community. Agreeing to do what he hanged, and though suicide is a possibility, a reasonable case can, Weldon doesn’t know that wealthy, white entrepreneur can be made for murder. The investigation widens, and the Hughes Wellington, a frequent patron of the African American dynamics and particulars of sheep farming, of migrant labor community, has already engaged private investigator Sanders and shepherding, and of land use in general are ably explored Campbell to make inquiries of his own. The secrets that emerge, through the history of the Extepare family. And it is in the it turns out, are all about race: racial pride, racial identity, racial family that the mystery finally finds a structure and Longmire passing, and the problematic relations between a Harlem com- finds a solution. munity yearning for self-expression and the white institutions Sometimes informative and sometimes murky but determined to police it while keeping it at a safe distance. Slip- overall a rewarding journey to Absaroka County. ping in and out of Weldon’s voice, retired Duke professor Hol- loway (Legal Fictions, 2014, etc.) handsomely demonstrates his self-effacing professional maxim: “If you wait, information will come get you.” Holloway brings her period, place, and people alive and provides as a bonus a most unexpected culprit.

38 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A ghostwriter’s gig is threatened by her boss’s loutish paramour. death of a gigolo

DEATH OF A GIGOLO and his friend Jonathan Burrows, have varied special powers Levine, Laura called “lucks.” Sgt. Chapman, one of the few honest police offi- Kensington (304 pp.) cers in 1886 New York, tells Rose about the deaths of six dele- $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 gates to the Republican Convention from unknown causes that 978-1-4967-0852-6 the chief of detectives, who’s in thrall to Tammany Hall, is pass- ing off as a rare form of typhoid. The case is far above Chap- A ghostwriter’s gig is threatened by man’s pay grade but perfect for the Pinkertons. Since Burrows’ her boss’s loutish paramour. luck is the ability to tell where an object has been by touching Days look sunny for LA freelancer it, Rose sends him to the morgue in hopes that he can sniff out Jaine Austen (Death of a Neighborhood a clue. The six delegates were all backing mayoral candidate Scrooge, 2018, etc.). Her slacker ex-hus- Theodore Roosevelt. Is TR now in danger himself? Although band, Dickie Elliott, has rebooted himself the case has been hushed up, a coroner on the Pinkerton payroll as a graphic artist/fitness freak with rock-solid abs and a han- thinks the cause of death is cardiac failure, suggesting a shade kering to rekindle their romance. And her best friend, upscale whose very touch can cause death. Rose and Wiltshire continue shoe salesman Lance Venable, has introduced her to socialite to hunt for the killer as she gingerly mingles with ultrasnobbish Daisy Kincaid, who wants to write a bestselling romance titled New York socialites and meets brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla, Fifty Shades of Turquoise with just a teeny-weeny bit of help from whose ideas lead them to seek not a shade but a man whose luck someone who has actually written something for publication. is the ability to kill with a touch. Any qualms Jaine might have about copyright infringement A rousing paranormal adventure that explores the vast melt away when she sees the working conditions at La Belle class differences shaping the heroine’s romance, with real

Vie, Daisy’s Bel Air mansion, which offers scrumptious lunches historical personages adding a fillip. young adult prepared daily by Chef Raymond, a freezer stocked with Dove Bars that she and office mate Kate can scarf down at will, and limitless help from Solange, Daisy’s maid. Too good to last? HEAVEN, MY HOME Of course. Enter Tommy La Salle, the nephew of Daisy’s late Locke, Attica companion, Emma Shimmel, who worms his way into Daisy’s Mulholland Books/Little, affections and earns the hatred of everyone else. Soon shrimp Brown (304 pp.) scampi is off the menu, replaced by meatball subs and tater tots. $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 (Jaine can barely choke down a dozen of the crunchy puffs while 978-0-316-36340-2 watching Tommy clean his nails with the platinum Swiss army knife Daisy buys him.) Raymond and Solange’s wages are cut, The redoubtable Locke follows up her and Kate and Jaine have to fend off Tommy’s crude advances. Edgar-winning Bluebird, Bluebird (2017) Tommy’s murder is no surprise, and Jaine’s investigation is a with an even knottier tale of racism and classic cozy confrontation: The sharp-tongued writer quizzes deceit set in the same scruffy East Texas each suspect until somebody finally bites back. boondocks. This by-the-book cozy will delight fans who like a sharp It’s the 2016 holiday season, and African American Texas comeback—and maybe a tater tot on the side. Ranger Darren Matthews has plenty of reasons for disquiet besides the recent election results. Chiefly there’s the ongoing fallout from Darren’s double murder investigation involving the A GOLDEN GRAVE Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. He and his wife are in counseling. Lindsey, Erin He’s become a “desk jockey” in the Rangers’ Houston office while Minotaur (400 pp.) fending off suspicions from a district attorney who thinks Dar- $17.99 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 ren hasn’t been totally upfront with him about a Brotherhood 978-1-250-18067-4 member’s death. (He hasn’t.) And his not-so-loving mother is holding on to evidence that could either save or crucify him with An Irish maid–turned–Pinkerton the district attorney. So maybe it’s kind of a relief for Darren to agent never lets being out of her depth head for the once-thriving coastal town of Jefferson, where the stop her. 9-year-old son of another Brotherhood member serving hard Rose Gallagher and her former time for murdering a black man has gone missing while motor- employer and true love, wealthy Eng- boating on a nearby lake. Then again, there isn’t that much relief lishman Thomas Wiltshire, are working given the presence of short-fused white supremacists living not for Pinkerton’s special branch. Rose is far from descendants of the town’s original black and Native in training, learning to shoot, ride, and defend herself, when American settlers—one of whom, an elderly black man, is a sus- they’re called back to New York, where Rose has been helping pect in the possible murder of the still-missing boy. Meanwhile, to find paranormal entities. Rose’s encounter with a ghost Mur( - Darren’s cultivating his own suspicions of chicanery involving the der on Millionaires’ Row, 2018) left her with the ability to sense boy’s wealthy and imperious grandmother, whose own family his- shades, and she’s learned that some people, including Wiltshire tory is entwined with the town’s antebellum past and who isn’t

| kirkus.com | mystery | 15 july 2019 | 39 so fazed with her grandson’s disappearance that she can’t have a MURDER IN THE CORN MAZE lavish dinner party at her mansion. In addition to her gifts for McKevett, G.A. tight pacing and intense lyricism, Locke shows with this install- Kensington (304 pp.) ment of her Highway 59 series a facility for unraveling the tangled $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 strands of the Southwest’s cultural legacy and weaving them back 978-1-4967-1629-3 together with the volatile racial politics and traumatic economic stresses of the present day. With her confident narrative hands A Halloween treat turns deadly for a on the wheel, this novel manages to evoke a portrait of Trump- rural Georgia family. era America—which, as someone observes of a pivotal character In Murder in Her Stocking (2018), in the story, resembles “a toy ball tottering on a wire fence” that McKevett presented the origin story of “could fall either way.” her franchise detective, Savannah Reid, Locke’s advancement here is so bracing that you can’t chronicling her childhood in Georgia wait to discover what happens next along her East Texas under the watchful eye of her granny Stella Reid. Now the highway. author pushes back even further into Stella’s past to the time when Savannah finds a corpse near the corn maze Judge- Pat terson has arranged as a treasured part of the annual holiday fes- BOMBER’S MOON tivities. In spite of its advanced stage of decomposition, Stella Mayor, Archer recognizes the body as that of Becky Dingle, her best friend Minotaur (320 pp.) Elsie Dingle’s mother. Finding who killed Becky forces Stella $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 to confront the death of her own mother, part-Cherokee Gola 978-1-250-11330-6 Quinn, who picked cotton alongside Becky long after Emanci- pation and who suffered the same abuse as other poor women Joe Gunther, of the Vermont Bureau of her time, often at the hands of those closest to them. Stella’s of Investigation, celebrates his 30th out- search also allows her to develop a special bond with Savannah, ing by handing off detective honors to a clearly the brightest of the unruly Reid brood, as the 12-year-old pair of women who don’t even work for begins her journey to becoming a true detective. Without losing him. her sense of humor, McKevett tackles serious issues of women Nothing, it seems, could be more living in poverty. Its focus on history may keep McKevett’s sec- routine than the murder of Lyall Johnson, a nothingburger ond Stella Reid entry from fully developing as a puzzle, but it drug dealer apparently stabbed to death by his sometime offers welcome insight into the woman Stella is and the woman buddy Brandon Leggatt in the middle of a deal gone bad. Leg- Savannah is destined to become. gatt tells Joe he didn’t kill Johnson, but then he would, wouldn’t Sure to please McKevett loyalists and other fans of he? Although the police miss out entirely on a second murder plucky women. when someone dispatches elderly Homer Nelson so expertly that the body has been cremated before anybody thinks to question the verdict of natural death, they’re all over the shoot- MURDER AT ing of Alex Robin Hale, a resourceful, ego-driven thief whose KENSINGTON PALACE body is found in the Connecticut River. But not as all over it Penrose, Andrea as private eye Sally Kravitz, who finds herself drawn to Hale by Kensington (304 pp.) her father, who’s spent years breaking into people’s houses not $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 to steal anything but to study their lifestyles, and Rachel Reil- 978-1-4967-2281-2 ing, a photographer-turned-reporter at the Brattleboro Reformer whose one meeting with Hale, who’d offered to collaborate A Regency lady with a hidden past with her on a feature story on the promises and limitations joins forces with an irritable aristocrat to of online security, turned from intriguing to sinister when he solve a dastardly series of crimes. was killed shortly afterward. Eventually all these trails lead to That waspish illustrator using the Thorndike Academy, a tony prep school whose growing pains, name A.J. Quill is really Lady Charlotte already multiplied by rifts among the board members over Sloan, cast off by her family for marrying her drawing master. wealthy Jonathan Marotti’s offer to spring for a new $15 mil- She’s worked on several cases with the Earl of Wrexford (Mur­ lion building, turn out to be only the most visible symptoms of der at Half Moon Gate, 2018, etc.), but none has tested her skills problems that run much deeper. After spinning his wheels while or her heart as much as the one involving her cousin Cedric, Sally and Rachel dig up the dirt, Joe gets to conduct a climactic Lord Chittenden, and his twin brother, Nicholas. The twins interrogation that reveals Thorndike as a cesspool just as nox- were Charlotte’s dearest childhood companions, and she’s ious as corporate grocer GreenField in Joe’s most recent case devastated when Cedric is brutally murdered and Nicholas (Bury the Lead, 2018, etc.). is arrested. The cousins were interested in scientific research, Average for this venerable series, with few surprises but so Charlotte searches for clues among their peers. Hawk and a nice sense of gradually deepening evil. Raven, two street urchins she’s raising as gentlemen, help her in

40 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A library volunteer gets more than she bargained for when a body turns up in the stacks. late checkout

other ways. And Wrexford bribes his way into the prison hous- Sturdy woman-on-the-run period intrigue with a ing Nicholas, who drops hints about the Eos Society and Ced- strong rooting interest and a weak ending. ric’s rivalries over lovely Lady Julianna Aldrich, whose wealthy guardian encourages her intellectual interests. Although the theory that electricity can be used to raise the dead has largely LATE CHECKOUT been disproven, Cedric has continued to experiment with the Perry, Carol J. voltaic pile. A particularly promising clue is the sighting of a Kensington (384 pp.) person with a distinctive hat and cloak at recent crime scenes. $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 Realizing that the killer is most likely a member of the upper 978-1-4967-1462-6 crust, Charlotte makes the difficult decision to reveal herself as Lady Charlotte in order to meet more of her cousin’s friends. A library volunteer gets more than Her burgeoning awareness of her love for Wrexford is just one she bargained for when a body turns up of many unpredictable complications in the search for a clever in the stacks: a scary murder victim but a and ruthless killer. great potential research opportunity. Science and romance meet in a high-stakes cat-and- Though she doesn’t really need the mouse game. cash from her job as a field reporter at WICH-TV, Lee Barrett is at loose ends when her hours are cut to make room for a nepotistic new hire. DEATH IN FOCUS Luckily, Lee’s Aunt Ibby has an excellent suggestion: Lee can Perry, Anne volunteer at the local Salem library. Lee’s happy to help, but

Ballantine (320 pp.) she’s immediately thrust into a mystery when she encounters a young adult $28.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 body that’s been surrounded by books in the back of the stacks. 978-0-525-62098-3 What a first day! Is her discovery related to the vision of a black shoe with a maroon dress sock that Lee had in her car mirror Perry (Triple Jeopardy, 2019, etc.) earlier, when all she was trying to do was check her hair? It kicks off her latest series by sending wouldn’t be the first time Lee’s had an ambiguous vision that an English photographer who ought to she somehow knows is linked to a murder (Final Exam, 2019, know better into Nazi Germany in 1933. etc.). Of course, the vision might also be connected to Larry Elena Standish may be four years Laraby, WICH-TV’s original sports guy, who was also recently younger than her more worldly sister, found dead in a way that Lee thinks is definitely suspicious. Margot, who was widowed by the Great War only a week into Whether because of the library setting, her new free time, or her marriage, but her grandfather Lucas Standish was secretly her connection to the law through her detective boyfriend, Pete head of MI6 during the war; her isolationist father, Charles Mondello, Lee decides to dig into the network’s early days to Standish, served by turns as England’s ambassador to Germany, find out if there’s a connection between Larry and the library France, and Spain; and she learned the bitter taste of betrayal murder. After learning that the body in the library is that of for- from Aiden Strother, the beau who turned on both her and her mer minor league ballplayer Wee Willie Wallace, Lee’s all the country. So you’d think she’d know a thing or two about how more convinced of a sports link to be uncovered, and she’s sure to deal with tricky situations—and in her own way, she does. that she and O’Ryan, her sidekick cat, are the ones who can get When Ian Newton, an attentive economic journalist she’s met to the bottom of it. in Amalfi, is stabbed to death during their train journey from Great for readers who can get lost in a flood of everyday Milan to Paris and alerts her as he’s dying that he’s an MI6 details others may find mundane. agent who’s learned of a plot to assassinate Hitler ally Friedrich Scharnhorst during a rally in Berlin, she instantly accepts the responsibility of passing on his warning to Roger Cordell at MIAMI MIDNIGHT the British Embassy there. Elena has no way of knowing that Segura, Alex Peter Howard, Lucas’ friend who’s still active in MI6, suspects Polis Books (352 pp.) Cordell of being a turncoat. Only after Scharnhorst is felled by $26.00 | Aug. 13, 2019 a sniper’s bullet as Elena is snapping his picture and she returns 978-1-947993-59-4 to her hotel to find the murder weapon stashed in her wardrobe does she realize that whoever killed Scharnhorst intended to If anyone has earned a fresh start, frame Ian and is now perfectly willing to frame her. Going on it’s Pete Fernandez—he’s struggled back the run, she plunges into a dark world in which it’s impossible to both from a near-death injury and alco- know whom to trust, who’ll help her escape, and who’ll turn her holism. But his plan to run a little book- over to the Gestapo. Although her adventures, which improba- store in Miami is about to go seriously off bly continue after she’s placed under arrest, come fast enough to the track. cause whiplash, most readers will figure out long before Elena Pete keeps telling himself everything is fine, that after his who’s most directly responsible for her peril. previous adventures (Blackout, 2018, etc.) he can even be cool

| kirkus.com | mystery | 15 july 2019 | 41 about his partner’s engagement. He and Kathy, his best friend A bit messy, but perhaps required to recalibrate this and business partner, had shared “a spark.” But while Pete hesi- deservedly popular series for future volumes. tated, another man stepped in. However, when a Cuban gang- ster asks Pete to investigate the murder of his son and find his missing daughter-in-law, Pete realizes he still wants to work— and Kathy will work with him. What they can’t imagine is a plot involving lies, secrets, betrayals, and even a character named science fiction The Silent Death. As Pete and Kathy trace friends and suspects, they travel through Miami’s clubs, businesses, and neighbor- and fantasy hoods; the author, a Miami native, is obviously familiar with and fond of the area. He depicts its cultural varieties with color and insight. One wishes the same could be said of Pete. Although we’re told many times how he feels, he rarely makes the leap into the kind of character we care enough about to follow. GAMECHANGER There are several plot twists, but even the surprises Beckett, L.X. don’t elevate this outing beyond the pedestrian. Tor (576 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-16526-8 KOPP SISTERS ON THE MARCH Stewart, Amy A cerebral fusion of science fiction, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (368 pp.) mystery, and apocalyptic thriller—mas- $26.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 terfully seasoned throughout with 978-1-328-73652-9 provocative social commentary—this intricately plotted, if sometimes cumber- After losing her dream job as Bergen some, novel from Beckett (a pseudonym County deputy sheriff, Constance Kopp for the critically acclaimed Canadian writer A.M. Dellamonica) regroups at a Maryland Army camp for offers up a disturbingly believable glimpse into humankind’s women on the eve of World War I. near future. In the fifth installment of her feisty, Set in the year 2101, in a world devastated by economic and fact-based series (Miss Kopp Just Won’t ecological collapse (thanks in part to an American president Quit, 2018, etc.), Stewart throws an additional real-life figure known as He Who Could Not Be Named), the story largely into the fictional mix: Beulah Binford, fleeing a notorious past revolves around Cherub “Rubi” Whiting, an internationally in Richmond and thinking that training to support the troops famous virtual reality gamer and fledgling lawyer. Her current will be her ticket to a new life in France—if only no one rec- client is Luciano Pox, an accused online terrorist who could be ognizes her. What precisely Beulah is trying to hide is the only a mastermind hacker, a malware-infested AI, an elderly human sort-of mystery here, and her memories leading up to that rev- who has somehow uploaded their consciousness, or an alien elation form a substantial part of the novel. Though her story scout trying to destabilize humankind before the coming of is fairly interesting, it does give Stewart less room for the a massive invasion fleet. Meeting with the elusive Pox proves Kopp sisters. That may be just as well, since Norma’s efforts dangerous for Whiting, who must also deal with an ongoing to persuade the Army of the value of carrier pigeons is nei- VR feud with (and possible love interest) Gimlet ther as interesting nor as funny as Stewart seems to think, and Barnes as well as an infamous father who has embarked on a Fleurette’s stage-struck self-absorption is a slightly shopworn quest to find the mythical sanctuary of a group of billionaires trait, though it is fun to see Beulah taking tart notice of it. who disappeared decades earlier as the world’s economy was Constance, who reluctantly assumes command of the camp collapsing. The mystery behind Pox’s identity is the obvious after an injury sidelines her predecessor, dismisses the training narrative accelerant, but the story’s real fuel comes from the deemed suitable for ladies as “a game” and secretly instructs author’s placement of backstory breadcrumbs throughout the a small group of equally determined women in the use of real novel. There is a lot to digest here, from humankind’s obsession guns. But she’s still brooding over her vanished opportunity in with social media and their almost full immersion in cyber-real- law enforcement, and a bit of a bore about it too, until Beulah ity to the brutal consequences of global warming to life exten- proves the worth of her insertion into the series by forcefully sion advances to the mass consumption of printed protein as (but not unsympathetically) urging Constance to make her own one of the only viable food sources left. A thought-provoking opportunities. A slam-bang finale mostly compensates for the cautionary tale that will, hopefully, compel readers to see the fuzzy focus of this installment: Constance’s unorthodox train- condition of our civilization and our planet with more clarity ing is triumphantly justified, and Norma wins a high-ranking and understanding. ally for her pigeons. Plenty of loose ends are dangled for future A visionary glimpse into the future—the narrative volumes as Constance and Beulah both make peace with their equivalent of a baseball bat to the skull. pasts and plans to move forward.

42 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | DARKDAWN to master the tactics he needs to fill his late brother’s role as Kristoff, Jay Pillar (clan leader). His sister, Shae, the clan’s Weather Man St. Martin’s (512 pp.) (chief adviser), has that tactical knowledge but lacks the clan’s $28.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 complete trust; she’s also trying to juggle her clan responsibili- 978-1-250-07304-4 ties and her personal life, which includes a quiet romance with a nonclan professor. At the same time, their adopted brother, One girl is about to take on the Anden, embarks on a new, jade-free life in Espenia but still world—and even the gods. manages to find trouble there, and Hilo’s jade-immune wife, You’d think achieving the revenge Wen, secretly supports the clan through her own work as a spy. you’ve sought for eight blood-soaked If they are to prevail against the ruthless Ayt Mada, Pillar of years would earn you a bit of a rest. the Mountain clan, and the various other domestic and foreign But unfortunately for Mia Corvere, threats, terrible sacrifices will be required, made willingly or Julius Scaeva, the most powerful man in the Republic, isn’t not. The first installment, Jade City (2017), leaned rather heav- really dead. And given that Mia has kidnapped his son, who’s ily, albeit effectively, on some tropes and plot points from The actually Jonnen, the brother she thought was dead, not to Godfather, and it’s pleasing to see that the author has chosen mention apparently killed him in front of a screaming mob a more independent path this time around. If there’s any the- at the gladiatii arena, Julius is probably more than a little matic link between this book and Godfather II, it’s a common annoyed. Oh, and the Red Church, the cult of assassins that understanding that the outside world has a way of crashing trained Mia, will be after her, too. On the plus side, Mia’s into isolated communities and forcing them to adapt, so it’s former lover Tric has come back from the dead to help her... best to be on the offensive, as well as a rueful acknowledgment although that’s also a little awkward given that she’s currently sleeping with Ashlinn, the girl who killed him. And he seems to think Mia has a destiny to restore the balance between night and day by bringing back something called the Moon. So, no rest for the wicked, as it turns out. This conclusion to Kristoff’s (DEV1AT3, 2019, etc.) Nevernight trilogy picks up right from the cliffhanger ending of Godsgrave (2017) and rockets along from there. Between Jonnen and Ashlinn, Mia has people to love as well as people to kill, and that makes the stakes for our heroine feel higher than ever. Will claiming her revenge and fulfilling her destiny prevent her from ever living a peaceful life? Fans will love the fast-paced, epic conclusion to this dark and bloody tale.

JADE WAR Lee, Fonda Orbit (608 pp.) $26.00 | Jul. 23, 2019 978-0-316-44092-9

In the second installment of a politi- cal fantasy thriller series where “bioener- getic jade” provides magical energy, the conflict of two warlord/organized crime clans has global implications. In the Hong Kong–like city of Jan- loon, the Mountain and No Peak clans have announced a public truce while each secretly tries to undermine the other for control of the city and their nation of Kekon, the only source of the jade. As jade smugglers both inside and outside the country threaten the clans’ mutual control over the min- eral, political tensions rise between the neighboring nations of Espenia and Ygutan over a rebellion in Shotar, which leads both to seek more jade for their armies. Meanwhile, Hilo, the former Horn (chief enforcer) of the No Peak clan, struggles

| kirkus.com | science fiction & fantasy | 15 july 2019 | 43 that despite that understanding, relationships with those out- THE FUTURE OF side the community might not end well. ANOTHER TIMELINE A strong, thoughtful, and fast-paced follow-up that Newitz, Annalee bodes well for future volumes. Tor (352 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-7653-9210-7 GIDEON THE NINTH Muir, Tamsyn Time travelers battle for the future Tor (448 pp.) in this feminist sci-fi thriller. $25.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 We begin in 1992, where (or is it 978-1-250-31319-5 when?) “traveler” Tess has appeared at a punk concert in California. She’s on This debut novel, the first of a pro- the lookout for “anti-travel activists” who want to shut down jected trilogy, blends science fiction, the mysterious “Machines,” structures of unknown origin that fantasy, gothic chiller, and classic house- somehow facilitate time travel. Tess discovers that a group party mystery. of misogynist crusaders, centered around the ideas of 19th- Gideon Nav, a foundling of mys- century conservative moralist Anthony Comstock, are trying terious antecedents, was not so much to change events in the past so that women are stripped of all adopted as indentured by the Ninth House, a nearly extinct human rights. Tess and her friends, who are diverse in both race noble necromantic house. Trained to fight, she wants noth- and gender, chase these “Comstockers” through time to stop ing more than to leave the place where everyone despises her them from fulfilling their evil plans. Meanwhile, teenager Beth, and join the Cohort, the imperial military. But after her most who is really living in 1992, escapes her oppressive home life to recent escape attempt fails, she finally gets the opportunity revel in the California punk scene with her best friend, Lizzy. to depart the planet. The heir and secret ruler of the Ninth But what is Beth supposed to do when she meets a traveler from House, the ruthless and prodigiously talented bone adept Har- the future who warns her to stay away from Lizzy? And why is rowhark Nonagesimus, chooses Gideon to serve her as cavalier that traveler, Tess, making detours in time to find Beth when primary, a sworn bodyguard and aide de camp, when the undy- she has a conspiracy to thwart? Newitz (Old Media, 2019, etc.) ing Emperor summons Harrow to compete for a position as a does well enough with the time-travel premise, but where this Lyctor, an elite, near-immortal adviser. The decaying Canaan book really shines is in its page-turning plot and thoughtfully House on the planet of the absent Emperor holds dark secrets drawn characters. The Comstockers’ plan, with its rhetoric and deadly puzzles as well as a cheerfully enigmatic priest who plucked straight from present-day “men’s rights” online forums, provides only scant details about the nature of the competi- is truly terrifying. Between careful attention to Tess’ develop- tion...and at least one person dedicated to brutally slaughtering ment, Beth’s chapters, and the near-constant jumps through the competitors. Unsure of how to mix with the necroman- time, the story charges along until Newitz suddenly ties it all cers and cavaliers from the other Houses, Gideon must decide together with breathtaking finesse. The humdinger of an end- whom among them she can trust—and her doubts include her ing is a perfect cherry on top. own necromancer, Harrow, whom she’s loathed since childhood. An ambitious adventure that keeps the surprises This intriguing genre stew works surprisingly well. The limited coming. locations and narrow focus mean that the author doesn’t really have to explain how people not directly attached to a necro- mantic House or the military actually conduct daily life in the GRAVE IMPORTANCE Empire; hopefully future installments will open up the author’s Shaw, Vivian creative universe a bit more. The most interesting aspect of Orbit (448 pp.) the novel turns out to be the prickly but intimate relationship $15.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 between Gideon and Harrow, bound together by what appears 978-0-316-43465-2 at first to be simple hatred. But the challenges of Canaan House expose other layers, beginning with a peculiar but compelling In the conclusion to Shaw’s Greta mutual loyalty and continuing on to other, more complex feel- Helsing trilogy (Dreadful Company, 2018, ings, ties, and shared fraught experiences. etc.), Greta must puzzle out the cause Suspenseful and snarky with surprising emotional of a strange illness running rampant depths. throughout the mummy community. Mummy specialist Dr. Greta Helsing is thrilled to be asked to temporarily take the reins at Oasis Nat- run, Marseille’s private and exclusive mummy spa and resort, and jumps at the chance to escape rainy London for sunny France. Greta is dazzled by the beauty of the hillside resort, not to mention its state-of-the-art medical equipment and uber

44 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A tremendous good time and an impressive debut. chilling effect

competent nursing staff (including a mummy who used to be characters, there isn’t a single dull page. Eva and her family are an Egyptian priest). Greta barely settles in before one of her Latinx and often include unitalicized Spanish in their dialogue, patients suffers a mysterious fainting spell that drains his energy. a rare find in a genre that usually uses whiteness as the default. The episodes are spreading, and the only thing that might be A tremendous good time and an impressive debut. able to help is an ancient and rare Egyptian artifact ensconced very securely in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Mean- while, during a trip to Italy with Grisaille, his new boyfriend and a master thief, the fashionable vampire Edmund Ruthven, Greta’s old friend, experiences a vicious bout of sickness and is whisked off to Oasis Natrun for treatment tout de suite, and Greta’s boyfriend, vampire Sir Frances Varney, joins her at the resort for moral support. Then there are those slightly creepy angelic creatures/fashion models that seem to be up to no good on the earthly plane. Greta has a lot on her plate, but her calm, take-charge attitude and compassionate bedside manner are a balm for her patients, and passages detailing her clever treat- ment practices add weight to her strange profession. Shaw’s characters, both human and supernatural (ghouls, witches, screaming skulls, oh my!), are genuinely fascinating, and her prose is just as droll and witty as ever, but it’s Greta, with her big heart and determination to do the right thing, that makes this series sparkle. Readers will be happy to be pulled along in Greta’s bustling wake—which includes an enlightening trip to hell—for as long as it takes to solve the mummy conundrum and finally spend some quality alone time with Varney. A satisfying wrap-up to a delightfully gothic contempo- rary urban fantasy series.

CHILLING EFFECT Valdes, Valerie Harper Voyager (432 pp.) $15.99 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-06-287723-9

The snarky captain of a small cargo ship is sent on harrowing missions through space by the frightening syndi- cate holding her sister hostage. Capt. Eva Innocente and her small but talented crew traverse the galaxy in her beloved ship, La Sirena Negra, completing cargo runs for various clients. Eva may be a little rough around the edges, but who can blame her when her story begins with a shady customer ditching her with a cargo of troublemaking psychic cats (no, really) and no payment. But when Eva is contacted by a representative of the Fridge, a shadowy crime organization that has kidnapped her sister, Mari, the cats become the least of Eva’s troubles. The Fridge orders Eva to complete a series of missions, each more dangerous than the last, in order to secure Mari’s freedom. Eva is terrified for her sister’s safety, but she’s only barely in better shape herself. A sleazy alien emperor whose amorous advances she rejected will literally kill to have her, she lied to her crew about her sister’s kidnapping, and, worst of all, she might have feelings for her engineer! Valdes is a debut author, but this zany, rollicking adventure doesn’t show it. Jam-packed with weird aliens, mysterious artifacts, and lovable

| kirkus.com | science fiction & fantasy | 15 july 2019 | 45 then a vicious car accident changed his life forever. Scarred romance emotionally and physically, Pat retreats to his family ranch in Montana to live in isolation until art student Magdalena “Lena” Martel accepts the position as his new housekeeper. The rules SAPPHIRE FLAMES are simple. She’ll cook, clean, and avoid certain areas of the Andrews, Ilona house. Despite the unconventional circumstances, Lena needs Avon/HarperCollins (400 pp.) the money. With tuition to pay and a stepmom and younger sis- $7.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 ter to keep out of debt, she’s willing to overlook her grouchy, 978-0-06-287834-2 nearly invisible boss. Slowly, Lena’s fantastic cooking and the catchy music she blasts while cleaning have Pat emerging from Catalina Baylor is called on to help his self-imposed exile. Post-it notes left behind graduate to two siblings, the rest of whose family texts and even to late-night phone calls, though the ultimate members have been murdered, but the test will be whether or not Lena runs from Pat’s disfigured more she digs, the more things don’t add body. Pat’s trauma and regret are very real. He hates the man up, especially after a gorgeous playboy he has become, but he isn’t sure the man he was before the shows up, determined to get her to stop accident was much better. Though Lena isn’t without her own investigating. baggage, it’s certainly overshadowed by Pat’s journey to even After Catalina saves a boy from jumping off a building, sud- step foot outside his home. The romance is steamy and charm- denly she’s embroiled in a huge mystery that makes less and less ing as a standoffish and frankly horrible first impression seam- sense the more she digs. Ragnar is despondent. He and his sister lessly morphs into a tentative friendship and more. Lena and Runa have recently lost their mother and other sister in a house Pat’s relationship builds at a slow and steady burn that fights fire. Yet once Catalina saves him, they discover Halle may not against their heavy emotional insecurities. However, the turn- be dead but has likely been taken captive to use her powers for ing point, when a big misunderstanding threatens to ruin their nefarious purposes. From the moment Catalina starts investi- happily-ever-after, lacks the nuance of how they came together gating, it’s clear someone doesn’t want her asking questions, and in the first place. soon she’s the target of a string of assassins. Unexpectedly, inter- A sexy, modern fairy tale that caps off an entertaining national playboy and global heartthrob Alessandro Sagredo series. keeps appearing when she needs help, and together they thwart the . She’s grateful but annoyed because he warns her to drop her probe. Catalina has had a crush on Alessandro for years, HEIRESS GONE WILD but now she’s confused as to why he’s continually underfoot and Guhrke, Laura Lee how good he is at using magic to kill enemies. She doesn’t have Avon/HarperCollins (384 pp.) time to think about it too hard, though, because some powerful $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 enemies have targeted her family, and the first order of business 978-0-06-285371-4 is to survive. It’s clear she and Alessandro share an attraction, but his attention rattles her. Then they discover the frightening When a man is named guardian of secrets threatening the world as they know it. Andrews (Diamon his best friend’s daughter, he’s expect- Fire, 2018, etc.) continues the Hidden Legacy series with Cata- ing a child, not a gorgeous young woman lina’s first book, which is a start as imaginative and high-octane who’s ready to take life by the horns and as that found in Nevada’s trilogy. who’ll challenge every attempt to keep Another creative, thrilling paranormal romance from her staid and respectable. the masterful Andrews. Englishman Jonathan Deverill didn’t even know his American business partner had a daughter, so it comes as a surprise when he names Jonathan the girl’s guardian. FLASHED He’s even more stunned to discover that the girl he’s visiting Castile, Zoey at New York’s Forsyte Academy is actually a beautiful young Kensington Books (304 pp.) woman who’s been waiting her whole life for her father to take $15.95 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 her away to live a life beyond the school. The fact that he never 978-1-4967-1528-9 did, despite a lifetime of promises, makes Marjorie McGann angry and hurt, feelings exacerbated when she learns he’s died A reclusive model falls for his new without ever visiting her, much less ushering her away from her housekeeper in this contemporary romance boring, sheltered life. Marjorie is restless, ready to use her hefty with noticeable “Beauty and the Beast” inheritance to live an interesting life, get married, and have chil- vibes. dren. Jonathan infuriates her by telling her he needs to leave her Patrick Halloran was on top of the at the school for a few more months while he gets some busi- world. First, he was a soccer star, then a ness settled and prepares a place for her with his family in Lon- model, and he was set to star in a Hollywood blockbuster. But don. Not interested in waiting one more day, she buys herself a

46 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | A woman raising her teenage brother is afraid to take a chance on love. handle with care

cabin on his ship to England. So begins a battle of wills between HANDLE WITH CARE two people who are fighting their attraction to each other while Hunting, Helena trying to do what’s best for themselves and each other, know- St. Martin’s (320 pp.) ing their goals are far too different for them to be together. Or $7.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 are they? Guhrke continues the Deverill family saga with Jona- 978-1-250-18399-6 than’s story, which is fun and engaging, though the author does her characters some disservice. At times, Marjorie and Jonathan An independent PR consultant hired both furiously resist things that make perfect sense and over- to fix the image of a highly dysfunctional emphasize conflict which feels easily solved. family that runs a media conglomer- Effervescent and appealing despite some missteps. ate meets her match when a long-lost son reluctantly returns to the fold in Hunting’s (Making Up, 2019, etc.) latest HANDLE WITH CARE romance. Harte, Marie Lincoln Moorehead would rather use his Ivy League edu- Sourcebooks Casablanca (352 pp.) cation to build sustainable communities in developing coun- $7.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 tries than work for his family’s media company, but when his 978-1-4926-7050-6 father dies unexpectedly, he returns to New York, where he’s talked into taking over as CEO. Only Wren, the PR consultant A woman raising her teenage brother hired by Lincoln’s mother to keep his miscreant brother in line, is afraid to take a chance on love. keeps Linc’s interest. Wren is a straight shooter, witty, and very Kenzie’s parents died when she was good at her job. In no time, Lincoln succumbs to a makeover 20, leaving her as guardian of her 2-year- and wardrobe refresh, as Wren drags him through the transi- old baby brother, Daniel. For the past tion from building houses in the mountains of Guatemala to 11 years, Kenzie has struggled with the running meetings in the boardrooms of Manhattan. Wren has weight of too many responsibilities: Try- had it with the Moorehead family but hopes this gig will open ing to finish school while raising Daniel, taking care of the aging doors to the funding she needs to start her own foundation. As home they inherited, and keeping her small business alive. Evan Wren and Lincoln spend time together, their attraction grows Griffith is an accountant and partial owner of a moving com- undeniable. But family issues plague them, as Lincoln uncov- pany called Vets on the Go! He is burned out from the stress of ers secrets about his parents that threaten to turn his family working at a high-powered accounting firm and decides to help legacy into a pile of lies. Smart writing and snappy dialogue his short-staffed company by temporarily working on a moving shine when Lincoln and Wren spar and circle around each truck. This is the third book in the Movin’ On series by Harte other. Lincoln’s growing understanding of his family and his (Smooth Moves, 2019, etc.), and new readers might be over- place within it is well done, but Wren’s troubled relationship whelmed by the continuing characters and plotlines from pre- with her mother is built on a simple misunderstanding that vious books. Love has not been kind to either Kenzie or Evan, could have been solved with one quick conversation. The main and their instant physical attraction scares both of them. Ken- problem is Armstrong, Wren’s charge and Lincoln’s “barbaric, zie was heartbroken a year earlier when her boyfriend suddenly vile, and demented” brother. This character is a “narcissistic broke up with her, leaving both her and Daniel feeling - egomaniac who abuses any shred of power he has,” especially able and abandoned. She relies on the love and support of her over women, whom he serially harasses, demeans, and insults. two best friends to help her recover but pledges never again to It’s difficult to root for Wren’s success when it requires shield- trust a man with her heart. Evan hasn’t seriously dated since his ing men from the just consequences of their actions. fiancee died of cancer, but he feels confident that Kenzie is “the A sexy story is undercut by a side character whose one.” There is great potential when two emotionally wounded abusive behavior toward women is tolerated by both souls meet each other, but instead their romance circles aim- protagonists. lessly. Kenzie is so afraid of being hurt that she pulls back after every baby step toward love, while Evan waits patiently for her to overcome her fears. Too slow-moving to satisfy.

| kirkus.com | romance | 15 july 2019 | 47 THE PRICE OF GRACE she has nowhere to go, so she arranges to visit her childhood Muñoz Stewart, Diana best friend, Cassie, whom she hasn’t seen since high school and Sourcebooks Casablanca (352 pp.) who still lives in their hometown, Wild River. At first uncom- $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 fortable, they soon regain their friendship, then meet up with 978-1-4926-9409-0 Cassie’s brother, Reed. Erika and Reed shared an emotionally intense event in high school, and once they meet again, sparks The second installment of the sexy fly. Reed serves on the Wild River Search and Rescue, and and suspenseful Band of Sisters series over the next two weeks, Erika joins the team on a couple of pits a vigilante computer whiz against an searches. She’s falling for Reed and loving life in Wild River, but FBI agent with a grudge. when she returns to Anchorage, she falls back into her worka- Bullets are flying when Gracie - Par holic ways and loses touch until another set of surprises forces ish and Leif “Dusty” McAllister meet her to reevaluate everything. Snow’s Alaska setting and search- in the middle of a covert operation to and-rescue element are interesting twists, and the romance is dismantle a sex-slave operation in Mexico. The attraction is generally smart and sexy. However, Erika’s father’s about-face instant, but the more they get to know one another, the wider emotional engagement feels odd, especially when he effectively the gap between them seems. Adopted as a child by the Parish takes life-changing decisions out of her hands. family and raised to fight injustice as a member of the League An exciting contemporary series debut with a wildly of Warrior Women, Gracie is conflicted about the heavy price unique Alaskan setting. exacted by the vigilante lifestyle. She’s already lost a husband and child to Parish family secrets and wonders what life would be like if her front as a club owner were really her full-time profession. Dusty’s abusive childhood at the hands of a cult leader did not endear secret groups to him. He wants to take the Parish clan down, but as he comes to know and respect his “helpful asset,” he finds himself teetering on the “shaky edge of undercover morality.” Muñoz Stewart (I Am Justice, 2018, etc.) skillfully questions the difference between loyalty and subservi- ence, enculturation and indoctrination as she weaves a tender romance around a thrill ride of a plot that will keep readers guessing until the final pages. Layered personalities, shifting motivations, and a smart, twisty plot push this thrilling romantic suspense series into high gear.

AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS Snow, Jennifer Harlequin HQN (384 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-335-04150-0

A workaholic doctor takes a forced vacation and returns to her hometown, reconnecting with the best friend she’s lost touch with and her friend’s sexy brother, a search-and-rescue Adonis whose small-town contentment makes her question some life choices. Dr. Erika Sheraton is a talented surgeon who’s on the cusp of clinical trials for a new anti-rejection drug when she’s put on forced leave because her superiors think she’s working too much and it’s affecting her performance. She works at the Anchorage hospital run by her father, which means she’s continually under his scrutiny, which is complicated. Their relationship has been strained since her mother died when Erika was in high school and her father became emotionally distant, compelling Erika to work round the clock. Now that she has to take a vacation,

48 | 15 july 2019 | fiction | kirkus.com | nonfiction THE NARROW These titles earned the Kirkus Star: CORRIDOR States, Societies, and THE NARROW CORRIDOR by Daron Acemoglu & the Fate of Liberty James A. Robinson...... 49 Acemoglu, Daron, & Robinson, James A. Penguin Press (576 pp.) WALKING TO JERUSALEM by Justin Butcher...... 56 $32.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-7352-2438-4 THINK BLACK by Clyde W. Ford...... 62 A wide-ranging survey of the con- THE ONLY PLANE IN THE SKY by Garrett M. Graff...... 62 ditions of liberty required to steer the world away from the Hobbesian war of

HITLER’S LAST HOSTAGES by Mary M. Lane...... 67 each against all. young adult Why do nations fail? So Acemoglu and Robinson, econo- ECSTASY AND TERROR by Daniel Mendelsohn...... 69 mists at MIT and the University of Chicago respectively, asked in their 2012 collaboration, Why Nations Fail. Their answer is INDELIBLE IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS by Shelly Oria...... 71 complex, but it falls largely on the absence or failure of demo- cratic institutions. In this continuation of their previous book, AUDIENCE OF ONE by James Poniewozik...... 72 they examine how liberty works: It is not “natural,” not wide- spread, “is rare in history and is rare today,” and is a fairly recent MEMOIR OF A RACE TRAITOR by Mab Segrest...... 75 phenomenon that balances the competing demands of state and society while being reinforced by that balance. For instance, YEAR OF THE MONKEY by Patti Smith...... 76 the Athenian constitutional reforms of Cleisthenes “were help- ful for strengthening the political power of Athenian citizens THE OCEAN by Ian Urbina...... 79 while also battling the cage of norms”—that cage of norms being the informal body of customs supplanted by state institu- tions. Those norms in turn “constrained what the state could ECSTASY AND TERROR do and how far state building could go,” providing their own From the Greeks to set of checks. Though somewhat fluid in its definition, liberty, Game of Thrones as Acemoglu and Robinson show, is expressed differently under Mendelsohn, Daniel various “leviathans,” to extend the Hobbesian critique. The New York Review American Leviathan, for example, does not contend properly Books (384 pp.) with inequality and racial oppression, two enemies of liberty, $18.95 paper while the “Paper Leviathan” is a bureaucratic machine favoring Oct. 8, 2019 the privileged class, serving as both a political and economic 978-1-68137-405-5 brake on development and yielding “fear, violence, and domi- nance for most of its citizens.” So it is with China, a “Despotic Leviathan” that commands the economy and coerces political conformity. The authors trace a link between democratic states and what they call “Shackled Leviathans,” the beast in restraints being the best of all possible scenarios. Though the argument is a little jargon-y, it is, as with the authors’ previous books, pro- vocative and intuitively correct. An endlessly rewarding book full of takeaways, includ- ing the thought that the best societies protect everyone’s rights.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 49 living paycheck to paycheck Photo courtesy Leah Overstreet We have a serious wage problem in PROOF! this country. Millions of Americans bat- How the World Became tle poverty while often working multiple Geometrical jobs that pay an absurdly low minimum Alexander, Amir wage. As legislators ignore the calls to Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) raise the minimum wage to a reasonable $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 level—$15 per hour should be a start- 978-0-374-25490-2 ing point—countless American workers continue to barely scrape by while falling A lively explanation of how geome- further and further into debt. try structures aspects of the natural and This issue is at the heart of human worlds. On the In this bracingly enthusiastic account of geometry’s role in Clock (July 16), the debut book from journalist Emily Guen- shaping a variety of institutions, Alexander (History/UCLA; delsberger, who chronicles her firsthand experience work- Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the ing low-wage jobs in Kentucky, , 2014, etc.) turns to Euclid’s and its com-

Neal SantosMichaelNeal Kienitz Modern World Elements North Carolina, and California. plete world of mathematical proofs, founded on indisputable The author ably shows that not postulates and proven through impeccable logic. (The book much has changed in the 18 years isn’t overrun with mathematics, but when it is unavoidable, since Barbara Ehrenreich pub- the author is clear in his language.) Geometry revealed truths stripped of anything erroneous, unessential, and transitory, lished Nickel and Dimed. truths that were deployed by such luminaries as Copernicus, As our reviewer notes in a Galileo, and Leon Battista Alberti, setting the scientific agenda. starred review, after losing her Geometry is everywhere, underlying the natural and human- newspaper job, Guendelsberger made worlds, infusing even our social arrangements. Guided “decided to get ‘in the weeds’ with by the art and architectural works of Alberti, which demon- millions of blue-collar Americans strated “that the seemingly limitless variety one encounters in Emily Guendelsberger nature was in fact governed by the fixed eternal laws of geom- working in the service sector”— etry,” Alexander applies that thought to the royal gardens of, and the weeds were thicker and thornier than the author imag- in particular, France. Gardens were central to the monarchy’s ined. As a fulfillment clerk at an Amazon warehouse, she en- public presentation, ideology, identity, power, and legitimacy, countered back-breaking labor and a demoralized workforce. especially so at Versailles, where Louis XIV’s hierarchical state Furthermore, “the scanning gun she used to record each item was reflected in the layout of the vast but tightly ordered gar- also served as a countdown device dens. “At the apex of this universe was, inevitably, the king in his to keep her perpetually on-task, and palace, whose rule was as inescapable and unchallengeable as geometry itself,” writes the author. This modernizing state was vending machines sold pain relievers governed by a rational and efficient central bureaucracy, which for the raging body aches that came is how the story moves forward beyond the monarchy into city with the work.” planning. “The geometrical ideal of an efficient rational state After her job at Amazon—a job, it found expression…on the bustling streets of capital cities—the should be mentioned, that has been homes of state bureaucracies.” This is the case in Rome, Paris, repeatedly exposed as exploitative— St. Petersburg, and Berlin, where harmony and order reflect the organs of state. The stamp of Versailles can also be found she worked at a call center, where her in New Delhi and Washington, D.C., the latter being a fine breaks were meticulously timed and example of geometry accommodating several nodes of power. she was forced to deal with abusive A deep immersion into geometric determinism at its callers. Then she tried a McDonald’s most entertaining. franchise in San Francisco, where her wage was double that of an average McDonald’s employee— but that didn’t help much in one of the country’s most expen- sive cities. In this humane and nuanced account of her expe- riences, Guendelsberger does a service by delivering an “eye- opening, unrelenting exposé that uncovers the brutal wages of modern global capitalism.” —E.L.

Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor.

50 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Anyone who wonders why government officials still take the Laffer curve seriously need go no further than this lucid book. the economists’ hour

WALKING WITH GHOSTS IN THE ECONOMISTS’ HOUR PAPUA NEW GUINEA False Prophets, Free Markets, Crossing the Kokoda Trail in and the Fracture of Society the Last Wild Place on Earth Appelbaum, Binyamin Antonson, Rick Little, Brown (448 pp.) Skyhorse Publishing (360 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 $24.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-316-51232-9 978-1-5107-0566-1 New York Times editorial page writer A wild and forbidding terrain reveals Appelbaum recounts the hijacking of its dramatic history. economic and public policy by right- Vancouver-based travel writer Anton- wing adherents of the unfettered market. son (Full Moon Over Noah’s Ark: An Odyssey to Mount Ararat and The hour of which the author writes is going on five decades Beyond, 2016, etc.) vividly recounts a two-week, 60-mile journey now. The influence of economists on government has grown on the formidable Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, a rug- exponentially since the Nixon administration, with economists ged terrain marked by jungle, bogs, gullies, cliffs, malarial mos- convincing the president to scrap the military draft and the quitoes, rigorous ascents, and steep, slippery descents. After judiciary to shelve antitrust cases, their numbers in the fed- accepting a neighbor’s invitation to go on the trek, the author eral employ tripling from the 1950s to the 1970s. Economists discovered some unsettling rumors about the region: Crime have taken larger roles in formulating every aspect of public was rampant, gangs marauded, and hostile native tribes were policy—and, in time, leaving their disciplinary bounds to issue

known to attack. Port Moresby, where the walk would start, young adult had been ranked “among the world’s most unlivable cities.” But the chance to see breathtaking vistas, “awe-inspiring foliage,” and sites known only to Papuans and trekkers lured him. “If the demands of the trek didn’t kill us (as they had others in recent years),” writes the author, “we’d have the trip of a lifetime.” In preparation for the arduous demands of the hike, he and his neighbor practiced power-walking on sand and climbing steep hills in the Australian rainforest; he made sure all his vaccina- tions were up to date; and, to sate his curiosity, read up on Pap- ua’s history. Papua, the world’s second-largest island, had been a critical battleground during World War II, “the lynchpin” that decisively foiled Japan’s plan to position itself to attack Austra- lia. Although many battlefields change over time, the Kokoda Trail “was almost identical now to then” and evoked a clear sense of its violent past. Antonson and his party of trekkers and porters found unexploded bombs, rusted Japanese hand gre- nades, chipped helmets, and shallow foxholes. With the ghosts of Japanese, American, Papuan, and Australian soldiers always hovering, the author had a palpable sense of “the dismay their earthly beings must have felt in all of this.” As intensely as he responded to the natural surroundings, he also felt a growing disgust with “war’s inherent vulgarities.” An absorbing account of a physically and spiritually challenging journey. (maps)

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 51 pronouncements on matters societal and moral. Economists Parkland, Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and Colum- tend to be conservative, and truly conservative economists bine—while others may have been forgotten. The co-editors would in time, for example, come to blame inflation for the present the events in reverse chronological order, which means decline of the Protestant work ethic and a rise in corruption, the final chapter is set at the University of Texas on Aug. 1, 1966, fraud, and “a generalized erosion in public and private man- when Charles Whitman fired bullets from a campus tower, ners.” At the same time, government was generally taking Mil- murdering 15 students, staff, tower visitors, and first respond- ton Friedman’s laissez-faire, free-market approach to problems ers. The final section, “Coordinating Trauma,” offers glimpses rather than the Keynesian quantitative easement of old. As of hope, as “activists and survivor coordinators recount their Appelbaum notes, one reason China has been successful com- paths to supporting survivors in the aftermath of school shoot- pared to the austerity economies of the West is that Keynes ings.” Taken together, the pieces in this often heartbreaking col- has not been forgotten there. Writing in accessible language of lection make clear that policymakers reacting to each slaughter thorny fiscal matters, the author ventures into oddly fascinat- with “thoughts and prayers” will never suffice. ing corners of recent economic history. For instance, a modern Highly difficult to read in one sitting, but we must not holds that actor Jayne Mansfield’s beheading in an auto- look away. mobile accident prompted changes in truck design (yet mass shootings have produced no comparable gun control legisla- tion), but that turns out to be wrong: The actuarial minds of the UNBREAKABLE late Nixon era put the value of a human (American, anyway) life The Woman Who Defied the at $200,000, did the math, and concluded that the proposed Nazis in the World’s Most addition of safety bars “would need to save four times as many Dangerous Horse Race lives to justify the cost.” The larger point is that the govern- Askwith, Richard ment’s blind trust in the market is now the status quo, and “reli- Pegasus (408 pp.) ance on the market grants priority to people who have money.” $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 Anyone who wonders why government officials still 978-1-64313-210-5 take the Laffer curve seriously need go no further than this lucid book. (8-page 4-color insert) Biography of a Czech countess who “confront[ed] the warrior-athletes of the Third Reich in a sporting contest so IF I DON’T MAKE IT, extreme in its dangers that some would question its right to be I LOVE YOU called sport.” Survivors in the Aftermath of Askwith (People Power, 2018, etc.) does admirable literary School Shootings detective work in unearthing the remarkable story of Count- Ed. by Archer, Amye & Kleinman, Loren ess Lata Brandisová (1895-1981), whose early life coincided Skyhorse Publishing (512 pp.) with an era of glittering aristocratic privilege followed by the $27.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 catastrophic destruction brought on by World War I. Hailing 978-1-5107-4649-7 from a large noble family with Austrian roots in a sprawling inherited estate in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Lata Agonizing accounts of school shoot- was mostly home-schooled and largely “ungovernable.” With ings, amply showing that “you don’t have her siblings, she ran wild throughout the estate grounds, and to be a combat veteran to be exposed to she was passionate about the horses acquired by her father, violent trauma in America.” a former cavalry officer who had “limited cash but plenty of Co-editors Archer (Fat Girl, Skinny, 2016) and Kleinman dash.” Bohemian hunters were famous for their riding prow- (The Dark Cave Between My Ribs, 2014) gather all manner of writ- ess, and many of the huntsmen were actually English expatri- ing—firsthand accounts, remembrances, interviews, even- car ates who competed in the reckless steeplechase, a sport whose toons—about school shootings in the U.S. dating back to 1966. premier event was the Grand Pardubice. Yet the privilege The result is an important and horrifyingly thick anthology of to ride in it—or folly for the horses, 29 of which have died mass murders that have occurred at elementary, middle, and during over the past 145 years—fell to the men, at least until high schools as well as colleges. For each of the 21 tragedies, one World War I shook up the “inertia of the age.” Despite the of the editors contributes an introduction, mentions the perpe- abolishment of aristocratic titles and the breakup of her fam- trators, lists the names of the murdered individuals, and then ily’s inherited lands, Lata grew in confidence and applied for shares one or more anguished contributions by those directly an amateur jockey license in 1927. At the same time, her cousin affected. Eternal optimists may view the anthology as a testa- was elected to the Prague Jockey Club and introduced her to ment to human resilience; more pessimistic readers will see it her first equine partner, and she ran her first Grand Pardubice, as a necessarily searing indictment of the never-ending lethal with disastrous results. Askwith depicts suspensefully Lata’s gun culture in the U.S. Whatever the reader’s disposition, the amazing mettle and perseverance over the next few years accumulated impact makes for powerful, painful reading. Some despite the notorious difficulty of the race. In 1937, riding of the massacres will be well remembered by most readers—e.g., against the Nazi-owned top-of-the-line horses (“Himmler’s

52 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Cavalry”), Lata won, to the astonishment of 40,000 specta- irreverent take on Jewish life, culture, and lore. No topic is off tors “mad with joy.” limits for jokes that range from silly to sophomoric: the Holo- Thanks to this intrepid author, Lata Brandisová re- caust (“there was still, in the end, a positive side of the Holo- enters the hall of champions to inspire those who come caust,” the authors declare, before abruptly changing their after her. (8 pages of b/w photos) minds); the Arab-Israeli conflict (Israel has won all wars since 1948 “because militarily the Israeli armed forces are the Har- lem Globetrotters of the Middle East”); and anti-Semitism. A FIELD GUIDE TO THE “Are you an anti-Semite?” the authors ask, providing a quiz to JEWISH PEOPLE test which of many Jewish stereotypes a responder believes. Barry, Dave & Mansbach, Adam & Are Jews “opinionated, pushy, and prone to butting in?” Or Zweibel, Alan are they “clannish, secretive, and reclusive”? Either answer Flatiron Books (256 pp.) will brand you as an anti-Semite. More Jewish stereotypes $25.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 fuel jokes about Jewish customs, holidays, food, attitudes 978-1-250-19196-0 toward interfaith marriage, teachings of the Talmud, and, not least, sex: “Q. What is Jewish foreplay? A. Three hours of beg- Three comic writers delve into what ging.” Of the three authors, Barry, a Presbyterian married it means to be Jewish. to a Cuban-Jewish woman, is not “technically Jewish,” but Barry, Mansbach, and Zweibel (For he admits that he has attended many High Holiday services, This We Left Egypt? A Passover Haggadah “some of which lasted longer than the Korean conflict.” The for Jews and Those Who Love Them, 2017) team up again in an authors found that they had to bone up on the Old Testament young adult

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 53 A nuanced argument of interest to those who worry that nuanced arguments are no longer possible in quad or classroom. the tyranny of virtue

and the “incredibly weird shit” in the Torah to make fun of of the uncertainties and hard choices that come with modernity biblical stories, people, and God’s sometimes-incomprehensi- and the need to think.” ble commandments, such as the requirement that every male A nuanced argument of interest to those who worry newborn be circumcised. “A surprising amount of research that nuanced arguments are no longer possible in quad or goes into the crafting of every single cheap dick joke we write,” classroom. Mansbach reveals. Although some readers might be offended by the repeated characterization of Jews as cheap, argumenta- tive, and opinionated—“two Jews, three opinions” the saying PERMISSION TO FEEL goes—Barry sees self-deprecating Jewish humor as “an impor- Unlocking the Power of tant psychological mechanism for coping with misfortune, Emotions to Help Our Kids, and Jews have had a LOT of misfortune, especially when you Ourselves, and Our compare them to the Presbyterians.” Society Thrive Following their previous collaboration, this is another Brackett, Marc zany book for Jews and those who love them. Celadon Books (320 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-250-21284-9 THE TYRANNY OF VIRTUE Identity, the Academy, and An analysis of our emotions and the the Hunt for skills required to understand them. Political Heresies We all have emotions, but how many of us have the vocab- Boyers, Robert ulary to accurately describe our experiences or to understand Scribner (208 pp.) how our emotions affect the way we act? In this guide to help $27.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 readers with their emotions, Brackett, the founding director of 978-1-982127-18-3 Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, presents a five-step method he calls R.U.L.E.R.: We need to recognize our A rousing call for speech on college emotions, understand what has caused them, be able to label campuses that is truly free, addressing them with precise terms and descriptions, know how to safely uncomfortable issues while allowing and effectively express them, and be able to regulate them in room for dissent. productive ways. The author walks readers through each step The habit of thinking clearly about big-picture issues of and provides an intriguing tool to use to help identify a specific politics, philosophy, ethics, identity, and other realms, the emotion. Brackett introduces a four-square grid called a Mood very stuff of liberal discourse, is “virtually impossible for a Meter, which allows one to define where an emotion falls based great many people in academic life.” So writes Salmagundi edi- on pleasantness and energy. He also uses four colors for each tor Boyers (English/Skidmore Coll.; The Fate of Ideas: Seductions, quadrant: yellow for high pleasantness and high energy, red for Betrayals, Appraisals, 2015, etc.) in this bracing—and, at turns, low pleasantness and high energy, green for high pleasantness eminently arguable—defense of norms of free inquiry against and low energy, and blue for low pleasantness and low energy. aggrieved identity politics. He’s pretty woke, a student told The idea is to identify where an emotion lies in this grid in him, for “an old white guy like you.” Old white guys have feel- order to put the R.U.L.E.R. method to good use. The author’s ings, too—and histories that embrace centuries of struggle and research is wide-ranging, and his interweaving of his personal survival that don’t often figure in the modern narrative. Boyers story with the data helps make the book less academic and more begins by examining the modern notion of privilege, recalling accessible to general readers. It’s particularly useful for parents what would probably have been an actionable case today of and teachers who want to help children learn to handle difficult one of his own professors who advised him to lose his Brook- emotions so that they can thrive rather than be overwhelmed lyn accent lest he not be taken seriously. Privilege, as in white by them. The author’s system will also find use in the workplace. privilege, is a real thing, at least of a kind, he allows: That pro- “Emotions are the most powerful force inside the workplace— fessor would be hauled up today for classism and put through as they are in every human endeavor,” writes Brackett. “They sensitivity training, but the very idea of white privilege is now influence everything from leadership effectiveness to building a “formula resistant to meaningful conversations, which fuels and maintaining complex relationships, from innovation to cus- insupportable assumptions and resentments.” Boyers cites tomer relations.” cases: a student who cannot believe that Nadine Gordimer, An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to the South African writer, can speak with any authority of the one’s emotions. lives of black South Africans; the novelist Viet Tranh Nguyen, whose article on the supposed hostility of writers’ workshops to people of color rouses Boyers’ vigorous objections. Coming from a clearly liberal point of view, Boyers nonetheless courts controversy—and is bound to get it—with some of his tenets, such as the thought that identity politics as such evinces “a fear

54 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | THE FIRE IS UPON US Union on Feb. 18, 1965. Taking up the agreed-upon topic of James Baldwin, William F. “The American Dream is at the expense of the American Negro,” Buckley Jr., and the Debate Baldwin addressed the packed audience “in the position of a Over Race in America kind of Jeremiah” (as a child, he was steeped in biblical teachings Buccola, Nicholas from the pulpits of Harlem storefront churches). He poured Princeton Univ. (440 pp.) forth the litany of demoralization that African Americans suf- $29.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 fer under white supremacy. It was a powerful, moving speech, 978-0-691-18154-7 and Buckley countered it by scolding Baldwin for “flogging ‘our civilization’ ” and appealing to the audience on the importance A study of two acclaimed American of keeping “the rule of law” and “faith of our fathers.” By a 3-1 thinkers on opposite sides of the politi- margin, the youthful audience favored Baldwin’s speech. Yet cal spectrum that underscores the enor- Buccola builds his well-rendered narrative by offering alternat- mous race and class divisions in 1960s America, many of which ing looks at how the two American intellectuals and writers still exist today. developed their arguments up to that point. Indeed, both were Buccola (Political Science/Linfield Coll.; The Political deeply imprinted by their different upbringings. Throughout Thought of Frederick Douglass, 2012, etc.) grounds this engaging his entire life, Baldwin wrote about the Harlem “ghetto” of comparison between James Baldwin, “second in international economic distress and the “moral lives of those trapped within prominence only to Martin Luther King Jr. as the voice of the [it].” Buckley, who hailed from a wealthy Connecticut family black freedom struggle,” and prominent conservative William and attended a prep school and Yale, where he was a member of F. Buckley in a debate between the two held at the Cambridge Skull and Bones, stuck to the dogma, inherited from his father, young adult

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 55 An urgent and impassioned plea for justice in the Middle East. walking to jerusalem

of “devout Catholicism, antidemocratic individualism, hostility QUEEN MERYL to collectivism in economics, and a strong devotion to hierar- The Iconic Roles, Heroic chy—including racial hierarchy—in the social sphere.” Deeds, and Legendary Life of An elucidating work that makes effective use of com- Meryl Streep parison and contrast. (23 b/w illustrations) Carlson, Erin Illus. by Teodoro, Justin Hachette (288 pp.) WALKING TO $24.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 JERUSALEM 978-0-316-48527-2 Endurance and Hope on a Pilgrimage From London Meryl Streep, actor, wife, mother, to the Holy Land and feminist spokesperson, has had a Butcher, Justin sensational career. Pegasus (320 pp.) With 21 Oscar nominations and three wins, along with mul- $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 tiple international acting awards, Streep can aptly be called 978-1-64313-211-2 Queen Meryl, the most celebrated actor in America. Enter- tainment journalist Carlson (I’ll Have What She’s Having: How A pilgrimage to Palestine brings a mes- Nora Ephron’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy, 2017) sage of compassion and understanding. gleefully recounts Streep’s career from her earnest performance Actor, director, and musician Butcher makes an impressive as the Virgin Mary in a family Nativity play (she was 6) to her literary debut with a vibrant, moving chronicle of a five-month, acclaimed roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Iron Lady, and The Post. 3,300-kilometer journey from London to Jerusalem to com- As a student at the Yale School of Drama, Streep stood out for memorate the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, her ability to create complex characters, and she was often cast the 50th anniversary of Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, in Yale Repertory Theatre shows—while holding down off-cam- and the 10th anniversary of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. pus jobs to pay her tuition. After graduating at 26, she immedi- Sponsored by Amos Trust, a London-based human rights orga- ately became “a Broadway starlet,” Carlson discovered, thanks nization, “A Just Walk to Jerusalem” began in June 2017 with the to the support of Joe Papp, founder of the Public Theater. Her goal of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and to film career took off in 1977 when she was cast in Julia, a drama counter Theresa May’s public endorsement of the Balfour Dec- starring Jane Fonda. Fonda encouraged Streep to improvise laration, which, Amos Trust asserts, “precipitated a century of and also “imparted an object lesson in kindness” that inspired dispossession, conflict and suffering.” The walk attracted some Streep’s generosity to her less experienced co-stars. Drawing on 40 participants of all ages, religious backgrounds, and nationali- a copious number of articles, reviews, profiles, and interviews ties, all eager to make the historic pilgrimage to protest injus- as well as archival material and a previous biography of Streep, tice and stand for equal rights. For much of the book, Butcher Carlson creates a mostly engaging, deeply admiring chronicle of recounts, in lyrical, radiant prose, sights and sounds, triumphs Streep’s life: her long marriage to sculptor Don Gummer, moth- and discomforts as the group slogged on, blistered and sweaty, erhood, sometimes unexpected role choices, friendships, politi- across France, Switzerland, Italy, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, cal activism and views, and the movie synopses, production Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and finally into Palestine. Here, for anecdotes, and reviews that document Streep’s prolific acting example, he conveys the thrill of witnessing a lightning storm career. Although she was highly praised for most of her work, from the deck of a ferry in Ancona: “Brilliant glimmers fleeting some dissenting voices emerged in the 1980s. “Streep can come across the sky, now and then concentrated with intense radiance off like a piece of fine china, white, hard, perfect,” one critic in soiling forks, now diffused in yellow splashes spilling behind, wrote. She never felt perfect, she admitted, but most of the along and through the clouds.” On the moors in Greece, he time, she felt confident. “Usually I think I can play anything,” records “a magical potpourri of sounds—tinkling goat bells and she told an interviewer in 1980. “I have great faith in myself.” dogs woofing, bees buzzing, cicadas trilling and the silvery sliver An enthusiastic homage to a legend. of wrens and thrushes singing.” The author’s purpose, though, is far more consequential than to create a travel narrative: “A Just Walk” bore witness to a century of oppression. Welcomed warmly in Palestine, Butcher talked with residents whose lives had been cruelly circumscribed by Israeli settlements, who lost their homes, who were cut off from water and medicine, whose children were shot by Israeli soldiers—and who still harbored hope for peace and goodwill. An urgent and impassioned plea for justice in the Mid- dle East. (maps)

56 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE Competition was fierce, and families went so far as to make A Nurse’s Notes huge donations to coveted schools, get counselors’ help dur- Case, Molly ing the application process, and enroll their toddlers in “pre- Norton (272 pp.) school prep” classes for their interviews. When her husband $25.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 announced a huge promotion that would take the family to 978-1-324-00346-5 Hong Kong, they jumped at the chance to avoid the preschool mania. In Hong Kong, her boys thrived at preschool in a build- A journey through the variegated ing so decrepit that it was nicknamed “The Prison,” a public days and nights of a young nurse. magnet school with a socio-economically diverse student body, Combining a near dreaminess with dedicated teachers, and curriculum that emphasized mastery. A quotidian details, both refreshingly and few years later, the family moved to Shanghai, a teeming city intimately shared (“as a last resort, we where Clavel found an even more admirable school system. “In use medication to subdue patients: haloperidol, which between China,” she writes, “they truly believe education is the great ourselves we call vitamin H”), London-based Case tells the equalizer: everyone can succeed if they work hard enough and story of her first steps as a nurse. She begins by discussing all children deserve high-quality education.” Pedagogy empha- “last offices,” the procedures undertaken after the death ofa sized “memorization, challenging homework, and discipline,” patient. The author writes with a refreshing matter-of-factness writes the author, noting that American parents would likely that keeps things from becoming too opaque. She frames the feel uncomfortable about teaching based on flash cards, speed narrative around the nursing checklist when first examining a drills, and repetition. After two years, the family moved again, patient: airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure. She this time to Tokyo. A top-down, centralized, stable curriculum;

covers each of these steps in a number of short chapters that young adult range among compact profiles of her patients, family tales (her father was in and out of the hospital), and nursing lore and wis- dom. Though Case’s writing is unaffected, that doesn’t mean it isn’t moving. When a man died alone in her ward, she writes, “I watched as the patient seemed to disappear.” Her simple expla- nations make for clear understanding of, for example, why a patient might try to pull out a chest drain and IV lines after an operation. Some of the most pungent passages come from what she has learned from her time on the ward. “I had become flu- ent,” she writes, “in the way blood moved, smelt, how its colour could signal a patient’s chances of survival.” The action takes place at an English hospital, where Case easily swings into teach- ing mode. We get a smattering of Galen, Aristotle, the Tzeltal Mayans, and others on their approaches to medicine, and as the author chronicles how to analyze a pulse, she reminds us that the word comes from “pulsus,” Latin for “to beat.” Each chapter is a filigree, tenderly rendered no matter what the subject. A finely wrought delineation of the art of nursing.

WORLD CLASS One Mother’s Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children Clavel, Teru Atria (368 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5011-9297-5

Educational consultant Clavel makes her book debut with an upbeat chronicle of her children’s school experiences in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo and a harsh critique of American education. Living in New York City with two young sons, the author was dismayed at her friends’ anxieties about preschool.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 57 A satisfying mystery that could have been grist for Agatha Christie’s mill. five days gone

experienced, adequately paid teachers; and a shared commit- Crawford is reticent, too, about analyzing his subject’s needs ment to the importance of education produced schooling that and desires, merely paraphrasing one possibly revealing letter worked well in homogeneous Japan—and for Clavel’s children. that Gershwin wrote to his psychoanalyst. While not delving When they returned to “the land of capitalism, individuality, deeply into his subject’s heart, he provides a thorough analysis and freedoms,” the author was shocked by haphazard curricula, of his talent. lack of oversight, thoughtless integration of technology, stun- A warm homage to a central figure in American music ning turnover of teachers and administrators, and emphasis and theater. (8 pages of photos) on sports. Finally, she opted for private schools. Clavel offers advice about vetting schools and enriching children’s education, but her evidence for praise of Asian education, mainly exam FIVE DAYS GONE results and international ranking, is not fully convincing. The Mystery of My Mother’s Experiences in Asian schools yields well-meant sugges- Disappearance as a Child tions for improving students’ learning. Cumming, Laura Scribner (320 pp.) $26.00 | Aug. 27, 2019 SUMMERTIME 978-1-5011-9871-7 George Gershwin’s Life In Music The art critic for the Observer Crawford, Richard explores family secrets stretching back Norton (560 pp.) 90 years. $39.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 In the fall of 1929, writes Cumming 978-0-393-05215-2 (The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th-Century Bookseller’s Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece, 2016), a 3-year-old girl “was playing by herself How popular music of the 1920s with a new tin spade” on a Lincolnshire beach, her mother at and ’30s was indelibly influenced by one her side—until, for a moment, the girl dropped out of her sight composer. and was coaxed away by someone watching nearby, “so fast that Musicologist Crawford (Emeritus, she couldn’t have got anywhere near the water.” The girl, who Music/University of Mich.; America’s Musical Life: A History, would become the author’s mother, the artist Betty Elston, did 2001, etc.) adds to the burgeoning number of biographies about not drown; she turned up a few days later. Cumming probes her composer and pianist George Gershwin (1898-1937) with what memory and investigates family albums in an attempt to deter- he calls “an academic scholar’s account of Gershwin’s life in mine what happened. What she turns up is a secret betrayal music during the composer’s own time.” Drawing on previous on the part of her grandfather to which her grandmother must studies as well as archival material, the author traces Gersh- have surrendered, thinking it “her Christian duty” but likely win’s musical development, analyzes technical qualities of his having had no choice but to do so. The facts of the story and compositions, and highlights his critical reception. He is less their resolution command attention, but in the end, they’re less interested in examining Gershwin’s personal life, character, interesting than the author’s process of thinking about them. As friendships, and romantic relationships, and he barely glances she looks at photo albums with the eye of a scholarly detective, at events beyond the theater and concert hall. Despite this she discerns patterns of gaps and absences, sees eyes averted, a narrow perspective, however, the author offers an engaging countenance “reluctant or evasive,” and reads between the lines. chronicle of a brilliant musician. The list of his compositions Those photographs from the past connect generations in a one- is stunning: Rhapsody in Blue; An American in Paris, and the folk way conversation even as present-day readers, saturated in color, opera Porgy and Bess as well as songs that include the memorable look at monochrome photographs as if the world of their sub- “I Got Rhythm,” “The Man I Love,” “Someone To Watch Over jects were colorless too: “The mind knows this is false,” writes Me,” “Swanee,” and “But Not for Me.” More than his contempo- Cumming, “but the optic nerve is fooled into finding these raries, Gershwin embraced the verve, melodies, and rhythm of figures less real, immediate, vital. Monochrome turns the pres- jazz and blues. Together with his lyricist brother Ira, he became ent into the past; makes the past look even more distant.” Her a major force in musical theater, creating shows featuring a nuanced, pensive account restores reality and vitality to figures famed roster of performers, notably Fred Astaire and Astaire’s from out of the past, making them meaningful while uncover- sister Adele. “I do not know whether Gershwin was born into ing their secrets. this world to write rhythms for Fred Astaire’s feet or whether A satisfying mystery that could have been grist for Astaire was born into this world to show how the Gershwin Agatha Christie’s mill. music should really be danced,” the critic Alexander Woollcott observed, but the match was sensational. Although Crawford describes Gershwin as gregarious, and although he was linked romantically with many women, he was emotionally reticent. “He didn’t understand why he couldn’t get out of life what he wanted, which was a companion,” his sister once commented.

58 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | BURN IT DOWN electrified Bob Dylan’s watershed performance at the 1965 Women Writing About Anger Newport Folk Festival and that stung its way through his Ed. by Dancyger, Lilly breakthrough “Like a Rolling Stone.” As the lead guitarist for Seal Press (272 pp.) the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bloomfield brought extended, $27.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 jazzlike improvisation to the form and performed with a flam- 978-1-58005-893-3 boyance that charged his every gesture. In 1967, he formed a band called the Electric Flag, which added horns to the blues- An editor and journalist gathers 22 rock-soul-jazz mix and would attempt to transcend musical essays from a diverse group of contem- genres. But by the early 1970s, Bloomfield walked away from porary women writers about the nature the spotlight—or stumbled and staggered away, a victim of of modern female rage. substance abuse, insomnia, insecurity, and an inability to deal Catapult contributing editor Dancyger with the pressures of the spotlight and the demands of touring creates a cathartic space for both well- and lesser-known writers and performance. By the time he suffered a fatal overdose in to express the various ways in which their anger has manifested in 1981, he had been all but forgotten, a footnote in rock’s progres- their lives. The opening essay, Leslie Jamison’s “Lungs Full of Burn- sion. “The obscurity Bloomfield longed for in his last decade ing,” sets the tone for the rest of the book. For years, Jamison he achieved posthumously with stunning success,” writes Dann, took pride in being “someone who wasn’t prone to anger” until who has approached his task with an archivist’s expansiveness she realized that the sadness she often felt was really a manifes- rather than the selection of detail and stylistic grace that dis- tation of a rage society would not let her own. Monet Patrice tinguish a biographer’s craft. The author includes every club Thomas follows Jamison with a discussion of how society con- owner, performance booker, and long-forgotten sideman as well

siders angry black women to have “an attitude” and how, in gen- young adult eral, they are allowed to feel only one emotion: fear. Reclaiming anger—and an abused body—is at the heart of Rios de la Luz’s essay “Enojada,” which details her experiences with sexual molestation suffered at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. In “On Transfeminine Anger,” Samantha Riedel describes the rage she felt as a gender-confused boy and then in the early years of her trans womanhood, when she railed against “the forces of misogyny and transphobia” only to end up hurting people she cared about. Destructive as anger can be, Reema Zaman shows how it can also liberate. Zaman depicts the moment she stood up to her bullying husband and told him, “I was born for life beyond you.” In “The Color of Being Muslim,” Shaheen Pasha talks about her rage at “the suffocating expectations of others,” both within and without the Pakistani American community, who saw her as being too Muslim or not Muslim enough. Pow- erful and provocative, this collection is an instructive read for anyone seeking to understand the many faces—and pains—of womanhood in 21st-century America. An incisive collection of writing about how women’s anger “doesn’t have to be useful to deserve a voice.”

GUITAR KING Michael Bloomfield’s Life in the Blues Dann, David Univ. of Texas (736 pp.) $39.95 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-4773-1877-5

An exhaustive biography gives the legendary Chicago blues-rock guitarist his due—and then some. More than a half-century ago, Mike Bloomfield (1943-1981) was routinely ranked with the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. His was the guitar that

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 59 A vociferous, highly motivational call to arms for the feminist movement. the seven necessary sinss for women and girls

as every recording session in Bloomfield’s slide toward obscurity. THE SEVEN NECESSARY SINS Amid the dross, there is a compelling narrative of a young blues FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS fanatic whose problems with drugs and mental instability pre- Eltahawy, Mona dated his fame—and who continued to perform in projects for Beacon (208 pp.) which he had indifference or even contempt because he was so $24.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 deeply in debt to the manager he had once shared with Dylan. 978-0-8070-1381-6 Those with a passion for the music will enjoy revisiting a time when Bloomfield’s influence exceeded even Stevie A striking anti-patriarchal manifesto. Ray Vaughan’s. Written “with enough rage to fuel a rocket,” the second book from Egyptian American activist Eltahawy (Headscarves WHAT THEY MEANT FOR EVIL and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a How a Lost Girl of Sudan Sexual Revolution, 2015) presents a platform of female empow- Found Healing, Peace, and erment and gender equality supported by seven essential traits Purpose in the Midst of (anger, attention, profanity, ambition, power, violence, and lust) Suffering every woman should have in her feminist arsenal. The author Deng, Rebecca with Kolbaba, Ginger advises women on how to individually resist and collectively FaithWords (304 pp.) deconstruct society’s “universal and normalized” patriarchal $22.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 hierarchy by employing an interlocking series of “sins,” tradi- 978-1-5460-1722-6 tionally tabooed beliefs about women’s outward expressions of contrary opinion or personal power. Eltahawy’s opening is A memoir from one of the Lost Girls strong, with a chapter on how anger and rage are key compo- of Sudan. nents in the fight alongside ambition, sexual expression- “out Deng was born in South Sudan, and the first few years of side the teachings of heteronormativity,” and an insistence that her life were relatively peaceful. She enjoyed her grandmother’s attention be paid to female voices instead of promoting efforts cooking, the ghee she made from the cows they owned, and the to silence them. The section on power seeks to engage women lush vegetation that grew around her village. When she was 6, in business and social leadership. Eltahawy is at her most con- the civil war that had been raging in other parts of the coun- troversial when discussing what she believes are the leveling try arrived at her doorstep, and Deng became a refugee of the benefits of physical violence in the face of patriarchal crimes. Bor Massacre of 1991. Her village was destroyed, and she fled Sprinkled throughout the narrative are moving personal sto- on foot with other family members to safety. She spent the next ries, histories, and profiles that further reinforce her plan to few years living in refugee camps, eating tasteless maize paste dismantle the rampant injustices against women. The author’s donated by the U.N. It was difficult to find joy under these cir- prose is feverishly enthusiastic and laser-focused, powered by cumstances, but Deng’s strong Christian faith and community teenage emotional trauma from repeated sexual assaults while of churchgoers she prayed with helped her through her strug- on pilgrimages to Mecca, where she was warned to stay silent gles. She also was able to attend school in the refugee camp, an but ultimately vocalized her outrage. She channels the rage act that ultimately led her on a path to the United States, where about her violations toward the empowerment of other women she was adopted in 2000 by a family living in Michigan. In this in their embrace of feminism that is “robust, aggressive, and chronicle of her early childhood and subsequent years as an unapologetic…a feminism that defies, disobeys, and disrupts immigrant in the U.S., Deng shares, in mostly straightforward the patriarchy.” Her urgent narrative encourages women of all prose, the significant moments that changed her life. Not only ages to resist classic compartmentalization and to raise their did she suffer deprivation and hardship as a young child in the voices and demand equality within every sector of society. “Let refugee camps; she also faced prejudice as an immigrant, strug- us always tell girls they can be more than,” she writes. gling to maintain her Dinka heritage while assimilating to her A vociferous, highly motivational call to arms for the new culture. Her difficult journey to adulthood and calling as feminist movement. an advocate for other victims of war makes for difficult, some- times violent reading, but her story is important. In particular, Deng exposes the devastation of war on the innocent, especially women and children, who often bear the brunt of the brutality. A powerful story of determination and strong faith that brought a child out of the wreckage of war.

60 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | A GUEST OF THE REICH THE LIFE AND LOVES The Story of American OF E. NESBIT Heiress Gertrude Legendre’s Victorian Iconoclast, Dramatic Captivity and Children’s Author, and Escape From Nazi Germany Creator of The Finn, Peter Railway Children Pantheon (256 pp.) Fitzsimons, Eleanor $27.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 Abrams (400 pp.) 978-1-5247-4733-6 $35.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-4197-3897-5 Fast-paced account of an American woman working with military intelli- Fitzsimons (Wilde’s Women: How gence who was captured by the Nazis. Oscar Wilde Was Shaped by the Women He Knew, 2017) explores the Washington Post national security editor Finn (co-author: The controversial life and groundbreaking contributions of iconic Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a For- Victorian children’s author and social activist Edith Nesbit bidden Book, 2014) follows the story of a rich and adventurous (1858-1924). American woman who joined the OSS, the predecessor of the Relying on letters, memoirs, poetry, stories, and archival CIA, after Pearl Harbor. Born to a wealthy family, Gertrude materials, the author reveals familiar as well as unexpected “Gertie” Legendre (1902-2000) was more interested in outdoor details and anecdotes from Nesbit’s tempestuous, bohemian life than socializing, and she became a world-traveling big-game life. She documents how Nesbit’s father’s death, her sister’s ill-

hunter who collected specimens for top museums. But when ness, and subsequent family upheavals shaped her into an anx- young adult her husband, Sidney, joined the war effort, she took a job with ious child with a fertile imagination who began writing poetry the OSS, first in Washington, D.C., and then in London. After at age 11. A life-changing marriage to ardent womanizer Hubert the liberation of Paris, she found her way to the city and then to Bland when she was seven months pregnant forced Nesbit to the front. However, Allied troops had fallen back from where “muster what resources, determination, and ingenuity she had she thought they were, and she and her companions found to support her family” through her writing. Throughout their themselves under enemy fire and were forced to surrender. She unorthodox marriage, Nesbit tolerated her husband’s many was the first American woman in uniform to be captured by flaws. Attractive and vivacious, Nesbit was “always surrounded the Germans. From the start, Gertie was suspected of being by adoring young men” and had “intensely romantic friendships a spy, kept under close guard, and faced with hard question- with several,” including George Bernard Shaw. Delving into ing, though never with torture. Finn chronicles her ordeal as Nesbit’s formative involvement in the Fabian Society and ardent she was moved around Germany based on original documents, campaigning to alleviate poverty, Fitzsimons suggests Nesbit’s including Gertie’s own letters and diaries as well as official OSS socialist views influenced her children’s books. Favoring uncon- archives. The result is a fascinating look at the treatment of ventional loose-fitting dresses and short hair, Nesbit’s attitude POWs during the final year of the war—e.g., the hotel reserved toward women’s rights and suffrage was surprisingly “hostile.” for important French hostages where Gertie spent her last few Frequent quotes from Nesbit’s children’s books illustrate how weeks in captivity or the general availability of wine for upper- she “populated her stories with people and events from her class prisoners even when there was not enough clean water for past,” recasting herself and her siblings as the Bastable children washing. The author provides added interest with his profiles of in The Story of the Treasure Seekers. Fitzsimons ably demonstrates several other figures of historical note, including war photogra- how Nesbit’s singular ability to write from the perspective of pher Margaret Bourke-White and OSS chief “Wild Bill” Dono- a child, weaving magic and fantasy into everyday life in a col- van. Finn combines solid research and good storytelling skills to loquial style, became the prototype for modern children’s fic- bring Gertie and her era to life for contemporary readers. tion. She shines a welcome spotlight on a life “as extraordinary A little-known chapter of World War II history with an as anything found in the pages of her books.” intriguing American intelligence agent in the leading role. A fascinating, thoughtfully organized, thoroughly researched, often surprising biography of the enigmatic author of The Railway Children.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 61 Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts. the only plane in the sky

THINK BLACK strong reporting skills and empathetic writing in this collection A Memoir of pieces previously published in Guernica, McSweeney’s, Oxford Ford, Clyde W. American, and the Virginia Quarterly Review, among other publi- Amistad/HarperCollins (320 pp.) cations. The timeliest piece is about the persecution of undocu- $25.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 mented immigrants that has ramped up significantly since the 978-0-06-289056-6 election of Donald Trump. In a brief news story, the author learned about Sixto Paz, a Mexican man forestalling deporta- A memoir/social history of a trail- tion by living in a church that “offered sanctuary to undocu- blazing father, his headstrong son, and mented migrants.” Garcia traveled to Phoenix to meet Paz in their struggles with racism in the tech person; as he has done so well in previous books, the author industry. manages to extrapolate from this one individual’s story greater In 1971, Ford (Whiskey Gulf, 2009, truths about a large down-and-out population. Garcia helps etc.) followed his pioneering father’s footsteps through the doors readers understand how the daily struggles that define and of IBM. Nearly three decades earlier, the elder Ford had become change his real-life protagonists are relevant to them. At times, the company’s first black systems engineer, handpicked by the the author inserts himself into the narratives, showing readers president and founder of the company, Thomas J. Watson Sr. But how his research and reporting affects him. Garcia closes the where his father was a conformist, seemingly unwilling to chal- book with a story on Reynaldo Leal, a U.S. military veteran who lenge the racism at the ultraconservative company, the rebellious completed two tours of duty in Iraq and began to realize, years author, then 19, showed up for work with “a ballooned Afro, pork later, that “most of the country has allowed the war to fade chop sideburns [and] a blue zoot suit with red pinstripes.” Ford from its consciousness.” This piece is another in a long line of chronicles both his and his father’s careers, from the dawn of the the author’s impressive stories about military veterans, their digital age that his father’s expertise helped usher in. Frequently traumatic nightmares, and their less-than-adequate treatment at odds, the two men disagreed about Clyde’s future, the war in by government agencies. Garcia also frequently investigates Vietnam, and the civil rights movement. A masterful storyteller, the broken U.S. criminal justice system, evident here in “What Ford interweaves his personal story with the backdrop of the Happens After Sixteen Years in Prison?” The book’s subtitle social movements unfolding at that time, providing a revealing rings true for each piece. One shortcoming: The anthology pro- insider’s view of the tech industry. IBM’s storied past is not with- vides no value-added content, such as contextualizing sections out blemish. Ford details the company’s involvement with the or updates on the stories. Nazis during the Holocaust and with the South African govern- Compassionate, memorable tales from a journalist who ment under apartheid. Whether recounting the domestic drama understands the significance of revealing the inner lives of that played out between his parents or how his father taught marginalized individuals. him to program IBM’s first computer as a kid, Ford provides a simultaneously informative and entertaining narrative. He delves into historical and contemporary intersections of race, history, THE ONLY PLANE and technology to show that technical advancements are never IN THE SKY completely bias-free because they are driven by humans, who are An Oral History of 9/11 inherently biased. Ultimately, Ford learned that his father did Graff, Garrett M. challenge the system at IBM in covert but lasting ways. He also Avid Reader Press (416 pp.) gives a call to action to readers to challenge the current lack of $30.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 diversity in tech as well as the racism that technology is used to 978-1-5011-8220-4 perpetuate in society at large. A powerful, engrossing look at race and technology. Wrenching, highly personal accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath. Former POLITICO and Washingtonian THE FRUIT OF ALL MY GRIEF editor Graff (Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Lives in the Shadows of the Government’s Secret Plan To Save Itself—While the Rest of Us Die, 2017, American Dream etc.) returns with an impressive feat of organization, editing, and Garcia, J. Malcolm balance. He begins the story early in the morning of 9/11, pro- Seven Stories (320 pp.) ceeds through the entire day, and then follows up with com- $21.95 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 ments from people about the ensuing weeks, months, and years. 978-1-60980-953-9 He spent three years collecting stories from a wide variety of people—survivors, responders, politicians, witnesses, family Chronicling “the lives lurking beneath members—and then assembled the pieces into a coherent and the surface of the everyday.” powerful re-creation of the attacks on the twin towers, the Pen- Garcia (Riding Through Katrina With tagon, and (perhaps) the Capitol, an attack that failed when the the Red Baron’s Ghost: A Memoir of Friend­ passengers aboard Flight 93 fought back, their plane crashing ship, Family and a Life Writing Stories, 2018, etc.) demonstrates his in a Pennsylvania field. Some of the storytellers’ names are well

62 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | known—e.g., Katie Couric, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, others—i.e., social cognition. It works pretty well but not per- Laura Bush—but most of them are not. Graff also does an admi- fectly. Graziano also provides an excellent history of brain evo- rable job of maintaining focus on the personal stories and does lution beginning with the first nerve cell 700 million years ago. not drift off into political commentary—or engage in placing Since consciousness is complex—but not confined to humans; blame—or arrange the material so that some of his interviewees other animals have it—understanding it requires a knowledge look good and some bad. Pretty much everyone emerges look- of brain function. The author delivers a lucid account, but once ing good, from President George W. Bush on down the political he focuses on his specialty, few readers will doubt that the ladder—not to mention the stunning heroism of the fire and phrase “hard problem” is no exaggeration. police departments and the unnumbered, and sometimes name- A fine popular introduction to the brain and an earnest less, others who rushed to help. Graff excels at re-creating the if difficult attempt to explain how it generates conscious- anxiety and terror of that day: What is happening? What’s next? ness. (7 illustrations) Who did this? Most affecting of all, of course, are the accounts of those who survived, the responders who struggled to help (and who lost so many of their colleagues), and the families who THOSE WHO WANDER learned a loved one would never be coming home. Pair this with America’s Lost Street Kids Mitchell Zuckoff’s Fall and Rise for a full, well-rounded perspec- Ho, Vivian tive on this monumental tragedy. Little A (220 pp.) Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should $24.95 | Sep. 1, 2019 check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts. 978-1-5039-0373-9

A portrait of homeless children in young adult RETHINKING America. CONSCIOUSNESS Former San Francisco Chronicle crimi- A Scientific Theory of nal justice reporter Ho takes to the Subjective Experience streets of the Bay Area and other urban Graziano, Michael S.A. regions of the country to show readers how children are sur- Norton (256 pp.) viving on the streets without parental supervision, housing, $28.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 or employment. She begins by discussing the 2015 murders of 978-0-393-65261-1 Audrey Carey and Steve Carter by three homeless youths, exam- ining what led the three perpetrators, Haze, Lila, and Sean, to Graziano (Psychology and Neurosci- the moments when they shot each of the victims. It’s a sad yet ence/Princeton Univ.; The Spaces Between eye-opening story of physical and sexual abuse, rampant drug Us: A Story of Neuroscience, Evolution, and use, mental illness, and botched stays in foster homes. Although Human Nature, 2018, etc.) continues to probe the mysteries of Ho focuses the narrative on these three youths, she does share consciousness. the stories of several other homeless kids she met, which gives Explaining how our physical brain generates conscious- readers a wider view of the day-to-day existence of a homeless ness is officially labeled the “hard problem,” and readers of this youth. Even though they often watch out for each other, they are admirable attempt to solve it will not disagree. A thermostat also known to harm each other. They also lie, steal, abuse drugs, registers temperature; a computer can evaluate information and are on the move constantly to avoid the police. Some have and make decisions. The assembly of neurons in the brain does chosen this lifestyle and enjoy the freedom it gives them; others the same, and neuroscientists are working out the mechanism. know that life at home is worse than on the streets despite the However, brains not only do stuff; their possessors also know fears of being raped, drugged, or robbed. “After that first burst that they are doing stuff. They are having mental experiences. of freedom and escape,” writes the author, “their lives become Brain cells detect color, but how do we experience redness? “A one prolonged dehumanizing fight for survival, and with each modern computer can process a visual image,” writes the author, day spent on the streets, they drift farther and farther away “but engineers have not yet solved how to make the computer from being able to leave this existence when they come to the conscious of that information.” Although their numbers are decision to do so.” Ho provides clear descriptions of this life- diminishing, some scholars insist that something as amorphous style via her interviews with the homeless, yet she sometimes as consciousness can never be explained scientifically. Gra- repeats small details, particularly about Haze and Lila, which ziano points out that plenty of theories exist, including one he makes some of the book repetitive. On the whole, though, she favors, which “can apply equally to biological brains and artifi- provides sufficient information and shows compassion to her cial machines.” He opts for what he calls the attention schema, interviewees. The lingering question—how to keep these kids which emphasizes that the brain is an information-processing off the streets and in stable homes—goes unaddressed. machine that generates a conscious experience but has no way An empathetic overview of life as a homeless youth in to relate this to reality. As a result, we construct a rich inter- America. nal model that we consult to assure us that our perceptions are correct. We also use this model to predict the behavior of

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 63

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Ben Folds

THE MUSICIAN’S MEMOIR OF SEX, DRUGS, AND ROCK ’N’ ROLL IS LONG ON WRY HUMOR AND SHORT ON —WELL, SEX, DRUGS, AND ROCK ’N’ ROLL By Gregory McNamee Photo courtesy Joe Vaughn humorous anecdotes and ribald wisdom, as when he writes, “It’s one thing to work shit jobs in high school, when there’s a theoretical life ahead. It’s another to real- ize the shitty job is your life.” Folds allows that his life has been a bit more fortu- nate than most, and he’s an altogether thoughtful fellow who recounts his long musical education throughout the pages of his book. “I wanted to know if Gene Sim- mons ever went to band camp,” he says of one centrally important experience in his teenage life. “Where did he learn how to make a G chord?” Band camp was a nerdy sort of place, to be sure, but it was also where Folds be- gan to explore the subtle blend of jazz, pop, and rock that characterizes his work. Granted, he recalls, the cool kids there were “a little mean to me,” but he takes quiet revenge by imagining that they’re playing in cock- tail bars somewhere now, earning their keep with—well, the kind of job he described earlier. As for Folds, he’s got a busy touring schedule ahead, promoting his book as if it were another album, play- ing concerts, and doing interviews around the country. “Overall,” he says, “I’m pretty pleased with the balancing “I didn’t have to be a musician.” So says the popular act. I’m caught up now in picking out things from the pianist, songwriter, and bandleader Ben Folds, talking book to read from and talk about—sort of like having to to me from his home in Nashville. In fact, as he recalls, pick my singles when a new real album is out. I’m pick- he was once so torn about his future that when his fa- ing my singles and getting ready to go out on the road.” ther asked him about college plans, Folds answered that “Yes, I could have been a lot of things besides being a he was thinking about joining the military. His father musician, but I’ve always been a writer,” the 53-year-old responded, “You’re fucking high.” Folds says. “I write songs, of course, but I’ve also written It’s a marvelous, funny anecdote that figures in Folds’ stories, all kinds of things. I thought maybe I was a little song “Army,” from his third album, The Unauthorized too young to write a memoir, but then I realized how Biography of Reinhold Messner, released in 1999. He re- old I am and decided I might have something to say. For casts it at more leisure in his new memoir, A Dream one thing, I want to give some honest encouragement About Lightning Bugs (July 30), a book steeped in his to people who are interested in music and creative work, North Carolina boyhood and teendom, with plenty of to urge them to pursue it while they’re selling insurance

64 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | and whatnot during the day. But I also wanted to curate my own life a little bit, look back and figure out what’s been important. I decided not to pass up the chance.” He adds, laughing, “Still, I just recorded the audio- book, and there were moments when I thought, like when you stick a dog’s nose in an accident, ‘Look what you’ve done!’ ” Readers and music fans alike will find IF YOU LIVED HERE YOU’D BE what he’s done to be a treat. HOME BY NOW Why We Traded the A Dream About Commuting Life for a Little Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor. House on the Prairie Lightning Bugs was reviewed in the July 1, 2019, issue. Ingraham, Christopher Harper/HarperCollins (288 pp.) $24.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 Five Musical Works That 978-0-06-286147-4 Changed Ben Folds’ Life A Washington Post data reporter debuts with an account of his move from “Wichita Lineman” by Jimmy Webb. “It starts off the D.C. area to a rural county in northwestern Minnesota. In 2015, Ingraham published a dismissive comment about ordinary, about an ordinary life. Then comes that ‘I Red Lake County, Minnesota, and the immediate social media need you more than want you’ line, and it gets me reactions from some people there prompted him to visit. When every time.” he got there, he realized that he was falling for the place. He convinced his wife that they should move there for a while. It was a great place, he thought, to bring up their twin sons, still of “Marie” by Randy Newman. “Nobody tells a story preschool age—not to mention quite a bit less expensive than

D.C. So they packed up and moved, where they were, again, young adult better, and always with a twist.” surprised to discover how comfortable they felt—even though Red Lake “is a place so lacking in superlatives that proclaiming “Common People” by Pulp. “I had William Shatner itself ‘the only landlocked county…that is surrounded by just two neighboring counties’ is the closest thing to a boast that sing it. Great.” you’ll find on the county’s website.” Seldom is heard a discour- aging word in Ingraham’s text; the only time he really complains, by Liz Phair. “That whole album in- which he does in a light, even ironic way, is about the local food, Exile in Guyville especially the pizza (barely edible). The family quickly adapted spires me.” to the entirely new small-town culture and found everyone wel- coming and even sort of Mayberry-ish. Ingraham deals with a number of fundamental issues: health care (things were farther “The Last Time I Saw Richard” by Joni Mitchell. “Es- away than in the densely populated East), schools (he had a sential. But how do you pick just one Joni Mitchell great experience with the local school dealing with one of his song?” — sons), social life (his wife won a seat on the town council; he G.M. went deer hunting), and, of course, the extreme cold of north- ern Minnesota. The author devotes a small section to politics, registering his belief that mass-media portrayals of small-town rural America are not sufficiently nuanced. Throughout, Ingra- ham writes with the conviction of one who has found—as least for him—tranquility and truth. A simple, warmhearted celebration of small-town living.

FROM THE PERIPHERY Real-Life Stories of Disability Justesen, Pia Lawrence Hill Books/Chicago Review (336 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-64160-158-0

An eye-opening collection of stories “about discrimination against individual people with disabilities and about exclu- sion of the group.”

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 65 In championing a critically important part of the natural world, Kurlansky sounds an urgent alarm that commands our attention. salmon

Justesen settled in Chicago in 2014 after a career in Denmark living as easy as possible for her workaholic husband. His dual as a human rights lawyer advocating for physically and men- interest in both medical care and anthropology led them around tally disabled men and women. Almost all the case studies here the globe, with emphases on China and Taiwan. Eventually, Joan derive from oral histories she compiled in Chicago, inspired in also developed expertise in Chinese language and culture. Given part by the work of Studs Terkel. As the author shows, disabili- her sterling example of winning trust from almost every person ties stretch far beyond those that are visible, such as blindness who entered her life, Kleinman developed deep empathy and or the use of a wheelchair. Many of the disabilities of those she excellent listening skills, making him a holistic practitioner profiles may not be immediately apparent or constitute a condi- who understood the intricate connections among mind, body, tion generally outside widespread societal consciousness—e.g., and the stresses of the larger culture. When Joan started failing deafness, autism, diabetes, dwarfism, severe arthritis, cerebral physically before age 60 due to what finally got diagnosed as palsy, muscular dystrophy, depression, and more. For Justesen, early-onset Alzheimer’s, Kleinman felt compelled to learn how negative treatment of individuals with disabilities constitutes a to serve as a caregiver within what he came to understand as human rights violation. Throughout the text, she amplifies the a dysfunctional American health care bureaucracy. In addition repeated pleas of her interviewees: Please don’t treat me as a per- to providing a detailed account of Joan’s decline and death dur- son to be pitied or as someone who cannot perform a high-level ing 2011, he also offers case studies of his nonfamily patients. job; please don’t tease me or bully me, and please don’t pretend As he clearly shows, his patients informed his care of Joan, and I am invisible when you encounter me. The book suggests that his arduous caregiving for Joan informed his medical practice. people of color who are disabled are often treated worse than The second half of the book, focused on the author’s dedication white men and women. Justesen wisely includes oral histories of to his wife’s care, is more compelling than the scattered, often her subject’s paid caretakers as well as family members. As she repetitious first half. clearly shows, poor treatment of the disabled yields negative rip- An uneven but poignant memoir that will be useful to ple effects throughout society. The author opens the collection caregivers of all ages and occupations. by illuminating the anger displayed by those who feel that they are considered “less than.” In the next section, Justesen explains the reality of disability entering the realm of “social construct,” SALMON akin to discrimination based on skin color or gender orientation. A Fish, the Earth, and the “Disability is not miserable,” she writes. “But not being regarded, History of a Common Fate not being respected, being seen as less than, not being treated Kurlansky, Mark with dignity, all this is miserable. Barriers in the world can make Patagonia (416 pp.) living with a disability miserable.” $30.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 A mind-expanding collection of important stories. (20 978-1-938340-86-4 b/w photos) Having written about milk, salt, oys- ters, and frozen food, Kurlansky (Milk!: A THE SOUL OF CARE 10,000-Year Food Fracas, 2018, etc.) turns his pen to an iconic fish The Moral Education of a on the brink of extinction. Husband and a Doctor “How many species do we lose when we lose a salmon?” asks Kleinman, Arthur the author toward the end of this handsomely illustrated work Viking (272 pp.) of natural history and environmental advocacy. The answer $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 is that we do not know for certain, but the salmon is part of 978-0-525-55932-0 a chain of life that ranges from tiny insects to large mammals and birds. Every species, then, unlocks the door to many other A renowned psychiatrist and anthro- species, and allowing any species to diminish is to threaten the pologist mixes a memoir of his adoles- whole web of life. So it is with the salmon. Kurlansky covers all cence and professional training with a the bases, from life cycle and reproductive history to the fact detailed account of his decade as a care- that the salmon is particularly vulnerable precisely because it giver for his wife, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheim- spends part of its life in salt water, part in fresh water. The author er’s disease. observes that ideal salmon habitat includes rivers that run clear Born in 1941, Kleinman (Anthropology/Harvard Univ.; What and clean and that are undammed, which are increasingly rare Really Matters: Living a Moral Life Amidst Uncertainty and Danger, except in very remote places such as the Kamchatka Peninsula 2006, etc.) gravitated toward medical studies after a difficult of Russia, which may turn out to be where salmon make their family life and a streak of “waywardness.” He relates his love-at- last stand. Certainly it won’t be on the Columbia River, where first-sight relationship with Joan. They met in college; she was Lewis and Clark saw a horizon of flashing fins two centuries two years his elder, from a more stable family and a worldlier ago, whereas “by 1975, a total of 14 dams were blocking the main background. For many years, she placed her professional desires Columbia River, 13 were on the Snake [River],” numbers that in the background to care for the home, rear their children, take don’t begin to take into account the thousands of smaller dams the lead in developing their friendships, and make day-to-day along the tributaries. Kurlansky offers a dauntingly long list of

66 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | things that need to happen if the salmon is to be saved, ranging TRANSACTION MAN from dismantling dams to checking climate change, restoring The Rise of the Deal and the forests and apex predators, ending the use of pesticides, and Decline of the American removing homes and roads from riverbanks in favor of galleries Dream of trees. “If we can save the planet,” he writes, “the salmon will Lemann, Nicholas be all right.” And if not, we must conclude, not. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) In championing a critically important part of the natu- $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 ral world, Kurlansky sounds an urgent alarm that com- 978-0-374-27788-8 mands our attention. A fresh account of the magnitude of inequality in America and how it came to HITLER’S LAST be. HOSTAGES New Yorker staff writer Lemann (Emeritus, Dean/Columbia Looted Art and the Soul Journalism School; Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, of the Third Reich 2006, etc.) turns to complex theory to explain why income Lane, Mary M. inequality has deepened in conjunction with the fracturing of PublicAffairs (336 pp.) social bonds between and among the ultrawealthy, middle-class $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 residents, and those struggling with poverty. The author posits 978-1-61039-736-0 that three phases, dating back about 100 years, explain much of the upheaval: the era of powerful institutions, including gov-

Nazi looting of European art is old ernment, political parties, massive corporations, massive labor young adult news, but this expert, disheartening unions, and affinity groups based on ethnicity; the era of trans- account reveals that Germany still pos- actions that often bypassed those institutions, mostly through sesses a great deal and refuses to give it up. Silicon Valley and Wall Street; and now, the era of internet- Lane, the former chief European art reporter for the Wall enabled entities such as Google, Apple, and Facebook. Lemann Street Journal, writes that in 2011, German tax authorities raided chooses one individual to explicate each phase: New Deal the apartment of elderly bachelor Cornelius Gurlitt and found economist Adolf Berle as “Institution Man,” Harvard Business more than 1,200 precious artworks piled in every corner. They School professor Michael Jensen as “Transaction Man,” and kept the news secret until a magazine revealed it in 2013 and LinkedIn co-creator Reid Hoffman as “Network Man.” Though then proceeded to stonewall the authorities, insisting that this the author’s high-level theorizing is confusing at times, he was a tax matter and that the government had no obligation in wisely offers general readers a solid foundation by discussing other areas. Since then, aggressive claimants have received a the impact of each era on citizens in specific neighborhoods, few works, but most are housed at a Swiss museum following especially a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago called Gurlitt’s bequest. Having delivered this news, Lane turns back Chicago Lawn. In that setting, he provides sharp portraits of the clock to recount the dismal yet captivating story, centered a white male automobile dealer, an African American woman on Hitler, who, she reminds readers, grew up as an artist and who migrated from the Deep South to fend off virulent racism remained obsessed by cultural matters throughout World War in the neighborhood, and other residents struggling to make II. Another ongoing figure is satirical artist George Grosz, who sense of the increasing economic inequality plaguing much of immigrated before Hitler took power and saw his work reviled, the country. The desires of Berle, Jensen, and Hoffman to cre- confiscated, and never returned. Hitler’s taste in art received ate an orderly, prosperous society allowed a small slice of the enthusiastic cooperation from dealers including Cornelius’ citizenry to thrive beyond their wildest dreams but left the vast father, Hildebrand Gurlitt. Readers will gnash their teeth as majority to struggle consistently with poverty. Lane engagingly recounts how dealers who formerly repre- Lemann relies on his well-developed skills as a long- sented avant-garde artists quickly adapted and dumped their time journalist to weave the specific and the abstract into a “degenerate” modernist clientele, except for purchases at knock- narrative that is intellectually challenging. down prices for their private collection. They happily accepted works that they knew were confiscated from Jews. After 1939, many dealers, led by Hildebrand, toured conquered countries collecting for Hitler’s mythical future Führermuseum. When necessary, Hildebrand purchased works with an apparently unlimited national budget, although many ended up in his own collection, and most of them he successfully concealed after the war. Aware of art looting, the victorious Allies devoted modest effort to an investigation, but violent crimes took priority. Hil- debrand and colleagues were cleared and resumed their careers. A gripping, original contribution to a still-unresolved Nazi crime. (color photo insert)

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 67 MAOISM THE MERITOCRACY TRAP A Global History How America’s Foundational Lovell, Julia Myth Feeds Inequality, Knopf (624 pp.) Dismantles the Middle Class, $37.50 | Sep. 3, 2019 and Devours the Elite 978-0-525-65604-3 Markovits, Daniel Penguin Press (448 pp.) Richly detailed, occasionally pon- $30.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 derous study of a political ideology that, 978-0-7352-2199-4 while often disastrous, endures in many guises today. How the myth of achievement Lovell (Modern China/Birkbeck Coll., through merit alone has created a schism Univ. of London; The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making between the wealthy and the middle class. of Modern China, 2014, etc.) dissects a strain of political thought Markovits (Law/Yale Univ.; Contract Law and Legal Methods, that rests on Marxism, Leninism, and Stalinism while partaking 2012, etc.), founding director of the Center for the Study of of Chinese traditions stretching back thousands of years. As Private Law, responds to the much-debated issues of income she writes, Mao “assembled a practical and theoretical tool- inequality, middle-class discontent, and the rise of angry pop- kit for turning a fractious, failing empire into a defiant global ulism by mounting an impassioned and well-argued attack power,” one that turned a huge population to the service of a against meritocracy: the belief that talent and ambition lead machine that was part utopian experiment and part totalitarian to wealth and status. “The meritocratic ideal—that social and nightmare. Maoist thought, by Lovell’s incisive, sometimes-dry economic rewards should track achievement rather than breed- account, was a confusion of terms, propaganda, and pragmat- ing—anchors the self-image of the age,” writes the author. But ics. As a man of rural origins, Mao held the peasantry in higher that ideal, he counters, championed by progressives as a solu- regard than the urban sophisticates who helped modernize the tion to inequality, is “a sham,” creating “aristocratic distinctions” Chinese economy. He “acclaimed the brilliance of the (rural) that separate the rich from the increasingly frustrated middle masses,” holding that only their ideas were correct, then led class. Nor does meritocracy serve the rich, instead consigning from the top all the same, turning Marxist thought into crude, elite workers to the “strained self-exploitation” of long hours at blunt messages that boiled down to class struggle and yielded relentless, inhumane overwork that leads to an impoverished calamitous famines and the nightmare of the Cultural Revolu- “inner life” and “destruction of the authentic self.” Markovits, tion. So how did the ideas of the Red Emperor spread as widely who was educated and has taught at elite institutions, offers as they did in the West? One was his devotion, on paper if not compelling evidence that despite gestures toward diversity, always in reality, to feminist ideals; the Maoist formulation wealthy students make up the majority of admissions, produc- “women hold up half the sky” is a standard of T-shirt slogans ing “superordinate workers, who possess a powerful work ethic today. Just so, Maoist political movements have long outlived and exceptional skills.” These workers, who take “glossy” jobs, their creator—Shining Path in Peru, guerrilla groups in India have displaced mid-skilled, middle-class workers, who are rel- and Nepal, offshoots everywhere, including, to no small extent, egated to dismal, “gloomy” jobs that lead to income stagnation. Trumpism in America, which hinges on the same cult of person- Meritocracy, asserts the author, “debases an increasingly idled ality. Even in China, which had plenty of experience with the middle class, which it shuts off from income, power, and pres- disasters of Maoism, the ideology is, if not openly encouraged, tige.” He offers two far-reaching solutions: taking away private officially tolerated. The government of Xi Jinping may have institutions’ tax-exempt status unless they expand opportuni- declared the Cultural Revolution “utterly wrong,” but Maoism ties for higher education to a broad public, making admission is evident everywhere, “caught between official oppression and open and inclusive; and payroll tax reform and wage subsidies ambivalence, commercial kitschification and inchoate grass- that would impel businesses, including the health care indus- roots sentiment.” try, to hire the “surging supply of educated workers” coming A useful key to understanding the role of China in the from newly accessible colleges. In medicine, for example, hir- modern world, a role that is increasingly influential. (24 ing nurses and nurse practitioners could make health care more pages of b/w photos) accessible than hiring a few specialist doctors. Sure to be con- troversial, the author’s analysis and proposals deserve serious debate. Bold proposals for a radical revision of contemporary society.

68 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | One fascinating essay after another from one of America’s best critics. ectasy and terror

THE SLOW MOON CLIMBS Growing up in suburban Syracuse, McGough was shy, gay, The Science, History, and and frequently bullied. In high school, he found refuge in the Meaning of Menopause art room, peopled by “artists and outcasts” like himself, and he Mattern, Susan became recognized for his talent. After graduating in 1978, he Princeton Univ. (360 pp.) headed eagerly to New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, $29.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 hoping to find sexual freedom at last. In his candid debut mem- 978-0-691-17163-0 oir, the author vividly conveys the turbulence and seediness of the “dirty and dangerous” West Village and of Times Square, “a A celebration of menopause as a life mess of dirty old theaters” showing horror movies and pornog- stage vital to our species’ survival, but raphy. “It was everything I dreamed of and more,” he admits, one that has now been trivialized as a and he spent his tuition money in nightclubs, including the disease to be treated. infamous Studio 54, and on rent for squalid rooms. When his Mattern (History/Univ. of Georgia; The Prince of Medicine: money ran out, he took odd jobs illustrating, sketching, and, at Galen in the Roman Empire, 2016, etc.) begins by noting that one point, painting Danceteria, a new nightclub, where he also menopause—the end of the reproductive phase of female life worked as a busboy. McGough’s life changed when he met David and the beginning of an extended period of aging—is rare out- McDermott, an eccentric, charismatic artist who rejected the side of humans. Most female animals die within a few years modern world as “cheap and vulgar,” claimed he was a genius of their last birth, including our primate relatives. The author (and, sometimes, Jesus), and carefully curated environments for elaborates on the “grandmother hypothesis.” Older women himself filled with Victoriana. McDermott’s world, McGough are more experienced, and, freed from giving birth themselves, writes, “became immediately alluring, and I felt safe and cut off

they can assist daughters in childbirth and child-rearing. In from a world I thought harsh and cruel.” Soon he, too, was wear- young adult Paleolithic times, when roving bands survived by foraging, these ing shirts with highly starched detachable collars, frock coats, elders knew where to find the good plants. They also added to and homburg hats: “We felt we were making a statement by our the number of adults as resources as opposed to dependent very existence.” The two became lovers and artistic collabora- children. Menopausal women continued to be important in tors, signing their works with both surnames and eventually agrarian times when families settled on farm plots and society gaining a reputation among dealers, collectors, curators (they became patriarchal, with fathers owning the land and ruling showed twice at Whitney Biennales), and fellow artists such the family. There were booms and busts over that 10,000-year as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Julian Schnabel. In period, and Mattern discusses the forces that kept population a world filled with narcissists, grifters, and assorted lost souls, levels relatively stable. Everything changed with the Industrial Schnabel and his wife, cleareyed and compassionate, stand out. Revolution and the advent of modern medicine, ushering in the Bitterness and anger sometimes surface as the author recounts modern era of massive population growth and lowered mortal- betrayal, severe financial hardship brought about by -McDer ity. While menopause has been recognized as a stage of life for mott’s wanton spending, and years of suffering from AIDS. thousands of years, it was only in the early 18th century that An intimate portrait of personal struggles and artistic the term began to incorporate negative ideas of excess blood, triumphs. hysteria, irritable nerves, and so on. By the time hormones were discovered, menopause was considered an estrogen deficiency disease. The last third of the book embodies Mattern’s well- ECSTASY AND TERROR argued case that menopause could be considered a “cultural syn- From the Greeks to drome”: a set of symptoms, largely unclear in origin, that reflect Game of Thrones psychological, social, and physiological factors that can create Mendelsohn, Daniel real problems and suffering. New York Review Books (384 pp.) A wise history of a subject that is “deeply…implicated in $18.95 paper | Oct. 8, 2019 the human condition.” 978-1-68137-405-5

Erudite essays on classical and con- I’VE SEEN THE FUTURE AND temporary culture. I’M NOT GOING The role of a critic, writes Men- The Art Scene and Downtown delsohn (Humanities/Bard Coll.; An New York in the 1980s Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic, 2017, etc.), is “to educate McGough, Peter and edify in an engaging and, preferably, entertaining way.” Pantheon (304 pp.) The author has used his classical training not for rebarbative $29.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 academic papers but for “getting readers to love and appreci- 978-1-5247-4704-6 ate the works that I myself loved and appreciated.” The pieces in this collection, most of them written for the New Yorker A frank memoir reveals life, art, and and the New York Review of Books, demonstrate how bril- death in 1980s New York. liantly he has succeeded. Some of them focus on the ancient

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 69 how the king reinvented the las vegas show

After writing a critically praised biography of film star Greek poets and tragedies he loves, such as Sappho and Bob Hope (Hope: Entertainer of the Century), entertain- Antigone. Mendelsohn invokes the classics to offer perspec- ment journalist Richard Zoglin turned to Las Vegas as tives on modern-day events, as when he compares the Ken- the subject of his next book. Zoglin wanted to write a nedy family curses to Oresteia and its assumption that there is “a connection between the sins of the fathers and the sufferings history of Vegas entertainment, a Photo courtesy Howard Schatz of the children and their children afterward.” Astute observa- subject that, surprisingly enough, tions populate essays on topics from Brideshead Revisited and has received scant coverage. Ingmar Bergman films to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice “There are plenty of books on and Fire, which he calls a “remarkable feminist epic.” Readers the mob, the gambling, the hotels, might challenge some points—e.g., when Mendelsohn writes the architecture in Vegas,” Zog- that Hanya Yanagihara’s novel A Little Life is “about a subject that is too rarely explored in contemporary letters: nonsexual lin says. “But there were almost friendship among adult men,” one might cite works by Rich- no books on the shows, outside ard Russo, Denis Johnson, Raymond Carver, and many others. of a few picture books. The Vegas However, Mendelsohn’s points are always passionately argued. shows are a really distinctive form He strikes the perfect balance between learned and playful, of American entertainment. Ve- as when he wonders what 46th-century archaeologists, sift- ing through the ruins of 21st-century America, will make of gas was the place to be in the ’50s Richard Zoglin building inscriptions such as Condé Nast and Michael Kors or and ’60s. Everybody played Vegas. whether the “presence of mysterious symbols—in particular, Every singer, every comedian. If you got a call, you went.” an apple with a bite taken out of it—will raise the vexed ques - And the capstone of the Vegas show of that time was tion of whether the site was sacred or secular.” Elvis Presley’s. Zoglin writes about the Presley-Vegas One fascinating essay after another from one of Amer- ica’s best critics. phenomenon in Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show (July 23), but by his account, Presley first had to defy the man who groomed his career, Col. OUT LOUD Tom Parker, before performing there. Parker didn’t want A Memoir Presley performing live. After Presley insisted on doing Morris, Mark & Stace, Wesley the show, Parker stepped aside, Penguin Press (384 pp.) $30.00 | Oct. 22, 2019 sticking to the business side of 978-0-7352-2307-3 Presley’s career. “Presley reasserted his au- A celebrated American choreogra- tonomy as an artist,” Zoglin pher looks back on his life. says. “He wanted to do the “I can be demanding, even mean,” admits Morris, a boss so tough that biggest Vegas show ever seen. members of his company once staged “a He and his musicians made all power coup, an organized boycott” to voice their grievances. Yet the creative decisions. He put he is supportive of talent he admires. Readers see both sides of a rhythm group behind him him in this memoir, co-written by musician and novelist Stace along with two backup groups (Wonderkid, 2015, etc.). Morris begins with his Seattle childhood, and probably the biggest or- when he would wedge his feet into Tupperware juice glasses to imitate older sister Marianne, who took ballet, “by walking on chestra—40 pieces—ever as- pointe in the front room.” From there, the author describes his sembled in Vegas.” early years in New York, his male lovers, his stint as Director When he began work on the of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, and book, Zoglin admits he was “not a huge Presley fan.” But his creation of some of the finest modern dances of the past 40 by the time he finished, he fully appreciated the King’s years, including Dido and Aeneas. Morris devotes much of the book to taking pot shots at people who have wronged him. He greatness. “Presley took rhythm and blues and synthe- names a ballet teacher from his first days in New York and writes, sized it into something new, “ he says. “He was really a “I couldn’t stand her,” but he doesn’t say why. As a young dancer, great, revolutionary artist.” —G.B. he studied with a dance company “run by a creep called Charles Bennett.” Derek Walcott, who wrote the libretto for the Paul Elvis in Simon musical The Capeman, which Morris choreographed, was Gerald Bartell is a freelance writer in Manhattan. “ham-fisted, bigoted, lecherous”; he “started as an asshole, ended Vegas was reviewed in the May 1, 2019, issue. as a monster, and finally disowned the whole thing.” Some of

70 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Amplifying the voices of survivors, the collection offers humor and power alongside trauma and pain. indelible in the hippocampus

this opprobrium may be deserved, but the cumulative effect conversations. Other contributors include Melissa Febos, Kait- feels petty. Morris is equally generous with praise, however, as lyn Greenidge, and Karissa Chen. when he refers to the “founding women—the goddesses, the Not just candid and clear revelations of abuse, but pow- pillars” of the Mark Morris Dance Group. He also describes erful demands for justice. the geneses of his major dances and offers laudatory anecdotes about such collaborators as Yo-Yo Ma, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Lou Harrison, and others. Morris once described his philoso- FOR THE LOVE OF MEN phy of dance as, “I make it up and you watch it. End of phi- A New Vision for losophy.” That philosophy yielded marvelous results. If only the Mindful Masculinity book contained more dance and less score-settling. Plank, Liz An uneven, sometimes bitter, yet always revealing por- St. Martin’s (336 pp.) trait of one of America’s most innovative artists. $27.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-19624-8

INDELIBLE IN Journalist and video blogger Plank’s THE HIPPOCAMPUS spirited first book addresses the prob- Writings From the Me lems men face in trying to live up to out- Too Movement moded concepts of masculinity. Ed. by Oria, Shelly While the author considers in passing the effects of what McSweeney’s (192 pp.) she calls “toxic masculinity” on women who often experience

$16.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 its unfortunate side effects, her main emphasis is on the men young adult 978-1-944211-71-4 whose lives it damages. Writing in staccato bursts and fre- quently citing experts she has interviewed as well as written Fierce voices and muscular writing sources, Plank makes the case that what we consider masculine help contextualize the diversity of the traits are socially determined rather than innate and that men at #MeToo movement. this point in time may be more limited by gender expectations Edited by Oria (Fiction/Pratt Institute, New York 1, Tel Aviv than women are. “We updated what it means to be a woman, 0: Stories, 2014), this short collection of essays, poems, and sto- but we didn’t update what it meant to be a man,” she writes. ries provides deeply personal perspectives on sexual harassment For example, she suggests, women are beginning to feel free to and gender-based violence. All of the contributors challenge express anger, while men are less apt to express fear or sadness. assumptions and expose what Hafizah Geter calls “the bruises Women can comfortably wear the kind of clothing traditionally of patriarchy.” Amplifying the voices of survivors, the collection reserved for men, while men don’t have the luxury of wearing offers humor and power alongside trauma and pain. Samantha women’s clothing without comment. At the heart of the male Hunt delivers a harrowing assessment of inherent dangers dilemma, writes the author, is the “male shame spiral” in which women face; Caitlin Donohue pens a letter of warning offered men feel guilty about not being able to live up to the traditional to her younger self (“Keep hold of your physical form. It is macho ideal and then feel increasingly ashamed because they tangible proof of that which they say is theirs and must never have to hide their feelings. Plank intersperses her longer chap- be”); Honor Moore offers 17 brief entries exploring pervasive ters with short sections she labels “amuse-bouche,” most of violence and a journey toward empowerment; Elissa Schappell which introduce men who are defying conventional definitions chronicles an editor’s uncomfortable emails attempting to elicit of masculinity. At times, she can be glib and given to metaphors a rape story. Throughout, thoughtful interrogations address that try to be folksy. “Freedom is like pancakes at IHOP: you how intersecting oppressions impact sexual violence and how can’t run out,” she writes. While persuading the target male behavior, from hinted threats to actual harm, may cumulatively audience to read the book may be a challenge, those who take wreak havoc, twist perceptions, and haunt survivors. Readers the leap will find plenty to think about. will connect with these narratives from trans women, women A canny appeal to the self-interest of men in reforming of color, and queer women, , confronting the inva- gender roles. (first printing of 75,000) sive, cruel edges of misogyny and multiple forms of oppression. The contributors leave nothing unexamined, picking up com- plex themes of trust, self-destruction, forgiveness, and evolving notions of sexual assault. Examining the complicity of silence, internalized sexism, negotiated safety, childhood abuse, repeat offenders, and other issues, the pieces describe moments that add up to a potent cultural portrait of systemic, gendered hos- tility. As awareness of sexual violence continues to grow, this anthology functions as an empowered testament and treatise, a book for anyone interested in social justice. This impor- tant feminist work belongs on campuses and in community

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 71 AUDIENCE OF ONE the Dunk: A Modest Defiance of Gravity, 2015, etc.), was a force of Donald Trump, nature on the field, “a modern John Henry, the heroic and tragic Television, and the figure of a hard-working, plow-straight-ahead man who worked Fracturing of America himself into a broken-down condition by giving it his all—his Poniewozik, James body an atlas of the brutality of the game.” Born in small-town Liveright/Norton (304 pp.) Texas, Campbell always had “country manners” that led some to $27.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 think of him as a bumpkin, which he answered with a stiff arm 978-1-63149-442-0 and phenomenal moves on the field that led many students of the game to consider him one of the greatest players ever. Campbell The chief TV critic of the New York was a fearsome player who graced the campus of the University Times sums it up: “Without TV, there’s of Texas, once a bastion of segregation, at a time when Austin was no Trump.” emerging as a perhaps unlikely capital of hippiedom. Price’s por- In his stellar debut, Poniewozik demonstrates how Trump, trait of a town where “on game days in the parking lot of Mother over a period of four decades, “achieved symbiosis” with the Earth, a club not far from campus, you could barter football tick- TV medium: “Its impulses were his impulses; its appetites were ets for weed” is nicely detailed, and it’s telling that as part of his his appetites; its mentality was his mentality.” As TV evolved rookie hazing on the roster of the Houston Oilers, Campbell from America’s homogenizer (the three major networks) to sang “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up To Be Cowboys.” fragmenter (cable TV), Trump “used the dominant media of the Price knows his sports, and he writes well about such things as day—tabloids, talk shows, reality TV, cable news, Twitter—to the Landry Shift—“a beat after taking their stance…the offen- enlarge himself, to become a brand, a star, a demagogue, and a sive linemen, in unison, would stand and reset”—and Campbell’s president.” Recounting how Trump, who was born in 1946, grew considerable skills as a running back. More than that, he dis- up with TV, the author details how he cultivated a famous image cusses Campbell’s college and pro careers against the backdrop and leveraged celebrity, becoming a reality TV star in the 2000s of racism that accompanied the “shift from crew cuts to Afros” and a politician in the 2010s. “Playing ‘Donald Trump’ became his of which he was a part, considering himself to be a champion of full-time job.” His telling analyses of Trump’s appearances on The racial reconciliation who had the outward demeanor of a “smiling Apprentice, Fox & Friends, and The Howard Stern Show will come as athlete” but was altogether serious. revelations to readers unfamiliar with those programs, on which A well-crafted life of a man who, though now largely out Trump emerged as an , known for “being real” rather than of the spotlight, enjoyed a storied career. honest, in the manner of the not “conventionally likeable” people on reality TV. As Poniewozik writes, he “spent a lifetime in sym- biosis with television, adopting its metabolism, learning to feed THE GREEN NEW DEAL its appetites.” For Trump, cable TV news, with its “constant fear Why the Fossil Fuel and passion” and need to “agitate their viewers, not settle them,” Civilization Will Collapse by was a perfect fit. His daily tweeting is based on careful study of 2028, and the Bold Economic his most popular tweets—those provoking “shock, insult, rage.” Plan To Save Life on Earth The author chronicles Trump’s actions against a deeply insightful Rifkin, Jeremy history of vast changes in the media and popular culture during St. Martin’s (288 pp.) the period. TV, he writes, proved “the perfect medium for his $27.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 sensibility, for picking fights, for whipping up people’s hatred and 978-1-250-25320-0 fear and resentment, for taking the express lane around logic.” This intelligent eye-opener belongs on the small shelf A noted activist elucidates the pro- of valuable books that help explain how Trump created his gram of environmental and economic base. reform that is being largely ignored on Capitol Hill. According to Rifkin (The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, the Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of EARL CAMPBELL Capitalism, 2014, etc.), the president of the Foundation on Eco- Yards After Contact nomic Trends, we are within a degree or two of temperature Price, Asher rise before we see the cataclysm of “runaway feedback loops Univ. of Texas (320 pp.) and a cascade of climate-change events that would decimate $27.95 | Sep. 5, 2019 the Earth’s ecosystems.” The possibility of such devastation, he 978-1-4773-1649-8 argues, is not lost on heartland voters who, though perhaps oth- erwise conservative, are increasingly alarmed by severe weather Thoughtful portrait of the 1977 Heis- events and other clear signs of a changing climate regime, mani- man Trophy Winner and 1991 inductee fest in expensive destruction of life and property. Against this, into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rifkin notes trends among younger citizens to participate in Earl Campbell (b. 1955), writes Austin a so-called sharing economy, with shared housing, office space, American-Statesman reporter Price (Year of vehicles, tools, and the like, “allowing the human race to use far

72 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | With this installment...the impressive scope and scale of the series becomes clearer. the arab of the future 4

less of the resources of the Earth while passing on what they later, Rushin’s account captures many slices of life in a time fast no longer use to others and, by doing so, dramatically reduc- receding into the depths of nostalgia. ing carbon emissions.” It will take more than that, of course: Survivors and fans of the era will find this to be a pleas- Infrastructure must be overhauled, which would add jobs to ing book of meaningful touchstones, from beer jingles to the economy, and old ways of doing things must be cast aside. Porky’s, love, and baseball. (8-page 4-color insert) There’s not much time to do so. Rifkin projects that without change, “fossil-fuel civilization” has less than 10 years of life; he adds that this change “is inevitable, despite any efforts by the THE ARAB OF THE FUTURE 4 fossil fuel industries to forestall it.” The author then enumer- Sattouf, Riad ates a 21-point program around Democratic proposals spear- Illus. by the author headed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, Metropolitan/Henry Holt (288 pp.) closing with the fond hope that a “biosphere consciousness” is $30.00 paper | Nov. 5, 2019 emerging. A little hectoring alternating with wishful thinking 978-1-250-15066-0 goes a long way, but Rifkin’s point that something needs to be done—immediately—is well taken. Better a Chicken Little The fourth and penultimate volume than a Pollyanna any day of the week. in Sattouf’s epic graphic memoir. An urgent endorsement of efforts to remake a doomed With this installment, which fol- fossil-fuel economy before it’s too late. lows The Arab of the Future: The Circumci­ sion Years: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1985-1987 (2018), the impressive scope and scale of the series

NIGHTS IN WHITE CASTLE becomes clearer. It has taken three volumes for the author to young adult A Memoir get to his 10th birthday, and the opening pages of this book find Rushin, Steve him living with his mother and siblings in her native France Little, Brown (320 pp.) while his father pursues his fantasies of wealth, financial inde- $28.00 | Aug. 20, 2019 pendence, and early retirement as a professor in Saudi Arabia. 978-0-316-41943-7 Here, Sattouf’s father seems more determinedly Muslim than ever, convinced that the family’s future lies in the Middle East, Building on Sting-Ray Afternoons (2017), where he finds both the morals and the prospects for a future Sports Illustrated writer Rushin continues higher. “We’ll live like lords,” he insists. However, the author’s his account of growing up in the 1980s mother remained resistant, seeing a better life for herself and a heartland. better education for her children in the West, and specifically “To be in high school in the 1980s is in France. Meanwhile, the young Sattouf shuttled between to see yourself depicted in countless movies,” writes Rushin, the cultures; he found his father’s religion strange and forgot enumerating such now-classic films as Fast Times at Ridgemont how to speak his native tongue while immersed in the French High and The Breakfast Club before closing the thought: “con- school system. On one visit to his father, he was told, “You’re firming your place at the center of the culture.” Sure enough: a French kid with an Arab name. You’re not a real Arab.” He If the 1950s saw the birth of the teenager as concept and con- also endured homosexual epithets, partly because others found struct, the ’80s saw its apotheosis. Rushin, with a light touch the way he spoke effeminate and partly because of his predilec- of the bittersweet, recounts that he wasn’t quite the teenager tion for drawing—the art that may well provide the key to his of those films or of celebratory songs by the likes of the Stray identity across cultures. It’s clear this was an awkward time, as Cats and Heaven 17. Instead, he writes, on the brink of adult- early adolescence is for most. During the five years of this nar- hood, he was engrossed in books, jazz, and sports, longing not rative, Sattouf will reach his midteens, experience some sexual for a muscle car but for a muscle typewriter, an IBM Selectric II, confusion and awakening, see his hair turn from blond to brown, “all that power in your right pinkie.” The author faced most of develop an ungainly body with an oversized head, and go from the usual disappointments but also a couple of unusual victories, being “pretty cute” to “the ugliest boy in the class.” Nor can he including praise from a tough-minded feature-writing teacher find any stability outside himself, as the center of his parents’ who sported “a wardrobe of shirts and ties evidently acquired marriage cannot hold, and international relations find the West on the newsroom set of All the President’s Men” and, eventually, and Middle East in mortal combat. publication in Sports Illustrated, his home ever since. Rushin’s Stay tuned for the finale. account of a sibling-crowded, busy youth in suburban Minne- apolis is affectionate and often funny. For example, he writes about resisting his parents’ call to move out via the siren call of newly born cable TV, which urged instead that he lash himself to the basement and stay put, and of the other blandishments of junk culture, including processed-food sandwiches “tasting of salt and moist paper towel.” Though without the gritty depth of Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City, situated a few years

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 73 PAT CONROY INCONSPICUOUS Our Lifelong Friendship CONSUMPTION Schein, Bernie The Environmental Impact Arcade (288 pp.) You Don’t Know You Have $25.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 Schlossberg, Tatiana 978-1-948924-13-9 Grand Central Publishing (288 pp.) $28.00 | Aug. 27, 2019 An educational consultant and writer 978-1-5387-4708-7 recalls his friendship with the late novelist. Schein (Famous All Over Town, 2014, An environmental journalist pens an etc.) first met Pat Conroy (1945-2016) in informative, practical guide to under- early 1961 when both were students in standing and acting on climate change. Beaufort, South Carolina. Schein was a self-professed cheater To many, the climate change crisis often seems so over- who hated school while Conroy was the social and athletic whelming and intimidating that they try to avoid thinking about star everyone adored. Yet both were also outsiders. Though it altogether. As former New York Times reporter Schlossberg a South Carolina native, Schein was a Jew in a majority Chris- relates, before becoming informed, “I didn’t like reading about tian South, and Conroy was a “military brat” who, until arriv- climate change and its effects—it filled me with dread and ing in Beaufort, had moved every year he had been in school. made me feel powerless. The problems seemed too big and too The pair bonded in high school and then deepened their inevitable for me to do anything about, so it felt like it was prob- attachment after college when they returned to Beaufort “to ably best to look away.” But as she demonstrates in her debut dodge the draft and to teach, in that order.” They soon discov- book, climate change is not just a remote problem about Cali- ered that their anti-racist beliefs and civil rights activism put fornia wildfires and superhurricanes that is only relevant to sci- them at odds with the conservative white power structure in entists and legislators. “There are trade-offs and consequences Beaufort, including the board of education. In 1970, the year for almost everything we buy and use and eat,” she writes; our Schein went to graduate school at Harvard, Conroy lost his personal choices and daily activities have a direct impact on the job as a teacher at an all-black school for daring to change a planet’s overall health and future. Breaking the narrative into curriculum that emphasized obedience to authority rather four categories—Technology and the Internet, Food, Fashion, than learning. While Schein continued his professional pur- and Fuel—Schlossberg follows and connects the dots between suits in education, Conroy left teaching to write. His auto- our habits and the far-reaching consequences they may have. biographical first novel, The Great Santini (1976), about the Although the thrust of the book is climate change, this is more a relationship between a son and his abusive military father, volume about cause and effect that tackles a broad scope of top- made Conroy a household name. But fame and the repressed ics. Whether visiting a Connecticut apple orchard to flesh out rage he harbored against his father transformed the mild-man- the current definition of “organic food,” exploring microplastic nered Conroy into an alcoholic “word-sniper” and “verbal hit- pollution caused by sweat-wicking microfiber athletic wear, or man” who took cruel shots at everyone, including Schein. In weighing the environmental advantages of e-commerce versus 1990, Schein refused to publish a story in a school magazine by traditional retail shopping, Schlossberg brings a variety of cur- Conroy’s stepdaughter that discussed the sexual abuse she had rent conversations on environment together in down-to-earth, endured from her birth father. Their friendship ended, but the easily understood terms. Avoiding dense technical language two continued to talk “about each other all the time.” The men and writing in a highly personalized style laced with humor and reconciled 15 years later and remained close until Conroy died. asides, the author provides much-needed clarifications about Honest in its portrayal of both Conroy and Schein’s own con- climate change and pollution that not only empower average flicted feelings toward the novelist, the lucid narrative deftly consumers with the ability to act and make informed decisions, explores the complexities of a lifelong friendship. but also encourage and inspire that action. A thoughtful, poignant, and candid memoir perfect for If fighting climate change can be engaging, fun, and Conroy fans. (16-page color insert) fulfilling, this is the road map.

74 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | Twenty-five years later, in the shadow of increasing worldwide white nationalism and hyperpredatory capitalism, Segrest’s reflections areexceptionally chilling, fresh, and urgent. memoir of a race traitor

MEMOIR OF A LIFESPAN RACE TRAITOR The Revolutionary Science of Fighting Racism in the Why We Age―and Why We American South Don’t Have To Segrest, Mab Sinclair, David with LaPlante, Matthew New Press (304 pp.) Atria (416 pp.) $17.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-62097-299-1 978-1-5011-9197-8

A reprint of the author’s account of An uplifting review of the science sug- her work as a white lesbian “thinking gesting that “prolonged healthy lifespans race, feeling race, acting against racism” are in sight.” in the American South. According to Sinclair (Genetics/Harvard Medical School), First published in 1994, this memoir tells the highly topical scientists have discovered what causes aging. They’ve also story of how Segrest (Emeritus, Gender and Women’s Studies/ discovered how to treat it because, despite what doctors and Connecticut Coll.; Born to Belonging: Writings on Spirit and Jus­ philosophers have claimed throughout history, aging is not tice, 2002, etc.) developed intersectional feminist consciousness inevitable. It’s a disease. Throughout the book, the author’s and struggled against far-right extremism in North Carolina. As enthusiasm jumps off the page. Scientifically inclined readers a member of a conservative Alabama family, the author began may be occasionally turned off by his affection for dramatic sto- questioning white privilege when she witnessed the intense ries of individuals who defy aging, but they cannot deny that

struggles black students faced during forced integration in the he is an acclaimed, award-winning scientist who works hard young adult early 1960s. A decade later, she came face to face with her own to explain his groundbreaking research and that of laborato- minority status when she realized she was gay. During the 1970s, ries around the world. Beginning at the beginning, he writes Segrest gravitated to feminism but quickly saw that its ideolo- that “way back in the primordium, the ancestors of every living gies were as classist as they were racist and heterosexist. The thing on this planet today evolved to sense DNA damage, slow author then evolved a socialist consciousness that regarded cellular growth, and divert energy to DNA repair until it was misogyny, homophobia, and racism as byproducts of capitalism, fixed—what I call the survival circuit.” In the 1950s, scientists and she eventually realized that liberation movements “separate discovered that DNA damage occurs throughout life. Since it’s people as much as bring them together.” This understanding disastrous for a cell to divide with broken DNA, repair mecha- became the cornerstone of her work at the intersection of race, nisms suppress growth and reproduction until they’re finished. class, and gender. Her “race traitor” activism during the 1980s Cells that don’t divide live longer. Insects and mice mature and ’90s led her to forge fraught but necessary alliances with quickly, reproduce, and soon die. Elephants and whales grow black activists in North Carolina while speaking out against the slowly and live much longer lives. Cells of the bristlecone pine, Ku Klux Klan for its acts of white supremacist violence. Segrest the oldest of which is nearly 5,000 years old, show no signs of also worked for justice in hate crimes against members of the aging. Researchers have discovered the mechanism of growth gay community, but the extreme homophobia she encountered suppression in hormones and also in genes that produce such in the more conservative parts of North Carolina sometimes specific enzymes. These longevity enhancers respond to stress meant having to keep her sexual orientation hidden. She pre- but also to exercise, intermittent fasting, low-protein and sciently concludes that unless Americans understand and take low-calorie diets, and several pharmaceuticals that, the author action against the legacy of “racism…homophobia…hatred of assures readers, will soon emerge from the laboratory. Also in Jews and women [and] greed,” it will “sicken us all.” Twenty-five the works are DNA monitoring and reprogramming, already years later, in the shadow of increasing worldwide white nation- well advanced in animals, that can detect malfunctions and alism and hyperpredatory capitalism, Segrest’s reflections are reset the aging clock. exceptionally chilling, fresh, and urgent. A highly optimistic review of anti-aging science that A passionate, lucid, and necessary memoir, then and may persuade older readers that they were born too soon. now.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 75 YEAR OF THE MONKEY world today. In a series of sharp pieces, the author dissects a Smith, Patti variety of timely topics, especially the sexual harassment and Photos by the author discrimination of women and the #MeToo movement as well as Knopf (192 pp.) Native American rights, the anti-gun movement, white nation- $24.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 alism, Black Lives Matter, and climate change. Solnit argues 978-0-525-65768-2 that we live in a transformative time: “You can see change itself happening, if you watch carefully and keep track of what was This chronicle of a chaotic year filled versus is.” She wants to build “new cathedrals for new constitu- with deep losses and rich epiphanies encies.” The names may have changed, but for Solnit, the sto- finds the writer and performer covering ries remain the same. After recalling being sexually harassed by a whole lot of ground. a cook when she was a busgirl, she goes on to discuss Harvey In terms of the calendar, Smith’s lat- Weinstein and how some men in power can go to “extraordi- est memoir has a tighter focus than its predecessors, M Train nary lengths to make somebodies into nobodies,” noting “that (2015) and Just Kids (2010), which won the National Book Award. truth, like women, can be bullied into behaving.” In “Voter Sup- The titular year is 2016, a year that would begin just after the pression Begins at Home,” Solnit recounts personally observing author turned 69 and end with her turning 70. That year, Smith how husbands can “bully and silence and control their wives,” endured the death of her beloved friend Sandy Pearlman, the even with mail-in ballots. She takes on Brett Kavanaugh and music producer and manager with whom she would “have cof- Jian Ghomeshi, formerly with CBC, over the “long, brutal tradi- fee at Caffé Trieste, peruse the shelves of City Lights Bookstore tion of asserting that men are credible but women are not.” She and drive back and forth across the Golden Gate listening to praises Christine Blasey Ford as a “welcome earthquake” for the Doors and Wagner and the Grateful Dead”; and the decline speaking out at the Kavanaugh hearing. The author also praises of her lifelong friend and kindred spirit Sam Shepard. She held Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her Green New Deal and those vigil for Pearlman at his hospital deathbed, and she helped who helped remove Confederate statues around the country— Shepard revise his final manuscript, taking dictation when he though she bemoans the fact “that there are only five statues of could no longer type. Throughout, the author ponders time and named women in New York City.” Donald Trump, that “dirtbag mortality—no surprise considering her milestone birthday and dragon,” is often held up for scorn. the experience of losing friends who have meant so much to her. Despite some repetition, Solnit’s passionate, shrewd, She stresses the importance of memory and the timeless nature and hopeful critiques are a road map for positive change. of a person’s spirit (her late husband remains very much alive in Keep these collections coming. these pages as well). Seeing her own reflection, she thinks, “I noticed I looked young and old simultaneously.” She refers to herself as the “poet detective,” and this particular year set her RENIA’S DIARY on a quixotic quest, with a mysterious companion unexpect- A Holocaust Journal edly reappearing amid a backdrop of rock touring, lecture tour- Spiegel, Renia with Bellak, Elizabeth & ing, vagabond traveling, and a poisonous political landscape. “I Durand, Sarah was still moving within an atmosphere of artificial brightness Trans. by Blasiak, Anna & Dziurosz, Marta with corrosive edges,” she writes, “the hyperreality of a polar- St. Martin’s (336 pp.) izing pre-election mudslide, an avalanche of toxicity infiltrating $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 every outpost.” 978-1-250-24402-4 A captivating, redemptive chronicle of a year in which Smith looked intently into the abyss. (35 photos) Personality and hope abound in this diary by a teenage Polish Jewish girl who was murdered by the Nazis in 1942. WHOSE STORY IS THIS? Presented by her younger sister, Elizabeth (b. 1930), the Old Conflicts, New Chapters diary freezes the life of Renia (b. 1924), who began writing in Solnit, Rebecca 1939, in a specific moment in time. “In the end,” writes Eliza- Haymarket (150 pp.) beth, “I know my words are the legacy of the life my sister didn’t $15.95 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 get to have, while Renia’s are the memories of a youth trapped 978-1-64259-018-0 forever in war.” Much like the better-known diaries of Anne Frank and Hélène Berr, Renia’s entries are filled with day-to- Clarion calls for social and political day schoolgirl details, but the war consistently looms in the activism. background. Stuck in a small city in southeastern Poland, Renia Readers familiar with Solnit’s most and her sister were shunted off to live with their grandparents recent collections of essays, Call Them while her mother was separated from them in German-occu- by Their Names, the winner of the 2018 pied Warsaw. Bomb raids, sirens, attacks, and rumors about her Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, will find more of the same here, town; food in short supply; worry about when she will see her laced with even more scathing and harsh assessments of our mother again—these pepper her entries. “I still live in fear of

76 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | An invigorating polemic against tactics the news media use to manipulate and divide their audiences. hate inc.

searches, of violence,” she writes in January 1940; by June, when HATE INC. her birthday arrives, she is writing miserably of France’s capitu- Why Today’s Media Makes Us lation and how “Hitler’s army is flooding Europe. America is Despise One Another refusing to help. Who knows, they might even start a war with Taibbi, Matt Russia.” A new boyfriend fills many of her subsequent entries OR Books (272 pp.) and poems, and her young love often disguises what is really $24.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 going on, namely the herding of her community into a Jewish 978-1-949017-25-0 ghetto and the subsequent roundups. In an epilogue, Elizabeth explains her attempts to hide and eventual exposure to the Ger- Rolling Stone contributing editor mans. Renowned Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt provides Taibbi (I Can’t Breathe: A Killing on Bay the introduction. Street, 2017, etc.) spares neither right- A terribly poignant work that conveys the brutal reality nor left-leaning pundits as he inveighs of the time through intimate connection with a young person. against cable TV and other media that treat news as a form of entertainment. After nearly three decades as a journalist, the author DOUBLE CROSSED reconsiders the message of one of his earliest professional The Missionaries Who Spied touchstones, Noam Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent, in for the United States During which Chomsky argued that censorship in the United States the Second World War wasn’t overt but covert—that news companies simply failed Sutton, Matthew Avery to promote people who opposed their aims. Taibbi saw the

Basic (416 pp.) self-censorship in newscasts that courted the widest possible young adult $30.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 audiences with a bland approach he sums up as, “Good evening, 978-0-465-05266-0 I’m Dan Rather, and my frontal lobes have been removed. Today in Libya.…” The explosion of cable news channels helped to change The little-known history of the that, but the author argues convincingly that many outlets have “sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, traded one for another. Media companies now shunt view- and sometimes profound ways that the ers into “demographic silos” and treat news like pro wrestling, founders of the United States’ pioneering foreign intelligence fomenting conflict by encouraging people to take sides. Prime service tried to use humans’ deep spirituality as a tool for war.” examples include the Sean Hannity Show on Fox News and the The subjects of this military history were missionaries dur- Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. “Maddow defenders will say ing World War II, sent by their houses of worship to spread the she’s nowhere near as vicious and deceptive as Hannity and word of God throughout the world. But they also were Ameri- therefore doesn’t belong in the same category,” writes Taibbi. can spies, charged by their handlers with all sorts of clandestine “But she builds her audience the same way,” by fostering an us work that even included assassination plots. Though there were vs. them mentality. This binary approach narrows debate, dis- dozens of them, including Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, courages the pursuit of complex stories, and leads journalists Sutton (History/Washington State Univ.; American Apocalypse: A into blunders such as believing that Iraq had weapons of mass History of Modern Evangelicalism, 2014, etc.) focuses on four of destruction or implying that the Mueller Report might topple them—William Eddy, John Birch, Stephen Penrose, and Stew- the president by the next commercial break. First published art Herman Jr.—who served in a variety of arenas, from major in online installments, this book—which ends with a spirited embassies to the front lines. (One even led an air raid that killed interview with Chomsky—is less polished than recent works by scores of Japanese fighters.) Most of the missionaries agreed to Taibbi that arrived by a more traditional path. But his mordant their missions because they thought of America as the classic wit is intact, and his message to journalists is apt and timely: city on the hill. Sutton’s research is impressive, his writing is clear, Not everyone has to win a Pulitzer or Edward R. Murrow and his account is exhaustive—but also occasionally exhausting. Award, but, please, have some pride. It seems the author couldn’t bear to leave any of his research in An invigorating polemic against tactics the news media his notes; as a result, the primary narrative often gets buried use to manipulate and divide their audiences. beneath an avalanche of detail. Still, Sutton rescues a crucially important story that raises profound questions regarding the relationship between God and country. Even the missionaries, whose work helped win the war and led to the founding of the CIA, ended their careers wondering whether they had served God or mammon (as the author notes, they “sometimes served their god and the gods of war at the same time”)—and whether they could ever be trusted again by anyone, even themselves. Scholars will appreciate the thoroughness and lucidity. General readers may want to skim certain sections. (24 b/w illustrations)

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 77 FASHIONOPOLIS WILDING The Price of Fast Fashion— Returning Nature to a Farm and the Future of Clothes Tree, Isabella Thomas, Dana New York Review Books (384 pp.) Penguin Press (320 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 $28.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-68137-371-3 978-0-7352-2401-8 Let land lie fallow, and things begin An educated update on the current to happen. Let 3,500 acres lie fallow, and state of fashion, how it got there, and a the world is remade. prognostication on its precarious future. The lands around Knepp Castle, Paris-based fashion journalist Thomas in the English district of West Sussex, (Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John have been farmed intensively for centuries, and the estate was Galliano, 2014, etc.) offers informed, fair-minded, passionate, and exhausted and was losing money. Enter the aptly named Tree (The cautiously optimistic scrutiny of “fast fashion,” which entails Living Goddess: A Journey Into the Heart of Kathmandu, 2015, etc.) “the production of trendy, inexpensive garments in vast amounts and her husband, Charles Burrell. Three decades ago, they came at lightning speed in subcontracted factories, to be touted in to the land with a pronounced fondness for mycorrhizae—the thousands of chain stores.” The author focuses on the negative invisible, microbial life that teems in healthy soil, fed by decaying ramifications of this rampant consumerism, which gives little plant life, sheltered by tree snags, and the like—and a commit- regard to garment quality or manufacturing origins. Among the ment to do something about the declining populations of species “casualties” of this trend are underpaid, exploited, and often such as the turtledove, whose numbers are “an almost vertical underage factory workers in developing countries; labor forces dive” thanks to the wholesale industrial remaking of the British in developed economies; and the environment, as microfiber- countryside. Tree describes the long, laborious process of turn- shedding synthetic fabrics and fertilizers commingle to pol- ing back time, abandoning deep plowing and mass production in lute water supplies. Thomas interweaves details on sartorial the effort to allow the land to regain some of its former health. workmanship, designer profiles, and fashion history into her And how it does: As she writes, triumphantly, just one sign is the discourse, creating a distressing yet intriguing story of the tex- “sixty-two species of bee and thirty species of wasp” that now tile industry and how the global explosion of “furious fashion” buzz around locally as well as 76 species of moths and battalions hijacked a uniquely creative economic market. She reveals how of birds, including herons that “deserted their tree-top roosts in this grand-scale industry seized control over impulsive buyers the heronry and were nesting a few feet above the water.” The and greedy profiteers, setting in motion a “hamster-wheel cycle” author writes without fear of binomials and with long asides into of overmanufactured garments, indifferent consumers, and hard science and deep descriptions of things like soil types and billions of pounds of waste. In her travels to Bangladesh, five the characteristics of heritage pig species, and fans of Roger Dea- years after the deadly Rana Plaza garment factory collapse, she kin, Robert Macfarlane, Nan Shepherd, and other British natu- uncovered somewhat improved working conditions, but there ralists will follow right along. Tree describes a success that she still remained a sweatshop subculture rife with sexual and phys- began to chart nearly two decades ago but that has been flourish- ical abuse. But Thomas isn’t hopeless, and her engrossing report ing since: “The land, released from its cycle of drudgery, seemed is leavened with uplifting accounts of brands using organic to be breathing a sigh of relief. And as the land relaxed, so did we.” indigo for blue jeans and a force of designers, merchants, and A fine work of environmental literature that demands a manufacturers eager to revolutionize the garment industry’s tolerance for detail and should inspire others to follow suit. aggressive tide of overproduction through “slow fashion.” In (color photos) her conclusion, Thomas notes the evergreen conundrum (and “epic-sized mess”) that exists regarding high fashion’s rubric of seasonal production and the recyclers and eco-engineers aiming IMAGINED LIFE to recalibrate its production output and repurpose its leftovers. A Speculative Journey Convincing, responsible, and motivational fashion Among the Exoplanets industry reportage. in Search of Intelligent Aliens, Ice Creatures, and Supergravity Animals Trefil, James & Summers, Michael Smithsonian Books (240 pp.) $29.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-58834-664-3

Are we alone in the universe? Two well-known astronomers tackle the possibilities in this tour of exoplanets.

78 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | A swift-moving, often surprising account of the dangers that face sailors and nations alike on the lawless tide. the outlaw ocean

We know of only one planet on which life exists—Earth— “He struck me as an older Tintin,” writes the author. The good but is life an everyday chemical and physical reaction in the uni- guys in the story are beleaguered, outnumbered, and often out- verse or a unique fluke? We have a pretty good idea of some of maneuvered. As Urbina writes of Palau’s efforts to halt mari- the steps that led to life on Earth and a firm understanding of time poaching, a former captain of an interdicted pirate ship how it evolved since then. So how does this apply to the types arrested in 2016 was back as an ordinary deckhand six months of exoplanets we may encounter? Would life develop there as it later, making the effort “more myth of Sisyphus than David and did on Earth? How different could it be? Given the complexity Goliath.” If there are villains in the story, they are perhaps the and diversity of exoplanets we have found, will the answers be unnamed owners of fishing fleets that put out to sea for long correspondingly complex and diverse? These are some of the periods of time, for they are inspected and policed only in port. questions approached by George Mason University physics and Urbina engagingly chronicles his travels from one trouble spot astronomy professors Trefil and Summers (co-authors: Exoplan­ to another: oil rigs erected on continental shelves, just outside ets, 2018, etc.) in this sober yet enervating examination of pos- the territorial zones of neighboring nations and subject to little sible life scenarios on a variety of exoplanet settings. First, the governance; pirate-rich Somalia, where he became a persona authors define life, which can be handled as a list (adaptation, non grata; and Djibouti, one of the places where ship owners— growth, homeostasis, metabolism, organization, reproduction, in this case of a Thai fleet—“shop around for the most lax reg- responsiveness), a process (the NASA definition is “a self-sus- istries with the lowest prices and fewest regulations.” Urbina’s taining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution”), or in book ranks alongside those by Mark Bowden and Sebastian terms of thermodynamics. The authors then take these defini- Junger, fraught with peril and laced with beer, the smell of sea tions and apply them to a variety of possible planets: one with air, and constant bouts of gaming an inept system. a rocky mantle and a metallic core overlaid with ice; one with A swift-moving, often surprising account of the dan-

an ocean beneath ice; in another, a land-and-water combina- gers that face sailors and nations alike on the lawless tide. young adult tion, etc. They probe each scenario to imagine how life could (73 illustrations; 16 pages of full-color photos) have taken shape given the opportunities and constraints. Trefil and Summers try their best to keep the language geared to a lay audience, but they can’t avoid some formulas: “Galileo’s argu- PROGNOSIS ment rests on the fact that the volume, and hence the mass, of a A Memoir of My Brain structure depends on the cube of its dimensions, while the size Vallance, Sarah of the support area depends on the square.” Overall, though, Little A (284 pp.) the prose is straightforward, and the authors make the poten- $24.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 tialities of exoplanet life intriguingly real. Finally, they consider 978-1-5420-4302-1 nonorganic life forms, for instance silicon chemistry replacing carbon-based life forms. A cathartic chronology of one A curiosity-whetting investigation of imagined life woman who, rather than being defined beyond our world. (15 color and 15 b/w images) by her disability, resolved to live by her own design. In 1995, while visiting a friend’s farm, THE OUTLAW OCEAN Sydney, , native Vallance was thrown from a horse, strik- Journeys Across the ing her head against a rock. Feeling no worse for the wear, she Last Untamed Frontier wrote it off as a freak accident and returned home with a splitting Urbina, Ian headache. The next morning, everything seemed fine aside from Knopf (560 pp.) the mystery of how her toaster ended up in the freezer. However, $30.00 | Aug. 20, 2019 after a battery of hospital tests, the author was told that she suf- 978-0-451-49294-4 fered a traumatic brain injury. Going from a well-paying position in government and pursuing a doctorate in public administration Anarchy reigns on the high seas as to having an IQ of 80 and rapidly worsening memory loss, her new a New York Times investigative reporter condition threw Vallance into depression and emotional turmoil, travels the world’s oceans. with which she has struggled since. Discovering the promise of Early on, Pulitzer Prize and George neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change throughout a Polk Award winner Urbina (Life’s Little Annoyances: True Tales of person’s life, she was determined to finish her doctorate. Then People Who Just Can’t Take It Anymore, 2005) writes that the sto- she met Laura, a charming extrovert who became her first long- ries he turned up while roaming from port to port “felt less like term lesbian partner and primary source of encouragement. In journalism than an attention deficit disorder,” so bewildering addition to introducing her many dog and cat companions, the and untidy did they seem, so without unalloyed heroes and vil- author thoroughly explores the “lifetime of resentment” shared lains. One figure in the narrative, for instance, is a law-trained, with her mother and pores over the dynamics of her other rela- poetry-writing sailor whose job is to sneak into ports where tionships. After winning a fellowship at Harvard, Vallance’s career ships have been impounded and, on behalf of their owners, steal pursuits carried her across continents, with stints in Singapore those ships away; the work is dangerous and utterly demanding. and Hong Kong, and then back to Australia, where she eventually

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 79 met Louise, whom she eventually married. While certain sec- LAST LETTERS tions of the narrative stray into a diarist’s minutiae, the book is The Prison Correspondence powerful in its depiction of the author’s will to rise above the Between Helmuth James and limitations of her disability rather than succumb to the obstacles Freya von Moltke, 1944-45 and fears that encompass it. von Moltke, Helmuth James & With a mission of giving voice to the voiceless, Vallance von Moltke, Freya shares the little-understood experience of surviving a trau- Ed. by von Moltke, Helmuth Caspar & matic brain injury. von Moltke, Dorothea & von Moltke, Johannes Trans. by Frisch, Shelley BETRAYAL IN BERLIN New York Review Books (380 pp.) The True Story of the Cold $18.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 War’s Most Audacious 978-1-68137-381-2 Espionage Operation Vogel, Steve The son and grandchildren of Helmuth and Freya von Custom House/Morrow (544 pp.) Moltke, anti-Nazi leaders, present the last letters their parents $29.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 exchanged as he was awaiting trial in Berlin in 1944. 978-0-06-244962-7 Their letters and the explanatory footnotes reveal a deep love bolstered by a building religious devotion. “These are love It’s spy vs. spy in Khrushchev-era letters in extremis,” write the editors. “They testify to the pro- Berlin, and countless lives are in the found openness with which Helmuth and Freya confront their balance. fears, declare their love, articulate their hopes, and find faith.” As the Cold War began to grind its way through the 1950s, Helmuth consistently demonstrated unwavering trust in Freya’s notes former Washington Post military reporter Vogel (Through abilities, and their mental, physical, and spiritual devotion only the Perilous Fight: Six Weeks That Saved the Nation, 2013, etc.), increased as the letters continued. Both were attorneys, and British and American intelligence agencies began to look for Helmuth was conscripted as an attorney for the Wehrmacht ways to intercept Soviet signals. The telephone was obvious, in 1940. Both opposed Hitler from the very beginning, and and British agents had already used the tunnel network of their active resistance became known as the Kreisau Circle, a Vienna to tap into Soviet lines. But Berlin was the better locale: dedicated faction of Germans working to break with top-heavy “Just as all roads led to Rome, all calls—including to and from authoritarian political tradition. They devised detailed politi- Moscow—were routed through Berlin.” Thus, an ambitious cal and economic plans for a postwar democratic Germany. In tunneling project was put into motion only for the Allies to be early 1944, Helmuth was unexpectedly arrested for alerting a thwarted when the Soviets learned of the tunnel, a discovery friend that Gestapo had infiltrated secret meetings. At first, that afforded the possibility of “a big propaganda splash” when they expected him to be released—until the failed attempt on Khrushchev made a state visit to London. Why hadn’t the tap Hitler’s life that summer. Some of Helmuth’s co-conspirators been detected when it was first made? “Everyone must have were arrested in that plot, and the Nazis worked tirelessly to been quite drunk,” commented an East German technician find a connection to him. Helmuth’s and Freya’s letters show after taking a look at the alien cables. For all that, Khrushchev their remarkable optimism and unvarnished grasp on the real- kept mum, knowing that if he revealed that the Soviets knew ity of the outcome of the trial. Eventually, Helmuth was trans- about the tunnel, they would provide clues as to who had made ferred from Ravensbrück to Berlin’s Tegel prison. The chaplain them aware of the project—that source being an overly confi- at the prison, Harald Poelchau, was a Kreisau member, and dent British named George Blake. In time, Blake he smuggled the letters contained in this book. Knowing the was discovered and jailed only to break out of prison and make trial would likely end in a death sentence, Helmuth and Freya his way across the Iron Curtain in a daring escape. Combing exhausted every political and social connection to find help. through declassified documents and intelligence archives and His family, descended from one of Prussia’s greatest heroes, was drawing on interviews with Blake, Vogel delivers a swiftly mov- their strongest weapon as they worked toward a clemency plea. ing, richly detailed, and sometimes improbable narrative, sur- On Jan. 23, 1945, Helmuth was executed. passing an earlier study of the tunnel affair, David Stafford’s A compelling, profoundly emotional Nazi-era story Spies Beneath Berlin (2003). that also serves as a reminder of the power of letter writing. As well paced as a le Carré novel, with deep insight into the tangled world of Cold War espionage. (16-page b/w photo insert)

80 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | FREEDOM HOW TO BE AN EPICUREAN The Overthrow of the The Ancient Art of Living Well Slave Empires Wilson, Catherine Walvin, James Basic (304 pp.) Pegasus (320 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5416-7263-5 978-1-64313-206-8 How an ancient art of living well is no less A British historian charts the rise and applicable—and broadly beneficial—today. collapse of the slave empires of Europe’s Wilson (Epicureanism: A Very Short New World colonies. Introduction, 2016, etc.), British-born visit- There is irony in the fact that Tous- ing professor of philosophy at the CUNY saint L’Ouverture, the leader of the slave revolt that established Graduate Center, explores the ideas of Greek philosopher the free state of Haiti, was himself an owner of slaves. The Epicurus, whose writings have come to us largely through the revolt that he led resulted in a wholesale replacement of charac- verse of his Roman follower Lucretius. A fundamentally opti- ters but not of social structures, as former lieutenants became mistic philosophy, one of the five major schools of thought of estate holders and former slaves became forced laborers—and the ancient Greek and Roman world, Epicureanism concerns sometimes even slaves again. So observes Walvin (Sugar: The living well and justly, and it was unique for the time in open- World Corrupted: From Slavery to Obesity, 2018, etc.), a scholar ing its doors to women. But as Wilson shows, the emphasis who has done extensive work on the Caribbean slave economy. on pleasure is largely misunderstood. Far from the hedonism

Here, he widens his view to embrace enslavement through- with which Epicurus’ philosophy is mistakenly associated, and young adult out North and South America, with all its grim specifics—for which diminishes a far more comprehensive body of thought, instance, he writes that “Africans often spent longer on board it is his concept of a life of virtue and inquiry that serves as a a slave ship anchored off the coast of Africa than in crossing foundation. After explaining how Epicurus viewed the world, the Atlantic,” those ships serving as horrific floating prisons the author applies her concept of the modern Epicurean phi- until they were full enough for the captain to make a profit- losopher to suggest the most constructive approaches to bring able trip across the ocean. Brazil is an important case study. As to complex sociopolitical problems of our day. Both her assess- the author notes, 2.8 million Africans embarked as slaves from ments of the issues and arguments against contemporary fool- Angola alone, most bound for Brazil, joining millions of other hardiness are, in the main, unassailable. However, there is also Africans, and there they took roles in every sector of society. As a large helping of wishful thinking concerning remedies and a with L’Ouverture, there were bewildering intersections: “most decidedly left-leaning scaffolding. Such analyses harbor both perplexing of all to modern eyes, we know of Brazilian slaves strengths and weaknesses. Some statements are much too who themselves owned slaves.” Walvin also documents Britons sweeping, and some assertions are surprisingly oversimplified. who never set foot in slaveholding territories but yet owned Wilson contrasts Epicurean philosophy with its traditional rival, slaves at long distance. For all its puzzles, the slave economy Stoicism, and finds areas of accord as well as divergence. But lasted for three centuries but then disappeared over the course she contends that ethical and political values are grounded in of a few decades as abolitionist and liberation movements arose particular ways of seeing the world, and Epicureanism seems in the 19th century. Even so, notes the author in closing, slavery at once to be the most appealing and (ultimately) responsible has never disappeared. In fact, he observes, given the lamenta- of precepts. She is a proponent of Epicureanism but not to the bly massive number of impoverished people around the world, extent of ignoring its shortcomings and seeming contradictions. “present-day slaves cost only a fraction of the price of slaves Wilson’s writing style varies from lively and lucid to bought in the US South before 1860.” pedestrian, but her intelligence and command of her sub- A solid contribution to studies of slavery in the Ameri- ject are compelling. cas, providing useful rejoinders to other more comprehen- sive accounts.

| kirkus.com | nonfiction | 15 july 2019 | 81 A unique approach to the continuing deconstruction of the Trumpian edifice. plaintiff in chief

THE DOG WENT OVER PLAINTIFF IN CHIEF THE MOUNTAIN A Portrait of Donald Trump Travels With Albie: An in 3,500 Lawsuits American Journey Zirin, James D. Zheutlin, Peter All Points/St. Martin’s (288 pp.) Pegasus (336 pp.) $28.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-250-20162-1 978-1-64313-201-3 Another searing exposé of the cur- Meanderings around America in the rent president. company of an obliging yellow Lab. Former federal prosecutor Zirin, a “Not every trip we take is life-altering “middle-of-the-road Republican,” pieces or results in a profound epiphany,” writes freelance journalist together a highly damning portrait of Donald Trump as a serial Zheutlin (Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Liv- abuser of the law, lifelong liar, perjurer, business fraudster, tax ing With Purpose, Loving With Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little evader, racist, and serial perpetrator of sexual assault. The book Things, 2017, etc.), who demonstrates the truth of that state- is so incriminating not only because of the author’s credentials, ment. Closing in on retirement age, he and Albie hit the road but also because the details are grounded in approximately 3,500 in homage to John Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley. Zheutlin lawsuits filed by Trump, against Trump, or, in some instances, travels wide but seldom deep, gathering anecdotes over 9,000 cross-filed by the opposing parties. Because litigation generally miles from New England to the West Coast and back. He notes includes sworn affidavits attesting to accuracy and testimony that Vicksburg, Mississippi, “even with its rich Civil War history, given under oath if a trial occurs, the author is able to accurately seemed forlorn” and hastens on to Natchez, which “was prettier document, page after page, the unbelievably long list of Trump’s and seemed more prosperous.” If he’d lingered for a moment in exaggerations and outright falsehoods. In fact, the documenta- Vicksburg, he might have learned why that might be the case tion provided by Zirin is impossible to refute, by Trump or any- and why residents of that city still nurse hard feelings for their body else who might take exception to this book (most of whom neighbors downriver. Some of his stories have more weight to will ignore the facts anyway). The author began his painstaking them. A nice moment comes early on, when he describes the research in 2015, soon after Trump announced he would seek the so-called Jackson Whites, “a race living in the Ramapo Moun- presidency on the Republican Party ballot. Because Zirin had tains” who were probably a mixed population of runaway slaves, spent his decadeslong law career in New York, he had already Native Americans, Hessian deserters, and other people who formed an impression of Trump as a businessman who lacked had good reason to want to be left alone. Albie is definitely the respect for the Constitution and the courts. Among other top- star of the show; like all Labs, he can be growly at times but ics, the author focuses on Trump’s ties to organized crime; his is otherwise an amiable presence. It doesn’t help his case that business frauds related to hotels, casinos, and residential rental Zheutlin uses Albie to sentimental, sometimes-cloying ends, as properties; and his phony Trump University. An entire chapter when he writes of a homeless woman he encounters, “Albie, of covers litigation related to Trump’s mistreatment of women, course, cannot make judgments about people’s circumstances, including physical assault. In every chapter, Zirin explains how which may be why meeting a dog that cannot and will not dis- Trump abuses the court system, which is funded by American criminate against you based on your circumstances, your race, taxpayers, by filing lawsuits in bad faith. He also targets Trump’s or your religion must be…a lesson for us all.” Nostrums not- lawyers for their unethical behaviors. Though the author’s writ- withstanding, the narrative is unchallenging and easygoing, like ing is not always easy to follow, as he sometimes lapses into something Charles Kuralt might have delivered in his TV trav- lawyerly jargon, his overall message is achingly clear: “All this elogues of old. aberrant behavior would be problematic in a businessman….But Pleasant enough but a soufflé that leaves Steinbeck the implications of such conduct in a man who is the president… with nothing to worry about. (24 pages of color photos) are nothing less than terrifying.” A unique approach to the continuing deconstruction of the Trumpian edifice.

82 | 15 july 2019 | nonfiction | kirkus.com | children’s

These titles earned the Kirkus Star: SAVING THE TASMANIAN DEVIL by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent....127

AKISSI by Marguerite Abouet; illus. by Mathieu Sapin; OSCAR SEEKS A FRIEND by Pawel Pawlak; trans. by Marie Bédrune...... 85 trans. by Antonia Lloyd-Jones...... 128

DARWIN’S TREE OF LIFE by Michael Bright; I AM A THIEF! by Abigail Rayner; illus. by Molly Ruttan...... 131 illus. by Margaux Carpentier...... 91 ONE FOX by Kate Read...... 131 DOUGLAS by Randy Cecil...... 94 AT THE STROKE OF GOODNIGHT by Clay Rice...... 132 THE RETURN by Natalia Chernysheva...... 95 16 WORDS by Lisa Rogers; illus. by Chuck Groenink...... 134 RIVER by Elisha Cooper...... 97 young adult ASTRONUTS MISSION ONE by Jon Scieszka; THE HIKE by Alison Farrell...... 104 illus. by Steven Weinberg...... 139

A SLIP OF A GIRL by Patricia Reilly Giff...... 108 SMALL IN THE CITY by Sydney Smith...... 141 RED HOUSE, TREE HOUSE, LITTLE BITTY BROWN MOUSE HOBGOBLIN AND THE SEVEN STINKERS OF RANCIDIA by Jane Godwin; illus. by Blanca Gómez...... 109 by Kyle Sullivan; illus. by Derek Sullivan...... 143

MIGHTY JACK AND ZITA THE SPACEGIRL by Ben Hatke...... 111 ONE IS A LOT (EXCEPT WHEN IT’S NOT) by Muon Thi Văn; illus. by Pierre Pratt...... 149 RABBIT AND THE MOTORBIKE by Kate Hoefler; illus. by Sarah Jacoby...... 113 STARGAZING by Jen Wang...... 150

SUNNY ROLLS THE DICE by Jennifer L. Holm & A PLACE TO LAND by Barry Wittenstein; Matthew Holm...... 113 illus. by Jerry Pinkney...... 151

REDWOOD AND PONYTAIL by K.A. Holt...... 113 X-RAY ME! by Felicitas Horstschäfer; illus. by Johannes Vogt; trans. by Elizabeth Lee...... 155 ROAR LIKE A DANDELION by Ruth Krauss; illus. by Sergio Ruzzier...... 117 BLUEBERRY PATCH / BLUEBERRY PATCH / MAYABEEKAMNEEBOON by Jennifer Leason MAYABEEKAMNEEBOON & Norman Chartrand; illus. by Jennifer Leason; trans. by Norman Chartrand...... 118 Leason, Jennifer & Chartrand, Norman THE BOOK RESCUER by Sue Macy; illus. by Stacy Innerst...... 121 Illus. by Leason, Jennifer Trans. by Chartrand, Norman FRY BREAD by Kevin Noble Maillard; Theytus Books (32 pp.) illus. by Juana Martinez-Neal...... 121 $19.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-926886-58-9 BIG BREATH by William Meyer; illus. by Brittany Jacobs...... 123

SATURDAY by Oge Mora...... 124

THE WOLF WILL NOT COME by Myriam Ouyessad; illus. by Ronan Badel...... 126

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 83 the coretta scott king book awards: 50 years of love

Photo courtesy Leah Overstreet “Just feel all the love that’s in ica Clark-Robinson, Frank this room,” said Deborah Taylor, Morrison related a story honorary co-chair of the Coret- of a Father’s Day outing ta Scott King Book Awards’ gone terribly wrong when 50th anniversary gala. “If we his children were rousted could bottle it, we wouldn’t have from a swimming hole and any problems. Let’s get on that.” then ticketed by the war- The gala was held at the Library den as white families were of Congress on Friday, June 21, sent off with a stern warn- during the American Library ing. This, he said, is why Association’s annual conference. And she was right: those children marched The room brimmed with love and pride as the world and why he does what he does. Varian Johnson, ac- of African American children’s literature gathered cepting a Coretta Scott King Author Honor for The to celebrate the institution that has successfully el- Parker Inheritance, addressed evated black artists and writers to rightful positions his two young daughters: “Be- of prominence on the shelves of schools, libraries, cause I am your dad I get so and homes across America for the past half-century. scared. The world is against The event was glorious, with speeches from such you....I know I cannot pro- lights as Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, tect you from the world, but Jacqueline Woodson, National Ambassador for I can help to prepare you Young People’s Literature, Andrea Davis Pinkney, for it. That is why we create vice president and editor at large of Scholastic Trade and publish books. That is Publishing, multiple Coretta Scott King Award– why the Coretta Scott King winning authors, and the event’s other honorary Award exists. You’ve got 50 co-chairs. Vocalist Jewell Booker sang; a troupe of years of books. Consider dancers performed an original piece choreographed them your inheritance.” and led by Dobbin Pinkney. The room sat in remem- To create a book that takes its place in a heritage brance of those honored previously who have joined of literature dedicated to lifting up and inspiring gen- the ancestors; it stood in celebration of those hon- erations of children who find themselves in a world ored previously who gave us their presence. Thread- that is against them takes a special sense of respon- ed through it all was the unshakeable commitment sibility and obligation. The shared by these creators and practitioners to give Coretta Scott King Award African American children books that allow them is, as Ekua Holmes, winner to see themselves and to be seen. of the Coretta Scott King The gala celebrated 50 years of the awards; the Illustrator Award for The awards themselves were presented on Sunday, June 23, Stuff of Stars, written by at what Kwame Alexander called “First Baptist ALA” Marion Dane Bauer, said, a in the celebratory poem he read at the gala. There “[monument] made of peo- again the love overflowed. And as it is every year, it ple and purpose.” was no ordinary award ceremony but was imbued And love. —V.S. with a sense of common mission rather than individ- ual achievement. Vicky Smith is the children’s editor. In accepting a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Let the Children March, written by Mon-

84 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Akissi is absolutely, hilariously uncontainable. akissi

AKISSI introduce each animal in several short paragraphs (main text More Tales of Mischief and callouts with additional interesting facts) about the musi- Abouet, Marguerite cal performances, how they are made, and the different sounds Illus. by Sapin, Mathieu the creature can make—its repertoire, as it were. “Production Trans. by Bédrune, Marie credits” include the concert title, venue, time, length, and pur- Flying Eye Books (144 pp.) ported composer; for the superb lyrebird, for instance, these $14.95 paper | Jul. 16, 2019 are: “Rainforest Remix,” the Rainforest Disco Club, winter, 20 978-1-912497-17-1 minutes, and DJ Lyrebird. Cartoonlike animal images printed on staff-paper backgrounds support the theme. The image of More previously untranslated Akissi the imagined recording, shown, usually, as a 45rpm disc, will tales arrive in the United States, featur- likely be meaningless to today’s readers, the translation has ing the adventurous, one-of-a-kind heroine causing a ruckus in awkward moments, and the layout can be confusing, but read- her Ivory Coast village. ers who figure out the premise will find their ears opened to a This anthology corresponds to volumes 4, 5, and 6 in the new way of appreciating the natural world. Actual recordings Akissi series by veteran graphic-novel author Abouet, whose of the animal songs will be available on the publisher’s website. breakout YA comic Aya de Yopougon, illustrated by Clément Slightly out of tune but worth a listen nonetheless. Oubrerie (2005; first published in English as Aya in 2007), (Informational picture book. 8-12) helped draw her international recognition. In her tales about Akissi, Abouet re-creates “the happy memories of being a young Ivorian girl,” when “the whole neighborhood was my play- MY FRIEND

ground and the people that lived in it were my family.” Akissi Amado, Elisa young adult is absolutely, hilariously uncontainable in her home village, and Illus. by Ruano, Alfonso that means that no one is safe from her impulsive curiosity and Groundwood (40 pp.) fearless missions. This spells trouble for the teenage neighbor- $18.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 hood bully, Akissi’s sadistic schoolteacher Mr. Adama, and of 978-1-55498-939-3 course Akissi’s older brother and rival, Fofana. Walk with cau- tion, because as Akissi knows all too well, “courage has noth- An unnamed upper-elementary–age ing to do with age or height!” Or gender. Just as much as she Latinx girl meets an unnamed white girl on her first day at a new enjoys a good barnyard laugh, she is determined to step in when school, and an instant rapport is formed. a friend is in need. Sapin’s playful illustrations drive home the She watches her new best friend’s favorite TV programs; the warmhearted levity in these stories, offering U.S. readers a rare blonde girl’s favorite book is now her own: “cross my heart and glimpse into growing up beloved and meddlesome in an inter- hope to die…now it’s my favorite book, too.” After the Latinx generational, tightknit, actual day-to-day West Africa. child invites her friend over for a special dinner, it is extremely Outrageously fun—this indomitable little girl is simply awkward; the resulting embarrassment and anger make the incomparable. (Comics anthology. 6-9) child yearn to return to her country. She wonders, if her friend really doesn’t know her at all, what will happen to her if no one in the entire school understands her either? Yet despite the ANIMAL MUSICIANS disaster, when she sees the blonde girl waiting for her in front Alcade, Pedro of the school, she realizes that they are still best friends. Ama- Illus. by Blasco, Julio Antonio do’s portrayal of the special bond between an immigrant and a Trans. by Fearon, Lucina white North American is disturbingly unbalanced. The new girl, The Secret Mountain (56 pp.) presumably from Mexico due to Ruano’s illustrations highlight- $14.95 | Sep. 1, 2019 ing Otomí folk art in her home, absorbs the friend’s interests 978-2-924774-54-0 without any reciprocity. The invited girl has trouble finishing her dinner. “But that was okay. You’d never eaten our kind of Fourteen animal species—insects, frogs, birds, and mam- food before.” The blonde laughs when the Latinx girl and her mals—are celebrated for their particular musical abilities. father sing a song that reminds them of home. “That was so From gibbons who sing at dawn in Southeast Asian tree- weird!” There appears to be no real communication throughout tops to club-winged manakins who strum their feathers in the the story—almost the entire relationship is inside the Latinx Andean mountain forests, from humpback whales in ocean protagonist’s head. depths to male St. Andrews Cross spiders crossing the webs An unsuccessful attempt to showcase the bridging of potential mates, animals of all sorts make musical sounds power of friendship between cultures. (Picture book. 8-11) with various parts of their bodies. The author of this intrigu- ing title is a Spanish composer, conductor, and musicologist whose understanding of music and musicianship opens a whole new window into the animal world. Presented as a series of imagined album notes, two successive double-page spreads

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 85 Wide-angle perspectives effectively emphasize emotional scale. across the bay

SO YOU WANT TO BE this leopard, readers also get to witness her unsuccessful hunt A VIKING? for ibex and her reunion, further along the trail, with her young Amson-Bradshaw, Georgia cub; a charming spread shows mother and offspring snuggled Illus. by Akiyama, Takayo together. The main narrative, jam-packed with interesting facts Thames & Hudson (96 pp.) about the leopard, is expressed in a clear, conversational man- $14.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 ner and presented in large type; text in a smaller faux hand-let- 978-0-500-65184-1 tered type provides additional information. Benson’s endearing Series: So You Want To Be a watercolor illustrations capture the leopard’s furry, pale, gold- and-gray coat, with the black rosettes that offer excellent cam- A handy guide for young readers ouflage in her mountainous habitat. (They depict the author thinking that life on a longship in pursuit of plunder might be as white as he moves through the Ladakh village with his local for them. guide.) The narrator marvels at his luck to see two snow leop- Prospective Vikings will want to know something of the ards; readers will feel fortunate to have followed along. history and rewards of their calling, and so in this much sim- An informative, gentle, awestruck look at a mysterious plified and newly illustrated version of John Haywood’s Viking, big cat. (author’s note, index, websites) (Informational picture a 2011 title in the Unofficial Manual series, Amson-Bradshaw book. 5-9) offers useful features aplenty. These range from thumbnail por- traits of Olaf Tryggvason and other renowned Viking leaders to travel articles such as “5 Epic Places To Plunder Before You Die ACROSS THE BAY (Violently).” Along the way she also deals out short but rousing Aponte, Carlos disquisitions on battle tactics and berserkers, weapons and gear, Illus. by the author seagoing navigation, Viking “healthcare,” and other relevant Penguin Workshop (32 pp.) topics. Akiyama illustrates it all in occasionally gory cartoon $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 drawings with green and gray highlights featuring three mod- 978-1-5247-8662-5 ern children—timorous Angus, bloodthirsty Kate (both white), and Eddie, dark skinned and gung-ho—who travel back in time Carlitos’ yearning for his father takes and are squired about by mighty warrior Bjorn and scowling him on a clandestine solo trip to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, to shield maiden Hervor. The same modern trio tries out the life find him. of legionaries in So You Want To Be a Roman Soldier?, which is In the town of Cataño, across the titular bay from the capi- also recast for younger audiences from an earlier, longer work tal, Carlitos lives with his mother, his abuela, and their cat, Coco. (Legionary, by Philip Matyszak, 2009) and likewise well stocked Carlitos’ “family didn’t look like the others.” The neighborhood with historical people (only slightly more diverse than in children play basketball, learn to ride a bike, or do housework …Viking), places, and facts. Both make a career in, say, librarian- with their fathers while Carlitos goes to the barbershop with ship, look far more enticing. only his mother. When Carlitos asks about Papi’s whereabouts, Salutary reading for armchair berserkers and shield his mother reassures him that his father is across the bay—that maidens. (map, index, glossary) (Nonfiction. - 8 10) (So You “sometimes things don’t work out.” Even though he is happy Want To Be a Roman Soldier?: 978-0-500-65183-4) with his family, a desire for more sets Carlitos on a ferry with Papi’s photo in hand. Vibrant illustrations with an inviting trop- ical palette draw readers in as Carlitos searches high and low for SNOW LEOPARD Papi. A refreshingly varied spectrum of brown shades of skin Ghost of the Mountains abounds in colorful city scenes. Wide-angle perspectives effec- Anderson, Justin tively emphasize emotional scale: the vastness of San Juan Bay, Illus. by Benson, Patrick Carlitos’ sense of his own smallness as he searches for his father Candlewick (32 pp.) in the “maze” of the old capital, and his despair at his journey’s $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 end. Aponte’s decision to leave Carlitos’ quest unresolved is an 978-1-5362-0540-4 honest one, and readers will respond to this beautiful depiction of a young boy’s physical and emotional journey within a deeply Following the trail of a beautiful, elu- cultural setting. sive animal. Shining with palpable pride for family and home. (Pic­ Narrating in the first person, Anderson leads readers on a ture book. 3-7) trek through the Himalayas to seek out the snow leopard, which villagers call the “gray ghost.” The journey turns suspenseful as the slopes become steeper and more icily treacherous. The narrator describes his feelings of awe upon first encountering tracks in the snow. Then, to his utter astonishment, he actually sees the magnificent creature. Readers will also marvel as she stares out from the page. Thanks to the author’s proximity to

86 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | NOODLEHEADS FORTRESS the “Fortress of Doom” they just built while the other Mac OF DOOM goes to get something to eat. When one brother returns, he Arnold, Tedd & Hamilton, Martha & finds the other brother far from the fortress—but not the door. Weiss, Mitch Fascinating information on tale types and folklore motifs used Illus. by Arnold, Tedd in each chapter is found in the authors’ notes, and adults can Holiday House (48 pp.) point these out and find other examples of tales about people $15.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 doing foolish things. The last chapter features a “lying contest” 978-0-8234-4001-6 with old frenemy Meatball, who tells a tall tale. A generous font, Series: Noodleheads, 4 amusing comic-book–style artwork, the stories themselves, and excellent notes add up to a book that can be thoroughly enjoyed Back for the fourth time, the pasta- by one child or easily acted out in a readers’ theater activity. headed duo keeps up the fun with their Very old, very funny stories made evergreen thanks literal way of thinking. to the graphic format and inventive casting. (Graphic early In an introduction, the pair visits the library and borrows reader. 6-8) some books. The brothers admit that they don’t understand the joke in one of their books: “What is the tallest building in the world?” The answer: “The library. It has the most stories!” Young readers of this three-chapter graphic novel will pride themselves on being smarter than Mac and Mac. They will “get it.” They’ll chuckle when one Mac is left to guard the door of young adult

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 87 THE PENCIL complex sea animals; another, the dinosaurs’ world; and a third, Avingaq, Susan & Vsetula, Maren the catastrophic arrival of an asteroid and the dark world that Illus. by Chua, Charlene followed. Earth is repopulated with dark-furred apes learning to Inhabit Media (36 pp.) walk upright; lighter skinned cave artists; then farmers, herd- $16.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 ers, travelers, and finally astronauts of varied skin tones. First 978-1-77227-216-1 published in 2018 in the Netherlands, this was translated by the Canadian publisher for this English edition. When their mother leaves to help a A simple, effective introduction to some big ideas for neighbor, siblings Susan, Rebecca, and Peter are surprised when curious young readers. (Informational picture book. 5-9) their father opens his wife’s wooden box of special things. With Anaana gone from their iglu, the children play all their usual games: a jumping contest, blindfolded hide-and-seek, draw- OF ing on the ice window, and playing with the dolls their grand- Baltazar, Art & Aureliani, Franco mother has made for them, but soon all three become bored. Illus. by Baltazar, Art However, Ataata surprises them by opening Anaana’s wooden DC Zoom (128 pp.) box and taking out her pencil! He hands it and a piece of paper $9.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 to Susan, the oldest and narrator, so she can draw. Soon, the other 978-1-4012-8392-6 children each have a turn with the pencil, but with the paper full, they draw on the back of an empty tea box. Ataata must sharpen Clark Kent gets his start saving the the pencil with his knife, making the pencil much smaller; Susan day. wonders what will happen when Anaana returns. Authors Avin- Thirteen-year-old farm boy Clark gaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed Kent has always shown hints of his spe- in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings cial abilities: strength, flight, speed, and and caring for them wisely. A helpful glossary of the Inuktitut an innate sense of right and wrong. Clark uses them to patrol his words (italicized on first reference within the story) is included in hometown of Smallville to help those in need, flying off before the backmatter. Chua depicts a close, loving Inuit family dressed anyone can get a good look at him. The townsfolk are all abuzz: in furs; a traditional ulu and seal-oil lamp can be seen along with a Who is Superman? Clark is delighted to be helping people, but European kettle in the cozy interior. his parents want him to keep his powers under wraps. Clark A breath of warmth from the far north. (Picture book. 5-7) juggles his powers, his chores, and his schooling in this brightly colored graphic novel. Longtime fans of the last son of Krypton will be a bit bored by the proceedings (10 seasons of the Small­ IT STARTED WITH A BIG BANG ville TV show covered similar territory quite effectively), but The Origin of Earth, You and newcomers will find plenty to enjoy. The action is smartly ren- Everything Else dered and the humor is good natured. Other characters from Bal, Floor the Superman comics and mythos make appearances here, all of Illus. by Van Doninck, Sebastiaan them presented with respect to all the history that comes with Kids Can (34 pp.) them. With a long-running property like Superman, it may be $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 daunting for some looking for an entry point, particularly for 978-1-5253-0255-8 younger readers. This is a good one. A beginner-friendly introduction to the Man of Steel. From nothing to “a big tangled web” of life, the origin of the (Graphic novel. 8-12) universe and everything in it. Science journalist Bal pares the most commonly accepted models for the origin of the universe and development of life MEGABUGS down to bare essentials, presenting them as accepted fact and And Other Prehistoric gliding over some obvious questions. (Where did the stuff that Critters That Roamed the fills the universe come from?) Nevertheless, this is an appealing Planet addition to a small shelf of titles about cosmic beginnings for Becker, Helaine the very young. Unlike Marion Dane Bauer’s The Stuff of Stars, Illus. by Bindon, John illustrated by Ekua Holmes (2018), it stops with the accom- Kids Can (32 pp.) plishments of humans as a group, ending with the moon land- $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 ing rather than with the individual reader. Unlike Karen Fox’s 978-1-77138-811-5 Older Than the Stars, illustrated by Nancy Davis (2010), there’s no supplemental backmatter. Special to this version of the vast Up-close introductions to seven Paleozoic monsters, with history are Van Doninck’s sinuous illustrations, which explode some outsized modern survivors added for good measure. with playful detail, swirls of color in the darkness of space, and Writing with crowd-pleasing vivacity—Arthropleura “was surprising landscapes. One spread shows a wave of increasingly bigger than a basketball player. And with up to 80 quick-moving,

88 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Stojic infuses sun-drenched skies with deep reds and yellows. polar bear’s story

grasping legs, it could have easily gripped and smothered one I’M BRAVE! I’M STRONG! too!”—Becker profiles a set of humongous arthropods that, in I’M FIVE! Bindon’s exactly detailed scenes, crawl, slither, glide, swim, or Best, Cari fly past with all-too-convincing realism. All come with (fossil) Illus. by Kulikov, Boris range maps and human silhouettes for size comparisons, and Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House most are placed in natural settings, with other fauna of the (32 pp.) period visible in the backgrounds. In her descriptive notes, the $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 author maintains a proper caution, following current thinking 978-0-8234-4362-8 in suggesting that heightened levels of atmospheric oxygen made such uncommon mass possible but noting that “fave A feisty 5-year-old wants to prove to herself that she can snacks,” life cycles, and causes of extinction are speculations. handle the nighttime terrors in her room alone. Following the prehistoric parade, a select set of today’s biggest At first, Sasha’s just not tired after “Mama’s stories and creepy-crawlies bring up the rear, capped by a menacing sci- Papa’s jokes and coffee kisses on both my cheeks.” In a fantasti- ence-fictional megabug that looks like an ant-scorpion hybrid. cal double-page spread, the little girl grows wings, the ears and Though no replacement for Timothy Bradley’s (sadly out of legs of an Australian marsupial, and a scaly body as she declares, print) Paleo Bugs (2008) for those lucky enough still to have it, “I wave like a bird and swim like a fish and bounce on my bed like the art here has more of a dramatic flair, and the resource lists a girl kangaroo that doesn’t want to sleep. A phone rings like a at the end are fresher. marching parade, a baby cries, and a piano plays.” There is an Enticing fare for fans of all things Paleo. (glossary, explanation for the noises: It’s the neighbors. But then things timeline, index) (Informational picture book. 7-10) start to get worrisome, and as Sasha looks around, she notices

some things that are truly frightening: a “giant eye staring down” young adult from the moon, a shadow “with six arms,” and more. The young ALL THE WAYS TO BE SMART white girl figures out how to cope with these strange- occur Bell, Davina rences, chanting the title words several times and turning on Illus. by Colpoys, Allison her flashlight to reveal the commonplace sources of these mani- Scribe (32 pp.) festations. The multimedia illustrations, with their interesting $16.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 lighting effects, crosshatching that creates a rich surface effect, 978-1-947534-96-4 and deep nighttime colors, provide an appropriate setting for this engaging bedtime story. “Smart is not just being best / at spell- Just creepy enough to validate both fears and bravery. ing bees, a tricky test. / Or knowing all (Picture book. 4-6) the answers ever… / Other things are just as clever.” Simple, flowing words coupled with fluorescent illustra- POLAR BEAR’S STORY tions (created from ink, charcoal, and pencil, then digitally Blackford, Harriet assembled) give young readers a book brimming with examples Illus. by Stojic, Manja of how they are smart all day, every day. Smart at making—like Boxer Books (32 pp.) gluing wings on Halloween bats, concocting slime, and “build- $16.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 ing boats from boxes.” Smart at understanding people—like 978-1-912757-10-7 offering sympathy, “saying hi and bye / to people when they feel all shy,” and “being sorry when you’re naughty.” Smart at “grow- A young polar bear learns how to ing, throwing, / bubble blowing,” “crazy dances! Horsey prances! hunt and survive during seasonal changes. / Feeling scared but taking chances,” and even “sitting still and In this fourth in her observational documentary-style quiet for ages.” Realistic illustrations show children of varying series (Tiger’s Story, 2007, etc.), Blackford turns her attention racial presentations joining sentient animals and benign, hairy toward a polar bear cub struggling to find food. When Polar monsters to confidently explore their world, real and imagined. Bear first tumbles out of her mother’s den, all she wants to There is no narrative throughline as such, but double-page do is play. But Polar Bear’s mother is hungry. She teaches her spreads are thematically unified. Children soar on dragons, young cubs how to hunt. Polar Bear grows and begins to hunt lecture dinosaurs, play with pirates, show off in a circus, and more on her own. But it is difficult. With temperatures warm- explore space while always receiving the message that “every ing, the ice melts, and she cannot find any seal breathing holes. hour of every day, / we’re smart in our own special way. / And Walruses are too big for Polar Bear to tackle, and even another nobody will ever do… / the very same smart things as you.” predator’s leftovers have many others staking their claim. Sus- Affirming.(Picture book. 4-8) penseful moments heighten the drama, urging readers to feel Polar Bear’s plight. Tight, close-up perspectives further create an emotional connection. Predictably, large swathes of Arctic white cover most of the pages, but Stojic infuses sun-drenched skies with deep reds and yellows and varies the shades of blue

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 89 Theatrical lighting, stunning perspectives, and arresting close-ups convey the intensity of Blondin’s feats. king of the tightrope

to diversify the palette. While Polar Bear’s specific story ends Performing with his family throughout France, Jean-François hopefully, an author’s note briefly discusses global warming and twirled, flipped, leaped, and skipped across the high wire, invent- the effects on polar regions. ing extreme balancing feats. Calling himself “the Great Blondin,” A science primer for the youngest environmentalists. he traveled to America in 1851, pushing his act to be ever more (Informational picture book. 3-7) “merveilleux.” Viewing Niagara Falls in 1858, Blondin imagined a tightrope stretched across it. Crossing “those roaring waters” became his life’s ambition. Peppered with French words and RUNNING WILD phrases, Bowman’s well-researched documentary text re-creates Bledsoe, Lucy Jane the energy, tactics, skill, engineering, unflinching optimism, and Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House sheer grit of Blondin’s preparations to cross Niagara as well as the (224 pp.) skepticism and wonder of all who witnessed his legendary endeavor. $16.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 Bold, colorful watercolor-and-gouache illustrations capture Blon- 978-0-8234-4363-5 din’s high-wire escapades, from tottering childhood steps through his sure-footed Niagara crossing, with a dramatic, almost photo- Twelve-year-old Willa must get her graphic realism. Theatrical lighting, stunning perspectives, and 10-year-old twin brothers safely through arresting close-ups convey the intensity of Blondin’s feats, either the Alaskan wilderness. high above the viewer on a rope spanning both pages or below the Five years ago, Willa’s widowed father viewer perched over Niagara’s turbulent waters. Historical notes, their family to escape his grief timeline, and photos complete the experience. by living out his survivalist, live-completely-off-the-land fantasies Awesome, astounding, death-defying. (author’s notes, in rural Alaska. Since then, he’s gotten meaner and abusive, and photos) (Informational picture book. 6-10) he has relapsed into alcoholism. A combination of her father’s stubborn unwillingness to admit that they don’t have enough food for the winter, escalating physical abuse, and Willa’s fear THE QUEST FOR THE that something’s wrong with her (she doesn’t know about peri- GOLDEN FLEAS ods) lead her to take the boys and flee to Fort Yukon on a rickety Boyer, Crispin raft. They navigate wildlife (from bears to an orphaned wolf pup Illus. by Elkerton, Andy that one twin smuggles along), rough rivers, and supply problems, Under the Stars (192 pp.) all while avoiding detection, as Willa’s afraid they’ll be returned $12.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 to their father before she can contact their aunt in New York for 978-1-4263-3547-1 help. Additionally, Willa has to continually persuade her broth- Series: Zeus the Mighty, 1 ers that they want to leave the only life they can remember, that there is something better out there. The survival elements are A center for rescued pets becomes entertaining and informative, and there’s a good balance between the stage for adventures of literally self-sufficiency and reliance on adults for appropriate help at the mythical import in this series opener. novel’s climax. While not all is resolved by the end, the story con- Convinced that they’re the gods after whom they’ve been cludes on a hopeful note. Willa’s family is white while the Fort named by the Mount Olympus Pet Center’s myth-loving owner Yukon population introduces mainly Gwichyaa Gwich’in people. (and Boyer drops hints that they’re not wrong), Zeus, a rescued The acknowledgements thank a wolf expert and a board member hamster, and allies Demeter, Athena, and Ares—respectively a of the Gwich’in Council International. cricket, a tabby cat, and a scene-stealing pug of big stomach but Nuanced, character-driven action. (Adventure. 8-12) little brain—get out at night to face such challenges as the deadly whirlpool of Charybdis (a stuck toilet). After listening (not very attentively) to a podcast version of “Jason and the Argonauts,” KING OF THE TIGHTROPE Zeus decides to settle a long-standing rivalry with a pufferfish When the Great Blondin named Poseidon by returning in triumph with the “Golden Fleas.” Ruled Niagara Little does he know that the quest will take him into Uncharted Bowman, Donna Janell Territory (the empty store next door) where shrieking harpies Illus. by Gustavson, Adam (bats) lurk….While all of this doesn’t map very closely on the Peachtree (48 pp.) original yarn, it does offer opportunities aplenty for displays of $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 courage, cleverness, and loyalty…as well as lots of comical byplay. 978-1-56145-937-7 Elkerton adds to both the comedy and the drama with vignettes and larger scenes of partly anthropomorphic animals in chitons How famous French funambulist Jean-François Gravelet and divine regalia, often looking dismayed or, in Ares’ case, ever daringly traversed a tightrope spanning Niagara Falls in 1859. on the lookout for Mutt Nuggets. A closing section includes fur- Born into a family of acrobats, gymnasts, and funambulists, ther information on the source story and Greek myths in general. or tightrope walkers, Jean-François learned to balance on a thick A treat for proto–Percy Jackson fans. (map, floor plan) board at age 4 and “took to the rope like a takes to its web.” (Animal fantasy. 8-10)

90 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | DARWIN’S TREE readers know that this child lives well. The story is illustra- OF LIFE tion-heavy with one to two sentences per double-page spread, Bright, Michael encouraging readers to carefully view each page to understand Illus. by Carpentier, Margaux the characters’ emotions. Both parents have pale skin, he with Crocodile/Interlink (48 pp.) brown hair and she with black; one double-page spread in which $18.95 | Sep. 19, 2019 they speculate about the child they have not yet met depicts 978-1-62371-919-7 pictures of children of many different races, but the “you” of the text is a pale-skinned child with a black pageboy. Though Both an introduction to Darwin- this is an adoption book, the focus of the book is not always on ian concepts and an exploration of the the child’s homecoming; at times it is about how much she is Earth’s life. loved and what her childhood experiences are, illustrating that Even before explanations of natural selection and species an adoption is an event that happens, not an ongoing process. origin, there is a helpful “Geological Time Chart” that explains A tender, beautifully illustrated picture book depicting eon, era, period, and epoch. Following these, double-page adoption as a way to grow a family. (Picture book. 4-6) spreads show examples of animals, plants, and protists (which are neither) both extant and extinct on the branches of a tree that begins with one-celled organisms and moves into and WE REALLY DO CARE beyond the category called “Skillful Mammals.” The illustra- Brown, Tami Lewis tions and layout are spectacular. Stylized animals and plants are Illus. by de Regil, Tania solid blocks of color against gradated blue backgrounds. Each Philomel (32 pp.)

spread is headed in sinuous display type; a vibrantly hued tree $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 young adult branch snakes across the page, creating spaces for flora and 978-1-9848-3630-4 fauna and fascinating facts about them. Who knew that tardi- grades can live for 30 years without eating? And how sly to note A tale of empathy and inclusion. that both rats and humans have conquered the world with their A white child and a brown-skinned generalized diets. The graceful, accessible text respects its read- child, both nameless and with button ers. Early on, it asserts that “the first living things were simple eyes and simply drawn facial features, cells, which were different from non-living things because they cross paths in a peaceful city park. Initially, the white child could make copies of themselves.” Words not defined within the emphatically claims ownership in bold phrases familiar to text are captured in an appropriate glossary. There are several young ears: “My ball belongs to me,” and “You can’t have my references to climate change, the first noting how green plants mom.” In a turnkey double-page spread, a park scene on the left cooled the planet about 450 million years ago. The text strikes shows green grass, a gentle tree trunk, and the white child’s fam- an excellent balance between upholding scientific research and ily on a picnic blanket, while across the gutter is vast negative noting its limits as well as its ongoing, self-correcting, nature. space as the white child notices the brown-skinned child, alone, Darwin would approve. (index) (Informational picture book. on the ground end of a seesaw. The negative space creates the 8-12) pause. “Wait.” What unfolds is a series of broad questions about fear of loneliness and loss. The brown-skinned child plays and shares with the formerly possessive white child but never says THE DAY OF YOUR ARRIVAL a word. It is assumed the brown-skinned child does not have Brown, Dolores a family, and while the white family welcomes the lonely child, Illus. by Dalvand, Reza why that child is alone in the park is never resolved. While a nubeOCHO (36 pp.) lot can be said for unspoken understanding, the brown-skinned $15.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 child’s voicelessness makes all the interactions feel one-sided 978-84-17673-02-4 and assumptive. A “we” narrative about caring unfurls, stretch- Series: Égalité ing to include families, nature, and animals across the world. While micro-interactions are inevitably connected to global An adoption story told from the networks of caring, the leap from sharing toys to global togeth- point of view of two parents about the erness is preachy and contrived. love they have for their adopted child. One-sidedness sinks this well-meaning tale. (Picture As this father and mother prepare a room and toys for their book. 4-7) child, readers learn through words and detailed pictures that their child will be loved. Once the child is home, the parents learn what treats the child likes, introduce the child to the extended family, take the child to preschool. Throughout the book, it is evident that the characters live in an affluent com- munity. Thanks to details such as multistory houses, massive amounts of plants and decorations, clothing, and accessories,

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 91 HI, I’M NORMAN play it safe, or does he join with his real friends in standing up to The Story of American Parker and proving to everyone, even the principal, that Parker Illustrator Norman Rockwell is a bully? Gracefully folded into this tale are themes of friend- Burleigh, Robert ship, accountability, engineering, and cooperation, and there is Illus. by Minor, Wendell even a discussion on what life was like for Leonardo da Vinci. Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster Even with a wide range of topics, Burt keeps the plot lively and (48 pp.) focused as the very believable kids work to solve their own $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 problems through both empathy and logic. The book adheres 978-1-4424-9670-5 to the white default, with one of Bell’s friends described as hav- ing dark skin and another with an Asian name. The iconic American illustrator welcomes readers into his A satisfying tale of bullying redemption with a STEM home and life. twist. (Fiction. 10-14) “Hi, I’m Norman. Norman Rockwell. Come on in.” The creator of over 320 covers for the Saturday Evening Post speaks directly to readers, inviting them into his studio and on to a HOME, SWEET HOME tour of other studios in his life—his dining room when he was Butterfield, Moira young, neighborhood streets, classroom blackboards, and art Illus. by Rossiter, Clair school. He tells how he sold his first works, how he got his Kane/Miller (32 pp.) ideas, and how he used models—adult, child, and even a turkey! $12.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 Rockwell is known for painting the “ideal aspects” of life, “life 978-1-61067-886-5 like I’d like it to be,” he said, and he received criticism for being old-fashioned and nostalgic, but Burleigh’s Rockwell claims Treehouses, apartment buildings with he did change to face the times he lived in. During World War rooftop beehives, tents, houseboats: All II, he painted his iconic series “The Four Freedoms,” based are homes. on President Franklin Roosevelt’s famous speech. And after Starting with a scene that pictures many houses found Ruby Bridges integrated an all-white public school in the 1960s, throughout the book and ending with the same scene, now Rockwell painted the famous, enigmatically titled The Problem filled with people from many places, this volume will help kids We All Live With. Minor uses watercolor, gouache, and pencil to think about similarities and differences in living arrangements. effectively render many of Rockwell’s sketches and paintings Each double-page spread features a different topic. First there and, except for Ruby Bridges, Rockwell’s all-white world. are spreads on homes in urban places versus country living; An inviting and admiring introduction to an important roofs (steep ones for snowy countries, green roofs, flat roofs); American artist. (further biography, author’s note, illustra- doors, like the special orange wooden doors of Mongolian gers tor’s note, list of paintings rendered, timeline, reproduc- and the absence of them in North African or Bedouin tents; and tions) (Picture book/biography. 5-10) the issue of walls or no walls. Then, there is a focus on the vari- ous different spaces in- or outside homes. Each spread features amusingly detailed paintings with different layouts, some com- THE TORNADO plete scenes: The dining-space spread features a Western-style Burt, Jake table and diners from different countries and eras adjacent to Feiwel & Friends (256 pp.) a Vietnamese family eating on a bamboo mat. Another spread $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 contrasts four gardens: Bangladeshi floating gardens, the White 978-1-250-16864-1 House lawn, a Japanese garden path, and the “Vertical Forest,” in Milan. The people are diverse, cartoonish in style but with What do you do when the school individual personalities. The book does not discuss homeless- bully is also the principal’s son? ness, and everyone looks happy with their own situation. There For fifth grader Bell Kirby, the answer are neither sources nor bibliography. involves devising many systems and Children will find many answers to the question: “So routes to help him avoid crossing paths what makes a home a wonderful place?” (Informational picture with the bully, Parker Hellickson. He book. 6-9) keeps them all in the notebook that’s never far from his arms. And he’s had plenty of time to work these systems out—Parker has been bullying him since the beginning of fourth grade, ever since Bell accidentally broke Parker’s toe and kept him out of a soccer tournament. Bell’s systems mostly work—until Daelynn Gower, a former home-schooler with multicolored hair, moves to town. Daelynn refuses to change herself to avoid trouble, and she soon becomes a target. But when Parker expects Bell to join in on the torment, Bell has a choice to make. Does he

92 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Cabot does well by Dinah Lance.

THIS BOOK JUST STOLE purples, pinks, and blues that (a bit stereotypically) reinforce MY CAT! the girl-power aesthetic. The primary characters are all white, Byrne, Richard but there are diverse background characters. Illus. by the author A cool blast of colorful energy. (Graphic adventure. 10-13) Godwin Books/Henry Holt (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-20667-1 THE THANK YOU LETTER Cabrera, Jane Can Ben get his cat back? Illus. by the author While playing “tickle and chase across the page” with Ben, Holiday House (32 pp.) the boy’s rather large gray tabby cat vanishes into the gutter $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 between pages even though Ben has presumably just run across 978-0-8234-4250-8 it without incident. The string of the cat toy Ben was holding appears stuck in the break between pages. Bella happens along Young Grace gives and then receives with her hula hoop and, claiming to have seen this before, goes letters of love and gratitude. in to investigate. A search-and-rescue truck that specializes in After an exuberant birthday party cats goes in next…then a rescue dog and a helicopter. At this filled with diverse kids in elaborate costumes, Grace sits down point Ben decides he’ll have to do the job himself—and the to write thank-you letters for her gifts, depicted in Cabrera’s book sneezes out the “book-tickling fluffy mouse” even as he trademark, childlike style. There’s always a bit of dissonance disappears. Ben sends out instructions for readers to tickle the when an adult approximates children’s art, but these are reason-

book and then turn the page, and the book eventually sneezes able, not-too-cloying facsimiles. Grace’s messages are just right, young adult almost everyone out—but Ben’s cat it is now held aloft by its especially when acknowledging that while a gift might not have rapidly spinning tail. Clearly it’s the book’s fault. This outing is been perfect (she receives a toy dog rather than a living pup; an unnecessary feline companion to This Book Just Ate My Dog gloves are too large), she’s thankful nonetheless. Upon finishing, (2015). Not only is it unclear why Ben can cross the gutter and she carries on, sending gratitude to teachers, pets, and mem- others can’t, but it’s also hazy as to why the book sneezes the bers of her diverse community. (Grace herself has light skin and mouse toy out when it’s had it inside for several pages. Far bet- straight, dark hair.) Cabrera’s books tend to feel satisfyingly ter interactives are available. Ben and Bella are both white. cohesive, and this is no exception. Grace returns home to doz- A metafictive miss.(Picture book. 2-7) ens of love letters sent back to her pinned inside her brand-new play tent, and the whole thing cozily wraps with Grace holding a metafictive sign thanking the readers of this book. At times, BLACK CANARY the book tries too hard to be positive—where’s the whining Ignite about completing what many children regard as a chore?—and Cabot, Meg Grace’s ever present grin and dotted pink cheeks make her Illus. by McGee, Cara appear excessively dolllike, even cutesy. But the animated art DC Zoom (160 pp.) style, with deeply textured acrylic colors in invitingly warm col- $9.99 paper | Oct. 29, 2019 ors and cheery scrapbook paper collage, buoys the effort. 978-1-4012-8620-0 It’s sentimental to be sure, but who can’t use a gentle nudge to remember manners? (Picture book. 4-8) The Black Canary takes flight. Dinah Lance is a typical white 13-year-old girl: She’s got a band, she’s THE MEMORY KEEPER got great friends, and she has great parents. A resident of Camiccia, Jennifer Gotham City, Dinah is eager to join the Gotham City Junior Aladdin (352 pp.) Police Academy to learn how to fight crime like her detective $17.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 father. There’s one unusual thing about Dinah: her vocal prow- 978-1-5344-3955-9 ess that’s just newly emerged. Dinah can use her voice with such intensity that glass shatters and people are bowled over. While Not-quite-13-year-old Lulu uncovers Dinah explores her newfound powers, she also digs in to the family secrets as she struggles to com- mysteries of her mother’s past and the identity of the shadowy pensate for—and cover up—her beloved figure threatening her family. The Black Canary has been enjoy- grandmother’s mental decline. ing a renaissance of late thanks to the popular TV With parents who are often (under- shows and a prominent placement in the current world of DC standably) emotionally unavailable, Lulu comics. Newcomers to the character will find just as much to is grateful for the constant love and support of her paternal enjoy here as those already familiar with her. Cabot does well by grandmother. But Gram is beginning to be forgetful in fright- Dinah Lance, embracing the spunky attitude Dinah fans adore. ening ways. Lulu hopes that her own extraordinary memory McGee’s artwork is kinetic and broad, brightly colored with will help her to figure out how to reverse her grandmother’s

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 93 Cecil’s playful language and shifting third-person narration create contexts within contexts. douglas

decline. Despite the serious subject matter, Lulu’s first-person THE BALCONY narration is light and conversational. Each chapter opens with Castrillón, Melissa the description of a different part of the human brain, helping Illus. by the author to foreshadow the plot’s twists and turns. Over the course of Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) several days and with help from friends Max and Olivia, Lulu $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 attempts to figure out why her allegedly French grandmother 978-1-5344-0588-2 has a journal written in Russian—and two different passports. Max and Olivia are convinced that espionage is involved. The A child gardener makes a new place subsequent investigation is engaging but not always believable, feel like home. and Lulu’s insights occasionally make her seem older than her The young protagonist, whose skin years. The eventual reveal of Gram’s hidden history does not, is the pale cream of the book’s paper, as Lulu hopes, precipitate a miraculous cure, but it does serve enjoys the lush garden of their country to bring the family closer together. Lulu, her family, and Olivia home, serenely having tea with animal present white; Max is presumably Latinx (he has a Spanish sur- friends. Then a job change for their par- name and “speaks Spanish fluently”). ents means goodbye. Saddened, they There’s so much going on readers might find it hard to move to an apartment in the city, from which they gaze long- get to know Camiccia’s appealing characters. (Fiction. 9-12) ingly at the distant country from their third-story balcony. They plant seeds in a pot, and, seemingly overnight, an asparagus- looking bloom sprouts. It grows steadily, eventually becom- VERY LULU ing even taller than the child’s parents. With more plants, the The (Mostly) True Story of a balcony soon becomes an overflowing oasis of flora, attracting Training School Dropout friendly animals, until the whole neighborhood is teeming with Campisi, Stephanie vegetation. The plants form connections among the commu- Illus. by Gibson, Jessica nity, including the protagonist’s friendship with a next-door– Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (32 pp.) neighbor child who has dark skin and wears their hair in braided $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 knots. The occasional text provides some plot developments (a 978-1-4926-7321-7 posted letter inviting the mother to take a job in the city) and conveys strong moods (“Hope” appears next to the child as they Lulu’s a fun-loving dog who flunks out of police-dog school pot their initial plant). Digitally colored pencil illustrations are only to discover that being herself is the greatest achievement classically styled, with hatchings, strong lines, playful spatial of all. distortions reminiscent of Wanda Gág, and a vintage-feeling Though Lulu is shunted into police-dog training because of tricolor palette. The organic elements have especially enchant- her good sniffing skills, it quickly becomes clear that she is not ing forms. Elegant drawings and sparse, emotive text make this a good fit for the work, despite well-meaning intervention and story accessible to readers of a wide age range. persistent effort. The “free spirit” is simply unable to perform A charmingly verdant tale in classic style. (Picture book. the required doggy tasks. Lulu’s true place is in a home with a 4-8) family—her handler’s, as it turns out. Throughout, the author is careful not to refer to the playful, happy Lulu in the pejorative— and this may seem a small point at first, but it is really the most DOUGLAS important part of this joyful story. The one mention of “failure” Cecil, Randy is handled carefully: When the police-dog trainer exhorts Lulu Illus. by the author to “be more like other dogs? You don’t want to fail, do you?” Lulu Candlewick (120 pp.) despairs, as she “had not known a dog could fail at anything.” $19.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 Children weighed down by the conformist pressures of school, 978-0-7636-3397-4 sports, and other activities will see that there are other ways to find one’s place in the world. The artwork is bright and dynamic, In this superb companion tale to with lots of frenetic doggy movement; Lulu’s handler and her Cecil’s Lucy (2016), the worlds of a movie- family present black; the police-dog trainer presents white. going girl, an audacious mouse, and a crafty Children will cheer for Lulu and learn the importance cat mingle and clash in Bloomville. of being themselves. (Picture book. 4-8) It’s a Saturday afternoon. Drawn by the scent of popcorn, Iris Espinosa heads to the cinema, passing by a big cat “with six toes on each paw” and a stoop kid on her walk. Taking her place in “her usual seat” in the front row, the young girl sits enthralled by Robin Hood when a mouse with a popcorn-stuffed stomach approaches the adjacent seat. The mouse snuggles up to Iris— burrowing into Iris’ pocket—and ends up going home with her; she dubs the mouse Douglas in honor of her favorite actor. (Iris

94 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | does not know that Douglas is, like her, female.) Now Douglas MY HEAD IN THE CLOUDS must brave the long journey—relatively speaking—back home Chaperon, Danielle to the cinema while eluding the hungry, terrible Six-Toed Cat, Illus. by Bisaillon, Josée a master of patience “after so many years” of mouse-hunting Trans. by Watson, Sophie B. experience. Similar to its beguiling predecessor, this adven- Orca (32 pp.) ture comes together in four acts full of quiet cliffhangers and $19.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 thrilling mouse heroics. Cecil’s playful language and shifting 978-1-4598-2178-1 third-person narration create contexts within contexts; each numbered chapter assumes the viewpoint of a character, major A child embarks on an imaginary or minor, in ways readers might need rereads to fully appreciate. international journey, using many con- The artist’s duotone-spun, vintage artwork recalls the quaint veyances, in recalling all the items lost on previous trips. splendors of yesteryear, peppered with minor visual gags and The text, originally French, is in four-line stanzas, mostly worldbuilding details. Primary human characters present white. in an aabb rhyming pattern, that are occasionally awkward in A splendiferous wowzer. (Picture book. 5-8) English: “In the deep, black waters of Loch Ness, / my mind wandered off and I forgot my address! / When I saw a yeti try- ing to get a fishy bite, / my stomach floated off and I lost my ELBOW GREASE VS. appetite.” In the accompanying spread, the child helms a yel- MOTOZILLA low submarine, a green Nessie swims nearby, and a large white Cena, John creature on a boat tries to grab fish with a net. Two fish have Illus. by McWilliam, Howard some writing on their bodies: the forgotten address? Happily,

Random House (40 pp.) there appears to be no image of the stomach or the appetite young adult $17.99 | $20.99 PLB | Oct. 8, 2019 that has floated off. Although the last page, with its short list 978-1-5247-7353-3 of facts about some places mentioned, instructs readers to look 978-1-5247-7354-0 PLB for the lost items, some ephemeral items seem impossible to find. Concrete objects can be found with close looking: a jacket Who needs sanity when you’ve got family? at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a scarf around the neck The title character of Elbow Grease (2018) and his family of of the Statue of Liberty, both mentioned in the accompanying Demolition Derby trucks return to face an all-new competitor. text. Some items are more metaphorical. Can readers “find my Once again, ’Bo is feeling inadequate next to his fan-favorite mind” as the girl requests, when she ventures into outer space? brothers. Despite Mel the Mechanic’s encouragement—he’s Although the whimsical multimedia illustrations are often “the best at getting better”—he wants to be noticed. But instead, engaging, this world journey offers little engagement with peo- he notices someone unavoidable. Motozilla, the monster ple and a very cursory view of iconic sights. machine that turns trucks “into crunch sandwiches,” is cur- This is one journey to skip. (Picture book. 5-7) rently undefeated. Trouble is, you’d need a truck with an array of skills to take him down. Thinking fast, ’Bo makes the wild and somewhat improbable suggestion that he and his brothers THE RETURN join together to form a single supertruck. Will it be enough to Chernysheva, Natalia take down this bully? Quips, jests, and teamwork are the name Illus. by the author of the game as pro wrestler Cena improves on his writing in Groundwood (36 pp.) this second outing, which demonstrates that individual glory $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 falls in the face of concentrated cooperation. Rollicking, radi- 978-1-77306-209-9 cal art portrays the battle in all its gritty glory, mud and twisted metal galore. Human crowds show a diverse range of races and A young adult comes home in Chernysheva’s uplifting word- genders, and the trucks’ keeper, Mel, has light-brown skin and less picture book. wears glasses. A lone house stands beside an outstretched tree in a vast, Engines won’t be the only thing roaring their approval empty field. The light-skinned traveler boards a yellow bus, its when this book hits storytime. (Picture book. 3-6) driver just a mere shadow. The yellow bus makes its way through the crowded streets of Moscow as buildings and churches loom overhead in a mishmash of lines and blank spaces. On and on the bus goes until it deposits the traveler onto that vast, empty field to make the way to the house, where a small figure tends the garden. The gardener—a parent or grandparent, perhaps— looks up. The giant traveler towers over the minuscule gardener in a series of double-page spreads that play with space and per- spective in unusual ways. Chernysheva’s plain, mostly colorless artwork maintains a focus on the long journey and eventual reunion thanks to the book’s languid pace. Color (primarily

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 95 red and yellow) emerges during seemingly minor yet significant accessible. Well, there are four until one finds a sandwich that moments, drawing attention to each character’s love for the lures four of the dispersed birds to return. That adds up to eight. other. A deep embrace and a sweet kiss to the cheek cement the And there they are, that now gray and cloudy morning, when relationship between the two adults. The old gardener stirs up it starts to rain and six pigeons fly away to seek shelter. Again, a pot of warm stew, and the traveler (now the size of a child) sits readers can count the birds to arrive at the new number, or they down amid the garden. can work the equation that is provided: “Let’s see…eight minus As comforting as a home-cooked meal. (Picture book. 4-7) six is…”? On the counting game goes via interruptions into the twilight, when the narrator gives up—these pigeons won’t stay still long enough to introduce them—until it comes time to go SHADOW to bed and end the story. Citro’s exasperated text works hand in Christopher, Lucy glove with Watson’s comical birds to make this counting game Illus. by Suvorova, Anastasia a joy rather than a task. The narrative text expresses equations Lantana (40 pp.) in words, and corresponding number sentences are tucked into $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 the scenes. 978-1-911373-83-4 Good fun for early counters. (Picture book. 4-8) A child finds a new playmate, but troubles hang like a cloud over the house. THE HAIRDO THAT GOT AWAY After a move, the narrator discovers Shadow, a spectral boy, Coelho, Joseph under the bed. They spend days together, although the narra- Illus. by Lumbers, Fiona tor’s perpetually distracted mother does not perceive Shadow Andersen Press USA (32 pp.) even as his shape changes. Eventually, the two leave and wander $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 into the woods, where Shadow goes off, leaving the child alone 978-1-5415-7841-8 in a visually arresting spread that isolates the muffler-clad child on a nearly all-black page. After “a while, a very long while,” the When Dad leaves, a young child is child reunites with Ma when they recognize each other’s shad- left to deal with roiling emotions and a ows. The white-presenting pair play and invite diverse new headful of overgrown, tangled hair. friends over for tea, including a cat that could be Shadow, who The story is told from the point of view of an unnamed is not unwelcome. The digital artwork strategically uses gray- child with an ambiguous gender presentation who’s used to scale with red and navy accents. The tale is definitely uncanny, going regularly with Dad to the barbershop for a haircut. One featuring a doppelgänger (“In the dark, Shadow and me were day, the child’s father leaves. The child’s blond hair starts grow- the same”), and the characters’ washed-out eyes have an eerie ing out of control. The longer Dad is gone, the longer the child’s look. Rest assured, there is a happy ending, with the mother hair grows, until teacher Miss Clarke can’t recognize her stu- present for multiple pages after the woods. Dappled edges dent and Mom, hidden under her own hair, can’t hear her child. and scratched textures embellish the dreamlike atmosphere. Young readers will recognize the feeling of tangled, unmanage- Whether seen as a metaphor for fear, grief, depression, or some- able emotions represented by the child’s hair. Yet the effect of thing else, this story professes that denial is not the way to deal this metaphor is limited by the author’s seeming unwillingness with one’s troubles; it is better to communicate and be together. to commit to details and to develop the metaphor fully. Did Sensitively shines a metaphorical light onto scary but the parents go through a separation, then reconcile? Was the nonetheless real emotions. (Picture book. 3-8) father in a psychiatric hospital? The lack of specificity means that adults should be cautious when choosing this book for a struggling child. It could either be a tool to spark discussion PIGEON MATH and self-reflection or a vehicle of false hope that a parent will Citro, Asia return and troubles will disappear. Lumbers’ illustrations are Illus. by Watson, Richard lively and effective when portraying the child in the wild mop, The Innovation Press (40 pp.) adding detail to the narrative, though the adults seem static in $16.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 comparison. Child, parents, and teacher all present white; class- 978-1-943147-62-5 mates are diverse. A tender story that fails to realize its full potential. (Pic­ A one-to-10 counting book featuring ture book. 3-7) a cast of active pigeons. “One bright and sunny morning, ten pigeons” sit on a wire when along come some bees and throw them all into a tizzy. A handful of the pigeons take off—readers can count their tails in the margins of the pages—so “OK. Let’s try that again. Um, ten minus six is… …four.” Readers can see right on the wire there that if six pigeons fly off, that leaves four—math at its most

96 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | At the conclusion of this beautiful book, readers will feel they have traveled a journey themselves. river

THE BEAST to some of the simplest principles of the technology at play and Condie, Ally & Reichs, Brendan are well varied. Some involve building, some are manual rep- Bloomsbury (272 pp.) lications of the base idea of the tech, some can be done solo $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 while others need friends (and one in particular is designed 978-1-5476-0203-2 for large groups and has classroom potential), and only a few Series: Darkdeep, 2 need specialized materials. The cautionary-tale segments range from science-fiction story prompts to current, real-world issues. This Halloween is not about trick-or- Anecdotal sidebars and panels add humor, trivia, and texture. treating for the Torchbearers. The illustrations include black-and-white photography and two- A team forged during their original color cartoons that serve to illustrate the experiments and offer adventure at Still Cove in series opener lighthearted amusement (such as villainous household appli- The Darkdeep (2018), Opal, Emma, Tyler, ances). While final art was unseen, the cartoon people, with Nico, and Logan are not quite done with the creatures of that black line art and page-white skin, have a good gender balance. terrifying place. Along with the gremlins and other wild “fig- Kids will have fun while building a solid foundation in ments” causing havoc in the small, Pacific Northwest town of how technologies work. (Nonfiction. -9 14) Timbers, new apparitions are on the loose, and it is the team’s job to catch whatever escapes the Darkdeep. Validating what was thought to be a harmless local legend, there’s been a sight- RIVER ing of an actual Beast, a demon that has crossed from another Cooper, Elisha dimension. With their parents conveniently absent, these sev- Illus. by the author

enth graders decide to investigate. The peculiar green blob in Orchard/Scholastic (48 pp.) young adult the jar has been speaking to both Opal and Nico psychically. $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 This disembodied being from another realm, whom the kids 978-1-338-31226-3 call Thing, tells the story of the origins of the Darkdeep and the connected realm of the Rift and offers to help the Torchbear- A woman travels the length of the ers seal the Rift. Now that the series is underway, this second Hudson River by canoe in Cooper’s installment offers more actualized characters and a darker back- (Train, 2013) latest, a 12-inch-square picture book. story than the first book, setting a more engaging pace. With an “Morning, a mountain lake. A traveler, a canoe.” Cooper’s early October release date, this will make a rousing Halloween text is spare in style yet detailed and lengthy: Paragraphs on each read. Tyler has dark skin and Opal and Logan, ambiguous black spread compete with pencil-and-watercolor illustrations that hair, but the book adheres to a white default. alternate among double-page panoramic landscapes of impres- With Volume 2, this series hits its stride. (Paranormal sive views, smaller scenes against white space, and miniature suspense. 10-12) vignettes of the faceless traveler in motion. The 300-mile solo journey itself begins with a question: “Can she do this?” A rock rises out of the water—no, “a moose.” There are rapids to brave, THE BOOK OF TERRIFYINGLY thunder, cold, a bear cub to avoid, a dam around which to por- AWESOME TECHNOLOGY tage (such vocabulary is made clear in context), and many more 27 Experiments for Young challenges to face. There are also the peaceful joys of “paddling, Scientists sketching, eating, camping, paddling again,” friendly faces at Connolly, Sean stops along the way, and the assurance that “she is strong, and Illus. by Baczynski, Kristyna she knows what she’s doing.” The myriad details about the jour- Workman (256 pp.) ney will interest slightly older, outdoorsy children interested in $14.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 adventure and travel. At the conclusion of this beautiful book, 978-1-5235-0494-7 when the water-weary traveler ends her journey in the arms of her loved ones, ready to turn her sketches and words into paint- An overview of technologies— ings and a story, readers will feel they have traveled a journey including holograms, GPS, electric themselves, and they just may wonder if they would ever have cars, and more—offering applications the strength, endurance, bravery and know-how to undertake and experiments. such an endeavor themselves. Before each of the 26 topical chapters culminates in an Expansive content impressively and beautifully pre- experiment, it follows a structure that gives an overview of the sented. (author’s note, note on the Hudson River, sources, technology, tells how it is improving life, its related applications, further reading, map) (Picture book. 6-12) and the “terrifying” potentials should the technology go bad or fall into the wrong hands. The text nicely contextualizes the technologies, both explaining the science and connecting it to the real world (especially in technology’s potential for solving looming global problems). The experiments introduce readers

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 97 A touching and well-told story of the heartbreak of memory loss. the day abuelo got lost

THE HIPPO AT THE END OF premise is unlikely (inside a museum, flying objects are discour- THE HALL aged, by guards if not by caregivers). Worse, when the child is inad- Cooper, Helen vertently separated from mom, dad, and sib, a great moment of Illus. by the author panic arises when the child stands alone between a brown-skinned Candlewick (352 pp.) family and a family of Orthodox Jews. A sweet double-page spread $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 of multicultural bonding with the Muslim family in the butterfly 978-1-5362-0448-3 garden does not diminish disturbing undercurrents. A thousand mixed messages at the museum. (Picture book. A young boy tries to preserve a mys- 3-7) terious natural history museum. Ben Makepeace has lived with his single mom in a basement apartment since his dad was lost at sea THE DAY ABUELO GOT LOST when Ben was 3. Receiving a cryptic invitation to “come now or Memory Loss of a Loved come never” to the Gee Museum, Ben ignores his mother’s advice Grandfather and bikes to the museum, which he finds closed. In a nearby cafe, de Anda, Diane Ben overhears Julian Pike, an unscrupulous real estate developer, Illus. by Harris, Alleanna and Tara Snow, a predatory museum director, plotting to ruin Whitman (32 pp.) the Gee if its elderly owner refuses to sell to them. Returning to $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 the Gee, Ben senses he’s been there before with his father and 978-0-8075-1492-4 learns from exhibit animals—a shrew, a hippo, an owl, and a cha- meleon—how his future depends on preventing the Gee’s sale. Family love in the face of loss is poi- When Pike and Snow take desperate measures, Ben unleashes gnantly shared by de Anda and Harris. dangerous “wild magic” within the museum and discovers his Luis, Mama, Papi, their dog, Sancho, and beloved Abuelo immutable connection to the Gee family. This supernatural tale are one tight familia. When Luis gets home from school he of self-discovery in a setting of rare natural history specimens spends the afternoons with Abuelo building models, learning to delivers a credible hero, folktale threads, memorable characters, paint, and sharing stories alongside tasty snacks. As time passes, and family bonds. Cooper’s worldbuilding seems endlessly inven- things begin to change. When Abuelo can no longer remember tive, the characters that inhabit the museum fully realized, up how to fit the models together, he and Luis can still paint side to and including the storytelling bees. Delicate, detailed pencil by side. When he forgets to turn off the stove, quesadillas trans- drawings track the drama and depict the principals as white. form into tasty PB&Js instead. But when Abuelo goes missing Unusual, fascinating, fast-paced. (author’s note) (Fan­ one day, it is clear things are changing quickly and will never tasy. 8-10) be the same. What afflicts Abuelo is never explicitly identified as the story unfolds, tenderly told in simple first person from Luis’ innocent and loving perspective as he slowly confronts EXPLORERS new symptoms of his grandfather’s progressive dementia. His Cordell, Matthew mother gives Luis sage advice that even though Abuelo’s mem- Illus. by the author ory is slipping he will always feel Luis’ love. Though this is cer- Feiwel & Friends (40 pp.) tainly a sweet sentiment, many dementia patients experience $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 apathy and changes in personality along with their memory 978-1-250-17496-3 loss, so the truth of Mama’s words is somewhat in doubt. This is nevertheless a touching and well-told story of the heartbreak of In this almost wordless book, a family of four encounters memory loss through the lens of family-oriented Latino culture. cultural diversity in the exhibits and the patrons of an urban A lovely and needed story of familia in which love con- museum. quers loss. (Picture book. 4-7) None of the text issues from people’s mouths; it is found either on signs or exhibition labels, or it expresses actions. In several pages of frontmatter, readers see the nuclear family—a white dad, TRINI’S BIG LEAP a beige-skinned mom, a perhaps school-age child, and a younger de Wit, Alexander & Kephart, Beth child, both white-presenting—meet a scruffy sidewalk vendor Illus. by Sulit, William advertising “magic.” He creates flying birds from paper and scissors, Penny Candy (32 pp.) and, at the older child’s urging, the father buys one. Throughout $17.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 the book, the child sends the bird flying inside the museum, each 978-0-9996584-5-1 time releasing it with a “ksssshhh.” The masterful cartoons convey a dinosaur skeleton with the same ease as the protagonist’s scowl- Trini can do everything, or so she ing face when a little boy in a brown-skinned Muslim family (mom thinks, until she discovers she can’t. and sister wear hijab) catches the bird. Although the protagonist’s In her flowery green dress, yellow father appropriately reprimands his offspring for this rudeness, the boots, and red superhero cape, Trini can

98 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | do anything. “She was the highest flyer, the strongest gripper, MY BIG BEAR, MY LITTLE the most spectacular cartwheeler at Bounce and Build.” But BEAR AND ME one day she finds her friends are not around her as she “leaps del Mazo, Margarita and twirls and swirls and curls”; they are instead playing with Illus. by Bonilla, Rocio blocks. When she tries to build “a castle with a tower,” Trini Trans. by Dawlatly, Ben finally finds something she cannot do. After initial frustration nubeOCHO (36 pp.) she accepts help from her friends, and together they have a $16.95 | Oct. 22, 2019 wonderful time building a castle. The next day Trini is back and 978-84-17123-50-5 ready to help her friends perform all the gymnastics that she is Series: Somos Ocho so good at, “And in their own ways, with Trini’s help, they did.” Trini is depicted with black hair and olive skin; of her friends, Two bears are decidedly better than one. two are white and two are darker-skinned, one possibly black. The little protagonist puts a hat on a stuffed bear, then In a lengthy afterword directed at parents, co-author de Wit bends forward a bit so that a big bear in a woolly green coat can explains the importance of exposing children to a variety of perform the same service. The two walk hand in hand out into experiences both challenging and easy in order to promote their the snowy day. The big bear hoists the child and stuffed bear development, teach them to overcome obstacles, and maybe onto broad shoulders. The stuffed bear rests against a toadstool awaken a life calling. while the child makes a snowman. Later, both child and stuffed Partly a parenting book, partly aimed at children, best bear are wrapped in the big bear’s coat for warmth. The stuffed read and discussed together. (Picture book. 4-7) bear helps the child make friends with several animals, includ- ing a rabbit and a squirrel. Child and toy sled joyfully down a

snowy hill before the trio heads home. “If you have a big bear young adult MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU and a little bear, you’ll never lose your way.” Up to this point, Dee, Barbara readers have seen the big bear only from the back; at this point Aladdin (304 pp.) they discover that the furry ears and head are only a hat. It’s $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 not a bear at all but evidently the child’s caregiver, white like 978-1-5344-3237-6 the protagonist. The stark, wintertime illustrations and mini- mal, repetitive text introduce a sweet premise but ultimately A seventh grader copes with sexual add up to very little. Only the youngest will be surprised by the harassment organized and perpetrated reveal—and they may be disappointed that that nurturing bear by several boys in her class. is not ursine after all. This import from Spain publishes simulta- Mila’s conversational first-person neously with the Spanish-language original. narration makes her experiences imme- Two bears but not much there. (Picture book. 3-5) diate and her emotions clear. Confused, frustrated, angry, and scared, Mila feels even worse because she can’t count on her usual circle of friends. Zara seems weirdly THE HOUSE THAT envious of the boys’ attention. Quiet Omi hates confrontation. CLEANED ITSELF And Max is busy with new student (and his new crush) Jared. The True Story of He’s also disappointed that Mila won’t take his advice to report Frances Gabe’s (Mostly) the harassment. Meanwhile, Mila’s divorced mom just lost Marvelous Invention her job, and looking after her younger sister takes more time Dershewitz, Laura & Romberg, Susan and energy than Mila has sometimes. Adding in band practice, Illus. by Rader, Meghann karate classes, and making some new friends creates a story that The Innovation Press (40 pp.) feels almost as overstuffed as the typical middle schooler’s life. $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 Dee’s smooth writing style and short chapters, however, keep 978-1943147-65-6 the action moving briskly. The topic—and the boys’ actions—is potentially upsetting but never described in a graphic or gratu- What should you do when a house gets dirty? itous way. Mila’s reluctance to involve her mother or other adults An idea began to percolate in Frances Gabe’s mind after she feels believable, if unfortunate, and her internal dialogues about hosed off a jam-spotted kitchen wall. An avowed hater of house- what is happening and why ring true. The eventual, hard-won work during a time when women were questioning their roles as resolution does require adult intervention, and it’s satisfying to homemakers, Frances wondered how she could create a house see the adults own up to their own shortcomings. Mila and Max that would clean up after itself. This unusual biography, with present white; Omi is Latinx (from the Dominican Republic), chatty text and appealing, retro-styled illustrations, has a distinc- and Zara presents black. tive focus; it depicts the development of an idea that—at least so This timely exploration of a depressingly common expe- far—has not been embraced. Through innovative thinking, resil- rience should begin some useful conversations. (Fiction. 10-14) ience, a feminist sensibility, and a touch of zaniness, Frances— who had only a high school education—did succeed in making a house that washed itself, but despite the attention the house

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 99 INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Pablo Cartaya

THE PURA BELPRÉ HONOR–WINNING WRITER’S NEW NOVEL IS ABOUT A NEURODIVERSE PRETEEN’S POLITICAL AND SOCIAL AWAKENING By Joshunda Sanders Photo courtesy Leah Wharton has ADHD, but that’s not what defines her.” I talked to Cartaya recently about the new novel.

How did you decide to tackle PTSD and ADHD or neuro- diversity in the book? In many ways it’s just a love letter to my kid. She’s often in a battle with how she processes information and the way that she thinks. Oftentimes, especially father figures have a tendency to say, “Let me be a dad and try to fix it for you.” I wanted to step away from that and let this girl dictate the terms and how she navigates it. The tackling of the issues is more a function of where the story took me and what man- ifested itself to me when I was writing. Including PTSD is a really personal story element too—some close friends and even my own father were in the military. Throughout my life I’ve been close to people who were in the wars in Iraq, and their return has always been this quiet return to civilian life that many service people don’t talk a lot about.

Did you intentionally put the adults in the novel on the periphery? Twelve and a half is an age when kids are still holding on a little to their childhood and heading into their teenage years trying to find who they are and who they are trying to be. I’ve had my daughter say, “I don’t want you to tell me; I just want you to listen.” That was profound for me, and I wanted to In Each Tiny Spark (Aug. 6), award-winning author Pablo honor that in this character. I always write with a lot of adults Cartaya introduces us to Emilia Rosa Torres, a preteen with in my books. Even though kids this age don’t want adults ADHD who has to learn to navigate multiple complex re- around, they’re still pretty reliant on them. I populate my lationship dynamics when her mother leaves on a business books with a lot of adults because that’s reality, but the kids trip. Her father returns again from deployment, this time are very much navigating their relationships with adults. But grappling with PTSD. Her abuela hovers constantly, and, letting these kids—especially Emilia—say, “This is my voice, from afar, via video calls, her mother tries to do the same. this is my identity, this is what I believe about myself,” that’s But ultimately Emilia Rosa learns to trust herself and how going to carry her to the next phase of being an adult. to connect with her father through their welding work on an old car that deepens their bond. “I’ve wanted to write I noticed that you don’t italicize the Spanish language this book my whole life,” Cartaya says. “I have a 12 1/2–year- words in the book. Tell me about that choice. old daughter and [Each Tiny Spark] was kind of my way of My first language was Spanish. I didn’t speak English until just listening to the way that she navigates the world. She I was 5. Little by little I lost my Spanish. I spoke with my

100 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | abuelos in Spanish, but in school we were made to speak only in English. When I was growing up, I couldn’t read in Spanish anymore, I couldn’t write in Spanish, and I lost it. At one point, I had finished college and I spoke to someone from Peru, and he called me Gringo. That really affected me. Because here I was very proud of my Cuban heritage, but now I was defined by my lack of my birth language and having any command over it. When garnered, it was deemed impractical (indoor raincoats and mul- I set out to write my stories, at first, it was a way to re- tiple machines were seen as too much). Still, her enthusiasm, claim that language or identity for myself. Then when purpose, and originality shine through in this gently humor- ous selection, showing that effort is worthwhile, and besides, kids started reading my books, they said things to me “maybe one day a young inventor will figure out how to build on like, “Gracias, Señor Pablo, I’ve never seen myself in a Frances’s ideas—and go out and do something about it.” Frances book before,” or, “I know, my abuela is just like that.” was white, but the young girl staring determinedly at building Something really profound happened to me that blocks opposite this statement is a child of color. This quirky selection shows the lively inner life of a this is beyond reclaiming my language or my dual lan- less-than-successful inventor who followed her dreams. guage; this is about giving a voice to a lot of young peo- (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-10) ple who share my experience, who are native-born Span- ish speakers and they go to school and it’s erased but COMPUTER DECODER their abuela speaks Spanish. This is for them. I personal- Dorothy Vaughan, ly don’t italicize Spanish—I don’t have anything against Computer Scientist people who do—but it’s because of the historical erasure Diehn, Andi Illus. by Mazeika, Katie of that and fighting to reclaim it. It’s taken a long time Nomad Press (32 pp.) for me to feel like my voice matters and bringing that $16.95 | $9.95 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 voice into my books includes Spanish. That was the lan- 978-1-61930-556-4 young adult guage of my abuelos. Erasing that or making an obvious 978-1-619305765-0 paper Series: Picture Book Biographies translation is erasing my abuelos and my history. This simple biography of African American NASA com- I Can puter Dorothy Vaughan contrasts her intelligence and initia- Joshunda Sanders is the author of the children’s book tive with the nonsensical rules of segregation in her time. Write the World. Each Tiny Spark received a starred review Vaughan is introduced as a woman who worked as a human in the May 15, 2019, issue. computer during the 1940s and 1950s. Her “unusual” accomplish- ment of attending college as an African American woman was followed by a job teaching in segregated schools, which didn’t pay much. When she saw that the Langley Memorial Aeronau- tical Laboratory was hiring human computers, she applied and got the job. At Langley, the engineers who were testing airplanes were mostly men (depicted as white in the illustrations), and they needed the help of human computers, who were mostly women. In the middle of the story, segregation is introduced as “one thing that didn’t make sense” at Langley and throughout Vaughan’s life. But “Dorothy didn’t let this stop her. She worked hard. She worked smart.” After becoming a supervisor, she decided to learn about the new mechanical computer. She became an expert in computer code and taught others. Vaughan’s accomplishments are truly impressive, and this is one of the first picture books to focus on this mathematician, one of those featured in Hidden Figures. Unfortunately, the text relates her story as a recitation of facts, and the pictures lack variety and appear static. This book is one of four introducing young readers to women in STEM; simul- taneously publishing are Fossil Huntress (about paleontologist Mary Leakey), Human Computer (about engineer Mary Jackson), and Space Adventurer (about astronaut Bonnie Dunbar). While this book gets the job done, here’s hoping live- lier titles on this fascinating personality will appear soon. (activities, timeline, glossary) (Picture book/biography. 5-8) (Fossil Huntress: 978-1-61930-770-4, 978-1-61930-773-5 paper; Human Computer: 978-1-61930-774-2, 978-1-61930-777-3 paper; Space Adven- turer: 978-1-61930-766-7, 978-1-61930-769-8 paper) (Note: Diehn is a freelance contributor to Kirkus.)

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 101 A wickedly funny allegory for today’s post-truth era. the rabbits’ rebellion

ADORABULL rabbits peeking slyly from the margins. Even as the Wolf King Donald, Alison goes to ever crueler lengths to assert his kingly authority and Illus. by Willmore, Alex to have grander and tougher-appearing photos of himself cir- Maverick Publishing (32 pp.) culated, the rabbits in the photos become more numerous and $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 bolder. The exhausted monkey, bullied by the King’s counsellor, 978-1-84886-412-2 tries vainly to erase all the rabbits. The adults in the story obey in fear, but the daughter of the elderly monkey speaks the truth A perplexed bull ponders the secret about rabbits: “Everybody knows they exist.” of being cute. A wickedly funny allegory for today’s post-truth era. Human Tom and bull Alfred have grown up together on (Fantasy. 4-10) a farm, forming a tight friendship. When Tom starts school, Alfred is bored. Then, betrayal: Tom announces he needs a pet that is “absolutely, totally… / …adorable!” Alfred, with his shaggy THE THINGS brown fur and boulder of a body, immediately takes offense. He Dostalova, Petronela looks up “adorable” on the farmer’s borrowed phone and finds Illus. by the author pictures of fluffy animals in aww-inspiring escapades. Alfred Child’s Play (32 pp.) tries to imitate them, with destructive success. Sill stumped, $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 Alfred takes a trip to the hair salon (where readers can see some 978-1-78628-190-6 racial diversity beyond Tom’s white family) for “a new look” that involves lots of curls and bows, but he receives laughter for his Two Things overcome mistrust to troubles. Then Tom offers the discouraged bull a gift: a white become friends. kitten! It turns out that Tom’s intention was to give Alfred a A red Thing—smiley, bean-shaped, and bespectacled—lives friend so he wouldn’t be lonely. As a pair, the animals are “ador- a solitary existence. It has two friends, a cactus and a moose able.” The unaffected text never overwhelms the pictures and shadow puppet. The cactus is nice, if a bit hard to hug, and could offer a transition into independent reading with mostly Moose is friendly but prone to disappear. Thing also appar- easily decoded vocabulary. Intentionally juvenile-looking pic- ently doesn’t know what it looks like: “Am I red all over?” it asks tures are as rough as Alfred’s temper and as unrefined as his per- Cactus. “I wish I could see in the broken mirror.” But one day ception of the situation. The characters’ small hands and hooves Thing looks out the window to the beach and sees an Other as well as simplified facial features (small black dots and lines) Thing, identical except for its sea-green tint. Thing is immedi- make them all nonthreatening, matching the book’s sentiment. ately concerned, deciding that “Other Thing doesn’t look like Like its protagonist, this book tries hard to be endear- us. Other thing has big floppy ears like these. Other Thing ing. (Picture book. 3-7) wears silly clothes. Just like these.” (Thing points to its own floppy ears and silly clothes.) Thing decides that “It is definitely a most dangerously dangerous Other Thing!” But when Moose THE RABBITS’ REBELLION disappears again, Thing goes in search of it, and Other Thing Dorfman, Ariel offers comfort. That’s all it takes for the two to become life- Illus. by Riddell, Chris long friends. The Things have a certain strange cuteness about Triangle Square Books for Young them, but this is an extremely rudimentary and uneven attempt Readers (64 pp.) to explore xenophobia and prejudice. The lack of significant $12.95 | Nov. 19, 2019 character development and the absurdly simple resolution to 978-1-60980-937-9 an almost nonexistent conflict mar its success, especially with the undeveloped broken-mirror metaphor. A narcissistic Wolf King insists that Clumsy but not charmless. (Picture book. 3-6) rabbits don’t exist in this allegory. Originally published in England in 2001 and in North America for the first time with this edition, WACKO author/playwright/poet/essayist Dorfman’s story speaks clearly Durham, Ali today. The book’s small trim and the abundant, adroit black- Illus. by the author and-white illustrations throughout point to an audience of chil- Starfish Bay (36 pp.) dren. But the story, that of a ruthless, ignorant, vain Wolf King, $16.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 who, after conquering the “land of the rabbits,” announces that 978-1-76036-073-3 rabbits have ceased to exist (even though they haven’t), works on a second level as well. On the surface, the story is amusing. A young mouse shows Grandpa all of Despite the King’s insistence that there are no rabbits, the pho- the skills he learns and the activities he loves to do throughout tographs that he has hired an elderly monkey photographer to the first few years of life. take in order to record “each important act in my life” (“and all Grandson and Grandpa spend a lot of time together. From my acts…are supremely important,” he states) turn out to have taking his first steps through eating porridge all by himself to

102 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | learning to swim, the little mouse experiences all of it with EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS his beloved grandfather. He not only shows Grandpa all the ENTOMOLOGIST things he learns to do, but also all of the activities that bring The True Story of a World- him joy. Together the two of them dance, read about dinosaurs, Traveling Bug Hunter and make art. All the while, readers see how proud the young Evans, Christine mouse is of all of his accomplishments, and Grandpa reinforces Illus. by Imamura, Yasmin this, telling him how appreciative he is to be present for all of The Innovation Press (40 pp.) the youngster’s childhood milestones. The title word, consid- $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 ered by many Americans a slur, is defined as “an old Austra- 978-1-943147-66-3 lian expression which describes amazement and delight,” and Grandpa uses it often. Simple but colorful illustrations of these A picture-book biography of Englishwoman Evelyn Chees- anthropomorphic mice make the book feel light and delightful. man emphasizes her perseverance in a man’s world during a par- The abab rhyme scheme provides a musical element to the story, ticularly male-oriented era. engaging readers. Typical age and gender assumptions depicted The first verso shows three light-skinned girls in pinafores, range from Grandpa’s naps and use of a cane to the grandson’s their activities demonstrating that girls in the 1880s were blue clothing and dinosaur books. expected to be “quiet, clean, and covered with lace.” As with all From Down Under, a celebration of the uniqueness of the art, color and composition are appealing, but the humans the child-grandparent relationship. (Picture book. 3-6) are bland and one-dimensional. The text goes on to say that girls were certainly banned from “bug hunts.” On the facing page, a soiled little girl kneels in a forest glade, dragonfly on

COMMON THREADS forefinger. The text reads, “But Evelyn went anyway.” That man- young adult Adam’s Day at the Market tra is repeated when, years later, she becomes the first woman Essa, Huda to run the London Zoo’s insect house; the third time involves Illus. by Tous, Mercè world travel as an insect-collecting woman. Its fourth repeti- Sleeping Bear Press (32 pp.) tion unabashedly introduces the uncomfortable fact of colo- $16.99 | Aug. 15, 2019 nialism. On the Pacific island of Nuku Hiva, the white woman 978-1-53411-010-6 stands in her standard outfit of crisp white shirt and safari hat, facing “villagers”—five brown-skinned people with grass skirts In this nearly wordless picture book, and spears—who tell her not to climb a steep cliff. “But Evelyn young Adam wanders away from his par- went anyway.” She is eventually recognized by Queen Elizabeth ents at the busy outdoor market, but diverse strangers help him II for, among other things, “discover[ing] new species” in other find them again. populated parts of the empire. Perhaps it is by way of apology Brown-skinned Adam wanders through Eastern Market that further notes on Cheesman appear after an interview with with his mom, a dark-skinned woman wearing a blue hijab and contemporary female entomologist Alexandra Harmon-Thre- long tunic, and his dad, a light-skinned man wearing a kufi and att, who is African American. shalwar kameez. When he spots a scavenging blue jay, he follows Too glib for comfort. (endnotes, bibliography.) (Biogra- it to watch it eat peanuts. He taps a woman from behind, asking, phy. 6-8) “Isn’t it neat, Mama?” But he is surprised when the woman turns around: Although her hair is covered and she wears a long, blue dress, it’s a kindly stranger, not his mom. Small vignettes show THE COLLECTED WORKS OF Adam wandering through the crowd at the adults’ waist level, GRETCHEN OYSTER repeatedly mistaking other grown-ups for his parents, often Fagan, Cary based on similar styles of dress whose variations indicate other Illus. by the author cultures (for example, a habit, a head wrap, and a sari). As he Tundra (176 pp.) keeps searching, the strangers begin searching for his parents $16.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 too, resulting in a reunion in which all of the adults greet each 978-0-73526-621-6 other warmly. The colorful illustrations invite basic seek-and- find fun as well as offering meaning at a deeper level for readers Hartley, floundering at home and who want to identify the cultures represented. An afterword school from a family trauma, finds a titled “Becoming a Cultural Detective” asks readers to consider strange artistic postcard—and then clothing as just one indication of identity and encourages cul- another, and another. tural curiosity but does not identify the clothing and cultures Ever since Hartley’s older brother, Jackson, ran away, his in the book. parents are breaking down and his older sister’s become insuf- A visual feast filled with food for thought. (Picture book. ferable. Only baby brother George, a sweet and funny kid, 3-9) seems to be thriving. In his discombobulated state of mind, how can Hartley come up with a topic for the big (extremely undirected and undersupervised) middle school final project?

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 103 But amid Hartley’s eighth grade disorientation, he finds a ASTRID AND THE SKY CALF quirky, collaged postcard. It bears a picture of fish and an off- Faragher, Rosie beat, typewritten phrase, is numbered “1,” and is signed “g.o.” in Illus. by the author the corner. Not long after, he finds a second postcard, equally Child’s Play (32 pp.) quirky, numbered “2.” Thus begins Hartley’s quest to find all the $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 postcards in the series as well as the artist, the mysterious g.o. 978-1-78628-354-2 Interwoven between some of Hartley’s chapters are interludes from the point of view of one Gretchen Oyster, a blue-haired, A young physician learns a valuable skateboarding high school girl with an artistic project. Despite lesson about emotional care. choppy prose characterized by a plethora of one-sentence para- Dr. Astrid, a blue-haired white girl in a yellow lab coat, tends graphs and a setting that ranges from humorously absurd to to her Magical Beasts and makes sure they’re always in the best simply implausible, the spare text and compelling illustrations of spirits. One day a sky calf (a substantial-looking young bovine of the postcards combine to make an appealing whole. Hartley’s with yellow wings) flies in through her window and stands there, white; Gretchen was adopted from China as a baby and is sub- gazing at the young physician with a worried expression. Dr. ject to racist and anti-adoption bullying. Astrid asks what’s wrong, but the sky calf doesn’t hint to any A charmingly eccentric tale of briefly intersecting lives illness. Dr. Astrid checks the sky calf’s temperature and heart- making meaning from art. (Fiction. 11-13) beat. She then uses her handy sticky tape to fix the problem, but the sky calf doesn’t respond to the treatment. Instead of try- ing to treat the sky calf physically, Dr. Astrid decides to spend MR. TEMPKIN CLIMBS A TREE time with the sky calf: playing games, coloring, and just keeping Fagan, Cary the calf company. The ensuing picture book is a pleasant ode Illus. by Arbat, Carles to the understated delight of just spending time with a friend. Kar-Ben (32 pp.) The illustrations are drawn with thick scratchy lines and col- $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 ored with broad strokes; Astrid is the white of the paper. The 978-1-5415-2173-5 style evokes the hand-drawn art many little ones bring home from school to put upon the fridge. The book’s pace is calmly A young boy and his elderly neighbor bond during the sum- measured, best read on a lazy sunny day—the kind when read- mer months. ers might find sky calves flying through their own windows. When school is out, Marky enjoys helping Mr. Tempkin An imaginative, leisurely paced tale. (Picture book. 3-5) with his garden. While watering the flowers and pulling weeds, Marky listens to Mr. Tempkin impart his philosophy on aging well: Walk every day to synagogue, enjoy the flowers and birds THE HIKE in the garden, and, most of all, value friendship. When the elder Farrell, Alison falls and gets hurt because he decides to climb a tree to hang a Illus. by the author bird feeder, Marky is there to get help. Once Mr. Tempkin is Chronicle (56 pp.) back from the hospital, in a wheelchair with a sprained ankle, $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 Marky is even more willing to be there for his friend; it’s a 978-1-4521-7461-7 mitzvah, after all, to wheel Mr. Tempkin to synagogue and do the work in the garden. By summer’s end Mr. Tempkin’s ankle Three children hike up a mountain together, enjoying the is healed and the affinity between the two neighbors has blos- process in different ways. somed into a very special relationship. Detailed, realistic paint- Wren, a brown child with an afro puff and glasses, brings a ings in bright, sunny, summer colors portray a largely white sketchbook and a flag. El, an Asian-presenting child, brings a suburban community (although a final school-bus scene reflects poetry notebook. Hattie, the smallest, with tan skin and a mop a diverse group of kids). The fluid narrative arc extends main of reddish-brown hair, brings feathers and holds Bean the dog’s themes of friendship and the Jewish value of mitzvah: doing leash. Hiking is their “favorite thing to do”—and no wonder. good through genuine caring. They start out running “like maniacs” through the forest until A gentle story with minimal intrigue and plenty of com- they reach “a ripe patch of thimbleberries,” which they eat until passion highlights the beauty of intergenerational relation- they’re full. El teaches the others to make little leaf baskets. ships. (Picture book. 5-8) They get lost and Hattie uses maps to find their way. They draw wildlife, spot deer tracks, and, in a magic moment, actually see a deer before it startles and disappears. The children tire, but they help one another persevere, and finally, as the sky turns yellow-pink, they reach the top, where the flag, a poem, and the feathers make for a simple celebration. After a satisfied moment of rest, they return to their small, apparently adult-free home as the stars come out (constellations are depicted). The flora and fauna of their Western woodland are labeled on each spread,

104 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Forsythe’s smudgily glowing paintings alternate Rousseau-esque forest forms with cozy interiors. pokko and the drum

and views of the children’s sketches share more of the experi- girls and soccer for boys. When his female classmate Andrea ence with readers. Well-designed pictures create a depth and “Andi” Carillo shows up for soccer tryouts, he’s impressed by fullness that immerse readers in the forest. Endmatter makes her skill on the field. Others, however, are upset and even angry clever use of Wren’s sketch pad to offer additional information that she’s attempting to join the team. When Andi is unjustly about things seen in the woods. excluded by a disgruntled coach, Jeff and Andi reach out to Utterly satisfying. (Picture book. 3-9) the media to pressure him into letting her on the team. Andi grapples for playing time and soon proves her strength on and off the field, but the team is still fractured by huge disagree- EMBER AND THE ments over Andi and even bigger egos. The team will have to ICE DRAGONS learn to work together to reach their goal of winning the confer- Fawcett, Heather ence title. Feinstein includes detailed play-by-play of the middle Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (368 pp.) school soccer matches that will be thrilling for soccer buffs but $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 less exciting for the casual reader. Andi’s grit and refusal to back 978-0-06-285451-3 down in the face of sexism are inspirational and reflect the real challenges facing student athletes today. It is mentioned briefly Twelve-year-old Ember tries to save that one soccer teammate is Jewish and two are black; other ice dragons and learns her own strength characters are assumed white. along the way. Soccer fans will get a kick out of the game-day action in Infant fire dragon Ember is discov- this straightforward series opener. (Fiction. 8-14) ered in Wales by Lionel St. George, a bril-

liant but error-prone Stormancer and Magician, near the bodies young adult of her slain, fire-dragon parents, hunted down for their valuable POKKO AND THE DRUM scales. To protect her, Lionel casts a spell to disguise Ember as a Forsythe, Matthew human child, and she grows up at Chesterfield University, where Illus. by the author Lionel teaches. In human form, Ember has the fire dragon’s abil- Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster ity to create fire, but she can’t control it. Distraught after she (64 pp.) burns Lionel’s office, Ember decides to live in Antarctica at the $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 research station Lionel’s sister runs. Fawcett’s story starts out 978-1-4814-8039-0 slowly, with a tad too much explanation, but the plot picks up intriguingly as Ember, homesick in Antarctica, is befriended by Pokko’s parents give her a drum— Nisha, the child of one of the station’s scientists, and the mysteri- biggest mistake ever—and she makes a ous orphan Moss. When Ember learns that there is to be a Win- thoroughgoing racket. terglass Hunt to kill ice dragons for their scales, she is horrified Her father suggests taking her drum outside. “But don’t and determines to sabotage it. Neatly sidestepping tropes and make too much noise. We’re just a little frog family that lives in templates, Fawcett’s story is full of original details that add depth a mushroom, and we don’t like drawing attention to ourselves.” to the fairly straightforward plot (Montgomery, the enchanted, Pokko sets off quietly into the too-quiet forest. She taps her cantankerous doorknob, is a hoot). But it is the richly nuanced drum “just to keep herself company.” When a banjo-playing primary and secondary characters, as well as the evenhanded raccoon follows her, she plays louder. A trumpet-playing rab- inclusion of females as intelligent scientists, that give the story bit’s next, then a wolf, ostensibly there for the music. In a plot its richness. The cast is racially varied; Ember, her adoptive family, twist evocative of Jon Klassen, the wolf eats the rabbit, earning and Moss read as white while Nisha has brown skin. Pokko’s stern rebuke: “No more eating band members or you’re Fresh and original. (Fantasy. 9-12) out of the band.” Soon, many animals—some making music, others enjoying it—are following Pokko. When her father calls her to dinner, he hears faint music, growing louder. The crowds BENCHWARMERS sweep in, carrying off Pokko’s parents. (Comically, her mother’s Feinstein, John still engrossed in the book she’s been reading throughout.) Her Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) father thinks he spies Pokko down in front. “And you know $16.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 what?…I think she’s pretty good!” Pokko’s a self-possessed 978-0-374-31203-9 marvel, brave enough to walk alone, face down a wolf, and lead Series: Benchwarmers, 1 a band. Forsythe’s smudgily glowing paintings alternate Rous- seau-esque forest forms with cozy interiors; stripes and harle- An all-boys soccer team is put to the quin diamonds decorate clothing. test when a talented girl wants to join Celebrating both community and individuality, this their ranks. droll, funny offering will tickle kids and adults alike. (Picture Jeff Michaels is excited to learn that book. 4-8) his middle school will now be offer- ing sports teams for sixth graders in the fall: field hockey for

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 105 Gabriel consistently places Sam’s feelings at the center and emphasizes that his boyhood isn’t determined by how he dresses or plays. sam!

HOW TO CODE A and an atypical happy ending. After each tale, Funke explains ROLLERCOASTER why she loves it or how it shaped her novels. Giving context to Funk, Josh the periods and countries of the tales, she critically analyzes and Illus. by Palacios, Sara reflects on their conveyed social values. Viking (44 pp.) Denouncing past social norms, these tales are bewitch- $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 ing. (Folktales. 10-14) 978-0-425-29203-7

Pearl and her robot, Pascal, take their coding skills for a spin SAM! at the amusement park in this Girls Who Code picture book, a Gabriel, Dani follow-up to How To Code a Sandcastle (2018). Illus. by Liu-Trujillo, Robert The park has many rides to choose from, and Pearl has 10 Penny Candy (52 pp.) tokens to last her the day. But her favorite ride, the Python $16.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 roller coaster, looks busy. Pearl decides to do something else 978-0-9996584-3-7 fun, using code concepts such as variables to keep track of the length of the line and her remaining tokens and a conditional A 9-year-old trans boy comes out to statement to decide when to return to the Python. Through- his family members, who show their love out, computer science terms are defined crisply in the text and and support for him. vividly illustrated in the pictures, which use images such as Sam, a boy “filled with dreams and popcorn bags for variables and the Ferris wheel for loops (keep- spirit and laughter,” isn’t sure how he feels about his older sister, ing track of ice cream flavors seems somewhat contrived). The Maggie. She bosses him around a lot, but sometimes they have backmatter explains these ideas more fully. Pascal’s too-literal fun together riding their bikes. No one but Sam knows that he interpretations of Pearl’s statements make for several amusing is a boy called Sam, including his sister. Everyone treats him like moments along the way. When Pearl runs short of tokens (a a girl, which makes him feel sad. When one of the kids at school missed opportunity to talk about checking for more than one upsets Sam, he confides in Maggie about who he is. With her condition?), she’s undaunted by the disaster, taking readers on help, he tells his family and finds happiness. Palely hued illus- a fun hunt for a secret hidden password, in a nod to the impor- trations with the look of watercolor depict Sam and his family tance of proper sequencing. Pearl has brown skin and black as people of color, and the characters who appear in the back- curls; others at the park have a variety of skin tones. ground at Sam’s school reflect a racially and culturally diverse Despite minor bumps, a ride that’s worth returning to. world. Gabriel consistently places Sam’s feelings at the center (Picture book. 4-8) and emphasizes that his boyhood isn’t determined by how he dresses or plays. While Gabriel acknowledges that Sam’s par- ents, teachers, and classmates take time to feel comfortable THROUGH THE WATER with Sam’s identity, the story concentrates on Sam’s emotional CURTAIN journey through sadness and anger to, ultimately, happiness Ed. by Funke, Cornelia that he can be himself rather than on the learning process of Pushkin Press (224 pp.) those around him. Even though Sam and his sister don’t always $20.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 get along, her support for her brother is unflinching and heart- 978-1-78269-200-3 ening, and their relationship becomes closer because of it. A coming-out story radiating warmth and joy. (author’s An anthology of diverse tales that note) (Picture book. 5-7) stray away from the norm. This collection of 13 lesser-known fairy tales from Europe and Asia begins PATIENCE, MIYUKI with the Japanese tale of a boy who continually draws cats, Galliez, Roxane Marie emphasizing a hero who finds his artistic ability and the life it Illus. by Ratanavanh, Seng Soun creates. From Germany, the tale of six brothers who turn into Princeton Architectual Press (32 pp.) swans and their sister who saves them by not speaking for years $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 presents a different kind of heroine, with patience and quiet 978-1-61689-843-4 strength. “The One-Handed Murderer,” from Italy, is a tale of a strong, independent woman who saves herself from the titu- Sometimes the surprises come when lar . The words of these tales create enthralling images, you slow down and look around you. transporting readers to earlier times and enchanted worlds. Edi- In this follow-up to Time for Bed, tor Funke introduces the collection, explaining her attraction Miyuki (2018), the title character is up to the darker, unorthodox stories. Refreshingly, many of these with the sun to greet colorful blossoms and experience the tales differ from the more famous ones that follow a patriarchal, transformative magic of spring. The little Japanese girl cajoles middle-class view. Each story has its rebellious hero or heroine Grandfather to hurry and join her so as not to miss a single

106 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | event. But one bloom remains closed and, despite Grandfather’s THE PARIS PROJECT assurance that the flower just needs time, Miyuki runs off to Gephart, Donna find water and help it open. Her determination soon becomes Simon & Schuster (288 pp.) a quest, as she encounters a frog in a well, a cloud, and a water- $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 fall, many of which admonish Miyuki to “Be patient.” When 978-1-5344-4086-9 at last Miyuki’s plan goes awry and she finally does slow down, she falls asleep in a floating origami swan, returning to Grand- A small-town Francophile dreams big father just in time for Day 2 of spring and a pleasant surprise. in this story of economic hardships and Galliez’s lively, descriptive text pairs nicely with Ratanavanh’s parental incarceration. bright, graphic illustrations that feature bold floral patterns in Cleveland Potts has one goal in life: red, yellow, and green as well as iconic Japanese objects such as move to Paris, France. Her plan con- the swan. Throughout, natural elements such as flowers, rush- sists of taking ballet lessons (for culture), ing water, insects, birds, and more appear prominently both in cooking French cuisine, viewing impressionist art, then apply- the foreground and the background, and Ratanavanh plays a ing to the American School of Paris. She already studies French bit with perspective as well—sometimes Miyuki appears quite vocabulary with language CDs from the public library, and she’s small next to a giant frog and a big white rabbit. sure the other steps are within her reach. However, Sassafras, Eager young readers will find a kindred spirit in eager Florida, isn’t a bastion of culture, and her first ballet class ends Miyuki. (Picture book. 5-8) in disgrace. What’s more, she recently lost all the money from her Paris fund (earned by walking dogs); her father took it after stealing from his boss to feed a gambling addiction. Now he’s

THE MONSTER SISTERS AND in jail, and Cleveland struggles to reconcile her anger for his young adult THE MYSTERY OF THE transgression with how desperately she and the rest of the fam- UNLOCKED CAVE ily want him home. She’s also starting seventh grade with only Gaudin, Gareth one friend from her trailer park, an aspiring chef who’s slowly Illus. by the author coming out as gay. Gephart once again compassionately cre- Orca (160 pp.) ates complex characters, including the members of Cleveland’s $19.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 presumed-white family, who are profoundly earnest in their col- 978-1-4598-2226-9 lective and individual dreams. Readers won’t “pity” Cleveland (she wouldn’t want any), but they’ll be rooting for her all the way. Two sisters try to solve the mystery Includes a glossary of Cleveland’s French phrases, a recipe, and behind monster attacks on their Cana- notes on incarcerated parents. dian home. Une histoire d’espoir—a story of hope. (Fiction. 8-12) In this graphic offering, siblings Enid Jupiter and Lyra Gotham’s beloved city of Victoria is plagued by such destructive creatures as a hairy squid, a giant yellow reptile, and mysteri- LITTLE CREATURES ous Mirror Masons. Aided by a cache of clever mystery-solving An Introduction to Classical tools, the girls swing around Vancouver Island on magical vines Music and find clues alongside interesting historical facts, as when Gerhard, Ana Enid and Lyra see Gyro Park’s large statues roar to life while Illus. by Gómez Morin, Mauricio readers learn about the actual landmarks. This middle-grade Trans. by Connolly, Guy graphic novel has expressive and bright illustrations, housed The Secret Mountain (62 pp.) in large and tidy panels laid out with easy-to-read text bubbles. $16.95 | Sep. 1, 2019 Gaudin offers what should be a fascinating mix of intriguing ele- 978-2-924774-55-7 ments: imaginative monster battles, fun historical facts, a gently spooky mystery, and a warm emphasis on sisterhood. Unfortu- Pianist and author Gerhard (Simply Fantastic, 2014) returns nately, it has an overall scattershot feel. The girls’ investigations with a new picture book exploring classical music through the lack clear endpoints, with one monster mystery tenuously dis- sounds and movements of such “little creatures” as bees, fleas, solving into the next without any definitive resolution. Enid and frogs, as interpreted by composers all over the world. and Lyra both present white; there are few other human char- Translated from Spanish, this book may help demystify the acters in their adventures, although the ones they encounter are creepy-crawlies kids encounter and perhaps spark a youngster’s exclusively white. While a nod is given to using the Indigenous love of nature and observation. An engaging assortment of names of British Columbia’s landmarks, no visual representa- facts about small animals and insects accompanies acclaimed tions of these peoples are shown. Mexican illustrator Gómez Morin’s whimsical, surreal, and A quirky mystery that does not quite hit its mark. slightly creepy artwork. Each full-bleed spread echoes charac- (Graphic fantasy. 7-10) ters or themes from its coordinating piece of music: The “Wasp” overture from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Aristophanic Suite” is paired with illustrations that resemble ancient Greek art, for

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 107 instance. The featured composers span several hundred years, A SLIP OF A GIRL from the early 1500s (Josquin des Prez) to early 2000s (Kaija Giff, Patricia Reilly Saariaho), and they are predominantly male. An audio CD con- Holiday House (240 pp.) taining two-minute clips of each piece is included. The CD, $16.99 | Aug. 13, 2019 combined with the visual components of the book, is some- 978-0-8234-3955-3 what accessible to younger audiences, but the complexity and formatting of the text itself (especially the small font) seem best Young Anna narrates in lilting, free suited for older readers. It’s a thorough resource for classrooms verse her trials, tribulations, and tri- and homes alike; extensive backmatter includes a listening umphs during the 1881 Land War in guide featuring short analyses of each piece, composer biogra- Drumlish, Ireland. phies, a glossary of classical music terminology, and a timeline. “Sounds,” the first of 31 short chapters An ambitious feast for the senses. (Informational picture in the book’s first section, starts with book/audio CD. 7-10) high drama. While outside pulling up chickweed for tea, Anna hears screams and a crashing sound. “Dust rises up: / the house of five girls / and a mam is gone. / They’re forced out on the road, PALEONTOLOGISTS / maybe to starve.” Readers soon learn that English aristocrats With STEM Projects for Kids have seized Irish properties, feeling empowered to arbitrarily Gibson, Karen Bush raise rents and raze dwellings. However, what compels further Illus. by Shululu reading is an immediate bond with Anna. Giff has the rare Nomad Press (112 pp.) gift of using few words—but exactly the right ones—to evoke $19.95 | $14.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 strong and varied images and feelings. Readers will be riveted 978-1-61930-790-2 as Anna tries her hardest to live up to her dying mam’s requests: 978-1-61930-793-3 paper that Anna take care of her developmentally disabled little sis- Series: Gutsy Girls Go for Science ter, Nuala; keep the family’s home safe; and learn to read. There are several episodes of gripping suspense, including Anna and As one of a new series that offers information on science Nuala’s fugitive flight to Aunt Ethna’s house and encounters careers for girls who aspire to one, this effort explores the field between a bailiff and a justifiably angry crowd. There are also of paleontology, focusing on women who worked or are working tender and humorous moments. Traditional customs and lan- in that discipline. guage are woven into the tale as deftly as Aunt Ethna weaves at Via brief biographies of five groundbreaking, white, female her loom. Despite the value attached to reading, it is a differ- paleontologists—Mary Anning, Mignon Talbot, Tilly Edinger, ent skill that enables Anna to earn money—a welcome, realistic Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, and Mary Leakey—Gibson also plot point. Characters all present white. delivers both a short history of the study of fossils and a smat- Lovely. (glossary, photographs, author’s note) (Historical tering of information on the related science. There’s a feel of verse fiction. 10-14) overcompensation to the busily designed pages, which feature an overabundance of exclamation points. Even though all of these women made enormous (often unrecognized) contribu- MY WINTER CITY tions to paleontology, the sweeping claim that early paleontolo- Gladstone, James gists William Smith and Georges Cuvier “owed much of their Illus. by Clement, Gary success to the great fossil finder Mary Anning” goes largely Groundwood (32 pp.) unsubstantiated. Most sections include a timeline of the biog- $19.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 raphee’s life, a “Wonder Why?” section—questions for readers 978-1-77306-010-1 to reflect upon—and a quiz or science experiment, some better than others. Scattered throughout are numerous QR codes link- A father and child enjoy a frigid day ing to websites; for those young readers without smartphones, a together in the city. “QR code glossary” in the backmatter provides URLs. Numer- In first-person narration, with a ous photographs and Shululu’s stylized illustrations round out definite sense of ownership, a youngster the presentation. Readers will note that though Leakey and describes winter in an urban setting. “My winter city holds early Kielan-Jaworowska are shown in photos to be dark-haired, Shu- light / around us, / a moment before sunrise, / silent, / still.” Nothing lulu depicts them in adulthood as blondes. Publishing simulta- is plowed, nothing is touched. There is just the young tot peering neously are Astronauts, Engineers, and Programmers. out the window, looking at the snow. Then, with toboggan firmly in The subjects may have been gutsy, but the book is only tow, the duo (along with a pup) sets off outside. The serene silence average. (Nonfiction. - 8 11) (Astronauts: 978-1-61930-778-0, 978-1- has changed. “My winter city is a soup of salty slushes, full of slid- 61930-781-0 paper; Engineers: 978-1-61930-782-7, 978-1-61930-785-8 ing buses / splashing, spraying, sploshing, soaking walkers on the paper; Programmers: 978-1-61930-786-5, 978-1-61930-789-6 paper) sidewalk.” They squeeze into the bus with other damp riders, all fogging up the windows. Then they emerge into a new scene—a park. “My winter city is a deep-freeze / vision of big icy sled hills

108 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Clean-lined, colorful illustrations in Gómez’s signature style lead readers along. red house, tree house, little bitty brown mouse

/ and towers that rise up through / far-away skies.” The buildings The unrest continues, and his mother decides it is too dan- loom large behind trees and newly cut sledding tracks. Snowflakes gerous for them to stay. Idriss and his mother leave their village. continue to dot the sky throughout the adventure, all the way until Dramatic illustrations with strong, brushy black outlines and home again. This specific setting may be unfamiliar to some read- daubs of color portray their struggle. Mother and son endure a ers, but the narrator opens the end to varied possibilities: “That’s tenuous journey, walking through the desert, riding on crowded my winter city. // What’s yours?” Clement surprises readers with buses, crawling beneath barbed wire, and finally getting on a unexpected compositions, crowding them into the bus with all the flimsy boat to cross the sea. Along the way, Idriss hangs on tight passengers then pulling back and up for a bird’s-eye view of the city to his marble, protecting the only thing he took with him from street. Father and child both present white, but the community home. The precious marble almost gets lost, as does the dream they inhabit is a diverse one. of reaching safety, but the family is very lucky. As an object of A delicious, snow-filled slice of life.(Picture book. 3-6) affection to a young child, the marble plays an important role in fostering connections among people—both on the road and at Idriss’ new home, which is likely in Europe. The story por- RED HOUSE, TREE trays some reasons why people could become refugees and the HOUSE, LITTLE BITTY struggles they may experience while seeking refuge. However, BROWN MOUSE the combination of artistic choices—the outsized preciousness Godwin, Jane of the single marble, the stark, impoverished landscape of Idriss’ Illus. by Gómez, Blanca village, the easy authority of a new white friend, and Idriss’ lack Dial (40 pp.) of linguistic skills, among others—does not disrupt stereotypes $16.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 about Africa.

978-0-525-55381-6 This doubtless well-intentioned story about refugees young adult unfortunately reinforces a primitive image of Africa and Preschoolers can follow a little its peoples. (Picture book. 6-10) brown mouse on its traveling adventures in this engaging color concept book. As the book starts, a little mouse can be seen packing up her THE GREAT TOMB ROBBERY equally itty-bitty suitcase. Rhyming text with a wonderful read- Greenfield, A.B. aloud rhythm introduces readers to the little mouse’s street: Illus. by Horne, Sarah “Red house / Blue house / Green house / Tree house! / See the Holiday House (256 pp.) tiny mouse / in her little brown house?” Clean-lined, colorful $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 illustrations in Gómez’s signature style lead readers along: into 978-0-8234-4240-9 a flower-filled garden; on a ride on a red city bus; in a potted Series: Ra the Mighty, 2 windowsill plant attended by a child; on the curb where a group of people wait to cross a street; in an underwater scene with The Pharaoh’s pampered cat loves “one gigantic whale!”; and on a jolly ride that employs a string his snacks, his naps, and many other of vehicles. The little mouse is not mentioned again, making it royal privileges. easy for readers to forget it as they get caught up in the myriad Ra the Mighty is also lazy, vain, and delightful details of each illustration. No problem there. The entirely self-centered. He once solved a mystery and is exceed- book ends with “and did you spot that mouse?” This should ingly proud to have done so, considering himself a Great Detec- send children back to the beginning, this time in earnest search tive (Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective, 2018). But he has no burning of the little mouse and her itty-bitty suitcase. Should children desire to become involved in a case now, especially if it would need further enticement to read the book again, travel patches interfere with those naps and snacks. But a Great Mystery is on the endpapers invite readers to match them to the relevant thrust upon him when he travels to Thebes to be measured for part in the story. The people depicted are diverse both racially his place in Pharaoh’s planned tomb. The tomb of Pharaoh’s as well as in physical ability. ancestor—and of Ra’s own forebear—has been robbed. Reluc- Delightful and engaging. (Picture book. 3-5) tantly, Ra and his more-eager cohorts, Miu the kitchen cat and Khepri the scarab beetle, narrow their list of suspects and dis- cover clues amid daring deeds and dastardly betrayals. To add IDRISS AND HIS MARBLE insult to injury, Ra is mistaken for an ordinary cat when the evil Gouichoux, René Vizier sends a substitute to Pharaoh, and he must make do with Illus. by Zaü ordinary food and a great deal of dirt and discomfort, complain- StarBerry Books (48 pp.) ing all the way. Of course innocents are saved, guilty ones are $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 punished, and the Great Detectives triumph. Greenfield keeps 978-1-63592-132-8 the action fast-paced, seamlessly weaving in much information about ancient Egypt, and the interactions among the distinc- Idriss, who comes from an unidentified African country, loves tive and delightful characters are hilarious. Horne’s elongated his marble. One day, there is an explosion and people start fighting. and exaggerated black-and-white illustrations add to the fun.

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 109 An essential springboard for further meaningful discussion of this relevant and divisive topic. todos iguales / all equal

May Ra the Mighty (and friends) solve many more Spanish printed above English, accompanies her illustrations ancient mysteries. (glossary of names, note, author’s note) and describes how the school’s white principal disobeyed the (Historical fantasy/mystery. 7-10) board’s orders and alerted the families. The Latino community boycotted the inferior school and sought legal recourse with the help of the Mexican consul. The board members argued that a LIVI & NATE separate education was necessary in order “to give special atten- A Winter’s Night tion to students who spoke poor English and had other ‘deficien- Hakkola, Kalle & Ahokoivu, Mari cies.’ ” The plaintiff, 12-year-old Roberto Álvarez, responded to Illus. by the authors the white judge’s questions in perfect English—and the judge Trans. by Witesman, Owen F. ruled in favor of the 75 Mexican American students. Hale bases Owlkids Books (72 pp.) much of her account of this important but little-known case $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 on primary sources and interviews with many of the principal 978-1-77147-372-9 participants. However, the backmatter regarding the history of Series: Livi & Nate Mexican immigration and the mass deportations of the 1930s is both inaccurate and oversimplified, so educators should seek Nighttime dreams ward off the pull of deep sleep in Hak- out additional information when using this text. (A revision to kola and Ahokoivu’s jubilant graphic novel. this backmatter will appear in the book’s second printing.) Amid the thick snow, Livi and Nate play, sled, toss snow- An essential springboard for further meaningful dis- balls, and tease. Grandpa struggles to continue shoveling, so cussion of this relevant and divisive topic. (Informational Mom calls everyone in from the cold. After a bit of tidying up, picture book. 8-12) some hot cocoa, and a bath, it’s time for bed. Noises from out- side frighten Livi, who wakes up an annoyed Nate. Could it be the snow animals they made earlier? Mom reassures them that THE STAR SHEPHERD everything will be OK (cue Livi: “Make sure you check!”), and Haring, Dan & Connolly, MarcyKate Livi falls asleep and dreams of a tea party. Oh no! A snow bear Illus. by Haring, Dan named Teddy interrupts the tea and cakes, asking for Livi and Sourcebooks (320 pp.) Nate’s help! Using some quick wits and a very long scarf, Livi $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 saves Daphne the dragon from incoming spring. The dream 978-1-4926-5820-7 rolls happily along until a “BLING” wakes Livi up. What could it be this time? The ensuing narrative follows a similar pattern: Stars are falling, and the people who sleep, dream, noise, and investigation. The Finnish creators’ usually send them back up aren’t able. words convey a certain degree of playfulness that cements Kyro’s father, Tirin, works as a Star the bond between Livi and Nate above everything else. Simi- Shepherd. He watches the skies all night. larly, their artwork—saturated with sheets of colors, arranged When a star falls to Earth nearby, Kyro in spreads of sequential actions with occasionally dissonant and Tirin run outdoors, scoop it up, and catapult it back to frames—exemplifies the pale-skinned pair’s nervy energy, even the sky before dawn. Each star is different: One’s a “strange, if readers may get lost among the hijinks at times. molten thing, with light leaking out over its curves”; another Raucous fun at the sound of midnight. (Graphic novel. 6-9) “shimmer[s] like liquid silver but [i]s as light as a handful of feathers.” But something’s wrong: Stars are falling in daylight and in clusters, the gaps they leave in the dark sky allowing TODOS IGUALES / ALL EQUAL ancient, evil creatures into the world. When Tirin disappears, Un corrido de Lemon Grove / Kyro, with pal Andra (a girl who’s more supportiveness trope A Ballad of Lemon Grove than person), embarks on a desperate journey to find his father. Hale, Christy The plot begins as a wondrous celestial fable with some steam- Illus. by the author punk elements—cogs and gears; clockwork; star cases of “glass Children’s Book Press (40 pp.) and metal with hooks built into the design and angled just $18.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 right to catch on the edges of the sky.” But it morphs surpris- 978-0-89239-427-2 ingly and disappointingly into a story of combat featuring sen- tient, mechanical giants and fire-breathing spiders with slimy Twenty-three years before Brown v. black webbing. The final battle slogs, and the plot’s reveals are Board of Education, the first successful desegregation case in the reported listlessly. However, the star premise shines through- United States, Roberto Álvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon out. Kyro, Tirin, and Andra seem white or light-skinned. Grove School District, was decided in California in 1931. A mixed bag: Fights and reveals are lackluster, but the In 1930, Lemon Grove school board members secretly stars and steampunk glow. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12) decided to provide a segregated education to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent who had, up to that time, enjoyed equal education with the “Anglo” children. Hale’s bilingual text,

110 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | REVENGE OF THE RED CLUB page-turner, seamlessly blending dragons, giants, robots, and Harrington, Kim portals to other worlds, creating instant appeal for almost any Aladdin (256 pp.) young fan of graphic novels, fantasy, fairy tales, or science fic- $17.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 tion. In an artistic style that is delightfully consistent and utterly 978-1-5344-3572-8 recognizable, the illustrations are both alluring and cinematic, jumping to life off their pages through the vivid hues added by Riley and her female classmates pro- colorists Alex Campbell and Hilary Sycamore. For those who test the stigmatization of menstruation worry this may be the end of the line for their beloved heroes, and middle school–handbook rules that fear not: Hints are left that further adventures may arise in the target their gender. future. Most of the main characters present white; Jack’s sister, Eighth grader Riley Dunne is not Maddy, has autism, as readers of Jack’s previous adventures will only her middle school’s lead investiga- know. tive journalist, but a leader in the Red Club, a weekly, infor- Perfection. (Graphic science fiction/fantasy. 7-12) mal, after-school support group in which girls can discuss their periods. Whether it’s cramps, tampons vs. pads, or pooping, no issue is off limits! When students and parents complain about THE DARK AND THE LIGHT one of Riley’s articles, the lax enforcement of school dress code, Hau, Kerstin and the Red Club, the principal shuts down the newspaper and Illus. by Völk, Julie club and cracks down on the handbook rules. Riley’s breezy NorthSouth (40 pp.) yet sharply accurate narration depicts body-image anxiety, the $17.95 | Sep. 3, 2019

taunting and shame girls experience during menstruation, and 978-0-7358-4385-1 young adult the double standards associated with dress codes that vilify girls. When her investigative skills fail to turn up the complain- Two creatures venture out of their ers, Riley, who’s white, and her friends, a multicultural group, respective realms, one of complete dark- plan a series of protests instead to win back their autonomy ness and the other all sunshine, as their and dignity. Throughout their efforts, Riley also considers the friendship grows. dynamics of female friendships and a male ally (who may have Shaggy (twiggy, tall, and bristled) sadly peers through the boyfriend potential, too). With unauthorized leggings, tampons darkness to the “place of shining colors,” wishing he could visit; carried openly, and period-speak that—ahem, flows in the hall- Sparkle (egg shaped, with lop ears and pink cheeks) takes a ways, this middle school #MeToo movement will educate and sunbath and wonders about the “dark and gloomy” across the inspire budding feminists. The experiences of those who do not way. When the two eventually meet in the “band of gray-blue— identify as girls and do have periods are not explored, however. [the] half light and half dark” middle space, a friendship forms, A real and necessary read, period! (Fiction. 9-13) one that emboldens them to cross borders. Children will enjoy exploring both territories, mysterious, airy, otherworldly places drawn in what looks like pencil and crayon atop cyanotype MIGHTY JACK AND backgrounds. Cyanotype illustrations make use of solar paper ZITA THE SPACEGIRL to create saturated exposures of midnight blue, with objects Hatke, Ben and etchings appearing in a ghostly white. Backmatter explains Illus. by the author this unusual process (and also provides step-by-step DIY direc- First Second (272 pp.) tions) in clear, accessible language for children keen to learn. $22.99 | $14.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 How clever to harness a medium dependent upon light and dark, 978-1-250-19172-4 one that renders exquisite artwork in both the inkiest blues and 9781-250-19173-1 paper most luminous whites! This moving picture book offers many metaphors and connections, allowing young readers to see how Heroes Jack and Zita return to meet friends help us navigate happy and sad times, worlds of darkness in an epic comics crossover. and light manageable only with a lantern of friendship to light In an exciting convergence between Hatke’s two success- the way. ful middle-grade graphic-novel series Mighty Jack and Zita the An unusual, tender, and emotional journey in and out of Spacegirl, the titular protagonists team up to save Earth once the shadows. (Picture book. 6-10) again. The giants from Jack’s storylines along with the Screed from Zita’s are determined to seize Earth for their own nefari- ous purposes. The heroes are flawed in ways readers will under- stand, and these imperfections appear to work against them: As the opposition mounts, it seems as though they may not prevail. As the action culminates in an extraordinary and unforgettable battle, they find that unity rather than force will ultimately save the day. Hatke’s latest adventure is a wonderful and exciting

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 111 FEARLESS MIRABELLE and a resounding “Meow!” The story, translated into rhyming & MEG couplets from Hebrew, is told in cartoon panels with line draw- Haworth, Katie ings and people presenting in shades of white, orange, and blue. Illus. by Aye, Nila Readers may be left with questions. Is this simply an entertain- Templar/Candlewick (40 pp.) ing story about irksome quarreling, or is there a deeper issue $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 that can be applied to humankind? The cats are mute on that. 978-1-5362-0811-5 This silly tale of two cats of two colors finding both self and joint happiness may well provoke conversations. (Pic­ Identical twins find their individual- ture book. 4-6) ity at the circus. Mirabelle and Meg Moffat have grown up traveling with their circus-acrobat parents. While the twins resemble each HELLO, SUN! other, with elongated, oval heads; rosy cheeks; and large, expres- A Yoga Sun Salutation To sive black dots for eyes, their personalities are nothing alike. Start Your Day From a young age, Mirabelle, always dressed in blue, has liked Hinder, Sarah Jane action, much to her parents’ delight. Meg, always dressed in yel- Illus. by the author low, has preferred talking—and staying on the ground. When Sounds True (32 pp.) their parents decide it’s time they join the family business, $17.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 Mirabelle takes to acrobatics with ease. Deemed “fearless,” she 978-1-68364-283-1 becomes the headliner for the next show. But as Meg takes her turn on the trapeze platform, she becomes speechless for the Page by page, young readers are first time, and her parents realize that she is afraid of heights. guided through a sun salutation, one of the most recognizable On the day of Mirabelle’s grand debut, action verbs describe sequences in contemporary Western yoga. her amazing feats and the crowd’s response. But when the press Hinder’s exuberant style radiates a color palette warm as demands interviews afterward, she finds herself speechless and the morning sun. Subtle details seem to shimmer on the page. afraid. Meg finally recognizes her own fearless talent, becom- The text opens with wonderful simplicity, providing move- ing the spokesperson and announcer for the circus. While the ment instruction and inviting readers to notice what they finale highlights individualism, wise caregivers will also note the experience. It quickly becomes overworked, however, aban- common pitfall of expecting children to follow in their foot- doning simplicity in favor of forced rhyme. The text alone steps. The twins’ yellows and blues set against the reds of the does little to explain the movements, and the accompanying circus tent give the story a pleasing primary palette and retro images are problematic as models. Like many yoga-themed style befitting the circus theme. While the girls and their par- picture books published recently, this work falls prey to the ents are white, the audience is diverse. trap of presenting yoga sequences that are recognizable to Big top fun. (Picture book. 3-7) adults without adapting the poses for young bodies. The plank and knee-chest-chin poses depicted, for example, require an inappropriate degree of core strength for the target audience. A TALE OF TWO CATS The single child depicted is overtly feminine in appearance. A Hillel, Ayin contemplative, closed-mouth smile graces a tan-skinned face Illus. by Elkanati, Shimrit framed by flowing dark hair. While this version of feminine Trans. by Kurshan, Ilana serenity will certainly appeal widely to yoga teachers and prac- Fantagraphics Books (28 pp.) titioners, it simultaneously reinforces stereotypical notions $12.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 that yoga is an activity for “girls”—one limited to a certain 978-1-68396-266-3 kind of girl at that. Chipper animals flock to the child at every turn; one nearly expects the cast of characters to burst into Who is handsomer, the white cat or the black cat? song. Backmatter presents the flow of the salutation and dis- In a waterfront vacation spot with outdoor cafes for tour- cusses both the practice and meditation. ists as the setting, two cats appear who are good friends. The The Disney-princess version of a yoga picture book; black cat is “black as tar,” while the white cat is “white as white- undoubtedly marketable and predictably flawed. (Picture wash.” Each then claims to be the better-looking one, resulting book. 4-8) in a petty quarrel and a parting of the ways. But then each cat is filled with doubt. Maybe the disputed claims are correct and the other cat is truly more handsome. The cats then come up with a solution to the quandary, the white cat immersing itself in tar while the black cat whitewashes itself. This is in no way a resolu- tion, of course, and it’s achieved with the obvious difficulties of maintaining the new colorations. Back to their original states they go, sharing a rekindling of their camaraderie over drinks

112 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | A glowing, heartfelt addition to the middle-grade LGBTQ genre. redwood and ponytail

RABBIT AND a fighter character, so cool). The storytelling is predominantly THE MOTORBIKE visual in this episodic outing, with just occasional snatches of Hoefler, Kate dialogue and pithy labels to fill in details or mark the passage of Illus. by Jacoby, Sarah time; frequent reaction shots deftly capture Sunny’s feelings of Chronicle (48 pp.) being pulled this way and that. Tellingly, in the Holms’ panels $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 (colored by Pien), Sunny’s depicted as significantly smaller than 978-1-4521-7090-9 Deb, visually underscoring her developmental awkwardness. Deb’s comment that “we’re too old to be playing games like that” A fearful rabbit finds the courage to broaden his horizons in leads Sunny to drop out of the D&D circle and even go to the this picture book. school’s staggeringly dull spring dance. Sunny’s mostly white Rabbit, anthropomorphically attired in overalls, lives in circle of peers expands and becomes more diverse as she con- a wheat field that he never leaves. Instead, he waits for Dog— tinues to navigate her way through the dark chambers and misty more sartorially adventurous in a black leather-fringed jacket, passages of early adolescence. Lev is an Orthodox Jew, Arun is appropriate for motorbike travel—to visit and tell him stories South Asian, and Regina, another female friend, has brown skin. of the road. But one day Dog dies, an event touchingly illus- The dice are rolling readers’ way in this third outing. trated with an image of Rabbit sitting on his porch steps with (Graphic historical fiction. 10-12) drooping ears and drooping flowers. Rabbit is surprised that Dog leaves his motorbike to him, and he stores it away, admit- ting that he is too scared to use it. Author Hoefler takes a well- REDWOOD AND used theme and infuses it with a graceful poetic cadence that PONYTAIL

reads like a firelight tale as she relates how, yes, Rabbit does Holt, K.A. young adult eventually work up the courage to travel on the motorbike, and Chronicle (424 pp.) yes, does come home again, enriched and changed. Illustrator $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 Jacoby’s smudgy, delicate illustrations depict these changes— 978-1-4521-7288-0 both in Rabbit’s appearance and demeanor and in the story’s landscape—with an evocative, textural style that heightens Two middle school girls grapple with the story’s emotion. One illustration, a double-page spread of their blossoming feelings for each other a beach from an overhead perspective, is initially disorient- in this verse novel. ing, then exhilarating. The book adroitly combines spot illus- Tam is a volleyball player sometimes trations and double-page spreads to establish and control the mistaken for a boy. Kate is a popular story’s elegant, thoughtful pace. cheerleader. When they notice each other at seventh grade Graceful text and evocative illustrations combine in registration, Tam sees a walking cliché with a perfect pony- this story about the rewards of facing fears and trying tail, while Kate sees a girl as “tall as a palm tree.” When they something new. (Picture book. 3-7) meet face to face, they strike an immediate rapport. Soon the two are having lunch together every day and linking pin- kies in the halls. As they grow closer, each finds herself ques- SUNNY ROLLS tioning who she thought she was. Tam doesn’t know how she THE DICE fits into Kate’s seemingly perfect world. Kate, who has spent Holm, Jennifer L. & her life trying to live up to her shallow, perfectionist mother’s Holm, Matthew expectations, wants to go her own way, a process that includes Illus. by the authors with Pien, Lark deciding whether or not to admit her feelings for Tam. Tam and Graphix/Scholastic (224 pp.) Kate share the first-person narration, which keenly conveys $12.99 paper | $24.99 PLB | Oct. 1, 2019 each girl’s joys and inner turmoil. The dual narratives play off 978-1-338-23314-8 of each other, sometimes in a call-and-response manner that 978-1-338-23315-5 PLB clearly communicates the shyness, awkwardness, and confusion Series: Sunny, 3 of first love. A trio of unseen watchers, identified as Alex, Alyx, and Alexx, collectively represent the observant school-hallway Sunny, in seventh grade, finds her bystanders, providing commentary and speculation in the score on the Groovy Meter taking some wild swings as her manner of a Greek chorus. Their verses can be read vertically friends’ interests move in different directions. or horizontally, resulting in multiple meanings. Characters are In a motif that haunts her throughout, Sunny succumbs to a racially ambiguous. teen magazine’s personality quiz and sees her tally seesaw radi- A glowing, heartfelt addition to the middle-grade cally. Her BF Deb has suddenly switched focus to boys, clothes, LGBTQ genre. (Fiction. 8-14) and bands such as the Bee Gees (this is 1977)—dismissing trick- or-treating and wearing galoshes on rainy days as “babyish.” Meanwhile, Sunny takes delight in joining nerdy neighbors Lev, Brian, and Arun in regular sessions of Dungeons and Dragons (as

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 113 After luring readers in with wordplay and humor, the plot takes an emotionally rich thematic turn. the clementine

THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE haunted houses because they’re expecting strange things to hap- Horwitz, Sarah Jean pen”) and in other cases, clear-cut, as in the photograph of the Algonquin (336 pp.) Loch Ness Monster that turned out to be a hoax (but not before $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 gaining plenty of traction). The book touches down all over the 978-1-61620-894-3 map of mysteries, from telepathy, clairvoyance, and telekinesis to Mu and Atlantis, Yeti and Bigfoot, the kraken and the Bermuda A daughter must fill in for her indis- Triangle. The tone is respectful of both the mystery and the con- posed Dark Lord father. clusions, of which not all are the last word. “The truth is that the Twelve-year-old Clementine’s father natural world is an amazing place.” has been cursed by the Whittle Witch Science rules the day, but “at the same time, keep an and is being slowly whittled into a open mind”: wise words. (Nonfiction. 10-14) wooden puppet. While he locks himself away in his laboratory to try to find a way to stop and reverse the curse, it’s up to Clementine to keep their farm running, a task TRUCKS ZOOMING BY that becomes harder as her father’s magic begins to fail. Help- Jane, Pamela ing her are a talking black sheep (who used to be a boy and isn’t Illus. by Gott, Barry so sure he wants to be human again) and a local boy who dreams StarBerry Books (32 pp.) of heroic knighthood. More worryingly, letters start arriving $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 from the Council of Evil Overlords, instructing Clementine 978-1-63592-130-4 to carry out and report Dastardly Deeds to fulfill their family’s Dark Lord obligations. Shifts in viewpoint reveal the danger- A second-generation truck lover indulges in a favorite ous witch to be after the Dark Lord’s title and their mountain’s pursuit. unicorn; also after the unicorn is a huntress named Darka, who “It’s time to get up now. / We’re ready to load. / Goodbye to neglects to give her true motivation when befriending Clemen- the city. / Hello to the road!” A ponytailed kid climbs aboard their tine. After luring readers in with wordplay and tongue-in-cheek, parents’ truck to accompany them on a haul. Along the way, a genre-savvy humor, the plot takes an emotionally rich thematic plethora of fellow vehicular travelers catch the narrator’s eye: fire turn, dwelling on community and forgiveness—all the while engines, trailers, flatbeds, and more. Finally the delivery is made building toward a mythical, mystical arc involving the unicorn. (mom and dad trade off driving, which makes for a nice touch), The few action sequences are mined for utmost impact, as are and the protagonist is left to dream of having a truck of their the slice-of-life scenes and flashback vignettes. The characters own someday. Backmatter includes two pages of different types seem to default to white. of trucks accompanied by additional information. While young Absolutely delightful. (Fantasy. 8-14) enthusiasts who devour all things truck related will be appeased, there is not much to distinguish this book from the scads already on the market. The rhymes are unexciting (“A trucker will haul STRANGE BUT TRUE things / A very short way / Or far across country / In one single 10 of the World’s Greatest day”), and there is the occasional odd illustration choice, as in Mysteries Explained the image of two Dalmatians sticking their heads up into the air Hulick, Kathryn from the body of a fire engine. Dad presents white while mom Illus. by Wright, Gordy and child have a slightly darker skin tone. Frances Lincoln (128 pp.) Ten-four, good buddy; there are plenty of trucks to ogle, $22.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 but unless you’re a fanatic, just drive on by. (Picture book. 3-6) 978-1-78603-784-8

Scientific explanations for mysteries PUMA DREAMS that have given rise to fantastical stories. Johnston, Tony Encounters with aliens and haunted houses, quests for lost Illus. by LaMarche, Jim worlds and monsters of the deep, mysteries of ancient tombs and Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster those returned from the dead—all sparkle here both as stories (48 pp.) and as targets for scientific examination in Hulick and Wright’s $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 terrific collection of creepy events. “Every mystery has an expla- 978-1-5344-2979-6 nation. Getting to the bottom of it is what science is all about,” writes Hulick. But that doesn’t keep her from giving full voice A young girl is fascinated by pumas, and after months of to the mysteries at the beginning of each episode. Having set waiting and watching, she sees a puma near her home. the folkloric or legendary scene, and accompanied by transport- The unnamed narrator of the lyrically told story lives with ingly spooky artwork from Wright, Hulick puts on her scientist’s her grandmother on a remote ranch in an unspecified loca- cap and seeks to make sense of the mysteries. In some cases the tion with mountains and canyons. The girl is fascinated with answers are circumstantial (“people experience strange things in puma lore and legends, and her dream is to see a puma, even

114 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | just once. She uses her allowance money to purchase a salt lick A CRAZY-MUCH LOVE with hopes of luring a puma close enough for observation. After Jordan-Lake, Joy over a year of watching and dreaming, she finally sees a puma Illus. by Sánchez, Sonia through the window as it circles the salt lick. The first-person Two Lions (32 pp.) story is told with evocative descriptions as the girl observes $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 the environment around her with a dreamy, imaginative style 978-1-5420-4326-7 enlivened by Gram’s pithy country sayings. An oversized for- mat and expansive double-page–spread format showcase the A child learns how she was adopted striking, realistic illustrations done in a glowing, golden palette. and how much she is loved in this story The accomplished paintings capture the beauty of the natural told from the point of view of her adop- surroundings and help create a real world for the rather lonely tive parents. child. The girl and her grandmother present white. An author’s From the beginning of the story, readers see how much the note offers more information about pumas as well as puma-con- parents already love their child, who is not even in their arms. servation organizations, although exactly where pumas can be From anxiously deciding on the right color to paint the child’s found in the U.S. is not made clear enough. The unlikely but real room and filling it with stuffed bears to “count[ing] the hours” danger posed by pumas to humans is also not addressed. until they can get on a plane and fly across oceans to meet A lovely, beautifully illustrated story of a child’s dream her, these adoptive parents make it clear how they feel about fulfilled.(Picture book. 4-8) their child. Once home, the child discovers her first bath, her first word, and her first day of school, all with “crazy-much love” from her parents. The baby changes as she grows, but

OURS TO SHARE nothing about that love does. Boldfaced type and capitalized young adult Co-existing in a Crowded words throughout the book emphasize the emotions of joy and World love. Sánchez uses energetic lines and bold splashes of color to Jones, Kari effectively mirror how the parents feel about their child. Mul- Orca (48 pp.) ticolored circles filling the pages like so much buoyant confetti $19.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 visually symbolizes the love between parents and child. This 978-1-4598-1634-3 baby’s father is white, the mother has olive skin and black hair, Series: Orca Footprints and the child is Asian; the illustrations feature a supporting cast of extended family, friends, and neighbors of a wide variety of How are 8 billion people going to races and ethnicities. share the world? An honest and encouraging story about a transracial This latest title in the Orca Footprints series takes on the adoption. (Picture book. 4-6) challenge of overpopulation. Jones (A Fair Deal, 2017) looks back at prehistory to demonstrate how the human population has grown; describes current efforts to share resources effectively; THE AWESOME, IMPOSSIBLE, discusses the effect of the spread of human population on the UNSTOPPABLE GADGET natural world, including animal extinctions; and suggests actions Kelly, Kevin young people can take. Her exposition is full of anecdotes from Illus. by Kelly, Rebecca her personal life as well as recent news events. The lively design Imprint (40 pp.) includes plentiful photographs (whose captions include their $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 sources) and “Density Facts” in the sidebars. In her opening chap- 978-1-250-19511-1 ter, “Shaping the World,” she compares the numbers of humans to single drops of water, a simile that may help young readers Letters written home from a futuris- fathom the astonishing growth in population, and shows how tic camp record big doings. humans have related to animals from the beginning. “Sharing Bold animation-style illustrations bring Camp C.R.E.A.T.E. the World” talks about fair sharing among humans: clean water, and its Gadgets Galore Competition to life. One camper nick- acceptance of refugees, treatment of Indigenous peoples, and the named Professor von Junk “gets an idea for a gadget so clever importance of libraries and education. “Whose World Is This?” / that everyone wants to help put it together.” Everyone, that focuses on animal relationships, including campers who share is, except the letter writer, who thinks “helping is nice, but I with wolves on a Canadian island and a Maasai teen’s invention want to come up / with my own cool device.” Once the compe- that allows his cattle-farming family to coexist with lions. “Shar- tition begins, the protagonist can’t even get into the crowded ing our Lives” concludes with many specific examples of young lab. Discouraged but resilient, the kid creates a separate lab and people taking action around the world. develops an invention that, sadly, seems only to work in reverse. A strongly felt and convincingly argued case for But Professor von Junk’s invention has a major flaw, too, creat- more attention to fairness in the allocation of resources. ing chaos. Luckily, the letter writer’s invention saves the day. On (acknowledgments, resources, glossary, index). (Nonfiction. the final page, the victor is honored with the name Professor 9-12) O’Toole. Readers might notice O’Toole’s stylized pigtails, but

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 115 only by reading the jacket flap will readers confirm the narrator MYTHOLOGICA is a female named Trixie (O’Toole). Is this a subtle book about An Encyclopedia of Gods, girl power? In the future, could scientific ability be viewed with- Monsters and Mortals From out regard to gender? Perhaps, but this story has only one other Ancient Greece implied female camper (a ponytailed kid named Lovelace) plus Kershaw, Stephen P. stereotypical references to Trixie’s “cute little cabin” and glitter- Illus. by Topping, Victoria decorated invention. Bafflingly, the rhyming text is not consis- Wide Eyed Editions (112 pp.) tently set as such. All the campers are green humanoid children. $30.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 An action-packed story for young inventors with trou- 978-1-78603-193-8 bling gender treatment. (Picture book. 5-8) With its bold artwork in attention-grabbing, intense colors, this large-format collection of Greek myths and gods begs to be CLEAR SKIES made into posters. Kerrin, Jessica Scott The fantastical images could come straight from 1960s Groundwood (192 pp.) album covers, mixing reality and symbolism, with a diversity $16.95 | Aug. 6, 2019 of skin colors and some hint at gender fluidity—it’s definitely 978-1-77306-240-2 a mythology collection for a new generation. Full-page images fill one half of each spread on a particular personality while Increasingly severe symptoms of opposite are a few paragraphs and some smaller visual vignettes. claustrophobia threaten to derail 11-year- Each entry includes a terse “Where” and What” section and the old Arno’s dreams of becoming an name of the figure in Greek, a unique feature of this enticing astronomer. volume. The stories are told in a matter-of-fact, contemporary It’s 1961, the space race is on, and it style. Writing about Ares, part of the description reads: “His seems everyone has stars in their eyes. most famous partner was the goddess of love Aphrodite. Even Being a confirmed sky watcher with an eye-rolling habit of rat- though she was married to Hephaestus they had lots of kids tling off astro-facts at the drop of a hat, Arno is at first over together.” Four stories are singled out for greater focus: those the moon when he wins an invitation to the opening of a new of Heracles, Odysseus, the Trojan War, and Jason and the Argo- observatory nearby. But then the thought of the dark and the nauts. Occasionally the visuals don’t correlate with the text. crowds—and a panic attack in a movie theater—dim all the “The Fates were ugly, lame, old women,” it claims, but the artist claustrophobic boy’s hopes. At the same time Arno’s friend depicts them as three handsome, brown-skinned women. This Buddy finds his own hopes of becoming an astronaut dashed mythological encyclopedia should certainly encourage readers after he realizes why he can’t see that Mars is red. Though their to find the new graphic-novel adaptations of the myths or Hom- personalities clash by day, a confessional nighttime meeting in er’s epic poems themselves, although the book lacks sources or Arno’s backyard brings out their better natures, as Arno offers a bibliography. Buddy telescopic views of astronomical wonders, and Buddy A visually over-the-top paean to stories that still reso- suggests coping techniques for Arno drawn from the astronaut- nate today. (Cosmology. 11-15) training program. Budding chemist Mindy leads a supporting cast that, like the protagonist and his family, defaults to white. Writing in a believably childlike third-person, Kerrin adds THE LITTLE SNOWPLOW period details and handwritten pages of “Deep Thoughts” from WISHES FOR SNOW Arno’s astronomy notebook to her low-key tale, and she closes Koehler, Lora with notes on the space program’s later history…including a Illus. by Parker, Jake mention of Roger Crouch, a colorblind payload specialist. Candlewick (40 pp.) A quiet reminder that the stars are not out of reach, $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 with work and well-timed help. (Fiction. 9-11) 978-1-5362-0117-8 Mother Nature doesn’t always play fair when it comes to hopes and dreams. After having proven his worth in The Little Snowplow (2015), the titular hero returns to face a hitherto unforeseen challenge. While he’s perfectly happy to aid the Mighty Mountain Road Crew during the warm months, this snowplow yearns endlessly for the return of frozen precipitation. As the months grow colder and the temperature plummets, he gazes at weather reports, drives to the tops of mountains, and celebrates the winter solstice, desperate for big wet flakes. But by the time his March birthday approaches, it looks like a thick snowfall may

116 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Where Krauss rejoiced in children’s irrepressible sense of self, Ruzzier’s art recapitulates that feeling. roar like a dandelion

never happen. Then, on the day in question, the miraculous the Japanese translation in parentheses: “belt (obi).” Karate Kid occurs. But can it be possible to have too much of a good thing? then goes through the positions, each given its own two-page Luckily, the snowplow has his friends to help him out. Any child layout that describes and illustrates the move. Some, such as a who has ever gazed longingly at a steely winter sky will identify position the text labels the “Horse-Riding Stance,” have clear with this snowplow’s ceaseless expectations. Parker’s illustra- explanations; others, like the “Back Kick,” are harder to follow tions give the snowplow an expressive grille, capable of con- due to missing details or the simple challenge of depicting a veying hope as well as crushing disappointment. The jollity is moving action on the page. Chambers’ illustrations show Karate palpable, although the book may serve as a depressingly timely Kid against a plain, bold background, donning his uniform and tale in this era of global warming. showing the moves. While he’s certainly a cute character with Best suited for those who scan the winter skies. (Picture his headband and beard, it’s hard to make sense of moves that book. 3-6) describe things like pinched fingers when goats have hooves. A very helpful note for caregivers expanding on the martial art comes on the last page of the book, which means that the expla- ROAR LIKE nations of the words, moves, and concept of karate come after A DANDELION readers have largely finished making sense of the book. Due to Krauss, Ruth the occasionally unclear explanations and illustrations, this is Illus. by Ruzzier, Sergio best for readers who are already familiar with the sport. Harper/HarperCollins (48 pp.) A nice homage to karate but not a worthy teaching tool. $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 (Picture book. 4-7) 978-0-06-268007-5 young adult Who says unpublished Sendaks get ALPACA PATI’S FANCY FLEECE to have all the fun? Kyle, Tracey This unpublished manuscript from the creator of A Hole Is Illus. by Sanchez, Yoss To Dig (which was illustrated by said Sendak in 1952) follows in Running Press (32 pp.) very much the same vein as that classic. It’s ostensibly an alpha- $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 bet book, and each letter is represented by a clear-cut command 978-0-7624-9414-9 to child readers. They are urged in no uncertain terms to attempt short, simple acts (“Nod YES”), to make grand declarations A young alpaca learns how important (“Yell, ‘Good morning, big fat world!’ ”), and to attain moments her fleece is to humans. of distilled poetry (“Open your eyes, see the sea / Shut them “High up in the Andes, on a mountain fast, lock it in”). Ruzzier’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations meet, in Peru, / Pati the alpaca gussied up for her debut.” Pati is off with great command, the challenge of making sense of Krauss’ to meet her classmates by a lake. And right away the problems more esoteric urgings. Thus, “Go like a road” is illustrated with with this book present themselves. The story is a two-pronged a (possibly) benign python a trail of mice walk along, and “Eat one. On the one side is a story with a puritanical lesson that all the locks off the doors” features a pig, with a door stretched finds fault with Pati’s wanting to look her best, and Pati soon before it, screwdriver and wrench gripped like a fork and knife. learns that she will be a better being if she willingly gives up Where Krauss rejoiced in children’s irrepressible sense of self, her fleece to help humans keep warm. The second intent of Ruzzier’s art recapitulates that feeling, and, with his cast of cats, the story seems to be to introduce children to Spanish words. rats, bugs, and birds, he is unafraid to bring a little surrealism Unfortunately, the meanings of the Spanish words sprinkled into the mix. Ultimately, this work adroitly bridges the more- through the text are not obvious, forcing readers to flip back than–half-century gap between two accomplished artists. and forth between the story and the glossary at the end. For An abecedarian catalog of delights. (Picture book. 3-6) example: “One day, cría Carmen whispered, “Pati, ¡no te creas! / In the spring we lose our fur and then we’ll all be feas!” The illustra- tions are also problematic. With an emphasis on the cute and KARATE KID colorful, the images represent an Andean scenery of lush, fresh Kurstedt, Rosanne L. greens. Nothing could be more removed from the harsh envi- Illus. by Chambers, Mark ronment that exists at these high altitudes. Running Press Kids (40 pp.) Skip it. (glossary, author’s note, additional facts) (Picture $14.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 book. 5-7) 978-0-7624-9343-2

A series of karate moves is described and demonstrated by a goat kid. Before laying out the stances, kicks, punches, and blocks, Karate Kid opens with the beginning steps of a karate class. All of the English karate-specific vocabulary is accompanied by

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 117 The crisp memory of a now-long-ago childhood is recalled with sensory specificity. blueberry patch / mayabeekamneeboon

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD by Exclamation, who, according to B, “promised to put us all in AS I KNOW IT the movies.” Exclamation’s explanation is a subtle dig at overuse Landis, Matthew of this symbol: As he says, “Capital letters are always calling me… Dial (320 pp.) YES, HA, OMG!” Exclamation is arrested by the Grammar $16.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 Police and put away for a “short sentence.” MacDonald’s illustra- 978-0-735-22801-6 tions, with classic typesets and hints of the Manhattan skyline, perfectly capture the retro mood and comedy of the concept. A year after the death of his mother, Both a hilarious spoof of a noir novel and a clever com- a major in the Air Force, eighth grader ment on modern punctuation misuse. (Picture book. 6-10) Derrick preps for doomsday. If it weren’t for the Apocalypse Soon! blog, Derrick wouldn’t know that the THE PERFECT SEAT supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park will go off in just Lê, Minh three weeks, on Sept. 21. He wouldn’t know how to prepare for Illus. by Gordon, Gus the “big one” by reinforcing his family’s shed, practicing pushups, Disney-Hyperion (32 pp.) and laying in survival supplies such as MREs and fish amoxicillin. $16.99 | Nov. 12, 2019 His friends only humor him, but preparing for the end helps calm 978-1-368-02004-6 Derrick’s buzzing skin and panicked sweats. If only the weird neighbor girl didn’t keep poking her nose into everything. Misty’s Reading aloud is a wonderful shared nice and funny, but why is she throwing hatchets in the yard, for activity for a father and child. But what or where is the best chair? goodness’ sake? Not to mention her sewer spelunking and pigeon Dapper papa moose, dressed in a fedora and sweater, agrees training. Derrick’s focused only on his apocalypse anxiety and is to read a story to his young one. But then the quest begins for the detatched from everything else: from family and friends, from best setting. Size, condition, texture, type, and location all pres- vague memories of Misty’s recent kidney transplant, and, most ent problems. They are about to give up when a picture-perfect of all, from grief. Misty, ever plucky, however, is determined to location is found under a tree in an urban park. Lê’s little story, a befriend Derrick and become his “apocalypse assistant.” With sort of metafictive prequel to the act children and caregivers are her persistent empathy and philosophical kookiness, she some- engaging in in reading this very book, is delightfully presented. times borders on manic pixie dream girl, but this is overall a sym- Gordon’s watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage illustrations in pathetic and even sometimes funny look at anxiety disorders and soft shades of greens, browns, and grays illustrate each of the the complexity of grief. Derrick and Misty both seem to be white. possibilities with gentle humor. Each opposing possibility is The terrifying allure of survivalism makes this jour- presented on a page or sometimes two, subtly controlling the ney through trauma a compelling one. (author’s note) pacing: “Too Funky. / Too Fancy” or “Too Old. / Too New.” Read- (Fiction.11-13) ers will find themselves lingering over the choices. Some of the options are familiar: “Too Big. / Too Small” (an imposing and far- from-cozy sofa; a fire hydrant). Some are less so: “Too Rough. // THE UPPER CASE Too Slippery” (a bumpy bicycle ride; a slide in the park). A street Trouble in Capital City map of the town on the endpapers, including its trees and lakes, Lazar, Tara along with a music-loving squirrel add to the fun. Illus. by MacDonald, Ross There’s more to storytime between a parent and child Disney-Hyperion (32 pp.) than book selection. Closeness and comfort certainly $17.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 count. (Picture book. 3-6) 978-1-368-02765-6

Lazar and MacDonald continue the relentless puns and fun BLUEBERRY PATCH / with letters of 7 Ate 9 (2017), framed, like its predecessor, in the MAYABEEKAMNEEBOON style of a mid-20th-century detective novel. Leason, Jennifer & Private I, an actual letter I with little arms and legs, is doz- Chartrand, Norman ing in his office when Question Mark and a rather shifty-looking Illus. by Leason, Jennifer Exclamation rush in to inform him that all the uppercase let- Trans. by Chartrand, Norman ters are missing, a surprising event in Capital City (geddit?!). No Theytus Books (32 pp.) half-wit, I realizes that he is the “last capital letter standing” and $19.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 resolves to take on the case. Chaos has erupted in the city, and 978-1-926886-58-9 random lowercase letters and punctuation run riot. I discovers that his favorite waitress, B has not shown up for work in the Café An elder from Manitoba, Canada, shares his memories of a Uno—now known as “afé no” due to the dearth of uppercase let- traditional Salteaux summer event. ters. I takes the train out to Cursive Loop and finds the missing When he was a boy in the 1940s, co-author Chartrand capitals all stuck up on a movie theater’s marquee, placed there looked forward to packing most of their belongings onto the

118 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | horse-drawn wagon and then taking the two-day journey to the THROWBACK blueberry patch. Other wagons joined them, traveling in a line. Lerangis, Peter The boy’s family had a stubborn mule, Dick, and a horse called Harper/HarperCollins (352 pp.) Socks due to its white legs to pull the family’s wagon. At the $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 end of the first day, the wagons stopped to rest overnight by a 978-0-06-240638-5 creek where nighthawks swooped above them, making funny Series: Throwback farting noises. After a meal of bannock, the narrator and his brothers fell asleep to the sounds of the grown-ups’ storytelling. A fledgling time traveler learns that The next day’s travel took them to their destination, where they changing the past—or even just visiting— stayed for a month, picking blueberries to take home. Leason can have…disturbing consequences. and Chartrand’s (both Salteaux-Métis Anishinaabek) bilingual In a tale that twists its way to an text shares a look at an important traditional custom of the unexpectedly light ending after a string Salteaux people. The recounting is intimate, the crisp memory of wrenching incidents, young New Yorker Corey Fletcher dis- of a now-long-ago childhood recalled with sensory specificity covers that, like his beloved grandfather and a small community that places readers in the moment. Leason, Chartrand’s great- of others, he can travel in time. Better yet, Corey just might niece, contributes vibrant, stylized illustrations that emphasize be one of the legendarily rare Throwbacks who can actually organic forms; circles and ovals within leaves, flowers, birds cre- alter the fixed past…albeit at a cost of unpredictable changes ating harmonious visual connections. A recipe for bannock and up the line. Nevertheless, he recklessly slips back to 2001 to suggested activities for readers are included in the backmatter. watch Papou Gus repeatedly fail to steer his wife away from her Acutely joyful. (Picture book. 4-8) job in the World Trade Center, then tries his hand at it—and

finds himself temporarily stranded in Lower Manhattan in young adult 1917. Lerangis gives Corey two redoubtable female foils. In 1917, ORCAS EVERYWHERE “Quinn Roper” has disguised herself as a cowboy, causing Corey The Mystery and History of to reflect, rather clumsily, on changing attitudes toward gender Killer Whales assumptions and presentation. In the 21st century, fellow time Leiren-Young, Mark traveler Leila also gives the 9/11 rescue a go. The author crafts a Orca (160 pp.) white default cast but ably evokes the stews of old New York’s $24.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 Bowery and, while leaving his biracial protagonist’s Puerto 978-1-4598-1998-6 Rican mom in the background, does slip in markers for Corey’s Greek American ancestry. Leiren-Young explores basic facts A trilogy opener with all the makings of a grand tale…in about orcas as well as the sobering his- time. (Fantasy. 11-13) tory of continued human maltreatment of these whales. The documentary filmmaker The( Hundred-Year-Old Whale) shares his extensive knowledge of orca culture and history with PAPER SON plentiful photographs. The book is approachable, the design The Inspiring Story of Tyrus maintaining a nice balance of text to sidebar to photograph. It Wong, Immigrant and Artist is visually consistent: All callouts are called “Orca Bites,” pho- Leung, Julie tographs are labeled clearly, and chapters are designed similarly. Illus. by Sasaki, Chris The biggest struggle for readers is making sense of the order Schwartz & Wade/Random (40 pp.) in which information is presented. A very helpful section about $17.99 | $20.99 PLB | Sep. 24, 2019 the different types of orcas with an illustrated guide doesn’t 978-1-5247-7187-4 appear until Chapter 15, for example, even though several of 978-1-5247-7188-1 PLB those different ecotypes (classification of orcas into different species has proven difficult, hence the term) are referred to As the boat sailed from China to America, Wong memo- prior. Some of the “Orca Bites” are not aligned with their rel- rized the minutiae of another boy’s life. evant photographs or are otherwise distracting. The narrative In 1919, the Chinese Exclusion Act allowed only high-status dips in and out of first person, which makes for an unbalanced immigrants into the U.S. So 9-year-old Wong became a “paper tone. Disappointingly, Leiren-Young takes liberties by explain- son,” taking on the identity of a merchant’s son. Luckily, Wong ing what historical figures thought and felt without any direct passed the grueling immigration interview. After art school, citations or quotations. Readers should be prepared for the bored by the tedium of “in-betweener” work at Disney Stu- (rightfully included) gruesome and upsetting history of human dios, Wong saw his chance to prove himself when Walt Disney treatment of whales. It’s a call to action for animal rights even if, announced his next movie, Bambi. Drawing on Felix Salten’s as nonfiction, it’s uneven. novel, his own personal experiences, and his training in both A fascinating subject related with passion—but also Eastern and Western artistic styles, Wong created lush, impres- with poor organization. (glossary, resources, acknowl- sionistic landscapes inspiring the look of the entire movie. edgements, index) (Nonfiction. -9 12) Unfortunately, Wong’s work was largely unrecognized; however,

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 119 he never stopped making art, exploring many media. Digital IN THE CITY illustrations emphasize precise details and shape repetition, Lipniewska, Domenika creating a geometric counterpoint to organic washes of color Illus. by the author and loose, impressionistic backgrounds inspired by Wong’s Button Books (48 pp.) work on Bambi. The brief narrative moves swiftly, lingering on $17.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 just two key moments: Wong’s immigration and the making 978-1-7870-8031-7 of Bambi. The author’s note provides more information about the Chinese Exclusion Act, the proliferation of paper sons and A day in the life of a metropolis. daughters, and additional details about and photos of Wong. “The city wakes up slowly” as the sun Unfortunately, neither text nor backmatter share contextual rises, but soon “the hustle and bustle” information about the reasons for immigration, benefits and bring on multiple sights and chances sacrifices of immigration, or the racial prejudice Wong faced to explore. Spreads focus on different-sized buildings, various both personally and professionally. modes of transportation, noisy versus quiet spaces, different A visually engaging introduction to a little-known yet jobs, entertainment opportunities, and green nature spaces. influential American artist(Picture book/biography. 7-12) The final pages depict the city’s nightlife, with some people awake while others sleep, before the narrative comes full circle as the city wakes to a new day. The tour comes with invitations A BIG BED FOR LITTLE SNOW for reader participation (“What a lot of sounds! Which one Lin, Grace do you think is the loudest?”) and a hearty dose of consumer- Illus. by the author ism: Several pages show malls, boutiques, and produce mar- Little, Brown (40 pp.) kets. In a decidedly modern, abstract style à la Piet Mondrian, $18.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 Lipniewska composes her cityscape and its inhabitants from 978-0-316-47836-6 many interlocking and overlapping geometric shapes in primary colors against stark white or gray backgrounds. She signals dif- At the beginning of winter, Little Snow’s mother fills his big, ferent races and ethnicities by variations in hair, clothes, head sky-blue bed with feathers and reminds him that it is “for sleep- shapes, and skin tones (white, gray, blue, peach, green). The ing, not jumping.” author encourages harmonious thinking by depicting crowds Of course, Little Snow cannot resist, and whenever Mommy of visually heterogeneous people coexisting in the same place, isn’t around, he jumps and jumps. Each time, some feathers fall such as enjoying the wares of a food truck: “The people are all from his cloud-shaped bed. At one point, he jumps extra high very different / but they often like the same things.” There is and the bed tears, releasing a sky full of feathers that falls in much to visually revisit and discover anew on rereads. a blizzard of snow upon a city’s rooftops. In what is clearly a An absorbing, multifaceted visit to the city. (Picture book. companion to Lin’s Caldecott Honor book A Big Mooncake for 2-9) Little Star (2018), this book’s color palette consists of a solid white negative space instead of black, and light-blue snowflakes adorn Little Snow’s white pajamas. As before, a mischievous ENCOUNTER little protagonist with Asian features is the cause of a natural Luby, Brittany phenomenon that readers will recognize with satisfaction. The Illus. by Goade, Michaela story is clever but simple, without the extra layers of cultural Little, Brown (40 pp.) and natural complexity that made Lin’s previous book so excep- $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 tional. Lin’s gouache illustrations are an echo of that book as 978-0-316-44918-2 well, with Little Snow’s pajama edges similarly bleeding into the background. It’s still visually intriguing, but this time around, How might Indigenous and European people have con- everything feels more stark than luminous. The most delightful nected if non-Native explorers had visited First Nations terri- spread is the most colorful one, as the snow falls over city build- tories instead of colonizing them? ings full of diverse children peering out the windows, enchanted. Shared humanity is at the center of this Indigenous author A sweet and clever modern myth that may send readers and illustrator team’s alternative history. Fisher, an Indigenous back to its lauded companion. (Picture book. 4-8) person with rich brown skin and long black hair, notices a stranger rowing into the bay—Sailor, a white-skinned redhead who “came from away” in search of “unknown lands.” Quickly challenging this settler narrative that frames Europeans as dis- covering Indigenous territories, Sailor spots Fisher from a dis- tance and shifts his thinking: “Perhaps these lands are not so new.” Fisher and Sailor’s ensuing friendship is tender but brief, as Sailor’s excursion to Fisher’s homeland ends in his eventual “journey home.” Under the affirming gaze of nearby animals, who emphasize Fisher and Sailor’s similarities through their

120 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a postcolonial food. fry bread

anthropomorphic commentary, Fisher and Sailor observe their FRY BREAD differences respectfully. Luby’s (Anishinaabe) creative reimag- A Native American ining of historical events is brought to life by Goade’s (Tlingit) Family Story vibrant multimedia illustrations, which weave Fisher and Sailor Maillard, Kevin Noble brilliantly into their jewel-toned surroundings. Encounter’s Illus. by Martinez-Neal, Juana most valuable aspect is its backmatter: Both an author’s reflec- Roaring Brook (48 pp.) tion and a historical note offer crucial context to this spirited $18.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 revision. “This peaceful encounter does not forgive…violent 978-1-62672-746-5 actions,” Luby notes. “Instead, it reminds us…that everyday people, like Sailor, can participate in systems that hurt others.” A bright picture book invites kids to cook with a Native Without this addendum, this story runs the risk of obscuring American grandma. legacies of violence rather than “learn[ing] from our history and Kids of all races carry flour, salt, baking powder, and other tak[ing] the opportunity to map a better future.” supplies into the kitchen to make dough for fry bread. Flour An uplifting, #ownvoices vision for what could have dusts the counter as oil sizzles on the stove. Veggies, beans, and been and what we are responsible for now. (Picture book. 6-11) honey make up the list of toppings, and when the meal is ready, everyone is invited to join the feast. Community love is depicted in this book as its characters gather on Indigenous land across THE BOOK RESCUER the continent—indoors, outdoors, while making art or gazing at How a Mensch From the night sky. This is about more than food, referencing cultural Massachusetts Saved issues such as the history of displacement, starvation, and the

Yiddish Literature for struggle to survive, albeit in subtle ways appropriate for young young adult Generations To Come children. With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the Macy, Sue diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post- Illus. by Innerst, Stacy colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) continent. Broken down into headings that celebrate what fry $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 bread is, this story reaches readers both young and old thanks 978-1-4814-7220-3 to the author’s note at the back of the book that dives into the social ways, foodways, and politics of America’s 573 recognized One young man seeks out a unique collection of Yiddish tribes. Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many books to preserve them and their lost world. Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) Growing up, Aaron Lansky remembered the story of his promotes unity and familiarity among nations. grandmother’s immigration to America. She had just one worn Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply suitcase, filled with books in Yiddish and Sabbath candle- demonstrates. (recipe) (Picture book. 3-8) sticks—which her brother tossed into the water upon greeting her. It was of the Old World, and she was in the New World. Lansky loved reading but realized that to pursue his interest GEEKS AND THE HOLY GRAIL in Jewish literature he would have to study Yiddish, his grand- Mancusi, Mari mother’s language. His search for books in Yiddish led to one Disney-Hyperion (368 pp.) rabbi about to bury a pile, which led to years of rescuing books $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 from dumpsters and then building a depository for them and for 978-1-368-01477-9 the thousands of subsequent donations. Lansky visited many Series: The Camelot Code, 2 of the donors and heard their emotional stories. Now a well- established resource in Amherst, Massachusetts, his Yiddish Following series opener The Once and Book Center is digitized, with free downloads, and conducts Future Geek (2018), 21st-century video educational programs. Macy’s text beautifully and dramatically gamers Sophie and Stu dive into another tells this story while noting the powerful influence of Yiddish time-travel misadventure in Arthurian writing in the lives of Jews. Innerst’s acrylic and gouache art- legend. work, with the addition of digitized fabric textures, is stunning The newly crowned King Arthur is sick, and only a sip from in its homage to Marc Chagall and its evocation of an Eastern the enchanted Holy Grail can cure him. Morgana attacks the European world that has physically vanished but is alive in these cup’s protectors, leaving Nimue, the young druid of Avalon, to pages of beautifully realized imagery. seek refuge in Merlin’s cave. Unfortunately, only his appren- For lovers of books and libraries. (afterword by Lansky, tice, Emrys, is there. Green in magic skills, Emrys accidentally author’s note, illustrator’s note, Yiddish glossary, further turns the Grail into an extremely flatulent baby dragon. Uh-oh. resources, source notes, photographs) (Picture book/biography. It’s just Sophie’s luck that her first mission as a Companion, 7-10) pledged to guard “the once and future king throughout the annals of time,” would come during a bridesmaid’s-dress fitting for her dad’s imminent remarriage—and that her soon-to-be

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 121 Young firefighting aficionados looking to self-identify will find lots to work with here. firefighters’ handbook

stepsister, Ashley, a glitter-obsessed cheerleader, is pulled along LEGACY AND THE QUEEN for the ride. Stu joins them later, agonizing over “the right Matthew, Annie moment” to tell Sophie about his upcoming move across the Granity Studios (208 pp.) country. On their quest to restore the Grail and heal the king, $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 the kids travel to both an Arthurian-themed resort in Las Vegas 978-1-949520-03-3 and the fabled land of Faerie. Nimue’s braided black hair and brown skin are a break from the otherwise default-white cast. A 12-year-old girl living in a kingdom Retrograde appeals for boys to aid “damsels in distress,” espe- ruled by a mysterious queen dreams of cially if they’re pretty, sound sour notes. Witty quips, copious attaining her sport’s highest prize. pop-culture references, and the occasional snatch of gamer- Legacy Petrin lives and works in the speak aim this effort at novice genre readers. financially strapped orphanage in the A Volume 2 for readers who like their fantasy light. (Fan­ provinces run by her father and rises tasy. 8-13) early every day to practice tennis with her old racket. After her best friend, Van, excitedly tells her about a scholarship compe- tition for a spot at an esteemed academy and the opportunity GET UP, STAND UP to try out for the national championships, Legacy runs away Marley, Bob to the city to compete. After winning, she learns there is still Illus. by Cabuay, John Jay much she doesn’t know: The players are not just proficient in Chronicle (36 pp.) tennis, but also have magical skills that they use to their advan- $16.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 tage. Legacy befriends Pippa, a knowledgeable girl from an elite 978-1-452-17172-2 tennis family, and acquires a builder, or coach, Javi. With Pippa and Javi at her side, Legacy makes her way through the com- A simple modification of famous lyr- petition, despite sabotage attempts, learning secrets about her ics to spread an anti-bullying message that is as necessary today own family along the way. Legacy is a strong character, and the as on the day the song that inspired it was released. secondary characters also have interesting backstories. The sto- In her third picture book offering that uses one of her ryline is reminiscent of other dystopian stories, but centering father’s songs as inspiration, Cedella Marley (Every Little Thing, tennis—with lively descriptions of matches that give a strong illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, 2012, etc.) touches on sense of the sport—is an unusual touch. Most characters are the topics of bullying and ostracism and on the courage it takes white, although Javi is brown-skinned, and some other charac- to combat them. She delivers a statement about social justice ters of color are mentioned. and bravery in an appropriately simple style that children can Magic, tennis action, and family secrets are woven into grasp. The result is a message of empowerment and unity: that an original coming-of-age tale. (Fantasy. 9-12) standing up for yourself inspires others to do the same and may help to bring people together rather than continue a practice of exclusion and belittling. It is very much in keeping with the FIREFIGHTERS’ HANDBOOK import of Bob Marley’s words in the song of the same name. McCarthy, Meghan Vibrant illustrations from Cabuay show a diverse cast of chil- Illus. by the author dren, which will certainly help with accessibility to children Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster from all walks of life. He depicts children getting up and stand- (48 pp.) ing up at the bus stop and on the bus, on city streets, and in $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 parks. The final joyous double-page spread finds a joyous, mul- 978-1-5344-1733-5 tiracial crowd joining a neighborhood festival above which flies a flag depicting the late musician and the legend “One Love.” A pictorial guide for fostering future Moral: It’s never too early to learn to stand up for your- firefighters. self or others in the face of injustice. (afterword) (Picture With a friendly “welcome!” the book ushers young read- book. 3-8) ers into their training as fledgling firefighters. They are shown what is expected of them physically, from general exercises like running or pullups to more specific tasks such as climbing stairs with a weighted vest or dragging a hose long distances. McCarthy includes diagrams and simple explanations of per- sonal protective equipment like axes, helmets, and self-con- tained breathing apparatus facepieces and cylinders as well as cutaways of rescue vehicles showing where these materials are stored. Also shown are types of firefighters and descriptions of related professionals like paramedics. McCarthy’s trademark bright and lovely painted illustrations are clear and expressive. The text clearly addresses its readers as “you,” asking questions

122 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | along the way, bringing them into the book in a way that works BIG BREATH well read aloud or independently. Aftermatter consists of an A Guided Meditation author interview with a (white, older, male) firefighter and ques- for Kids tions for him from children and a smattering of websites to find Meyer, William additional information. Young firefighting aficionados looking Illus. by Jacobs, Brittany to self-identify will find lots to work with here, as persons of New World Library (32 pp.) multiple races and gender identities are shown. $16.95 | Aug. 27, 2019 An informative offering that is both appropriately 978-1-60868-633-9 accessible and comprehensive. (Informational picture book. 5-8) Step by step, Meyer and Jacobs offer a straightforward and age-appropriate mindfulness meditation practice. CHARCOAL BOYS This title’s greatest asset is its simplicity. Each page invites Mello, Roger readers to notice the present moment without judging what is Illus. by the author or changing it to something else. This is mindfulness. “Can you Trans. by Hahn, Daniel hear your breath? Can you feel it? What does it sound like?” The Elsewhere Editions (46 pp.) illustration is similarly simple, showing three people diverse in $20.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 skin tone, gender, and age. They practice along with the text, 978-1-939810-19-9 and the imagery is demonstrative and uncluttered. Ample white space allows the illustration to breathe along with read- The lives of a hornet and a boy unexpectedly intertwine in this ers. The depiction of meditators at varying points across the life

vividly illustrated, unusual glimpse of child labor at a coal yard. span provides a subtle reminder that mindfulness is a lifelong young adult Translated into English from its original Portuguese by practice rather than a task to be accomplished or a goal to be Hahn, Brazilian Hans Christian Andersen Award–winning achieved. A misstep is the suggestion of how one may feel at the author/illustrator Mello’s enigmatic text addresses the humani- end of meditation: “lighter, more relaxed, maybe a little calmer?” tarian and environmental stakes of charcoal production. A pri- This creates an unnecessary expectation of what one “should” marily black-and-white color palette sets a somber tone, while feel, which the rest of the text actively eschews. However, it is a die-cut pages shaped to resemble tongues of orange, pink, and small and forgivable gaffe in an otherwise well-crafted resource. red flame echo the collaged endpapers evoking clusters of A wonderful read-aloud meditation for the begin- embers and ashes. Told in distinct, titled fragments from the ner—or the practitioner of beginner’s mind—of any age. hornet’s perspective, the sometimes frustratingly abstruse (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-10) text offers readers just enough visual and verbal information to construct meaning. The hornet, who guards a larva in its mud nest on a charcoal mound, addresses readers in deceptively ANXIOUS CHARLIE TO plain language peppered with descriptive words and repeated THE RESCUE phrases. Skin color is mentioned only in reference to an albino Milne, Terry boy, depicted with bright white skin, who struggles to hide Illus. by the author from the labor inspectors among the charcoal while the first boy, Candlewick (32 pp.) depicted with dark skin does not. The only named character is $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 the albino boy, whom the hornet christens, unoriginally and 978-1-5362-0916-7 somewhat insensitively, “Albi.” The book’s format and Mello’s professional background suggest children are its intended audi- Milne brings “a story of a small dog facing a BIG challenge” ence, but it’s difficult to envision any child engaging with this in this short and sweet adventure. book without adult scaffolding. The text is more poetic than Charlie is a wiener dog with worries. His daily routines informational, and it does not include references for further upon waking—“One, two three…Hop like a flea”—and taking reading. Still, for those readers who wrestle with it, it’s an unfor- the same route around the neighborhood fire hydrant and oak gettable experience. tree help Charlie feel in control of his anxieties. After checking An ambiguous ending makes this book truly haunting— under the bed and behind the curtains and getting his plushies and vital. (Picture book. 8-12) all in a row, Charlie can rest with the ease of knowing that “I REMEMBERED EVERYTHING TODAY, AND THINGS TURNED OUT OK!” But one day, Charlie’s routines are thrown for a loop when his friend, the bull terrier Hans, is stuck in a pipe! With his friend in trouble, there is no time to count his plants nor to worry about the proper route through the neighborhood. The event becomes accidental exposure therapy, demonstrating that things can “turn out OK” even when rou- tines do not go to plan. Astute adults may quickly recognize Charlie’s daily routine as likely compulsions related to a canine

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 123 version of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though compulsions various actions in a circle of repeated figures (clearly intended are rarely so easily conquered in real life, the simple story may to convey the passage of time), preparing for their day. Discern- encourage young readers who have their own habits and pat- ing readers may spy something left behind as they head out. terns in an attempt to ease their worry. Things start to go awry almost immediately, but Ava’s mother Charming; readers will hope for more adventures for is full of reassurances, and they have a strategy for dealing with Charlie and his friends. (Picture book. 3-6) disappointment: pause, close their eyes, breathe deep, and move on. But after the biggest disappointment comes at the end of a daylong string of them, it’s Ava who brings comfort to THE LIFE OF A COAT her mother in a touching moment that may bring tears to read- Molodowsky, Kadya ers’ eyes. Though not a preachy book, it offers lessons that are Illus. by Kolton, Batia both beautiful and useful. Ava and her mother are black, with Trans. by Kurshan, Ilana skin of different hues of browns, while other characters are an Fantagraphics Books (28 pp.) array of skin tones. How wonderful: a book with both racial $12.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 diversity and class diversity that feels authentic. 978-1-68396-267-0 Special and splendid. (Picture book. 4-9) In this variant of the popular tale of a coat that grows smaller and smaller while never losing its usefulness, a tailor, his wife, MY SINGING NANA his several children, and his goat all participate in the stitchery. Mora, Pat Rhyming couplets follow the family as the father fashions Illus. by Bermudez, Alyssa a coat for his son. The son grows too big for the coat, and it is Magination/American Psychological passed on to another son. With its sleeves now torn, the gar- Association (32 pp.) ment goes to a daughter but loses its lining. Another daughter $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 gets to wear it, but the pockets are lost. A mischievous son tears 978-1-4338-3021-1 it apart with his wild behavior. Finally, the remnants find a home on various pets and the goat. The text is translated from the Mora pens a story about a boy con- Yiddish of a poet and teacher who wrote it in 1931 in her native cerned about Nana’s memory loss. Poland. The lengthy poem is presented primarily as captions After dinner, Billy, his two young siblings, mom, dad, and to the graphic panels with occasional speech bubbles within grandmother make the final preparations on their patio for the illustrations. The multisyllabic Yiddish proper names may their annual neighborhood show, which will be staged the fol- be a challenge for those not familiar with the language, but an lowing evening. “Tomorrow will be our best show ever, right enthusiastic reader can have fun conveying the antics. Kolton’s Nana?” asks Billy. But Nana, uncertain, says: “Remind me Billy, illustrations have an early-20th-century comics aesthetic. The what are we doing this year?” After Billy and his siblings, Becky humans have exaggerated comic features and hairstyles, and and Chris, remind Nana, they rehearse. Later, Nana tells him, the setting has an Old World feel. “Billy, sometimes your Nana forgets things, but we help each Those who like their stories full of larger-than-life other, don’t we?” That evening, Billy confides in his mom that expression will find an outlet for their efforts.(Picture book. he’s worried about Nana. The next morning, Becky, the singer 4-7) in the show, wakes with a sore throat and cough, and Billy wor- ries—but all goes well when Nana joins Billy for the grand finale. Set against a desertlike landscape, Bermudez’s colorful, vibrant SATURDAY scenes offer a window and a mirror to culture and custom, as Mora, Oge when the brown-skinned Latinx family bow heads and hold Illus. by the author hands around the table; cherry empanadas rest on decorated Little, Brown (40 pp.) plates. After dinner, guests arrive, and the show commences. In $18.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 Billy’s narration, simple Spanish phrases appear unapologeti- 978-0-316-43127-9 cally and without translation. An author’s note delves into her grandparents’ experience with dementia and offers useful tips Caldecott Honoree Mora (Thank You, in talking to young children about Alzheimer’s. Omu!, 2018) returns in this sophomore offering about a mother A tender tribute to families who have loved ones suffer- and daughter’s special Saturday. ing from dementia. (recipe) (Picture book. 4-8) Young protagonist Ava and her mother love their Satur- days together. Ava’s mother works, “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,” so Saturday is their special day. The pairs’ smiles and Ava’s outflung hands convey excite- ment, while realistic details such as Ava’s mother’s sleep scarf add authenticity. In vignettes, Mora’s collage art chronicles some of their past adventures and shows them performing

124 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Characters earn their happily-ever-after resolutions by learning lessons about dedication, justice, and love. high-five to the hero

LINTANG AND THE cartoon illustrations of racially and culturally diverse characters PIRATE QUEEN who wear modern attire apart from the occasional robe Moss, Tamara or suit of armor. Along with promoting representations of sen- Clarion (368 pp.) sitive, nurturing men who are unafraid to express themselves, $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 Murrow expands beyond cis-heteronormativity with casual 978-1-328-46030-1 queer representation. Jack, from “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Series: Lintang, 1 has two moms. The title character of “The Snow Man” falls in love with another Snow man (even if they both melt at the It’s a pirate’s life for Lintang. end). Anansi’s child Golden Silk uses they/them pronouns, as For Lintang, humans and “mythies,” does the postal carrier’s partner in “The Pied Piper” (although magical powerful creatures, tensely coex- the binary language of “hardworking men and women” slips in ist. (A creature profile foreshadows some directly after their appearance). Forcefully optimistic—some- chapters.) Inspired by legends, Lintang yearns for adventure times in defiance of a tale’s original ending—the characters earn beyond her home island of Tolus. However, she only manages to their happily-ever-after resolutions by learning lessons about make trouble despite good intentions and warnings from best dedication, justice, and love. friend Bayani. Her fortune turns when the infamous pirate cap- An inclusive compilation permeated with strong values. tain Shafira appears, offering to rid the island of a deadly Night (Fantasy. 6-10) Terror in exchange for a child from the village—a necessity for a ship’s safe passage past Nyasamdra, the island’s sea guardian. Impressed by Lintang’s spunk, Shafira takes the girl onboard, CREATE A COSTUME

promising a safe return and a priceless necklace to Lintang’s Myer, Sarah young adult mother as collateral. The all-female pirate crew prepares to Illus. by the author hunt sirens when attacks from mythies and a stowaway Bayani— First Second (128 pp.) as a boy, vulnerable to sirens’ calls—reveal a more complicated $12.99 paper | Aug. 6, 2019 history. A bigger adventure ensues. Lintang’s impulsive tenden- 978-1-250-15208-4 cies push the plot along, at times frustratingly so. Moss models Series: Maker Comics characters and worldbuilding after aspects of Southeast Asian cultures and Indonesian myths in addition to Western folklore Comic book fans Bea and Parker and her own imagination. Inconsistencies coupled with the decide to attend their first comic con in lack of a cohesive cultural system lead to disjointed details that cosplay, dressing as their favorite comic detract from the story. Several twists provide a peak in intrigue book characters. and possibilities but in the end generate more questions than The Costume Critter, a hamster that lives in Bea’s bedroom, answers, hinting at a sequel. introduces this graphic novel as an instructional manual for cre- An imaginative premise ill-served by its execution. ating self-made costumes. Within the story, each chapter offers (Fantasy. 10-12) illustrations, starting with all of the tools needed to sew, along with sewing safety tips. Following this introduction, there’s a primer on patternmaking, then on how to use a sewing machine. HIGH-FIVE TO THE HERO In each chapter, Bea and Parker come up with various theme 15 Classic Tales Retold ideas for costumes, including witches and wizards, superhe- for Boys Who Dare To Be roes, and space travelers and astronauts. This guide extends Different from gathering materials for a costume to step-by-step sewing Murrow, Vita instructions, seeing the cosplay outfit from conception to fully Illus. by Bereciartu, Julia made garment. A nice touch is the addition of body empower- Frances Lincoln (96 pp.) ment that recognizes that cosplayers don’t need to look exactly $19.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 like comic-book characters in order to enjoy the experience. 978-1-78603-782-4 Myer also offers comic con attendance tips as well as smart rules of cosplay to help young people stay safe while enjoying This collection reimagines 15 fairy the event. The level of detail empowers a young cosplayer to tales with modern touches and community-minded heroes. create a costume, though there is the suggestion that an adult At the request of King Midas, Pied Piper, Geppetto, and may be needed to assist at times. Bea is fat and has beige skin, Anansi, Murrow (Power to the Princess, 2018, etc.) returns with and Parker presents black. a new set of stories that rethink the roles of heroes, kings, and This user-friendly DIY cosplay guide is just the ticket princes. A young Arthur discovers his talent for solving disputes for creating a fantastic cosplay persona. (Informational by listening instead of doing battle. Pinocchio learns a real graphic novel. 9-13) boy’s heart “gives and receives and loves bravely.” Despite his fears, Quasimodo stands up for what he believes in to save the community center from demolition. Each tale includes bright

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 125 Badel’s loose, humorous cartoons extend Ouyessad’s all-dialogue exchange with opposing tongue-in-cheek scenes. the wolf will not come

HOW I MET MY MONSTER excerpt from the Homerooms & Hall Passes rule book, captur- Noll, Amanda ing the spirit of their tabletop role-playing game and foreshad- Illus. by McWilliam, Howard owing upcoming encounters. Each adventurer learns a different Flashlight Press (32 pp.) lesson and grows through their humorous attempts at embody- $17.95 | Nov. 1, 2019 ing their game personas. The villain is satisfyingly over-the-top, 978-1-947277-09-0 and his defeat befits the book’s silly sense of humor. Series: I Need My Monster A rollicking, affectionate parody of fantasy role-play- ing. (Fantasy. 8-12) In a tardy prequel to I Need My Monster (2009), candidates for that coveted spot under the bed audition. As the distressingly unflappable young narrator looks on, one THE LOST HOMEWORK monster after another gives it a go—but even with three mouths, O’Neill, Richard the best roar Genghis can manage is a puny “blurp!” silly shadow Illus. by Beautyman, Kirsti puppets by shaggy Morgan elicit only a sneeze, and red Abigail’s Child’s Play (32 pp.) attempt to startle by hiding in the fridge merely leaves her shiver- $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 ing and pathetic. Fortunately, there’s Gabe, who knows just how 978-1-78628-346-7 to turn big and hairy while lurking outside the bathroom and Series: Travellers’ Tales whose red-eyed stare and gross drooling sends the lad scrambling into bed to save his toes. “Kid, I think this is the beginning of a So busy is a young Traveler’s week- beautiful friendship,” the toothy terror growls. Right he is, the end that he doesn’t realize until too late that he’s misplaced his lad concludes, snuggling down beneath the covers: “His snorts homework book. and ooze were perfect.” As usual, the white-presenting child’s big, In the latest of a string of episodes richly infused with Trav- bright, smiling face and the assortment of bumbling monsters eler culture, O’Neill (Polonius the Pit Pony, 2018, etc.) pitches rendered in oversaturated hues keep any actual scariness at ten- bitti mush (little man) Sonny into preparations for a cousin’s tacle’s length. Moreover, Monster, Inc. fans will delight in McWil- wedding that begin with cleaning the special cart and continue liam’s painstaking details of fang, claw, hair, and scales. through watching a farrier make a new shoe for the driving gry Frightful and delightful: a comforting (to some, any- (cart horse) to planning the road trip, dancing after the wedding, way) reminder that no one sleeps alone. (Picture book. 5-8) telling stories, and more. Afterward, he helps an older neighbor send an email message and makes popovers for Sunday dinner, among other activities. The next day, after fruitlessly searching HOMEROOMS & for his book, Sonny glumly recounts the events of the weekend HALL PASSES to the teacher and his class—who point out that his weekend’s O’Donnell, Tom included science (with the farrier), “food tech,” music, English, Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (352 pp.) and every other subject too. The author slips Romani words $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 into the narrative without italicizing them but does provide 978-0-06-287214-2 a glossary. Though Sonny lives in a kushti atchin tan (settled community) Beautyman evokes the Traveler way of life by tuck- Five heroes face their most trying ing campers or motor homes into the backgrounds of several quest yet: surviving middle school. scenes. Sonny, olive-skinned and dark-haired, joins neighbors In the real world of Bríandalör, and relatives who display a range of skin tones; his classmates Albiorix and his band of fellow adventur- reflect the vigorous diversity of today’s British Isles. ers thwart evil forces, but, once a week, The difference between homework and home work? on Thursday nights, they meet at the local tavern for a game Nothing, in this case! (Picture book. 6-8) of Homerooms & Hall Passes, their fantasy role-playing escape. With dice and their imaginations, they transform into students who worry about class elections, algebra tests, spirit week, and THE WOLF WILL the dreaded five-paragraph essay instead of magic, traps, and NOT COME treasure. However, even with all his dedication to the game, Ouyessad, Myriam Albiorix never could have predicted he and his friends would Illus. by Badel, Ronan end up transported by a curse into the world of J.A. Dewar Schiffer (28 pp.) Middle School. Now they must struggle through the final two $16.99 | Aug. 28, 2019 months of the semester in the lives of their characters or risk 978-0-7643-5780-0 disappearing forever. Apart from remarks about pointy ears, shiny hair, and muscles, O’Donnell doesn’t give the charac- In a bedside conversation originally ters much physical description, but the cover illustration and published in French, a bunny frets about naming conventions suggest that both the Bríandalörians and a wolf’s coming while Mom tallies all the obstacles that will middle schoolers are fairly diverse. Every chapter opens with an keep it away.

126 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Badel’s loose, humorous cartoons extend Ouyessad’s all- SAVING THE dialogue exchange with opposing tongue-in-cheek scenes of TASMANIAN DEVIL two very long-eared rabbits—one huddled anxiously beneath How Science Is the sheets, the other puttering about the cozy bedroom—on Helping the World’s Largest verso and a feral-looking wolf on recto. The latter can be seen Marsupial Carnivore Survive evading hunters blasting away at random, sneaking into the city Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw by pretending to be just a large dog, adroitly avoiding traffic, HMH Books (80 pp.) creeping into a certain building…but “he would not get to our $18.99 | Aug. 20, 2019 apartment.” “How can you be sure?” “We live on the fifth floor, 978-0-544-99148-4 and wolves do not know how to take the elevator!” “Mom! Do Series: Scientists in the Field you really think that a wolf who has already managed to do all this will stop because of an elevator?” Finally a firm “Goodnight, Scientists from different disciplines, career stages, and my rabbit,” would seem to settle the matter…until there comes parts of the world work toward saving the Tasmanian devil, an a knock at the door followed by the revelation that it was all Australian carnivore threatened with extinction due to the devil a setup; the little bunny hurtles across a living room where a facial tumor disease. birthday party has plainly just taken place, throws open the When Patent began working on her investigation of the door, and gives the gift-bearing wolf standing there a mighty story of this rapidly advancing, apparently communicable can- hug: “I was sure you would come!” Young audiences sure that cer, scientists feared it was soon going to wipe out the species the young bunny was about to become a menu item will happily except in captivity. But progress in several fields, the work of request repeat readings. both caretakers of captive populations and those who reintro-

This mischievous bit of topsy-turvy is a thoroughgoing duce some to the wild, and the adaptations and evolution of young adult delight. (Picture book. 5-7) the animals themselves give hope for a different outcome. The author’s long experience writing for young readers is evident. She organizes this complex account in ways that make it clear NYA’S LONG WALK and provides background that middle school readers will need: A Step at a Time introducing this secretive and often maligned mammal; explain- Park, Linda Sue ing the disease and its effects on the animals’ genes; describing Illus. by Pinkney, Brian rescue efforts in the field; and showing lab work toward devel- Clarion (32 pp.) oping an effective vaccine. She interviews and accompanies $17.99 | Sep. 2, 2019 four featured white scientists, male and female, as well as others 978-1-328-78133-8 involved in this work, and ends each chapter with a short sum- mary note headed “What I learned.” Photographs show the Tas- Calamity strikes when two sisters take a trek outside of manian landscape, other wildlife, researchers at work, spacious their village in South Sudan to fetch water in this picture-book areas for captive devils, and the animals themselves, which are adaptation of the bestselling A Long Walk to Water (2010). dog-sized, furry, and reasonably appealing when their mouths Nya, the elder, notices that Akeer is becoming uncharacter- are closed and their threatening teeth are hidden. istically tearful, then listless. On the titular long walk back, Nya A message of hope from Scientists in the Field. realizes her sister is gravely ill and must struggle to carry both (acknowledgments, glossary, further information, sources, Akeer and the water, going step by step, landmark by landmark. photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15) When they return, Nya learns that Akeer must be taken to the clinic, a journey of two to three days on foot, because she “has the sickness that comes from drinking dirty water.” Exhausted THANKU but determined, Nya sets off on the journey with her mother Poems of Gratitude and sister—and that is where the story ends. The three pages Ed. by Paul, Miranda that follow combine the fictional story of Nya and Akeer with Illus. by Myles, Marlena the true story of Salva Dut and his organization, Water for Millbrook/Lerner (40 pp.) South Sudan. It explains what’s happened to Akeer and that $19.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 clean-water wells eventually come to Nya’s village, but it is not 978-1-5415-2363-0 an adequate conclusion for this story that began so full of com- passion, sacrifice, and love. Curious readers will wonder what An anthology of diverse voices united the journey was like for the mother and her daughters and what by the theme of giving thanks. Akeer felt as she recovered, but that is left to their imaginations. In her editorial debut, Paul (Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Pinkney’s swirling brush strokes, dominated by brown, terra Born, 2019, etc.) pairs over 30 poems with Myles’ (Spirit Lake cotta, and gold, indicate the desert landscape, focusing on the Dakota/Mohegan/Muscokee Creek) spirited illustrations cap- children’s tired, stoic faces. turing favorite things for which the nearly three-dozen poets Compelling characters in a story that’s too short for represented here are thankful. Motivated by the sentiment that them. (Picture book. 5-8) gratitude should be expressed year-round, Paul collects poems

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 127 as varied in form as content. The poets not only select a wide FIGHTING FOR THE FOREST array of objects inspiring gratitude—including dimples, “Deep How FDR’s Civilian indents in my brown skin / Inspired by the smile bouncing Conservation Corps Helped upward from my toes”; an alluring “ocean rock” too perfect for Save America skipping across the water; and the rich experience behind “each Pearson, P. O’Connell scar”—but employ incredibly varied lyric forms such as acrostic, Simon & Schuster (208 pp.) ballad, tricube, even “math poems” (“family + friends + love = a $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 thankful heart”). Myles’ colorful digitally rendered illustrations 978-1-5344-2932-1 help contextualize the poems, saturated, often abstract back- grounds complementing neatly outlined, diverse figures. While A history of the Civilian Conserva- Paul’s choice of contributors and Myles’ depictions of charac- tion Corp, one of President Franklin ters are refreshingly inclusive, the collection succeeds more Roosevelt’s New Deal projects that put in its individual poetic efforts than an anthology as a whole. hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work during the Backmatter includes a guide to the forms and devices on display, Great Depression. thumbnail bios of each contributor, and an author’s note com- In just a little over a month after the president’s inaugura- plicating simplistic perceptions of Thanksgiving. tion, the CCC was conceived, created, and already at work, a Lovely lyric lessons in appreciating the ordinary. model of government interagency cooperation and collabora- (resources) (Picture book/poetry. 6-10) tion involving the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Labor, and War. Pearson highlights the essential role of Labor Sec- retary Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet secretary, in OSCAR SEEKS securing funding for the CCC from Congress and recruiting and A FRIEND enrolling young men for the program. The CCC constructed or Pawlak, Pawel improved hundreds of state and national parks, restored nearly Illus. by the author 120 million acres of land, and planted some 3 billion trees. The Trans. by Lloyd-Jones, Antonia latter part of the narrative is focused through the experiences of Lantana (40 pp.) several of those who served. The story of Houston Pritchett, an $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 African American from Detroit, allows Pearson to explore how 978-1-911373-79-7 CCC director Robert Fechner segregated the corps despite an anti-discrimination amendment attached to its funding. A “It’s hard for a small, ugly skeleton to great deal of helpful background information about the Great make friends.” Depression and Roosevelt’s New Deal programs is provided in Skeleton Oscar is sad when he loses a tooth—he looks “so boxed featurettes in such profusion that they frequently inter- dreadful” without it—but at least he has his skeleton dog, Tag, rupt the narrative. to play with. One day, he sees a little girl burying a tooth; she An informative, inspiring look at desperate times and seems to be a possible friend. When she sees Oscar’s missing how government can achieve great things through cooper- tooth, she laughs out loud and offers him the tooth she is about ation and good leadership. (photos, bibliography, endnotes) to bury. A moment later, she takes him by the hand, and their (Nonfiction. 10-14) adventure begins. The minimal text lets the collaged pictures tell the story. Oscar and the girl look at a rainbow and smell the scent of wet grass and visit her house, where they meet her ma. WHAT IF MY DOG They also frolic at the seaside and share their biggest secrets. HAD THUMBS? Oscar takes her by the hand to return the favor. He takes her to Perry, Mike his favorite places: the park and the library and up a tree to look Illus. by the author for sleeping butterflies. Readers will note that the backgrounds Dottir Press (48 pp.) of her world are vivid and bright while his are black with hints $19.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 of brown and warm reds. Both are richly textured and fanciful, 978-1-948340-09-0 the gutter serving as permeable demarcation between worlds. At day’s end, Oscar gives her back the tooth; what he’s found is The titular question is explored in much more valuable. rhyming verse. Color and composition combine to beautifully express Visually, this book screams for atten- friendship and the wonders of the world. (Picture book. 3-12) tion with its illustrations in intense neon colors and striking contrasts (think dandelion yellow and magenta highlighted with cherry red or royal blue, magenta, and dandelion yellow accented with gold). Dog fans will love the main character—a shaggy canine that oozes personality and thrives on an adven- ture-filled, if imaginary, life. Word lovers will jump into the fun and ponder the question: “Would she walk around town

128 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Each page turn reveals artwork that perfectly matches the text’s ability to combine serious wondering, humor, and grace. thank you!

shaking hands with all of her chums?” A spotted dog’s paw and FROGGY DAY the protagonist’s clasp across the gutter. “Would she go to the Pindar, Heather store, just to explore / what she could wear on the dance floor?” Illus. by Bakos, Barbara She boogies in blue jeans beneath a disco ball. The possibilities Maverick Publishing (32 pp.) are endless, and each one is just a bit more complicated and $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 unlikely than the one before. The rhyme isn’t always perfect, 978-1-84886-411-5 but the wordplay, always fun and sometimes philosophical, just asks to be read aloud. “Would she pick apples and make a pie? / A boisterous concept book offers Would she close her eyes and try to touch the sky?” The unstud- opportunity for wordplay, vocabulary- ied, playful aesthetic encourages readers to embrace the looni- building, and audience participation. ness and have fun creating their own imaginative rhymes. No When it’s froggy, it’s just froggy everywhere! A weather possibility is too silly. announcement introduces the primary wordplay concept: It’s just Creative concept and wordplay with playful illustra- “froggy” today. A tour through the town bears witness to what hap- tion you can enjoy with your thumbs. (Picture book. 5-8) pens when greatly enthusiastic, anthropomorphic frogs overrun the streets, bus, park, shops, construction sites, and more. Bright, warm applications of blue, yellow, and green along with round, sim- CATASTROPHE BY THE SEA plified faces and cartoony frogs invite young eyes to the page. Reds, Peterson, Brenda browns, and blues are added to balance the truly busy and “froggy” Illus. by Young, Ed nature of some full spreads. Layered silhouettes bring depth to West Margin Press (32 pp.) some spreads. The printed text meanders or tucks itself into nega-

$16.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 tive space, with “frog” or “froggy” printed in boldface to stand young adult 978-1-5132-6234-5 out. Working on the premise that repetition is a building block for learning, the persistent frogs urge readers to hop from page to A lost Siamese cat learns about life page. Each scene offers a chance to point out new and unfamiliar on an ocean beach and in a tide pool. vocabulary along with chances to make a honking boat sound or Catastrophe the cat has wandered perhaps count the number of frogs that can fit into a teacher’s hair too far from home, ending up alone on a beach. He is befriended (at least three). The majority of the unnamed characters are white by several sea creatures who speak kindly to him. These char- and fairly slender, with no visible disabilities. Thin on plot and acters include a sea anemone named Naimonee and a barnacle thick with frogs, this book would pair well with an old favorite like named Buddy. Dancing crabs and sand dollars join Buddy and Deborah Bruss and Tiphanie Beeke’s Book! Book! Book! or David pals in a “barnacle band” as they click their shells like castanets. Shannon’s Duck on a Bike (both 2001). Catastrophe survives being sucked into the tide pool by the A picture book true to its name. (Picture book. 3-5) undertow, and he is eventually rescued by two brown-skinned children who recognize him from lost-cat posters they have seen in the area. Caldecott Medalist Young’s collage illustra- THANK YOU! tions are intriguing but mysterious, as it is sometimes difficult Pita, Charo to identify characters, and the text often feels out of sync with Illus. by Allepuz, Anuska the illustrations. Buddy the barnacle in particular is problem- Trans. by Manley, Pip atic, as he is a main character but is seldom shown and difficult Eerdmans (32 pp.) to spot. Many of the torn-paper collage illustrations of the cat $16.99 | Aug. 20, 2019 are compelling, and the variety of textures and effects achieved 978-0-8028-5524-4 with the combination of different papers is fascinating when perused closely. As explained in an afterword, the fanciful story Instead of getting specific answers to each of her many was developed in partnership with the Seattle Aquarium as an questions, Isabella learns from Grandma that, often, gratitude effort to increase empathy for sea life. is enough A well-intended, unusual, but not entirely successful The sole characters in the book first appear on the cover: story bringing sea creatures into focus. (Picture book. 4-9) light-skinned and rosy-cheeked and smiling at each other. The opening double-page spread is more dramatic: The pair’s dark sil- houettes huddle at the top of an equally dark bluff, near a wildly crashing sea of broad, blue brush strokes. After asserting that her grandmother knows everything, Isabella asks her first question: “Tell me, why does the sea stop at the sand, instead of swallow- ing up the whole town with its watery mouth?” Grandma is silent, but with each page turn, Isabella asks further questions, which will resonate with most children—questions about our world that have been pondered for generations. Each page turn also reveals artwork that perfectly matches the text’s ability to combine

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 129 Long, layered smears of white create a satisfying illusion of a blizzard. snowy race

serious wondering, humor, and grace. When Grandma finally A cowgirl finds herself in quite a pickle when she feels the speaks, she lets Isabella know that there is a way to deal with “all urge to take care of some necessary business. Trouble is, all the of these mysteries.” Together, the two of them shout thank-you’s critters she encounters give her bad advice. A hound dog sug- to the sea, the wind, and other natural wonders. The sun sets over gests she go in a grassy pasture, but a horse dispels that myth their Mediterranean-looking village (this is a Spanish import), right quick (“This is where a pony goes potty!”). The horse sug- and they head home. At bedtime, Isabella asks another unan- gests a canyon, but the coyotes rebuff her intentions, saying swerable question, but this time, she has a ready response to the that’s their potty place. On and on it goes, each animal suggest- mystery. Too many grandparent-grandchild books are mawkishly ing a location only to have another lay claim to the spot. The sentimental. This one is reverent and transcendent. poor cowgirl is fit to burst when at long last she spies the ranch- The title says it all. (Picture book. 3-6) er’s well-appointed indoor toilet. The animals are aghast, but clearly that is the right place to go. While some potty trainees may enjoy the malarkey, this book is clearly aimed at the older SNOWY RACE set, for whom toilet misadventures are the height of humor. Prince, April Jones Alas, the book lacks a satisfying ending, choosing to merely fin- Illus. by Davenier, Christine ish with a “Thank you” Post-it left in the cowgirl’s wake. Souva’s Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House art gets the job done and somehow avoids any actual depiction (40 pp.) of excrement or urine along the way. The cowgirl presents white. $18.99 | Nov. 26, 2019 Potty humor—not instruction—with goofs and gaffes 978-0-8234-4141-9 galore. (Picture book. 3-6) A young child rides along in the snowplow to complete a very special errand. WILLY’S WORLD OF WONDERS Chronicling the breathless moment when a child will “finally Puchner, Willy get to help!” and be included in the adult world of work, a child Illus. by the author protagonist (with car seat!) loads into Dad’s oversized plow truck Trans. by Wilson, David Henry to zoom off through a snowstorm. Conveyed in expressive cou- NorthSouth (64 pp.) plets, the well-paced rhymes admirably evoke a sense of urgency $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 about their trip and vividly paint a scene of the worsening win- 978-0-7358-4383-7 try weather: “Frosty crystals chase and spin. / Snowplow shifts and tunnels in.” When the pair finally reaches their destination, Tiny visits to wonderful locations. readers see what made this particular journey so important—it’s Avian weddings, Jurassic compari- Mom waiting for them at the train station! Swift, impressionis- sons, and minuscule whispers populate tic sketches filled with soft pastel-hued washes create pastoral this book as Austrian artist Puchner invites readers to embark snowy scenes that contrast with the warmer, more saturated on an imaginative adventure. Bizarrely peculiar and wonder- domestic scenes and with the thick-lined, cherry-red snowplow. ful, the surrealist journey keeps them tethered to reality as it Long, layered smears of white create a satisfying illusion of a bliz- incorporates sly references to popular culture, such as Salva- zard, and Davenier utilizes various interesting perspectives, such dor Dalí and Star Trek. The narrator often directly addresses as the view into the snowy woods from behind the windshield. the audience, using the second person. Prompting philosophi- Gender is handled refreshingly here, with Dad capably handling cal thoughts about paradise or praising readers’ existence, the child care and chores, and while the flap copy refers to the child narrative invites constant thought and examination between as female, the long-haired child appears in neutral primary colors, reality and dreams. With active ambiguity, the narrator seems and bedroom decor includes trucks and elephants, with nary a to morph through the different creatures portrayed as the pink toy in sight. All three family members have pale skin, Dad perspective switches from a cat receiving presents to a rabbit with brown hair and Mom and child with straight, black hair. perusing photographs, for instance. With no clear narrative or A winning winter race. (Picture book. 3-7) story progression, the book requires diligence to persevere in its reading. Offering a smorgasbord of creatures and locations, Puchner plunges readers into the depths of the ocean and ele- WHERE DOES A COWGIRL vates them to the highest reaches of the cosmos from one page GO POTTY? to the next. It’s dizzying. However, the sequence of spreads Prochovnic, Dawn Babb invites patient reading as it displays a visually enticing set of Illus. by Souva, Jacob illustrations and begs for the deciphering of meaning. West Margin Press (32 pp.) An adventurous exploration into the deepest recesses $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 of imagination. (Picture book. 5-10) 978-1-5132-6238-3

Privy privations lead a desperate cowhand on a wild goose chase.

130 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | BEWARE! clear colors. Human figures—beginning with Adam and Eve in Raczka, Bob leafy garb and ending, except for a few vignettes, with an evolu- Illus. by Day, Larry tionary line leading up to the white-bearded scientist himself— Charlesbridge (32 pp.) default to white. $15.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 Cogent review of some landmark ideas, now seemingly 978-1-58089-683-2 obvious but once revolutionary. (author’s note, bibliogra- phy, glossary) (Informational picture book. 8-11) The five letters in the title—two vowels and three consonants—spell out all the words necessary to tell the story of two animals usually at odds but who become I AM A THIEF! steadfast friends. Rayner, Abigail A young bumblebee named Bree and a young bear named Illus. by Ruttan, Molly Abe are each cautioned by their parents to beware the other. NorthSouth (40 pp.) Of course, they do not listen to this advice as they are each $17.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 gathering flowers and have a painful encounter marked with a 978-0-7358-4289-2 “RRRRR!” and an “EEEEE!” And it is a somewhat achy meeting at that, with each animal bemoaning its sore “rear” over several Eliza is appalled to discover that she pages. Happily, this leads to mutual introductions, and, with is a thief; can she ever redeem herself? the presentation of a flower, an endearing friendship. “Aww….” It all starts when Eliza—Line Leader, Day’s watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations present two cud- Caring Friend, Captain of the Worm Rescue Team—swipes

dly critters in a woodland setting with lots of close-ups of their a sparkly stone from the table in her classroom. It wasn’t her young adult facial expressions. White space effectively showcases the antics fault. The stone made her do it. But as soon as it’s hers, Eliza of Bree and Abe, allowing readers to easily follow their adven- becomes a thief. Her reflection looks back at her through a ban- tures. Children may enjoy pointing out each of the delimited dit’s mask, and the stone, wearing devilish horns and a pointy tail, letters in every word of the tale. oppresses her all day. As the entire class searches for the stone, A cautionary tale that adults can take on one level but Eliza agonizes about putting it back. What if someone sees? She that children will enjoy at its most basic. (Picture book. 3-5) goes home and asks the adults in her life if they have ever stolen anything. Her father hasn’t, but nearly everyone else admits to having stolen something. Still, Eliza goes to bed in tears, think- CHARLES DARWIN’S ON THE ing of her disappointed classmates. The next day, she returns ORIGIN OF SPECIES the stone to Ms. Delano. And rather than judge her harshly, Ms. Adapt. by Radeva, Sabina Delano calls her…“BRAVE?” Eliza realizes that “nobody is just Illus. by Radeva, Sabina a thief. Everyone is a lot of things!” This humorous story speaks Crown (64 pp.) to anyone who has made a regrettable mistake, rounding it out $18.99 | Oct. 29, 2019 with a gently ironic surprise final spread. The playful illustrations 978-1-9848-9491-5 feature textured shading and expressive lines highlighting Eliza’s active imagination. Eliza and her family present as white; Ms. An introduction for younger readers to Delano has brown skin, and Eliza’s classmates are multiracial. the major ideas in a seminal work of science. Hilarious and sweet, with a gentle, affirming moral. Radeva, a graphic designer with a background in molecular (Picture book. 4-9) biology, uses a combination of simply phrased statements and short quotes to boil down Darwin’s main notions about variety among both wild and domesticated animals, the struggle for ONE FOX existence that drives the process of natural selection, the devel- A Counting opment of instinct and of complex organs over long spans of Book Thriller time, and the anatomical resemblances in seemingly disparate Read, Kate species that point to common ancestries. Studiously avoiding Illus. by the author mention of religion (“For most of human history, many people Peachtree (32 pp.) believed that everything on the world was created all at once”), $16.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 she sketches out the genesis of Darwin’s thesis with nods to 978-1-68263-131-7 Buffon and Lamarck, brings his theories up to the present with discussions of epigenetics and other recent evolutionary A hungry, sneaky fox silently approaches a henhouse and insights, then closes with rebuttals to select “Misconceptions” gets the surprise of its life. about Darwinism’s precepts. Opening and closing with dozens A farmyard serves as the setting for a counting book, with each of labeled butterflies and other insects on the endpapers, the number—one per double-page spread—depicting how a ruddy, illustrations feature gatherings of naïve-style flora and (mostly) crimson fox with a long, flowing tail closes in on its prey. “1 / One fauna, drawn in minimal but precise detail and lit with bright, famished fox.” The fox curls on recto, pupils directed at the page

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 131 turn. “2 / Two sly eyes.” The fox’s face dominates the verso, eyes WHY? focused on a single feather on recto. “3 / Three plump hens.” The Rex, Adam fearsome action builds and darkens as the fox’s proximity increases Illus. by Keane, Claire until it is inside. “8 / Eight beady eyes” presents the shadowy out- Chronicle (60 pp.) lines of three large hens with white worrying eyes looking at the $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 fox’s head, also shadowed, with white menacing eyes and sharp 978-1-4521-6863-0 fangs. “9 / Nine flying feathers // 10 / Ten sharp teeth” gives the impression of a fatal conclusion. But turn the page, and amid the Doctor X-Ray, a megalomaniac with scurry and scuffle of feathers flying and hens running, strength an X-ray blaster and an indestructible battle suit, crashes through in numbers prevails. “100 / One hundred angry hens” startle and the ceiling of the local mall. chase away “1…one frightened fox.” In a manner reminiscent of Innocent patrons scatter to safety. But one curious child Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk (1967), the intrigue and story arc are com- gazes directly at the bully and asks: “Why?” At first, Doctor municated visually while the counting progresses. Lovely, potent, X-Ray answers with all the menace and swagger of a . brightly colored illustrations in a combination of textured collage The curious child, armed with only a stuffed bear and clad in a and paint against white space transition to a dark, moonlit back- bright red dress, is not satisfied with the answers and continues drop. Little ones will eagerly count in subsequent readings as they asking: “Why?” As his pale cheeks flush with emotion, Doctor also learn new descriptive vocabulary and cheer for the brave hens. X-Ray peels back the onion of his interior life, unearthing pow- A classic scenario flips the script in this engrossing erful reasons behind his pursuit of tyranny. This all sounds heavy, adventure. (Picture book. 3-5) but the humorously monotonous questions coupled with free- wheeling illustrations by Keane set a quick pace with comical results. At 60 pages, the book has room to follow this thread THE BOY WHO INVENTED back to the diabolical bully’s childhood. Most of the answers THE POPSICLE go beyond a child’s understanding—parental entertainment The Cool Science Behind between the howl of the monosyllabic chorus. It is the digital Frank Epperson’s Famous artwork, which is reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s, that creates Frozen Treat a joyful undercurrent of rebellion with bold and loose brush Renaud, Anne strokes, patches of color, and expressive faces. The illustrations Illus. by Pavlović, Milan harken to a previous era save for the thoroughly liberated Asian Kids Can (40 pp.) child speaking truth to power. $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 A funny David-versus-Goliath story with a one-word 978-1-5253-0028-8 question serving as the slingshot. (Picture book. 3-5) Boxing is known as the sweet science, but the inventor of the Popsicle, might disagree. ON THE STROKE Born in 1894, Frank William Epperson always seemed to OF GOODNIGHT know he wanted to be a great inventor when he grew up. He Rice, Clay was an inquisitive young boy, always pondering big questions: Illus. by the author “Do goldfish sleep? Do ants have ears? Do woodpeckers get Familius (32 pp.) headaches from pecking all day?” Frank’s back porch was his $16.99 | Aug. 1, 2019 laboratory, where he “tinkered and tested. Analyzed and scru- 978-1-64170-144-0 tinized.” When he was 10, he built a handcar with two handles and zipped around the neighborhood. But it was his interest in A lyrical poem fit for any bedtime liquids, flavored soda waters in particular, that led to his great ritual. invention. One unusually cold San Francisco night in 1905, he Rice captures the soothing rhythms of the night in an ode left one of his drinks outside, and by morning it had frozen. “He to bedtime that will please any toddler. Using what appear to be had invented a frozen drink on a stick!” But it wasn’t until years cut-paper silhouettes on solid and gradient-color backings, Rice later that the adult Epperson acted on the memory. He created fills each page with images of evening repose: ducks napping, a box in which he could freeze several test tubes filled with fruit deer browsing, a squirrel sleeping, and so on. The silhouettes juice and created the Ep-sicle to sell at shops, county fairs, and are touched with buff highlights, giving them shape and sug- beaches. Pavlović’s exuberant mixed-media illustrations are the gesting feathers, fur, and a fawn’s spots. In many of the pictures, perfect complement to Renaud’s lively text. They even inter- the image of a clock can be seen with its hands pointing to the sperse science experiments to help young readers understand late-night/early-morning hours to further suggest the lateness the science behind Frank’s procedures. Epperson, his family, of the day. Often superimposed on tree trunks, the clock takes and his environs were white; the final double-page spread offers on many forms—a duck’s home, a birdhouse, a shed, and so on— a diverse cast of characters united in their love of Epperson’s to better blend into the scenery of the night. The poem centers invention, now called Popsicles. on a rural family of unknown ethnicity with chickens, sheep, Sweet. (Picture book. 4-8) and farming equipment, but urban and suburban children will

132 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Ford’s stylings blend seamlessly with previous illustrator Tom Lichtenheld’s creations. three cheers for kid mcgear!

respond to the story as well based on the easy flow of the rhyme, as hard as ever. When a peppy skid steer is delivered on-site, the titular line acting as a refrain. “A calf in the barn. A sheep in she’s not quite like the others. Small, energetic, and ready to her stall. / A colt casts a shadow on the weathered wall. // A hen learn, the little loader is pooh-poohed by our heroes. However, warms her eggs. Rooster waits for first light. / And all is quiet at when an accident occurs and traps the excavator and the bull- the stroke of goodnight.” The story should also find a place of dozer, guess who’s quick and able to change to meet every new honor in pajama storytimes in schools, preschools, and libraries. situation? Using wit and grit (literally), the newest member of Simply sublime. (Picture book. 2-6) the team is able to figure out how to save the two machines, obliterating every obstacle in her path. Child fans of the series may appreciate the combination of construction tools with a THE LAST DRAGON good old-fashioned rescue attempt. Their caregivers may appre- Riley, James ciate the presence of a heroic vehicle that is identified as female. Aladdin (384 pp.) While Rinker’s text occasionally strains the tensile strength of $18.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 her rhyme schemes (“With a scoop on her front end, / she gives 978-1-5344-2572-9 a turn, a twist, a bend”), Ford’s stylings blend seamlessly with Series: The Revenge of Magic, 2 previous illustrator Tom Lichtenheld’s creations. Expect series fans to give three beeps for joy. (Picture Nightmarish visions prompt desper- book. 3-6) ate gambles for young magic-wielder Fort as he continues his efforts to rescue his father from the mysterious Old Ones. JOIN THE NO-PLASTIC

Showing no inclination to pick up CHALLENGE! young adult the opener’s plodding pace, Riley marches his preteen spell- A First Book of caster through wordy reveries and exposition, conveniently Reducing Waste overheard conversations, and recurrent dream encounters with Ritchie, Scot a foe given to ALL-CAPS bombast as one ill-starred rescue Illus. by the author scheme gives way on the fly to others. Doing his best to shuck Kids Can (32 pp.) annoyed friends and allies who insist on saving his bacon any- $16.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 way, Fort eventually finds himself in a subterranean realm facing 978-1-5253-0240-4 dwarves, elves (one elf, anyway), huge monsters—and an Old Series: Exploring Our Community One who turns out to be a dragon willing to help subdue his three repressive kindred elementals before laboriously “father- Nick and his friends demonstrate that even young children ing” an egg. (Just to muddy the waters a bit more, the titular can reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. dragon turns out to be another one altogether, hiding back on Four friends, a dog, and a cat join Nick to celebrate his Earth and remaining offstage throughout this episode.) Magic, birthday with a single-use-plastics–free picnic. Spread by mostly teleportation and telepathy with admixtures of mind spread, Ritchie introduces the ubiquity of plastics in our world, control and the occasional exploding fireball, gets brisk work- the availability of alternatives to single-use plastics, the prob- outs, but in the end, the dark is still rising. Fort seems too color- lem of plastic waste in waterways and ocean gyres, and how it less to inspire the sort of loyalty he gets from his supporting cast, harms animals—and the people who eat them. On the ferry to which is well stocked with firecrackers and wild cards. Again, the island where they will picnic, the children notice trash in Fort’s circle isn’t entirely white, but the default is in operation. the water, the lack of recycling bins, and the sale of drinks with A muddled middle, with little sign of movement toward straws (text reminds readers that some people with disabilities a final conflict or resolution.(Fantasy. 10-13) need straws). One spread offers a step-by-step diagram of plas- tic manufacture; another suggests ways to avoid plastics. Finally, the five partygoers help with a beach cleanup (wearing gloves). THREE CHEERS FOR Engaging digital artwork may remind readers of the ink-and- KID MCGEAR! watercolor illustrations of Bob Graham. There are even occa- Rinker, Sherri Duskey sional shifts in perspective. Like his ponytailed mother, Nick is Illus. by Ford, A.G. white; he wears glasses; his friends have names and appearances Chronicle (40 pp.) of varying ethnicities. Another ferry passenger is using a wheel- $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 chair. A simple, two-level text tells the story of their day, with 978-1-4521-5582-1 further explanations from the author in a different type. At a Series: Good Night, Good Night, time of heightened awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean, Construction Site adults will welcome this introduction. Sweetly packaged, simple steps we all can take. (glos- Look out, look out, construction site. There’s a new kid in town. sary) (Informational picture book. 4-8) The latest entry in the Good Night, Good Night, Construc- tion Site series sees the five core construction vehicles working

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 133 Rogers saves this compact, kid-friendly poem as the finale to her clever, biographically rooted close reading. 16 words

QUEEN OF PHYSICS all come out. She tries subduing them with a lasso, an eye patch, How Wu Chien Shiung and a sombrero, but she is defeated. Next, she tries “sashes and Helped Unlock the Secrets sequins and bows,” throwing the fashion pieces on the monsters, of the Atom who… “begin to pose and primp and preen.” After that success, Robeson, Teresa their fashion show becomes a nightly ritual. Clever Pippa’s Illus. by Huang, Rebecca Minhsuan transformation from scared victim of her own imagination to Sterling (48 pp.) leader of the monster pack feels fairly sudden, but it’s satisfying $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 nonetheless. The cartoony illustrations effectively use dynamic 978-1-4549-3220-8 strokes, shadow, and light to capture action on the page and the Series: People Who Shaped Our World feeling of Pippa’s fears taking over her real space. Pippa and her parents are brown-skinned with curls of various textures. Societal limits cannot extinguish talent. A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures. (Picture When Wu Chien Shiung is born, her parents worry, “What book. 4-7) would become of her?” Due to sexist mores, “in those days, girls were not sent to school.” But Chien Shiung was lucky, as before she was born both parents had opened a school for girls, encour- HOW DO YOU FEEL? aging families in their town of Liuhe to educate their daughters. Rockwell, Lizzy “Soon enough, Chien Shiung [has] learned everything she could Illus. by the author from her parents’ school,” leaving for the city of Suzhou, miles Holiday House (32 pp.) away from home and family. There she finds her passions for $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 physics, reading (or “self-learning”), and politics. Her extraordi- 978-0-8234-4051-1 nary talent takes her to bigger opportunities and further away from home. Eventually she ends up at Columbia University in Rockwell explores a wide array of New York. Because of her expertise in beta decay, three groups of emotions. scientists enlist her help with their research. From her work, all The book’s playground setting pro- three groups win the Nobel Prize, but she is overlooked every sin- vides an ideal backdrop for this close look at common emotions gle time. And “because she [is] a woman, because she [is] Asian,” children feel every day. Beginning with a wide perspective, Rock- Chien Shiung is passed over for jobs. Yet her advocacy and sheer well shows a smattering of kids, all different races, playing on the talent cannot be ignored for much longer. Huang utilizes spirited playground. By looking at the vignettes surrounding the various mixed-media images with a neutral palette to illuminate Shiung’s play structures, readers can begin to guess how each child may journey. Robeson is seemingly engrossed in the details, giving the be feeling. Rockwell then zooms in to focus on one emotion per longer-than-usual text the feel of a recitation of facts. spread. “Do you feel happy?” A gleeful tot cuddles a puppy. “Do The fascinating life of the subject compensates for a you feel sad?” A youngster sees a dead bird on the ground. “Do somewhat dry and lengthy narration. (Picture book/biography. you feel sorry?” An apologetic kid mops up a mess. By highlight- 6-9) ing each emotion separately and giving appropriate focus to the face of the child feeling the emotion, with the corresponding circumstantial scene on the opposite page, Rockwell gives space PIPPA’S NIGHT PARADE for readers to talk about why the characters are feeling that way. Robinson, Lisa Facial clues such as blushed cheeks, tears, and furrowed brows Illus. by Fleming, Lucy help readers learn to infer emotions from expressions. Two Lions (32 pp.) Important work for children learning empathy and to $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 validate their own feelings. (Picture book. 2-6) 978-1-5420-9300-2

Pippa conquers a fear of the crea- 16 WORDS tures that emerge from her storybooks William Carlos at night. Williams and “The Red Pippa’s “wonderfully wild imagina- Wheelbarrow” tion” can sometimes run “a little TOO wild.” During the day, Rogers, Lisa she wears her “armor” and is a force to be reckoned with. But Illus. by Groenink, Chuck in bed at night, Pippa worries about “villains and monsters and Schwartz & Wade/Random (40 pp.) beasts.” Sharp-toothed and -taloned shadows, dragons, and $17.99 | $20.99 PLB | Sep. 24, 2019 pirates emerge from her storybooks like genies from a bottle, 978-1-5247-2016-2 just to scare her. Pippa flees to her parents’ room only to be 978-1-5247-2017-9 PLB brought back time and again. Finally, Pippa decides that she “needs a plan” to “get rid of them once and for all.” She decides The fictionalized backstory behind William Carlos Willams’ to slip a written invitation into every book, and that night, they most famous poem.

134 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | In her picture-book debut, Rogers teams up with Groe- feature “wood-grained” blocks; trees are drawn with rounded nink to offer a glimpse of William Carlos Williams’ intriguing leaves and sticklike trunks. Characters default white. A spread life and to imagine what may have inspired his signature poem, in the backmatter includes photos of some of Wright’s most “The Red Wheelbarrow”: “so much depends / upon / a red wheel famous structures. / barrow / glazed with rain / water / beside the white / chickens.” A competent introduction to a master whose ideas still Written in 1923 in suburban northern New Jersey, this 16-word influence today’s buildings. (author’s note, sources)(Picture free-verse lyric helped establish the family physician/poet as a book/biography. 7-10) beacon of 20th-century American imagist poetry. Here Rogers saves this compact, kid-friendly poem as the finale to her clever, biographically rooted close reading, in which she explores what BLUE CAT exactly depends upon that wheelbarrow: namely the livelihood Ryan, Charlie Eve of gardener Thaddeus Marshall, Williams’ neighbor, and those Illus. by the author fed by the vegetables the wheelbarrow helps him deliver—and StarBerry Books (32 pp.) Williams’ yearning to create art. Rogers not only calls atten- $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 tion to the objects included in the poem, but pointedly notes 978-1-63592-134-2 what was omitted: “Those sixteen words…do not describe Mr. Marshall’s life of work or caring or love. But somehow they say A cat engages in typical feline behav- just that.” Groenink’s richly layered, chalky illustrations expres- ior before settling in for a snuggle. sively realize in muted earth tones the all-important everyday Blue Cat smiles out from the cover. Blue Cat’s fur has a elements of Williams’ world. They reveal Marshall to be black— textured, almost stuccolike look, and the character’s edges are

one of few people of color living alongside the mostly white slightly blurred, creating a sense of softness. Inside, the illus- young adult population of Rutherford, New Jersey. trations have a collage-style appearance and folk-art feel. Some At once spare and lush: a gorgeous introduction to the items in the pictures are textured like Blue Cat, others have power of poetry. (author’s note, further reading) (Picture crosshatching, both fine (the floor) and coarse (yarn balls). Still book/poetry. 3-8) others, such as the wallpaper and curtains, are smooth, with small repeating patterns. These echo the designs on the front (floral) and back (hearts and cherries) endpapers. The brief PRAIRIE BOY text consists of short declarative sentences, most starting with Frank Lloyd Wright Turns the “Blue Cat” and including just one other word: “Blue Cat lounges… Heartland Into a Home stretches…swats,” etc. After taking a flying leap at the fish bowl Rosenstock, Barb and spending some time being petted (as the fish gives Blue Cat Illus. by Neal, Christopher Silas serious side-eye), Blue Cat hears something and takes off again. Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills (32 pp.) Readers will likely be surprised to discover that Blue Cat should $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 more accurately be called Blue Kitten, as is clear in comparison 978-1-62979-440-2 with the much larger (bright red) Mama Cat. The brevity and predictability of the text suggest that this would be most suit- An American master builder was inspired by basic geometry able for toddlers. Older listeners might be happier with Kathi and the Midwestern prairie. Appelt and Penelope Dullaghan’s more energetic and equally In boyhood, Frank Lloyd Wright was entranced by the land blue Max (Max Attacks, 2019). around him. To help him cope with frequent family moves Appealing illustrations and minimal, repetitive text that take him far from his beloved Wisconsin home, Wright’s make this ideal for toddlers. (Picture book. 2-5) mother gave him sets of wooden blocks; he loved the myriad ways he could arrange their shapes. Recognizing that the mul- ticolored, European-style homes popular at the time didn’t TYAJA USES THE THINK TEST meld with the landscape’s natural contours nor suit contem- Ryden, Linda porary American lifestyles, the adult Wright envisioned “a new Illus. by Malone, Shearry kind of house.” He opened his own firm and, using the plains’ Tilbury House (32 pp.) own shapes and colors as templates, designed long, rectangular $16.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 “Prairie Houses” that blended organically into their surround- 978-0-88448-735-7 ings. The text is serviceable as it provides a simple blueprint of the life and career of this 20th-century visionary, but there Mindfulness teacher Ms. Snowden is no glossary for the many architecture-related terms used. begins this book by saying, “Let’s talk Wright quotes appear throughout. Readers will be interested in about the power of words,” and that is exactly what it accomplishes. how Wright’s fascination with shapes and nature informed his This is an easy-to-understand book about the importance work and should be encouraged to create their own “building of consciously selecting words that are True, Helpful, Neces- designs.” Dynamic mixed-media illustrations are replete with sary, and Kind. When Ms. Snowden writes the acronym THNK shapes: Many pages emphasize verticals and horizontals; some on the board, she explains that the missing “i” represents the

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 135 thinker in the THiNK Test. Later that day, Tyaja, a little black WHAT’S COOKING AT 10 girl with kinky-curly hair, decides to tell her friend Rosie, a little GARDEN STREET? white girl, that she does not like Rosie’s new haircut. Suddenly Recipes for Kids From “four tiny winged people” appear, each representing one of the Around the World words in the THiNK Test acronym. These wee advisers give Sala, Felicita Tyaja enough information about the words they represent to Illus. by the author help her determine whether what she wants to tell Rosie passes Prestel (48 pp.) the THiNK Test. “Isn’t there a difference between an opinion $14.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 and the truth?” asks Mr. True. Miss Helpful suggests that, since 978-3-7913-7397-3 Rosie can’t do anything about her haircut anyway, Tyaja’s offer- ing that opinion is anything but. This book is part of a series A compendium for curious budding (Sergio Sees the Good, 2019, etc.) that features children of differ- cooks of every stripe. ent races and abilities in various social learning situations. In Multicultural residents living in an apartment block on this particular offering, the skin tones and facial features of Garden Street are cooking up a global smorgasbord. Mr. Ping some of the characters change significantly from page to page, (who appears Asian) stir-fries some broccoli, or “little trees” as which may distract readers. his nephew Benjamin calls them. “Across the hall, Maria mashes A great book to share with children for social-emo- avocados with a fork.” Maria and her mother (they have olive tional learning. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-10) skin, black hair, dark eyes and appear to be Latinx) are making guacamole. Mr. Melville (who appears to be white) raises his knife to fillet a fish for sole meunière. Elsewhere in the building, 1001 ANTS Josef (a white boy with light brown hair) and Rafik (who pres- Rzezak, Joanna ents black) together prepare meatballs with turkey, zucchini, Illus. by the author and feta. Other neighbors are making coconut dal, miniquiches, Thames & Hudson (32 pp.) and baba ganouj. For each spread, author/illustrator Sala ren- $16.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 ders delightful full-bleed pictures that showcase residents in 978-0-500-65208-4 action on the left and a visual recipe on the right. Each of these has detailed drawings of ingredients followed by easy-to-follow A line of ants marches toward an written instruction. With no more than six main ingredients unknown destination against a back- each, the simple recipes feature global culinary traditions and ground of successive double-page fresh flavors. From kid favorites such as spaghetti al pomodoro spreads featuring the various flora and fauna encountered dur- and peanut-butter–and–chocolate-chip cookies to dishes with ing the journey. ingredients not as common in many North American kitchens The initial double-page spread, like all the others, has a stark (think tahini and fresh ginger), there are recipes for every palate. white background, broken by stylized, black-inked, plantlike Finally, “everything is ready. It’s time to go downstairs.” In the designs. The foreground of this spread shows a large, cross-sec- final spread, the diverse community—of families, single parents, tioned, brown anthill. Its white tunnels and chambers—some elderly folks, millennials, etc.—all gather in the garden for deli- containing ants and others with such ant necessities as seeds cious food and fun company. and aphids—branch out from the book’s center, accompanied Part cookbook, part picture book, 100% delicious. by accessible text with brief explanations. The scores of black (Cook/picture book. 5-10) ants have a realistic body shape, with crescent-moon negative space creating comical eyes. From the start, red ink urges read- ers to “keep an eye out” for a “little ant in red socks hiding in BANJO every picture in this book.” This offers two advantages: extra Salisbury, Graham fun along the way, and a cushion of relief at the unexpected, Wendy Lamb/Random (224 pp.) nature-can-be-harsh ending. The ant in red socks sometimes $16.99 | $19.99 PLB | Oct. 8, 2019 makes comments and often gets distracted. Facts about differ- 978-0-375-84264-1 ent animals and plants have been well chosen to spark curios- 978-0-375-94069-9 PLB ity, with sentences arranged informally around the colorful, engaging, and often comical plants and animals. Reading in this Budding cowboy Danny is faced with random order works well until the penultimate page, where an a crushing moral dilemma. unfinished sentence along a thin, pink road leads to the next His border collie, Banjo, feral when page’s dark punchline. This comes as something of a narrative adopted seven years ago, has been sucker punch after this lighthearted journey that’s allowed read- accused by a neighboring rancher’s sons ers to become fond of these insect characters. of joining wild dogs in attacking their flock. They say they had Natural selection lite? (Picture book. 4-7) to shoot at Banjo to stop him. Now the neighbor wants Banjo to be euthanized, claiming he’s dangerous. Danny knows Banjo wouldn’t attack livestock, but his dog has clearly been winged

136 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | The dark nature of the tale is mitigated by the style of illustration. the owl and the two rabbits

by a bullet. His earnest father allows the 13-year-old two days OAK LEAF to find Banjo another home. When no one will agree to take Sandford, John the dog, Danny and his older brother bring him into the moun- Illus. by the author tains and drive him away with gunfire, hoping he’ll recall his Cameron + Company (40 pp.) feral background and survive—then claim to have shot him. $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 But Danny knows Banjo’s chances are uncertain, and he suf- 978-1-944903-73-2 fers agonizing guilt: He’s failed Banjo and deceived his father. Meanwhile, talented horse-whisperer Meg finds Banjo and Autumn’s arrival sends an oak leaf on cares for him but is determined to discover who would aban- a windswept adventure against dappled, don such a good dog. Although Banjo’s placement is eventually pointillist-style paintings. resolved and his innocence proven, the moral ambiguity of the A leaf appears, distinct and crisp against the gauzy back- teen’s situation not only dominates the narrative, but will leave ground. It’s an eye-catching burst of gold and umber that con- many readers wondering what other course he could have taken. trasts with the lovely, if unexpectedly spring-y, Monet-inspired White-default characters are carefully drawn, and the sustained pastel colors. As the text catalogs the leaf’s travels through suspense makes for an engaging tale set in rural Oregon. settings both natural (“over freezing lake waters”) and built A page-turner that doesn’t offer all the answers. (Fiction. (blown about by a freight train), it’s odd that there are so few 10-14) autumnal references. Some of the leaf’s adventures, such as wafting through a vividly crimson maple tree or glimpsing geese migrating, are topically seasonal, but others, like a visit to a calf THE OWL AND THE or a momma fox, don’t feel as germane. As the oak leaf floats

TWO RABBITS lower over the city, it’s caught and pressed in a book by a white young adult Sammurtok, Nadia girl, a pleasant conclusion that gives the leaf’s journey a feel- Illus. by Cutler, Marcus ing of completion, though the ending is hampered slightly by Inhabit Media (40 pp.) the child’s somewhat unfinished-looking face—the illustrator $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 is clearly more adept at capturing sweeping natural scenes than 978-1-77227-236-9 portraits. Written with a quiet poeticism, concise lines such as “Up through the mist, away from the earth, up” establish a pen- A cautionary tale about rabbit sisters who disobey their par- sive tone that neatly matches the quiet tale, though the text isn’t ents and find trouble as a result. exactly bursting with personality either. Even though their parents told them not to play out in the It’s pretty to look at, but it’s too generic to be an essential open tundra, two rabbit sisters climb atop rocks on a hillside. addition to an autumnal-themed book collection. (Picture Trying to outdo each other in a jumping game, the rabbits soon book. 5-7) see a large white owl land in front of them. Its talons are sharp and its belly grumbling. He grabs the two rabbits and won’t let go even as he is unable to take flight due to the way they THE LIZARD squirm and fight. A comical scene follows as the rabbits work Saramago, José together to throw the owl off balance. The owl’s wife coaches Illus. by Borges, J. her partner from the sky, telling him to let go of one of the rab- Trans. by Caistor, Nick & Caistor, Lucia bit sisters. Luckily for young readers who might be distressed Triangle Square Books for Young at the thought that the protagonists might be eaten, the owl’s Readers (24 pp.) greed is overwhelming, and he will not listen to her advice. By $17.95 | Oct. 22, 2019 sticking together, and believing in themselves, the rabbit sisters 978-1-60980-933-1 hatch an escape plan and learn an important lesson. The dark nature of the tale is mitigated by the style of illustration: Bright Panic ensues when an unwelcome pastel colors cover each page, and the soft features of the owl guest arrives. and pink-eared rabbits alleviate some of the tension in the life- A lizard appears in the Chiado neighborhood of Lisbon, and-death struggle. Portugal. It stops in the middle of the street, halting cars and This traditional Inuit story from Nunavut teaches chil- causing an old woman to scream. People scatter in fear, planes dren the importance of parental guidance—with a dash of fly overhead, all while the lizard remains mostly unperturbed. excitement. (Picture book. 3-7) Finally, the people launch an attack, and, “thanks to the fair- ies,” the lizard “was transformed into a crimson rose.” The rose blooms, turns white, then becomes a dove. The narrator claims in the opening that “this is a fairy tale,” for “in what other kind of story would a lizard appear in Chiado?” Semantic arguments aside, this tale is high-concept fiction. With political-leaning overtones, the 1998 Nobel Prize–winning Saramago integrates overriding realism akin to Aesop with Carrollian exaggeration.

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 137 Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2009, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank. good night, little blue truck

Young non-Portuguese readers may need an older reader to help nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and interpret the tale’s meaning (and the older reader may also need Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump some outside help). Borges contributes bold, rustic woodcuts and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and that leave plenty of room for symbolic interpretations. There all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” is a visual lack of continuity between pages, with the described The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack “green” lizard alternatively appearing in black and red shades while it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet its head and number of legs also changes. Like the story itself, the after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is translation challenges readers with sophisticated vocabulary. not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard A pensive, allegorical fairy tale for readers ready to sit for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their with perplexity. (Picture book. 5-8) own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue HELLO, CROW! Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations Savage, Candace (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) high- Illus. by O’Byrne, Chelsea light the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that Greystone Kids (32 pp.) follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2009, $17.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank. 978-1-77164-444-0 A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6) With patience and persistence, Franny befriends a crow. Franny’s father calls her a “feather- BRAVE WITH BEAUTY head,” but what she’s paying attention to is the natural world. Sav- A Story Of Afghanistan age, who has written extensively about nature for adult audiences, Schur, Maxine Rose both tells and shows us an antidote to Richard Louv’s “nature- Illus. by Grush, Patricia, & Dewitt, Robin & deficit disorder” in this satisfying picture book. Her nature-loving Yaghoobi, Golsa protagonist leaves a mess inside but finds endless entertainment Yali Books (44 pp.) out of doors. Seated on a rock with her sandwich, she drops $19.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 crumbs that attract a crow. The next day she purposefully brings 978-1-949528-97-8 food, and soon the crow begins to bring her small gifts. Eventually, her father recognizes that the crow is not imaginary; their friend- An illustrated profile of an ancient queen. ship is real. The illustrations celebrate the wonders nature offers Seven hundred years ago, a 14-year-old girl named Gohar- this resourceful protagonist, especially in a spread illustrating “a shad married the powerful ruler Shah Rukh and became a queen. dozen different ways to pass the time while she waited” for the After moving to Herat, the stunning seat of her new husband’s crow to appear—climbing trees, swinging on a tire swing, read- empire, Goharshad dreamed of transforming her kingdom into ing in a hammock, looking through binoculars, drawing, making something even more beautiful than it already was. For the rest a daisy chain, even helpfully trimming a bush. O’Byrne’s illus- of her reign, Goharshad funded and oversaw artistic projects trations show an appealingly freckle-faced white girl living with ranging from the creation of a mosque to the construction of an indulgent, if distracted, father, also white. These images are a library and a college intended to include women and girls. relatively flat and childlike, and the effect is very child friendly. Goharshad persisted despite doubts about her decisions, creat- In an afterword, the writer tells readers a bit more about crows ing a legacy that lasted until war and time destroyed her most and poses an unanswered question: “Do they actually like or love impressive creations. This text-heavy book walks an uncertain their human helpers?” line between fiction and nonfiction: Many passages that are pre- A gift for the nature shelf. (Picture book. 4-8) sented as facts feel rooted in speculation, such as the musings of an “old man” who gathers the jeweled tiles that are all that remains of a building the queen constructed in Herat. Since the GOOD NIGHT, author provides no historical sources, it is hard to say what genre LITTLE BLUE TRUCK this is meant to be. The unnecessarily flowery language—which Schertle, Alice is, equally unnecessarily, printed in a stylized typeface—and Illus. by Joseph, John the highly embellished illustrations are troubling and exoticiz- HMH Books (32 pp.) ing. Furthermore, the tragic tone of the final pages renders this $17.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 story one of loss, leaving readers with a deficit perspective of a 978-1-328-85213-7 troubled region with a rich and vibrant past. A classroom guide on the publisher’s website provides extension activities but no Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both! further documentation for the story itself. Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home An unsuccessful foray into Persian history and legend. when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very (Picture book. 8-10)

138 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | ASTRONUTS out to learn more about how to harness his superpowers and MISSION ONE what the men in black are looking for. The blend of storytelling The Plant Planet media and punny humor carry moments of needed exposition, Scieszka, Jon keeping the pacing of the story from feeling bogged down with Illus. by Weinberg, Steven details, and hilarious plays on words will land with the target Chronicle (220 pp.) audience. In addition to Russell, who is vines and cellulose, his $14.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 classmates and teachers are fairly diverse, and his adoptive par- 978-14521-7119-7 ents are an interracial couple: a black Christian mother and a Series: AstroNuts, 1 white Jewish father. A comedic win with appeal for fans of Tom Angleberger Science and silliness intersect when and DC’s Teen Titans Go! (Graphic/science-fiction hybrid. 7-11) four animal friends research a planet. The Not the National Aeronautics and Space Administra- tion (also known as NNASA) has sent its four superpowered THE BRAIN IS KIND OF AstroNuts—bubblegum-pink fearless leader AlphaWolf, sunny A BIG DEAL tangerine SmartHawk, cool blue LaserShark, and lively lime- Seluk, Nick green StinkBug—into outer space to explore faraway planets. In Illus. by the author their top-secret ship, which doubles as Thomas Jefferson’s nose Orchard/Scholastic (40 pp.) on Mount Rushmore, they snot-rocket their way 39 light-years $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 to the Plant Planet. Brimming with verdant vegetation, it looks 978-1-338-16700-9

like an ideal place to relocate Earth’s population due to climate young adult change. But upon further investigation, they discover that the An introduction to the lead guitar and vocalist for the sentient, vegetal inhabitants have their own nefarious plans for Brainiacs—the human brain. the AstroNuts. Narrated by Earth, the tale treats middle-grade The brain (familiar to readers of Seluk’s “The Awkward Yeti” readers to a hearty dose of science facts that blend seamlessly webcomic, which spun off the adult title Heart and Brain, 2015) with a hilarious narrative propelled by booger and fart jokes, looks like a dodgeball with arms and legs—pinkish, sturdy, and making this a fun read-alike for fans of Aaron Blabey’s Bad roundish, with a pair of square-framed spectacles bestowing Guys series. Climate change is presented accessibly, as is infor- an air of importance and hipness. Other organs of the body— mation about plant cell structure and basic chemistry, making tongue, lungs, stomach, muscle, and heart—are featured as this a must-have for those looking to boost STEM-related titles. members of the brain’s rock band (the verso of the dust jacket The graphic-hybrid design is lively, blending varied typefaces is a poster of the band). Seluk’s breezy, conversational prose and and vivid colors alongside collage illustrations that incorporate brightly colored, boldly outlined cartoon illustrations deliver images from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. basic information. The brain’s role in keeping the heart beat- A winning mix of fun and fact—readers will be eager for ing and other automatic functions, directing body movements, the next mission. (Graphic/science fiction hybrid. -7 11) interpreting sights and sounds, remembering smells and tastes, and regulating sleep and hunger are all explained, prose aug- mented by dialogue balloons and information sidebars. Seluk THE SECRET SPIRAL OF points out, importantly, that feelings originate in the brain: SWAMP KID “You can control how you react…but your feelings happen no Scroggs, Kirk matter what.” The parodied album covers on the front endpa- Illus. by the author pers (including the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Green Day, Run DMC, DC Zoom (152 pp.) Queen, Nirvana) will amuse parents—or at least grandparents— $9.99 paper | Oct. 1, 2019 and the rear endpapers serve up band members’ clever social 978-1-4012-9068-9 media and texting screenshots. Backmatter includes a glossary and further brain trivia but no resources or bibliography. Swamp Kid enters the DC Universe A good overview of this complex, essential organ, with in this humorous adventure/mystery. an energetic seasoning of silliness. (Informational picture book. Part plant, part humanoid, mid- 6-8) dle schooler Russell Weinwright, aka Swamp Kid, shares his origin story through his illustrated jour- nal, which moves between handwritten text and comics-style sequencing. Uncertain of his beginnings, other than that he was found near the swamp as a baby, Russell questions his ancestry after he begins to discover superpowers and mysterious men in dark suits and glasses start following him. He and his friends— Charlotte, a white girl who is smart and fearless, and Preston, a black videographer always trying to get a good story—set

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 139 KITTEN LADY’S BIG BOOK OF meditate and remain calm until he locates Patti. Lively illustra- LITTLE KITTENS tions throughout portray superfriendly animals, Sloth in partic- Shaw, Hannah ular, interacting with charmed children at a school that clearly Photos by Shaw, Hannah & has great liability insurance. Backmatter explains some of the Marttila, Andrew behaviors of animals and people that inspired the book, ending Aladdin (56 pp.) with a useful plug for animal-rescue centers. For all its charm, $18.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 however, the story stops a little short and feels lightweight over- 978-1-5344-3894-1 all, without adding much to the current vogue of sloths as cud- dly spirit animals for the unrushed or perpetually late. Animal advocate and Kitten Lady Agreeable animal fun but weightless as a too-brief visit blogger Shaw shares facts and her experiences fostering kittens. to the zoo. (Picture book. 4-7) As an animal foster parent, Shaw provides a temporary home and special care to vulnerable kittens until they find an adopter. Most of the kittens she shelters are orphans, often WHO NAMED THEIR found in “unexpected places” like trash cans and the side of the PONY MACARONI? highway without their mothers. Neonatal kittens, those with Poems About White their eyes still closed and ears folded, are the most defense- House Pets less. In order to grow up healthy, kittens need help regulating Singer, Marilyn their body temperature, receiving nutrients, learning to groom Illus. by McAmis, Ryan themselves, and getting appropriate amounts of rest and activ- Disney-Hyperion (48 pp.) ity. Shaw celebrates every adoption. Her home is never empty $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 because there are always more kittens in need. Photographs 978-1-4847-8999-5 with playful embellishments accompany the first-person, infor- mational narrative. The prose is full of cutesy language (“li’l “Along with children, First Ladies, and presidents, / the exec- peanuts”; “snuggle-dumplings”), but the casual conversational utive mansion had notable residents.” style fits the undeniable sweetness of the kittens and doesn’t The veteran versifier offers new stanzas on select animals detract from the educational aspect of the text. Words set in who occupied the White House (often only briefly) or were at bold, green text are defined in the glossary. Shaw adds - aper least associated with the chief executives. Readers are likely to sonal touch by naming many of the kittens depicted in the be impressed by the sheer variety—not just horses, cats, and photographs and using them as examples as she describes the dogs in abundance, but a mockingbird that Thomas Jefferson details of kitten care. Although she emphasizes the dedication “bought from a slave for five shillings,” John Quincy Adams’ alli- and hard work required for raising kittens, she encourages read- gator and his wife’s silkworms, Benjamin Harrison’s possums, ers to get involved and suggests creative ways to help. Teddy Roosevelt’s wild menagerie, and more. Singer writes in Inviting and informative, with charming purrsonality. casual but controlled metrics that lend each poem a fresh, indi- (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 7-12) vidual character. She also broadens her general theme both by frequently commenting on the experiences or characters of the animals’ presidential owners (“In the White House, / a mouse SLOTH TO THE RESCUE is not a welcome resident. / Occasionally, neither / is the sitting Shirtliffe, Leanne president”) and adding observations at the end that will reso- Illus. by McClurkan, Rob nate with pet owners far from the nation’s capital and several Running Press Kids (32 pp.) years away from voting age. In lengthy endnotes she adds still $17.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 more. McAmis uses clipped bits of paper and found materials 978-0-7624-9159-9 to create low-relief collages for each poem. Though he depicts Calvin Coolidge’s pair of lion cubs as tigers, the animals and When a girl leaves her school project human figures throughout (the latter all white) have homey, at the zoo, it’s up to Sloth and his faster- domesticated looks. moving friends to deliver the notebook back to her. A popular topic explored with humor and respect for its Patti’s been spending her summer working on a set of draw- furred, feathered, and four- (more or less) legged cast. (bib- ings to turn in at the beginning of school. Sloth, who looks like liography) (Picture book/poetry. 6-9) a fuzzy gray log with an expressive, wide face, adores Patti, who, like Sloth, never seems in any rush. When Sloth notices she’s left her notebook, he calls to action Peccary, Boa, Capuchin, and Ocelot to give him some assistance. Slowly, of course: “Let’s. go. on. a. field. trip…” he suggests. Shirtliffe cleverly assigns tasks according to the animals’ strengths. When they arrive at Patti’s school, Peccary is great at lining up, skin-shedding Boa fits right in in the coat room, and so on. Sloth, for his part, can

140 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Incisive language distills the hardest part of childhood: the precarious hold small people have on their own agency. small in the city

SNOW MUCH FUN! their new kid friends find and rescue the rodents of the town Siscoe, Nancy in time for the 32nd International Rodent Games? Who is Dr. Illus. by Gibson, Sabina Mesmero, and what is her diabolical plan? And will Mr. Penguin Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (40 pp.) ever see Cityville again…or get another fish finger sandwich? Mr. $17.99 | Oct. 29, 2019 Penguin’s second caper is as silly as the first, and as disappoint- 978-0-06-274112-7 ing in its casting of the only apparent human of color—Edith— as a thief. Pages from Dr. Mesmero’s journal, black-and-white Three animal friends enjoy winter illustrations with pops of orange, and occasional orange pages activities such as sledding, skating, and break up the short chapters. ice hockey as well as baking cookies and creating garlands of Fans will be happy more adventures are in the offing. popcorn and apple slices for birds. (Adventure. 6-11) The anthropomorphic characters are a white bear named Berry, a beige squirrel named Ginger, and a timid, pale blue bunny named Willow. The bear and squirrel are excited to play SMALL IN THE CITY outdoors in the snow, but Willow prefers staying indoors with Smith, Sydney cocoa and marshmallows. Berry and Ginger encourage Wil- Neal Porter/Holiday House low, and she finds she enjoys ice hockey when she scores a goal. (40 pp.) Intriguing photographic illustrations use small fabric sculptures $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 for the animals with tiny props and relevant costumes such as 978-0-8234-4261-4 felt skates and knitted sweaters and hats. The animals are pho-

tographed in miniature scenes of snowy outdoor settings and A child navigates the city’s relentless young adult inside the cozy, pink house the friends share. A loosely rhyming sights and sounds. text uses different rhyme schemes on each page, with evoca- The child, light-skinned but with tive rhyming word pairs describing the activities of the animals. race and gender ambiguous under lay- The language includes rich vocabulary such as “squooshed,” ers of winter outerwear, pulls the stop- “whoosh,” “whirling,” and “shimmering,” and a running gag uses request string inside the bus and trundles into the midtown puns with the word “snow” substituted for “so” as in the title. maw. A savvy kid, but so small within the double-page spread This tale of friends enjoying wintry activities at home of skyscrapers, commuters, stoplights, and construction. Text and out in the snowy world is downright charming. (Picture appears in the white space between buildings, “I know what it’s book. 4-7) like to be small in the city.” Young readers will feel their hearts constrict, as they all know what it’s like to confront a towering, intimidating world. Hand-drawn frames, presented in quad- MR. PENGUIN AND THE rants, contain both powerful close-ups and wider scenes (taxi FORTRESS OF SECRETS taillights, crosswalks, chain fencing, the child’s bobbing pom- Smith, Alex T. pom) that mark time and distance. A page turn delivers full- Illus. by the author page pictures of the looming city, with dizzying linework and Peachtree (288 pp.) detail. Cinematic scenes feel at once atmospheric and photo- $16.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 realistic. With snow accumulating and light dwindling, the nar- 978-1-68263-130-0 rator gives voice to the reader’s concern: “People don’t see you Series: Mr. Penguin, 2 and loud sounds can scare you, and knowing what to do is hard sometimes.” This incisive language distills the hardest part of Mr. Penguin and his intrepid band childhood: the precarious hold small people have on their own face adventure once more following agency. A brilliant narrative twist reveals itself at the end of this series opener Mr. Penguin and the Lost tender picture book, which stretches readers’ concern painfully Treasure (2019). as the voice begins warning of dark alleys and dogs, and points Adventurer Mr. Penguin is once again joined by Colin the to warm churches and free food. kung fu spider, the handy Edith Hedge (a human with an elastic Extraordinary, emotional, and beautifully rendered. definition of borrowing), and silent pigeon Gordon on a myste- (Picture book. 6-10) rious mission. While attempting to recover the Enigma Stone for Professor Stout-Girdle, the group crash-lands their—urm, borrowed plane on a mountaintop near the tiny snowbound town of Schneedorf-on-the-Peak. Siblings Dieter and Lisle Strudel rescue them from a certain snowy demise and then ask their assistance. There are strange goings-on in the village (all the rodents are vanishing), and the abandoned fortress built by Grandfather Grimm has suddenly come back to life. Can the two occurrences be connected? Can the adventurers and

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 141 The highly stylized illustrations are spectacular. you’re strong with me

HUNGRY JIM families as well as a person using a wheelchair). As an entry on Snyder, Laurel the holidays shelf, it breaks little new ground, but North Ameri- Illus. by Groenink, Chuck can shelves hardly overflow with Diwali titles. An author’s note Chronicle (56 pp.) explaining the regional and religious differences in the celebra- $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 tion of Diwali across South Asia and the diaspora and a glossary 978-1-4521-4987-5 of common terms provide readers with additional scaffolding. A solid introduction to a holiday celebrated by millions. When Jim wakes up as a lion with a (Picture book. 4-8) “beastly” appetite, it takes him a while to learn impulse control. Rightly and properly dedicated to Maurice Sendak, the tale YOU’RE STRONG WITH ME takes Jim—waking at his mother’s invitation to pancakes and Soundar, Chitra thinking that “she sound[s] delicious”—on a rampage that has Illus. by Mistry, Poonam him gobbling down his parent (“She was delicious”) and every- Lantana (40 pp.) one he meets. Even as he does this, however, he feels worse $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 and worse about it and finally remorsefully coughs his victims 978-1-911373-75-9 back up one by one, becoming a boy again hungry only for pan- cakes (plus perhaps a large bear for an appetizer). Enhanced by A mother giraffe gently instructs her familiar lighting, angles, and stagey perspectives, Groenink’s child in the proper techniques for adapting to her grassland illustrations have a similarly psycho-Sendakian cast, centering environment. on a magnificently leonine protagonist with lightly anthro- She teaches the baby giraffe to become aware of other ani- pomorphized features who bounds down a street of antique, mals, both friends and foes, and how to drink from a creek. She neatly drawn shops and into a gloomy forest. He discreetly tells her baby about fire, both its dangers and its positive quali- does his chowing down (aside from the occasional glimpse of ties. The baby giraffe complains when an oxpecker (a bird that ankle or empty shoe) and urping up out of sight (except for one often has a symbiotic relationship with giraffes) lands on her delighted child who emerges, smiling, on the sidewalk following back, saying “But it hurts!” The mother soothingly answers: “As a “braap”). Upon returning to his bedroom, Jim is transformed you grow older, your coat will get thicker and this will be just a into a small but jaunty white lad in pajamas. Aside from the bear, tickle. Until then, you’re strong with me.” This phrase serves his similarly light-skinned provender ends up sprawled on the as a refrain throughout the book, just as similar comforting ground, disheveled and astonished but unharmed. phrases were woven into the partnering author and illustra- A reassuring promise that it’s OK to be beastly: The pan- tor’s previous books You’re Safe With Me and You’re Snug With cakes will still be there, and they’ll be hot. (Picture book. 6-8) Me (both 2018). Soundar and Mistry create an entirely origi- nal work here, shifting to a different world region and finding just enough danger and new experiences for a baby animal to SHUBH DIWALI! encounter, with a mother always nearby to make sure her little Soundar, Chitra one carefully learns what she needs to in order to feel secure Illus. by Chua, Charlene as she grows up. Many shades of brown and gold evoke the hot Whitman (32 pp.) African grasslands where these giraffes roam. The highly styl- $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 ized illustrations are spectacular, full of repeating triangle and 978-0-8075-7355-6 diamond shapes that are reminiscent of African textiles from various countries. Soundar’s rhyming picture book A book to excite children about animal life and reassure gives readers an overview of the Hindu them of the lasting love from elders. (Picture book. 4-7) celebration of Diwali as it is celebrated in large parts of North India and by the North Indian diaspora. Diwali is celebrated on the night of the new moon, and so WHAT CATS THINK after “Grandpa watches the waning moon” and notes that “the Spray, John festival is coming soon,” an Indian boy and girl help their family Illus. by van Hout, Mies clean and decorate the house. Then they all don new clothes, Pajama Press (44 pp.) sing hymns and light lamps together, and exchange gifts and $19.95 | Sep. 26, 2019 sweets with their neighbors, all in celebration of the holiday. 978-1-77278-087-1 Family members wear a combination of traditional Indian and Western attire; the suburban setting looks Western. It ends with Colorful, expressive pictures of cats a joyful greeting: “Shubh Diwali, to one and all. / We wish you are accompanied by brief text. joy, big and small!” Soundar’s use of “Shubh” in the title—mean- Each double-page spread features a ing “auspicious” or “holy”—instead of “Happy” is welcome, as feline portrait. From a swirly green, blue, and yellow cat stretch- is Chua’s inclusion of neighborhood diversity (white and black ing ecstatically to a cozy, curled-up kitty in warm shades of pink,

142 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | red, and orange, 20 different cats are featured. The vivid artwork HOBGOBLIN AND THE dominates. Bright hues, scribbly lines, and high-contrast back- SEVEN STINKERS grounds combine to create pictures that pop, and the relatively OF RANCIDIA large trim size adds to their impact. The accompanying words, Sullivan, Kyle unfortunately, fail to match the illustrations’ intensity. They are Illus. by Sullivan, Derek written in a repeating pattern that includes the title, four lines/ Hazy Dell Press (180 pp.) phrases, and (usually) a single word as the fifth and final line. $15.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 Some are convincingly catlike. One cat’s angry diatribe over a 978-1-948931-04-5 thrown-away scratching post and another sly cat’s plan to pin Series: Hazy Fables, 1 the pet fish’s demise on the dog both seem believable and offer a hint of humor. Others depict situations that feel predictable, A “Snow White” parody—substitut- preachy, or even confusing: Why does one hearth-loving old cat ing smelling grossest for fairest—about taking down a tyrant. claim to have 20 lives? Changes in type and font size as well as The seven districts of Rancidia once existed in harmony, the multiple exclamation points and ellipses are presumably meant people enjoying the blend of everyone’s individual odors and to indicate emphasis but make for a too-busy read. The paint- governed by democracy. This putrid peace was shattered when ings were apparently originally published with poems by five ogre Fiddlefart conquered Rancidia and declared himself both different authors in the book’s original, Dutch edition; Spray’s king and Grossest Smelling in the Land. When Fiddlefart’s text is original to this Canadian import. magical Burping Bullfrog sees a new challenger for stinkiest— Arresting illustrations and prosaic observations don’t the humble Hobgoblin, a bean farmer from the neighboring quite make a coherent whole. (Picture book. 5-9) Unincorporated Mucklands—the outraged ogre sends his top

scent-assassin, Huntress, to scrub Hobgoblin so clean he’ll young adult never stink again. Instead of de-odorizing Hobgoblin, Hunt- THIBODEAUX AND ress whiffs him into hiding with the Seven Stinkers, the ousted BOUDREAUX BUNNY elected former government of Rancidia, who invite him into The Tortoise and the Hare the resistance. Amiable but essentially an isolationist who tries With a Louisiana Twist “to stay out of politics,” Hobgoblin initially takes action only for St. Pierre, Todd-Michael self-preservation (while Huntress warns: “Anytime a creature Illus. by Randall, Lee Brandt is treated unjustly—no matter who they are or where they’re Pelican (32 pp.) from—it’s everyone’s business”), but the fairy-tale plot trajec- $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 tory pulls him in so he can join the effort to liberate Rancidia. 978-1-4556-2450-8 The bodily functions and other stinky-things–based humor amp the kid-friendliness, frequently put the “pun” in pungent, Aesop’s familiar fable gets a Cajun twist. and occasionally dip into parody musical numbers and sly self- Thibodeaux Turtle might be slow but she’s well mannered awareness. Happy, rounded, nonthreatening cartoon illustra- and unassuming. Boudreaux Bunny, on the other hand, knows tions make Hobgoblin’s delighted tooting downright charming. he’s fast, and he’s not shy about letting everyone know it (in Some of the Seven Stinkers are female, and one has two mothers. fact he can be quite rude). Boudreaux teases Thibodeaux about As the stench-loving Rancidians would say: It stinks! her speed, saying mockingly that her garden won’t get planted (Fantasy. 7-12) by Christmas. One day he’s mercilessly harassing her about her turtle’s pace, saying there’s no way she could beat him in a race: “You’re not just a slowpoke, you’re a girl!” Her friends, Louisi- NO ROOM FOR A PUP! ana creatures one and all, urge her to accept the challenge, and Suneby, Elizabeth & Molk, Laurel when she does, they train her. The fable plays itself out in the Illus. by Molk, Laurel traditional way, of course. In the backmatter, St. Pierre adds Kids Can (32 pp.) a song for each main character as well as a recipe for pralines. $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 Randall’s naïve-style illustrations have the look of colored pen- 978-1-5253-0029-5 cil; they are adequate in reflecting the story if a bit stagey at times. St. Pierre neatly weaves local details into the narrative, At least when it comes to puppies, but his choice of the folkloric surnames from a tradition of there’s always room for one more. country-bumpkin jokes in Louisiana doesn’t quite fit the char- Mia lives in a tiny apartment in a big city. One day, she and acters, since both Boudreaux and Thibodeaux are usually men her grandmother visit a neighbor who’s giving away puppies. and none too bright. Boudreaux’s blatant sexism may serve as a Mia immediately falls in love with a little pup that has white conversation starter for little listeners. fur and black spots. Despite her mother’s assertions that there A pleasant-enough regional retelling. (Picture book. 3-8) is “NO ROOM” for even “one pint-sized pup,” Mia comes up with a mischievous plan. With the help of her grandmother and fellow neighbors, Mia fills the small apartment with all sorts of animals, including Roger the parrot, Sprinkles the bunny, and

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 143 Tigger the kitty. In a whirlwind of mayhem, humor, and allitera- KATIE COMMA tion, Mia’s many guests nearly destroy the apartment, but when Swann, B.B. they leave, her mother admits that their space “doesn’t feel so Illus. by Andersen, Maja small anymore.” Seeing Mia’s clever plan unfold and the chaos Pelican (32 pp.) that ensues is sure to entertain. In this spin on a Yiddish folk- $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 tale about appreciating what one has, diversity abounds, with 978-1-4556-2461-4 Mia and her family depicted with brown skin and dark hair while their neighbors are of varying ages and races. Molk’s soft A comma searches for her place in yet expressive watercolor illustrations wonderfully complement the wide classroom-world. her and Suneby’s story and bring all characters, both human and Whisked away by a breeze, a punctuation mark wearily non-, to life. A final, wordless page showing Mia curled up with laments a repeated refrain: “I’m Katie Comma. / I feel so alone. her now-grown Great Dane offers a humorous and satisfying / I must start searching / to find my way home.” She hops into coda. different books but is perfunctorily dismissed from the ends of Perfect for young ones yearning for a pet. (Picture book. sentences when there should respectively be a period, a ques- 4-7) tion mark, and an exclamation mark (where the accurate punc- tuation has gone is never addressed). Finally, she “tumble[s] into the middle of a sentence” in the teacher’s book, which is conve- MIGHTY MOE niently open to instructions on when to use commas. This, at The True Story of a long last, is “where she belong[s].” No other examples of proper Thirteen-Year-Old Running usage appear within the narrative before the final page of story Revolutionary text. The author’s note stresses the importance of the charac- Swaby, Rachel & Fox, Kit ter’s determination and how that relates to readers more than Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) it does grammar. Tracing Katie’s path via her footsteps may $19.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 provide some extra amusement for young ones. The pictures’ 978-0-374-31160-5 straightforward, bold designs serve to reinforce the content. Katie and her comma family look like many anthropomor- A story lost to history illuminates the phized characters from grade school cartoons. Since the gram- unique way sports support feminism. mar instruction is so slight and other offerings much stronger, In 1967, the longest distance women the book’s existential quandary rather mirrors Katie’s. could run in the Olympics was 800 meters. Doctors feared Belying its title, this uncomplicated journey of discov- running long distances would destroy women’s reproductive ery barely scratches the grammatical surface. (Picture book. organs; sports officials thought running was unladylike and set 4-8) age limitations and capped distances females could run. But for Maureen Wilton, a white girl, running was how she felt most like herself and how she found her people. After three years of SAVE THE training, Maureen ran a marathon—and set a world record—at CRASH-TEST DUMMIES the age of 13. In her hometown of Toronto and beyond, Mau- Swanson, Jennifer reen became known as Mighty Moe, seen as part of the future Illus. by Grooms, TeMika of women’s competitive running. But with the growing pres- Peachtree (144 pp.) sure and the crumbling of her running community, Maureen $19.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 stopped running. Shifting storylines sidetrack Maureen’s life to 978-1-68263-022-8 explain running techniques and history and explore how sports were another front in the battle for equality, which unfortu- This jaunt through the history of car nately undercuts the power of Maureen’s story and her eventual safety engineering reveals that we have return to running. For when Maureen began running again in both human and mechanical crash-test dummies to thank for 2003, she rediscovered the community she had lost—the com- making driving much safer than it was a century ago, when cars munity that has seen people run races for fun and more women first became ubiquitous. completing races than men. The now-familiar crash-test dummy has its origins in Sierra A story about what running really is: competing with Sam, an anthropomorphic test device invented in 1949 to test other runners and not against them. (Biography. 12-16) aircraft ejection seats for the Air Force. In 1968, a new ATD was created to meet car companies’ needs, designed to enable engi- neers to see how humans move during a crash. Before ATDs, engineers had to use live animals, human cadavers, and live human volunteers in safety tests. The Hybrid III used for the last 30 years is the type of crash-test dummy designed to survive a frontal impact crash. Hybrid III is full of electronics, includ- ing “accelerometers, potentiometers, and load cells,” which

144 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | Fields’ drawings are both powerful and graceful, just as French would have wanted. monument maker

convey information to engineers that aids them in designing HOW THE CRAYONS SAVED safer cars. In addition to discussing such car safety develop- THE UNICORN ments as bumpers, brakes, seat belts, and air bags, Swanson fills Sweeney, Monica her narrative with other fascinating nuggets of automotive his- Illus. by Thomas, Feronia Parker tory and explanations of how cars work, with helpful accompa- Sky Pony Press (32 pp.) nying diagrams. She concludes with a look at autonomous cars. $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 Grooms’ illustrations add both touches of humor and visual 978-1-5107-4819-4 clarity; they are complemented by archival images. Attractively designed and engagingly written—sure to A quest for friendship and confidence with crayons and a appeal to readers with a taste for the scientific and techni- unicorn at the helm. cal. (Nonfiction. -8 12) A lonely unicorn looks for friends but is rejected by fish, birds, and butterflies all in one morning! The unicorn’s splash- ing and peering and the butterflies’ fluttering make for fan- MONUMENT MAKER tastic read-aloud opportunities, and similar opportunities for Daniel Chester French and action, sounds, and conversation are sprinkled throughout the the Lincoln Memorial story. The unicorn searches for friends on spreads with negative Sweeney, Linda Booth space as background, his rainbow mane popping against them Illus. by Fields, Shawn in the line-and-color illustrations, which have an unschooled Tilbury House (64 pp.) look. But his rainbow tail fades to a dusty gray as his confidence $19.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 wanes. Enter a band of seven anthropomorphic crayons on a

978-0-88448-643-5 double-page spread that introduces their distinct personali- young adult ties via speech-bubble exclamations. The speech bubbles with The environment that nurtured Daniel Chester French is hand-lettered text, a gentle black italicized type for the nar- given loving treatment by Sweeney and Fields. rative text, and the unsophisticated illustration style combine Sculptor French was a largely self-taught artist when he to invite readers into the unicorn’s world. The crayons and fashioned the embattled farmer that stands in Concord, Mas- unicorn embark on joyous adventures, with continued chances sachusetts, to commemorate the opening salvoes of the Ameri- to promote phonological awareness, vocabulary-building, and can Revolution. The work made French’s name a household social-emotional learning. Despite the contributions of his word, but he had plenty of experience with art before that. As newfound friends, the unicorn’s colors fade again, and he must Sweeney ably tells his story, French loved the outdoors, where draw strength from within to restore them. This reminder that he would sketch birds and the like. He tended the family farm, friends do not solve all problems is a welcome complexity. The working his artistry into the plowing of the fields and repairs to no-frills attitude of this book makes it ripe for entertainment or the fences and outbuildings. Having grown up during the Civil for deeper discussion. War, he was influenced by the event and its idealistic aspects, What’s not to like? (Picture book. 4-7) especially those espoused by his Transcendentalist neighbors. As Sweeney traces French’s way in the world, French goes on to create numerous statues of Civil War heroes, including the WHOSE NOSE? epic sculpture of Abraham Lincoln enshrined in his memorial. Tarsky, Sue A timeline and author’s note fill in various gaps in the text, and Illus. by Garton, Michael Fields’ drawings are both powerful and graceful, just as French Whitman (24 pp.) would have wanted, depicting a largely white cast but including $15.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 some figures of color, including one of the two modern children 978-0-8075-9046-1 who observe the story. They are modeled in color while French Series: Whose Are These? and his times are represented in vigorously crosshatched black and white. Partial views of several animals highlighting noses ask read- Both bracing and winning, a fine tribute to the sculptor ers to guess the name of each based on a singular descriptive and his world. (Picture book biography. 8-12) word. Opposite concepts are presented for each pair of noses, as in the opening pages: “big nose / tiny nose.” The rather sub- stantial nose of a proboscis monkey is on the left page, and the wee snout of a mouse is on the right. The full animal is never revealed in the black-outlined full-bleed paintings, requiring a guess of the animal’s name. So for the proboscis monkey, a por- tion of its face and body are shown, while for the mouse, just its whiskered nose peeks out from behind a rounded mouse hole. Readers must refer to the endpaper key to confirm the correct answers. The concept continues throughout, pairing shapes,

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 145 Reading the book backward, readers find a story of welcoming using the same text in reverse. room on our rock

sizes, and other nose-related features. The simplicity of each THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN two-word phrase with its hidden picture provides opportuni- WHO LIVED IN A BOOK ties for discussion. The familiar animals will be easily identified, Tejido, Jomike while the lesser known, such as the “narrow nose” of a shrew Illus. by the author or the “red nose” of a mandrill, will need some contemplation. Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown (32 pp.) Similarly, Whose Tail employs the same strategy; tails are drawn $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 from a fairly easy mixture of farm and zoo animals except, per- 978-0-316-49305-5 haps, for the meerkat. Both end with human portrayals, Nose showing a man’s mustachioed nose and a child’s freckled one Fairy-tale and nursery-rhyme characters work together to (both are white) while Tail depicts children of color, one with solve a mystery of disappearing belongings and missing children. no tail and the other wearing a fox costume with a big bushy tail. The story’s clever concept references that famous Old A fun and interactively informative introduction to the Woman who lived in a shoe, but here the woman lives in a animal kingdom. (Informational picture book. 2-4) (Whose Tail: book-shaped house on a bookshelf along with many other well- 978-0-8075-9045-4) known children’s-story characters such as Jack and Jill and the Three Bears. The Old Woman is actually a busy mother of six with springy, gray hair and a lively demeanor. When she discov- LIBRA ers her children are missing, she visits the other book houses Decisions, Decisions on the shelf to ask for help. Each of the characters is missing Tea, Michelle something, and they all follow along as a group to search for Illus. by Perry, Mike their items and the children. The Big Bad Wolf is the culprit, Dottir Press (56 pp.) predictably, and the children are found hiding from him in the $18.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 branches of surrounding trees along with their father, the Old 978-1-948340-14-4 Man of “knick-knack paddywhack” fame. The characters cel- Series: Astro Pals ebrate at a concluding party with treats provided by the Wicked Witch from her candy-covered cottage. Bright, cartoon-style Scorpio is throwing a Halloween party, but Libra gets so illustrations are filled with amusing details from all the nursery- fussed about what to wear that she decides not to go. rhyme and fairy-tale settings. Though the buoyant illustrations The creators of Astro Baby (2019) kick off a more-extended and plot move along in a sprightly fashion, however, the dia- trip around the zodiac with a cast that exaggeratedly embod- logue (conveyed in speech bubbles) is rather pedestrian. The ies each sign’s supposed characteristics. Writing at rather than Old Woman and her children present white; some of the other for children in a mix of laborious explanations and wooden human characters seem to be diverse. dialogue, Tea pushes her narrator past an introduction (“I like A fun-filled fractured-fairy-tale frolic.(Picture book. 3-7) to keep things balanced and equal to harmonize the vibes”) and then into a tizzy when Scorpio crawls up with an invita- tion. What costume to wear? Cinderella? “But then I’d have ROOM ON OUR ROCK to marry a prince or something.” How about Coco Chanel? “I Temple, Kate & Temple, Jol don’t even speak French!” Finally fellow air signs Aquarius and Illus. by Baynton, Terri Rose Gemini transform Libra into a “French fairy mermaid princess Kane/Miller (32 pp.) who just won the gold medal in the Olympics!” Now Libra $12.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 needs no help deciding that it’s the “best Halloween party ever!” 978-1-61067-902-2 Perry’s illustrations, most of which are dizzy tangles of unfilled, autumnal-orange line drawings, are printed, like the hand-let- This poetic picture book reads forward and backward, tered narrative, on starry black backdrops. Between Scorpio’s revealing two narratives about sharing and welcoming. long, segmented body and dripping fangs and Libra, who looks “This rock is ours,” declares a trio of seals. But what does like a diapered adult with scales for ears, the effect is more than “ours” really mean? Washy, blue and gray illustrations of a watery a little weird. Scorpio in Berry Intense publishes simultaneously, landscape span full spreads as a group of gently anthropomor- and signs point to 10 further sequels on the way. phized seals confronts an outsider seal and its pup. Pops of Weighed in the balance, found wanting. (Picture book. color include green sprigs, pink sea stars, and yellow beaks and 8-12) (Scorpio in Berry Intense: 978-1-948340-15-1) feet on observing sea gulls. The seals’ facial expressions feel a little mismatched with the text in the first read—perhaps as a result of the challenge of creating two narratives with one set of illustrations and words. The initial front-to-back reading wit- nesses the group of seals shooing the seal-and-pup pair away even though the duo has nowhere to go. The final page reads: “No room on this rock? Can it be true? / Read back to front for another point of view.” Reading the book backward, readers find a story of welcoming using the same text in reverse. For

146 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | one-on-one sharing or a read-aloud with an engaged group of reliable tractors from spare car parts. The Depression exacer- children, the chance to re-explore the book from back to front bated existing troubles. Ford already recycled and repurposed to derive different meaning is an opportunity for playful reflec- nearly everything at his factory and thought that he could find tion. Large, simple black text throughout employs italics for new uses for farm crops as well. He created a laboratory and direct emphasis. The narrative around sharing and welcoming hired scientists to study grains, fruits, and vegetables, and they can be scaled for diverse age groups. finally determined that soybeans were the answer. The team Gently clever. (Picture book. 4-7) developed soybean-based paint, fabric, and lightweight plastic that could form most of the parts for his cars. The vast amount of soybeans needed kept hundreds of farmers solvent and even THERE’S ROOM FOR prosperous. After Ford’s death, the soybean continued to be EVERYONE converted into dozens of products way beyond his initial plan. Teymorian, Anahita Thomas presents the facts as if in direct conversation with Illus. by the author readers, with clear and accessible explanations. Fotheringham’s Trans. by Ghanimifard, Delaram boldly hued, action-packed digital illustrations are bright and Tiny Owl (32 pp.) cheery; they depict an all-white cast. Extensive backmatter $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 includes further information on Ford and soybeans, two recipes, 978-1-910328-53-8 a timeline, and further resources. Absent from both it and the primary story is any reference to Ford’s virulent anti-Semitism. An intimate musing on the nature of space. A fascinating if focused look at an inventor and innova- A child marvels that at each stage of life, while growing, tor who changed America. (notes, bibliography) (Informa­ there always seems to be enough room: in the womb, for many tional picture book. 7-10) young adult stuffed animals squeezed into bed, for all the books in the library, and even for all the stars in the sky. Life may be crowded at times (the tot’s parents playfully curl around the perimeter DEEP BREATHS of the frame with hopelessly long limbs), but there is always Thompson, Carol intentional space kept around the child. However, when the Illus. by the author child grows up, space becomes a commodity. People begin to Rodale Kids (32 pp.) fight, whether that be for personal space on a bus, vocational $14.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 space (to find one’s place in a company), over bathroom use, or 978-1-9848-9397-0 in the geopolitical sphere—two tanks face off. The narrator poses a solution: “If we are kinder, and if we love each other Dolly and Jack are a pig and a rabbit then, in this beautiful world, there’s room for everyone.” Here, whose lives are immensely enriched by their friendship. Iranian author/illustrator Teymorian’s characters are no longer Dolly and Jack love playing together. They bolster each stooped and curled but instead stand upright and happy. With other with continual giggles and compliments. When a day so many people forcibly displaced from their homes throughout comes that they have an emotionally charged misunderstand- the world, one can only hope this message of kindness is heard. ing, it is devastating to them both. They go their separate ways Such a strong global wish is in stark contrast to the lack of racial and are shown individually processing their feelings of anger diversity in the illustrations. A few shades of skin are offered, and hurt. They each use their own self-care strategies to return but the majority present white. to a place of calm; Dolly takes deep breaths and a warm bath Gentle political commentary reminds everyone about while Jack counts slowly and visualizes something that makes the power of kindness but is itself incomplete. (Picture book. him happy. These individual practices allow each character to 4-8) return to the friendship and start anew. The story is immensely in tune with young readers and does a wonderful job depicting the full process of self-regulation: Big feelings are identified FULL OF BEANS and named, and known calming strategies are selected and Henry Ford Grows a Car implemented. The childlike illustrations are delightfully messy, Thomas, Peggy with bold lines and colorful shading. Upon return to the friend- Illus. by Fotheringham, Edwin ship, the two friends are shown expressing their care through Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills (48 pp.) appropriate, gentle touch. The yoga poses thrown in at the end $18.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 are more of a distraction than a meaningful addition, but it’s a 978-1-62979-639-0 minor flaw. Though originally published in Australia nearly 10 Henry Ford is well known for the years ago, it’s a fresh, relevant exploration of social-emo- Model T and the assembly line, but he made many other contri- tional regulation. (Picture book. 3-7) butions to the economic health of the nation. He was also concerned with finding ways to improve farm- ing methods and ease the heavy burdens of farmers. He built

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 147 THE 12TH CANDLE rewriting Troll’s challenge song. Watercolor, colored pencil, and Tomsic, Kim ink illustrations enhance the emotional subtext to this revised Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (336 pp.) fairy tale. $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 A harmonious twist on an old favorite with bonus 978-0-06-265497-7 action songs. (Picture book. 3-7) Middle school years are hard enough without an actual curse ruining your life! THE FIRST CHRISTMAS Sage knows this firsthand. Sage’s nar- SWEATER (AND THE SHEEP ration is plucky, if a bit one-note, through WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING) most of the story as she describes Tubridy, Ryan how the Contrarium Curse negatively Illus. by Judge, Chris affected her mother and Mrs. Petty when they were students, Walker US/Candlewick (144 pp.) turning friends into adversaries. It’s preordained that Sage and $14.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 schoolmate Priscilla Petty won’t get along. Priscilla makes fun 978-1-5362-1132-0 of Sage, and she’s had more darts in her arsenal ever since Sage’s daddy was imprisoned for trying to rob a bank. Given a magic An Irish sheep called Hillary plays candle, Sage wishes for a reversal of the curse, but it doesn’t a pivotal role in establishing a sartorial work as she had hoped. The consequences are disastrous, as Christmas tradition. expected. Magical thinking can’t hold a candle to the true solu- Hillary is just a regular sheep…except for one thing: She has tion, which includes forgiveness, reconciliation, and acts of multicolored fleece! While the rest of the flock are content on kindness. These discoveries, as well as finding the courage to the farm, Hillary dreams of life beyond Farmer Jimmy’s field. confront Daddy’s crime, allow Sage to grow. Primary characters This life of pastoral idleness is turned upside down when Santa seem to be default white, while some secondary characters are arrives, looking for the best wool for the “first-ever Christmas people of color. The feel-good ending satisfies, although Sage’s sweater.” Initially, he’s not impressed by all the plain white father’s appeal is realistically left pending. fleece, but then Farmer Jimmy introduces Santa (who looks like A thoughtful look at curse versus choice and an encour- a cross between Jerry Garcia and a lumberjack) to Hillary, and agement to youngsters to make their own paths. (Fiction. the rest is history. Judge’s thick-lined black-and-white sketches 8-12) add visual irony: Santa’s naughty list includes “Donald Lump” and “Pears Morgen,” and Mrs. Claus wears a tool belt and high- top sneakers. Varied facial expressions and shapely sheep hair- VOLE AND TROLL dos distinguish Hillary’s ovine brethren and sistren from one Trapani, Iza another. Sheep puns galore liven up the text, from chapter titles Illus. by the author such as “Ewe Wish!” to Hillary’s favorite action movie, Dye Charlesbridge (32 pp.) Hard, and rock band, the Bleatles. The conversational narra- $15.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 tion is peppered with sheep facts. Backmatter includes guffaw- 978-1-58089-885-0 inducing sheep jokes and a brief history of the real Christmas sweater. The illustrations present all characters, human and Readers will need to tune their voices sheep—except Hillary, of course—as white. before meeting Troll, who guards the A punny holiday-themed romp for any time of year. bridge leading to “the tastiest grass in the valley.” (Animal fantasy. 8-12) When Vole arrives to cross, Troll sings a challenge in his clear, deep voice: “Troll-dee-roll, I’m a troll, / And my favorite food is vole. / With a knick-knack, paddywhack, / Better pay the toll, / ADVENTURES ON EARTH or you’ll end up in my bowl!” But hungry Vole can’t pay, and the Tyler, Simon battle of wits begins. Luckily, Troll knows only one song, so Vole Pavilion/Trafalgar (96 pp.) teaches him a new one. Three times, Troll gets so caught up in $19.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 each new action song—children will recognize these storytime 978-1-84365-427-8 standards and join in—Vole teaches him that the anthropomor- phic creature successfully sneaks over the bridge for “a feast of A companion to Adventures in Space grassy greens.” But on Vole’s fourth visit, Troll snatches him by (2018) commemorating feats of exploration the tail. Knowing he is destined for Troll’s bowl, Vole begs for and discovery while harking back to the one last Troll song. In an unexpected twist, Vole joins “in with grand old days of Eurocentric colonialism. a sweet, high harmony,” and together they fill “the valley with In serigraphic-style illustrations that, like Lynn Curlee’s, music so enchanting that fish [spring] from the creek, flapping privilege strong forms and monumentality over specific detail, their fins with pleasure….Even the songbirds [hush] to listen.” Tyler depicts stylized locales beginning with “Polar Regions” and Understandably, as part of their new friendship, Vole insists on running from “Mountains” and “Volcanoes” through “Oceans,”

148 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | The thoughtful, minimalist text offers subtle insights into perceptions from different viewpoints. one is a lot (except when it’s not)

“Deserts,” “Jungles,” and “Caves and Chasms.” These serve as ONE IS A LOT backdrops for brief accounts of select “pioneering adventurers,” (EXCEPT WHEN nearly all white Europeans, which feature lines such as “Samuel IT’S NOT) and Florence [Baker] followed the White Nile beyond Lake Văn, Muon Thi Albert and, in doing so, discovered an impressive waterfall,” Illus. by Pratt, Pierre and “[Alfred Russell Wallace] traveled through previously unex- Kids Can (32 pp.) plored forests,” while offering patronizing nods to early Poly- $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 nesian explorers and Indigenous Canadians. The author does 978-1-5253-0013-4 highlight some modern adventurers including marine biologist Sylvia Earle and ill-fated volcanologist/filmmaker Katia Krafft This Canadian import creatively but fails even to mention (for instance) early Muslim travelers explores concepts of a lot and a little, enough and not enough, or the 15th-century expeditions of Zheng He. The author also through a seemingly simple story set in a lush, green park in veers off topic in one chapter to plead for the conservation of summertime. forest ecosystems. Moreover, the final chapter’s black-on-black Each page or spread of the story includes a brief, declarative color scheme renders human and other forms nearly invisible, sentence beginning with a numeral: 0, 1, or 2. For example, “1 and elsewhere the narrative is printed in a small typeface on, all sun is a lot.” A frisky squirrel finds that one huge oak tree or too often, dark blue or green backgrounds that render it barely one acorn is a lot. But two acorns can be too much to hold onto. legible. Armchair explorers can easily do better. For two children walking their dogs in the park, two leashes are A strain for eyes and sensibilities alike. (glossary) (Infor­ too much when those leashes become tangled. This pair of chil- mational picture book. 4-6) dren meet and become friends, sharing one umbrella and play-

ing with a ball. One has brown skin and black, curly hair; the young adult other has light skin and brown hair swept back in an unusual FINDING KINDNESS style. One acorn falls into a puddle as the children play, and over Underwood, Deborah the concluding pages, that acorn sprouts and grows into an oak Illus. by Chan, Irene tree. In the final spread, the two children are now a grown-up Godwin Books/Henry Holt (32 pp.) couple with a child and dog of their own, having a family pic- $17.99 | Oct. 29, 2019 nic under the tree that grew from just one acorn. Other people 978-1-250-23789-7 in the park include children and adults of different races. The thoughtful, minimalist text offers subtle insights into percep- “Kindness is sometimes / a cup and a tions from different viewpoints as well as opportunities for card.” Wait! What? discussion and interpretation. Appealing illustrations with the Yes, kindness is a cup and a card—when someone uses them look of watercolors capture the humor of the situations in the to gently trap a ladybug inside and release it outside. With a park and smoothly convey multiple secondary plotlines. simple rhyming text and softly colored illustrations of com- One unique picture book with much to say equals quite munity scenes, each page shows neighbors, professionals, and a lot. (Picture book. 4-9) strangers modeling simple acts of kindness toward people and animals. A child rakes leaves for an older neighbor, another brings soup to someone who is “sneezy,” and one even shares a OCTOPUS STEW book via a clever bucket delivery system. As neighboring busi- Velasquez, Eric nesses, a flower seller swaps a bouquet for peaches with a grocer. Holiday House (40 pp.) A fireman rescues a cat from a tree, park security helps a lost $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 child, and an ice cream vendor gives a cone to a young skater 978-0-8234-3754-2 who has fallen. Even strangers act with kindness and return a dropped key, snap a picture for a vacationing family, and adopt a When Ramsey’s grandma, who is just dog that “others ignore.” From infants to grandparents, people a wee bit grumpy, sees his painting of an in this busy and diverse community come together to enjoy one octopus, she’s inspired to make pulpo another and their common interests. Illustrations show a girl guisado—octopus stew—and adventure wearing a hijab, a child in a wheelchair playing badminton with ensues. friends, and interracial families. Ramsey and Grandma, both Afro-Latinx, head to the store, Simple acts of kindness that warm the heart. (Picture where they find an octopus with wide and expressive eyes— book. 3-6) Ramsey suspects it is still alive. He searches his phone for infor- mation about octopuses and gets a warning he tries to share with his grandmother, but she is too annoyed at the interruption to lis- ten. Once home, Grandma cleans the octopus, but shortly after the creature is dropped into boiling water, noises come from the kitchen they can’t explain. In the kitchen, they see the octopus has escaped the pot. It is now a giant monster Ramsey must fight

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 149 It is so very rare and refreshing to see diversity within the Asian American community authentically portrayed. stargazing

in order to save Grandma, who is being squeezed by the octo- “Someday, Charles, you’re going to be an artist!” said Charles pus’s arms. At the height of the action, the story is interrupted Schulz’s teacher after he had drawn an odd snow scene with by Ramsey’s father, who declares disbelief in a double gate-fold a palm tree in a snowbank. Charles, nicknamed Sparky by an revealing that Ramsey is telling this story to his rapt family, mak- uncle, always liked to draw, and his family always read the com- ing it both an entertaining tale in itself and a comment on the ics together. Sparky would copy his favorite characters for prac- power of storytelling. This narrative is related primarily in Eng- tice, and he even submitted a drawing of his dog, Spike, for the lish with some accompanying, unitalicized Spanish phrases. The Believe It or Not cartoon, and it was accepted! After high school, backmatter includes an author’s note, a Spanish glossary with he began submitting cartoons to popular magazines and piled pronunciation key, and a recipe for octopus stew. up many rejection letters. Eventually, though, the Saturday A delightful modern tall tale sure to entertain and Evening Post started buying his single-panel cartoons, and the inspire readers to share (and embroider) their own stories. United Feature Syndicate offered Schulz a five-year contract (Picture book. 4-8) if he would develop his characters further: “Peanuts” was born. And there the volume ends, with Schulz on the verge of great success as a cartoonist, information about the “Peanuts” gang— MEPHISTO Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and others—reserved for Villiot, Bernard the backmatter. The illustrations were created with pen and ink, Illus. by Guilloppé, Antoine colored pencil, and gouache paint, and frequent use of paneled Minedition (32 pp.) illustrations appropriately suggests Schulz’s future comic-book $17.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 world. It’s a largely white world; the only reference to a charac- 978-988-8341-86-3 ter of color is in the backmatter, with Franklin in the dramatis personae of the “Peanuts” strip. Do you know your worth? An appealing but oddly truncated biography. (author’s Villiot and Guilloppé tackle issues of note, artist’s note, places to visit, sources, notes) (Picture perception and self-respect in this melan- book/biography. 4-8) choly story of a black cat unaware of his own value. The story of Mephisto follows the titular feline across several seasons. In the beginning, city cat Mephisto believes him- STARGAZING self to be “worthless” in both the eyes of the human residents Wang, Jen and his own. Stealing away one night, the cat spends the warm Illus. by the author months in the countryside, “where the honeysuckle and juni- First Second (224 pp.) per bushes met, / a piece of heaven that [he’d] been looking for.” $21.99 | $12.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 In those carefree months away from the hardships of city life, 978-1-250-18387-3 Mephisto finally learns to relax, returning to his original home 978-1-250-18388-0 paper only when the winter chill became too cold to bear. After his return, Mephisto is welcomed warmly and thus learns of his value Friendships can be complicated— to the village as a rat-catching master as the city folk celebrate sometimes in the best way possible. his importance. Although the story’s tone is somber, it may find Following The Prince and the Dressmaker an audience among deep-thinking children who ponder the value (2018), Wang takes bits of inspiration from of everything—themselves included. The illustrations, made of her own life in her new graphic novel. Christine is a Chinese Amer- black and white laser-cut-paper, are bold, mirroring the austere ican girl living in an Asian suburb who’s focused on her music tones of the story and the chill of the winter season. This intrigu- and grade school work. Change comes when her parents offer ing story may require additional conversation to be fully appreci- the in-law apartment her grandpa used to live in to a struggling ated, and it leaves many openings for that kind of interaction. Chinese American mother and child from church, encouraging A melancholy conversation starter. (Picture book. 6-12) Christine to befriend Moon, the daughter. The only thing is, they are complete opposites. Moon is vegetarian, rumored not afraid to use her fists, does not attend Chinese class, and cer- BORN TO DRAW COMICS tainly is “not Asian” according to Christine’s standards. Despite The Story of Charles Schulz all that, the two become fast friends, stretching each other’s and the Creation of Peanuts interests with K-pop, art, and the like. Moon later shares a deep Wadsworth, Ginger secret with Christine: She receives visions from celestial beings Illus. by Orback, Craig that tell her she belongs with them. Trouble soon follows, with Henry Holt (40 pp.) struggles with jealousy, social expectations, and devastating $18.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 medical news for Moon. Wang is a master storyteller, knowing 978-1-250-17373-7 when to quietly place panels between each moment to sharpen the emotional impact or to fill it with life. It is so very rare and The story of how Charles Schulz became a cartoonist and refreshing to see diversity within the Asian American com- created the “Peanuts” comic strip. munity authentically portrayed; Wang allows each character

150 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | complete ownership of their identity, freeing their truths and, prepared text and into a stirring sermon. “Martin was done cir- in the process, allowing readers to do the same. cling. / The lecture was over. / He was going to church, / his place A shining gem of a book. (author’s note) (Graphic novel. to land, / and taking a congregation / of two hundred and fifty 8-12) thousand / along for the ride.” Although much hard work still lay ahead, the impact of Dr. King’s dramatic words and delivery elevated that important moment in the struggle for equal rights. THE GAYBCS Wittenstein’s free-verse narrative perfectly captures the tension Webb, M.L. leading up to the speech as each adviser urged his own ideas Illus. by the author while remaining a supportive community. Pinkney’s trademark Quirk Books (32 pp.) illustrations dramatize this and the speech, adding power and $14.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 further illuminating the sense of historical importance. 978-1-68369-162-4 Gives readers a fresh and thrilling sense of what it took to make history. (author’s note, lists of advisers and speak- Twenty-six gay and gay-adjacent top- ers, bibliography, source notes) (Informational picture book. ics arranged alphabetically. 7-10) In sometimes-rhyming stanzas, Webb introduces a variety of LGBTQ terminology for young people. Some are only the- oretically queer, such as “M is for MOUNTAIN / The peaks SNOW FUN! that you’ll move / with courage and strength / found deep inside Wohnoutka, Mike you.” Others are more specific: “L is for LESBIAN / It’s love Illus. by the author

and affection / between two special girls / who share a connec- Bloomsbury (40 pp.) young adult tion.” It’s immediately clear that scansion and rhythm are not $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 particularly important to the author of this text. Accuracy also 978-1-68119-637-4 takes a hit in some cases, especially with “I is for INTERSEX / Series: Croc & Turtle Some are born with the parts / of both a boy and a girl; / bodies are works of art!” The simplistic, narrow focus on “girl and boy Winter fun…inside or out? parts” both misleads readers about intersex conditions and fails Friends and neighbors Croc and Turtle each make a list of to honor trans identities. Other complex ideas with lengthy his- snowy-day amusements. Turtle’s are all inside activities; Croc’s tories in particularly racialized or gendered LGBTQ commu- are all outside. Like the true friends they are, they compromise nities, such as “kiki” and “vogue,” are similarly flattened. The and decide to do everything on both lists. They start with ice juvenile, artless illustrations show four unidentified children, skating, but Turtle’s never skated. It ends with a scary spin and a two with darker skin and two with lighter skin, playing, dancing, face-plant for Turtle. They switch to an indoor activity: making cooking, and brushing their teeth. Letters of the alphabet are snowflakes. Turtle’s are beautiful; Croc’s are a confetti-and-tape boldly featured in the background illustrations. mess. Sledding is terrifying (for Turtle), and a puzzle is boring With LGBTQ topics becoming more common in books (for Croc). The two have a falling out and go their separate for the youngest audiences, this attempt can be safely ways. But a snowball fight and skiing are no fun for Croc with- passed over. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8) out Turtle, and drawing and playing cards are equally joyless for Turtle…so the two apologize to each other, and Turtle has an idea. While Turtle makes cookies and cocoa inside, Croc builds A PLACE TO LAND an igloo outside; and the duo enjoys their warm treat in a frosty Wittenstein, Barry fort. Wohnoutka’s second chronicle of this reptile relationship Illus. by Pinkney, Jerry is as charming and sunny (despite the wintry setting) as the first. Neal Porter/Holiday House (48 pp.) The text consists entirely of dialogue, with each critter’s color- $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 coded. Neither character has an assigned gender. Listeners and 978-0-8234-4331-4 young readers will identify with the conflict and hopefully learn from the creative solution. The backstory of a renowned address Should win this pair more friends and fans. (Picture book. is revealed. 2-7) Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” is one of the most famous ever given, yet with this book, Wittenstein and Pinkney give young readers new insights into both the speech and the man behind it. When Dr. King arrived in Washington, D.C., for the 1963 March on Washington, the speech was not yet finished. He turned to his fellow civil rights leaders for advice, and after hours of listening, he returned to his room to compose, fine-tuning even the day of the march. He went on to deliver a powerful speech, but as he closed, he moved away from the

| kirkus.com | children’s | 15 july 2019 | 151 PREHISTORIC colorful illustrations feature diverse babies and both male- and Dinosaurs, Megalodons, and female-presenting adult characters with a variety of skin tones Other Fascinating Creatures and hair colors, effectively demonstrating that engineers can be of the Deep Past any race or either gender. (Nonbinary models are a little harder Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner to see.) The story ends with a reassurance to the babies in the Illus. by Csotonyi, Julius book that “We believe in you!” presumably implying that any What on Earth Books (48 pp.) child can be an engineer. The end pages include facts about dif- $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 ferent kinds of engineers and the basic process used by all engi- 978-1-912920-05-1 neers in their work. Although the book opens with a rhythmic rhyming couplet, the remaining text lacks the same structure An illustrated overview of life’s his- and pattern, making it less entertaining to read. Furthermore, tory on Earth, moving backward from now to its beginnings 3.5 while some of the comparisons between babies and engineers billion years ago. are both clever and apt, others—such as the idea that babies Zoehfeld begins with the present epoch, using the unof- know where to look for answers—are flimsier. The book ends ficial Anthropocene moniker, then skips back 12,000 years to with a text-heavy spread of facts about engineering that, bereft the beginning of the Holocene and so back by periods to the of illustrations, may not hold children’s attention as well as the Ediacaran and its predecessors, with pauses along the way to previous pages. Despite these flaws, on its best pages, the book marvel at the widespread End-Cretaceous and End-Permian is visually stimulating, witty, and thoughtful. extinctions. Along with offering general observations about A book about engineering notable mostly for its illus- each time’s climate and distinctive biota, she occasionally veers trations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3) off for glances at climate change, food webs, or other tangen- tial topics. In each chapter she also identifies several creatures of the era that Csotonyi illustrates, usually but not always with TURNABOUT SHAPES photographic precision in scenes that are long on action but Baruzzi, Agnese mostly light on visible consumption or gore. If some of the Illus. by the author landscape views are on the small side, they do feature arresting Minedition (30 pp.) portraits of, for instance, a crocodilian Smilosuchus that seems $11.99 paper | Sep. 1, 2019 to be 100% toothy maw and a pair of early rodents resembling 978-988-8341-82-5 fierce, horned guinea pigs dubbed Ceratogaulus. Though largely a gimmick—the chapters are independent, organized internally In this cutaway book, every shape is from early to late, and could be reshuffled into conventional more than it appears. order with little or no adjustment to the narrative—the reverse- In each double-page spread of Baruzzi’s board book, a time arrangement does afford an unusual angle on just how far creatively cut hole looks onto the adjacent image. As a conse- deep time extends. quence, flipping through the book provides readers with ideas Nothing to roar over but a pleaser for fans of all things of the many visual possibilities inherent in each shape. A set big, toothy, and extinct. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. -9 11) of evergreen trees becomes feathers on an owl’s belly; a salad bowl becomes a turtle’s shell, and a wilted daisy becomes a rooster’s comb. While the rhyming text does not aim to tell a story, there is a harmony to the couplets that gives the whole book a kind of arc and flow. The bold colors and clean illustra- board & novelty books tions are appealing, easy to decipher, and they focus on items that are both familiar to Western readers and developmentally appropriate. While the book’s design is clever and engaging, not all of the cutaways are equally successful: The cover cutout of a FUTURE ENGINEER whale’s flukes, for example, is something that readers will have Alexander, Lori to flip back to in order to remember, and the triangle pattern Illus. by Black, Allison that forms both evergreen trees and the owl’s feathers may be Cartwheel/Scholastic (24 pp.) difficult for very young children to recognize. Overall, though, $8.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 the book is a well-designed invitation to both recognize visual 978-1-338-31223-2 similarities and imagine the many different manifestations that Series: Future Baby a shape can take. A fun, mostly successful set of visual riddles for young Babies and engineers have more in readers. (Board book. 1-3) common than you think. In this book, Alexander highlights the unlikely similarities between babies and engineers. Like engineers, babies ask ques- tions, enjoy building, and learn from their mistakes. Black’s bold,

152 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - - - (Board 6; Scaredy Cat: 978 6; Scaredy - 4) - 9) - 892 - 891 - 61067 - 1 - 61067 - 1 - The antics of a series of fluffy panda Scaredy Cat , Scaredy Careful Chameleon (both PANDA OPPOSITES PANDA Owlkids Books (24 pp.) Eszterhas, Suzi Eszterhas, Photos by the author $9.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 Aug. $9.95 | 978-1-77147-330-9 , Sloth who perseveres Steady while others quit in 3; Steady Sloth: 978 Sloth: 3; Steady - (Careful Chameleon: 978

893 4) - - On each double-page spread of this book, mischievous, A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting. An adorable, beautifully designed book that will make 61067 - book. 1 book both educationally sound and a pleasure to The read. pic page is designed featuring simply, photographs of pandas shot white white border, depending on the concept being presented, and will appeal allto ages, making it easy read to the book over and in the last two scenes—enjoying a pizza party and watching mals are expressive and charming. This is part of a four-book muddled), and illustrative and delightfully tongue-in-cheek, rendering this ity of the photographs are easy to interpret, a few—including in their natural habitats paired with simple, bold words set in series exploring feelings, and it is one of the more successful. scheme and clean design make it visually appealing to very young children, and the clear, capital letters make it an ideal the sunset. The conclusion is unambiguously positive, how tures alternate between filling the page and having a black or the changing designs break up what could otherwise feel like major the While read. to how learning are who children for text the panda demonstrating “full” and the pandas demonstrating children and adults giggle. (Board book. 1 ever: “What a wonderful day! was It time for bed, Tortoise and caregiver to provide an explanation. the Luckily, photographs over again, how old—or young—readers may be. no matter cubs provide learn the perfect opportunity opposites. to capital letters. Nature photographer Eszterhas (Baby Animals a monotonous repetition of similar images. The simple color didn’t didn’t feel grumpy at all!” The artwork is colorful, and the ani- frustration. and the sloth. Stick with the tortoise fuzzy panda cubs demonstrate a different set of opposites. Each opposites. of set different a demonstrate cubs panda fuzzy Companion volumes are , 2017) has curated a set of images that are both perfectlyboth are imagesthat of set a curated has 2017) , Playing 1 “asleep” “asleep” and “awake”—are not as intuitive and may require a - - - grumpy tortoise grumpy 153 2019 | | 15 july books | kirkus.com | board & novelty Colored filters transform 10 haunted As in earlier outings from the Milan- 12) - Series: First-Time Feelings Feelings Series: First-Time world sites from “Earthly” to “Supernatural.” “Earthly”to from sites world ILLUMINIGHTMARE GRUMPY TORTOISE GRUMPY Kane/Miller (18 pp.) Kane/Miller Buxton, Michael Brownridge, Lucy Brownridge, $7.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 $7.99 $30.00 | Oct. 1, 2019 | Oct. $30.00 Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by Carnovsky Illus. 978-1-61067-890-2 978-1-78603-547-9 Wide Eyed Editions (64 pp.) Eyed Wide A useful lesson in the principle that “this too shall pass.” too that “this principle in the useful lesson A Not Not exactly seamless but spooky fun nonetheless. The titular startstortoise the day with an easily recognized A tortoise who wakes up who tortoise on wakes the A wrong side of the bed finds based design collective Carnovsky , (Illuminatlas 2018, etc.), a little less grumpy.” It’s a useful lesson in the principle It’s that “this little less grumpy.” have a way of making things better.” Each scenario does include does scenario Each better.” things making of way a have his echo, eat ice cream in the desert, enjoy the breeze on the horrors is murky even in very bright it light—still, does add dis plenty of reasons to smile in the course of one day. in the course smile plenty of reasons to posed picture are laid out and identified individually on subse- ing to tell their tales of medieval megalomaniacs, bloodthirsty impact The on blurb others. on the back suggests that “friends ing an array of pleasing activities and feeling progressively “a ings and architectural details), and the cyan collage of ghosts and ghosts of collage cyan the and details), architectural and ings in cheek. Though Rasputin is misplaced in the “Supernatural” in Rajasthan. The assorted images assembled in each superim- scowl, scowl, but each successive double-page spread shows it enjoy- stract tangles to the naked eye. They become three different scenes when viewed through the small squares of green, red, ghouls, heartbroken queens and socialist revolutionaries.” ghouls, heartbroken too too shall pass,” rather than an exploration of crankiness or its to Dracula’s Bran Castle, where “centuries of spirits linger, wait of spirits linger, Bran Castle, where “centuries Dracula’s to tinct atmosphere to the mix of history and mystery at each stop, stop, each at mystery and history of mix the to atmosphere tinct other creatures watching the tortoise smell flowers, listen for socializing they’re that clear only it’s but skate, roller and ocean, est’s “badly behaved monks and pagan witches” or paying a visit a paying paganor and “badlywitches” behavedmonks est’s chromatic layering technique makes the illustrations semiab- category and a claim that Howard Carter’s ghost haunts the and cyan acetate provided. Though the gimmick doesn’t work allwell—therethat spillover considerable is from scene red the quent pages with commentary that varies from eerie to tongue from the Winter Palace in from St. Winter the to Petersburg San Chamula Juan Great Great Pyramid at Giza seems to be an invention, readers will Cemetery in Mexico’s Chiapas highlands and Bhangarh Fort find chills and chuckles alike, whether meeting the BlackFor (which shows actual people and artifacts) into the green (build- (Informational novelty. 7 Grover’s rhyming text soars, and reading the words aloud almost feels like singing a song. i love all of me

ANIMALS AT NIGHT of thorns starfish produces a ringing noise through “an electri- Flint, Katy cal signal from its eyes” that really needs more explanation. Fur- Illus. by Li, Cornelia thermore, the animals are not drawn to scale, and land dwellers Wide Eyed Editions (24 pp.) such as the poison dart frog (included in a spread about Brazil- $19.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 ian coastal waters) and the Sumatran tiger (Indonesian island 978-1-78603-540-0 waters) are, at best, outliers in a cast of marine creatures. The Series: Glow in the Dark sound chip is powered by three replaceable button batteries; there is no on/off switch. Select galleries of nocturnal and cre- A lackadaisical series also-ran with a poorly produced puscular creatures in 11 settings, with a gimmick. (Informational novelty. 7-10) 12th on a detachable, glow-in-the-dark foldout poster. The whole production has a slapdash air, as the dusk-to- I LOVE ALL OF ME dawn scenes shift arbitrarily from a generic cityscape with five Grover, Lorie Ann animal foragers (plus the sole human figure here, a dark-skinned Illus. by Búzio, Carolina child staring at an outsized raccoon opening a garbage can) to Cartwheel/Scholastic (24 pp.) an unnamed tropical rainforest, then an Australian beach, the $9.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 “Outback,” a woodland vaguely located in North America, and 978-1-338-28623-6 on…finishing with a small poster labeled “Deep Sea” and teem- Series: Wonderful Me ing with unidentified creatures. Elsewhere the animals (and a few plants, which may confuse readers who take the title liter- A bevy of babies celebrate self-love. ally) are named—some in the narrative, some with a bare label In this gorgeously illustrated board in the illustration, some with a label and descriptive comment: book, diverse babies celebrate their bod- “Badgers,” as Flint ungrammatically observes, “have an excellent ies by using them to explore the world. sense of smell, sight, and hearing.” Though the author makes Each page features one or two different body parts accompa- frequent mention of predators and prey, there is no chasing or nied by images of smiling children using that body part in fun eating to be seen in Li’s static, neatly painted scenes. Recent and and, at times, silly ways. Whether smelling a flower, reading a more illuminating ventures into night life include Anne Janké- book, chasing a pet, or doing a dance, the children on the pages lowitch and Delphine Chedru’s Animals at Night (2017), which of this lyrical book burst with radiant joy. On the final page, a also has glow-in-the-dark art, and Linda Stanek and Shennen child without a clear gender presentation hugs themself, squeez- Bersani’s Night Creepers (2017). ing their eyes closed and smiling, clearly delivering the message Careless, bland, superficial work unlikely to light or that all of our bodies are beautiful and worthy of love. Búzio’s nourish interest in the topic. (Informational picture book. 6-8) bold and textured illustrations feature children with diverse skin colors, hair, and gender presentation. When coupled with these pictures, Grover’s rhyming text soars, and reading WORLD OF OCEANS the words aloud almost feels like singing a song. Unfortunately, Grace, Claire despite its racial and gender diversity, the book features only Illus. by Hunter, Robert children without visible disabilities—with the possible excep- Wide Eyed Editions (24 pp.) tion of a child wearing glasses—all of whom have similar body $22.99 | Jul. 9, 2019 types. Given that the text is about loving all kinds of bodies, the 978-1-78603-793-0 lack of children with disabilities and the uniformity in body Series: Sounds of Nature types seems like a missed opportunity. A vibrant and lyrical ode to bodies ideal for those learn- Profiles of 10 saltwater environments, with portraits of ing to explore their own. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) select wildlife and audio soundscapes. Washing up in the wake of World of Forests (2019), this equally flaccid effort surveys, in no particular order, marine settings, GOODNIGHT, STARRY NIGHT including the depths of the Marianas Trench, a Cornish “rock- Guglielmo, Amy & Appel, Julie pool,” and the fresh/saltwater mix of Florida’s Everglades. For Cartwheel/Scholastic (26 pp.) each locale Grace and Hunter offer a general description, six $9.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 to eight recognizable if not finely detailed images of local wild- 978-1-338-32498-3 life crowded together, and notes on sounds that each one might Series: Peek-a-Boo Art make. These are supposedly reproduced in a quick sequence of fragmentary and only rarely distinctive hoots, howls, scrapes, Art, poetry, and peekaboo are a win- clicks, grunts, and splashes activated by pressing a designated ning combination in this bedtime board-book diversion. spot on the page. The notes range from perfunctory filler (sea Authors Appel and Guglielmo present six great works of art gulls have “lots of different calls”) to a bald claim that the crown accompanied by rhymed text that sounds like Goodnight Moon

154 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - Pictures Pictures of animals clustering in a Series: Pull and Play BATHTIME Le Hénand, Alice $11.95 | Aug. 20, 2019 20, Aug. $11.95 | $12.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 Aug. $12.99 | ANIMALS Twirl/Chronicle (14 pp.) Twirl/Chronicle Illus. by Bedouet, Thierry by Bedouet, Illus. Illus. by Kim, Sejung Illus. Trans. by Hardenberg, Wendeline A. Wendeline by Hardenberg, Trans. Trans. by Bradley, MaryChris by Bradley, Trans. 978-2-7338-6741-9 978-2-40801-282-3 Auzou Publishing (16 pp.) Auzou 5) - Similargalleries with better sound tracks abound—but On each page of this English translation of a board French Kim poses six to 10 smiling, infantilized animals with dot A A pull-the-tab book about the trials and tribulations of beginning with livestock in a farmyard and going on to house bathtime. book, an animal parent prepares their child to take a bath in just emits a dispirited grumble and the wolf sounds startlingly pets in a domestic interior, a variety of “Mountain Animals” parent-child parent-child couple overcoming whatever hesitation may have variety of characteristic settings offer toddlers chances to iden- replaceable button batteries, does not have an on/off switch. batteries, button replaceable ingly, there ingly, is no “tiger” button to go with the prompt on the rial buttons on the audio panel mounted next to the block of making a hat out of bubbles to counteract fears of getting one’s fears of getting one’s counteract making a hat out of bubbles to in attendance. Along with visual cues to prompt picking out itself is too simplistic to accomplish this goal on its own, pre- sturdy board leaves to help in spotting another. Though the lion the Though another. spotting in help to leaves board sturdy sound on each spread. slopes, and meerkats and more on an African plain—occasion- senting only one conflict per page and leaving it upto caregiv ghostly, the calls ghostly, at least faintly resemble natural ones. Confus a (probable) flub at the end allows some extra interactivity. interactivity. extra some allows end the at flub (probable) a tify one by sight and another (with the push of a button) by the bath, but with one pull of a sliding tab, readers see the book the bath, a taking about children “reassure” to is goal text’s chime in with a live roar. The audio panel, which includes three includes which panel, audio The roar. live a with in chime ers to help readers doubts, understand how the fear, character’s or stubbornness were allayed. Some of the strategies—such as eyes and rounded foreheads in each of eight appropriate locales, appropriate eight of each in foreheads rounded and eyes originally While existed. the back book’s cover claims that the ally with children or other members of an human all-white cast a particular animal from each group, a repetitive instruction a Western-style a Western-style bathroom. On many pages, the child resists final page…leaving it, deliberately or otherwise, to caregivers to page…leaving otherwise,final caregivers or to deliberately it, (including a rescue Saint Bernard with a cask of spirits) on piney on spirits) of cask a with Bernard Saint rescue a (including (“PRESS THE BUTTON”) directs attention to eight - picto (Novelty/board book. 1 - - 155 2019 | | 15 july books | kirkus.com | board & novelty 9) - The Bedroom. The peekaboo , Henri Rousseau’s , Henri Rousseau’s The Cradle The White Cat, Diego Rivera’s 4) Look Inside Your Body Inside Your Look Greenwillow (22 pp.) Greenwillow Horstschäfer, Felicitas Horstschäfer, $12.99 paper | May 28, 2019 28, $12.99 paper | May X-RAY ME! X-RAY Illus. by Vogt, Johannes Vogt, by Illus. Trans. by Lee, Elizabeth by Lee, Trans. 978-0-06-288996-6 - Starry Night in question, for example, is Vincent van Clever and effective, requiring no rays aside from the Because putting a toddler to bed isn’t just an art—it’s Life-sized images formatted to be held against the body There are no flaps or pop-ups, but this oversized book but children will no doubt enjoy the game of preview-and- labeled (“Trachea,” “Lung,” “Bronchial tree”), Vogt’s illustra- hold the picture; die-cut handles in each margin make this easy. hold the picture; die-cut handles in each this margin easy. make hole for the front and side views of the skull) or just holding pages break the flow ofthe rhyme scheme a bit, and onecould printed printed on board pages invites full-body participation. Highly visible sort. (Informational novelty. 5 work work are presented in increments—onefour-page line of verse reveal. Less sophisticated and ambitious than Shana Gozansky’s Gozansky’s Shana than ambitious and sophisticated Less reveal. ing previewed in the peekaboo frame a page Other earlier. fea- insides, but this definitely personalizes human anatomy in a way a in anatomy human personalizes definitely this but insides, stomach, stomach, or tallying what feet can do. readers Younger aren’t side image of a silhouetted body indicates where readers should readers where indicates body silhouetted a imageof side skull to lower legs and feet—the idea hold being each skull to legs spread lower and feet—the to simplified but properly arranged and with at least some parts second second half of the rhyme on verso and, on recto, the full paint going to get anything close to a comprehensive gander at their tured works are Berthe Morisot’s titular that more-conventional “inside stories” don’t. “inside stories” that more-conventional the option of viewing themselves in a mirror (through a die-cut the in “X-ray” place and peering down. In either case, a small tions highlight select organs in 10 body-shaped segments from offer refreshingly revelations. low-tech of swirling blues and black: “Goodnight glowing moon up high… up moon glowing “Goodnight black: and blues swirling of outtakes, organized around themes of nighttime and sleep. The sleep. and nighttime of themes around organized outtakes, each “view,” Horstschäfer suggests Horstschäfer a relevant demonstration or each “view,” color with a die-cut hole and an inviting “Peek-a-boo, baby,” for baby,” with color a die-cut hole and an inviting “Peek-a-boo, example, the or moon!” Turning page “Peek-a-boo, reveals the argue the relative merits of less peekaboo and more artwork, activity, such activity, as feeling for a heartbeat, listening to a friend’s at its appropriate level to get a sense of what’s inside. Users have Users inside. what’s of sense a get to level appropriate its at against a constellation-filled background facing a solid field of Gogh’s famous explosion Gogh’s of luminescent yellows against a field fine art. (Board book. 2 / Goodnight stars. Goodnight sky.” Subsequent / rhymes Goodnight and stars. artGoodnight sky.” Delfina and Dimas, and van Gogh’s , Franz Marc’s Gypsy, The Sleeping Marc’s Franz (2019) but well worthwhile. Sleep Book of Art My Along with simple descriptions of the anatomical features in hair washed—are useful for young families, while others—such ALL ABOARD! as splashing water on each other to test the temperature—are THE AIRPORT TRAIN unlikely to translate to real life. Furthermore, while the book Mara, Nichole alternates between mothers and fathers giving baths, the ani- Illus. by Kolb, Andrew mals being bathed are all referred to using male pronouns, abramsappleseed (10 pp.) thereby limiting what could have been a wide array of gender $9.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 diversity. For children, however, the tabs are fascinating and fun, 978-1-4197-3678-0 and the colorful illustrations and simple dialogue-driven text Series: All Aboard lend themselves to an entertaining read-aloud. When separated from its purported goals, the book is a There’s so much to see on the airport train. fine addition to toddler shelves.(Board book. 2-4) One of the passengers on the airport train has lost her ticket! In this lift-the-flap concertina book, readers travel from car to car of the aforementioned train, searching for both the CASTLES MAGNIFIED missing ticket and for other objects hidden within the pictures. Long, David Each illustration requires a different preschool skill, including Illus. by Bloom, Harry recognizing shapes, counting, and matching. The images fea- Wide Eyed Editions (48 pp.) ture diverse humans and quirky creatures, not to mention skill- $22.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 fully drawn, child-friendly objects such as instruments and balls. 978-1-78603-325-3 The clean design separates the text from the illustrations, which Series: Magnified are busy and teeming with life. Once they have completed the activities within the train cars, readers can flip to the backs of With roofs and walls cut away, medi- the pages to see what passengers are viewing out of the win- eval castles and related settings teem dows and to do more counting and identification. The pages of with tiny figures to spy out and on. the book pull out into a full train, and it lacks any kind of narra- Packaged with a 3x magnifying glass that younger eyes, at tive throughline, making it unwieldy for group read-alouds. It is, least, probably won’t need, this companion to Egypt Magnified however, a wonderful option for one-on-one learning sessions (2018) offers panoramic views of gore-free battles, sieges, and and for children who are independent enough to manipulate jousts along with feasts, festivals, and bustling markets—all the pages on their own—although it should be noted that the aboil with hundreds of light-skinned microscopic figures. With design, while clever, can be confusing and, at times, frustrating a few exceptions, most notably a Syrian castle and a Polish one, for the youngest readers. the presentation is quite Anglocentric. Aside from Windsor A fun and useful educational tool for preschoolers, par- Castle, seen under construction, and a cutaway billed as “like ticularly beginning readers. (Board book. 4-6) Carrickfergus” in Northern Ireland (a particular highlight, being riddled with dungeons and alive with prisoners escaping or being nondisturbingly tortured), the structures are generic NUMBER CIRCUS and depicted without much regard for realistic architecture Misslin, Sylvie or perspective. The accompanying commentary likewise sel- Illus. by Brocoli, Steffie dom goes beyond generic descriptions of knightly training, Trans. by Rosinsky, Lisa references to distinctive occupations (the “gong farmer” was Barefoot (22 pp.) responsible for cleaning castle “lavatories”), or such patronizing $19.99 | Mar. 31, 2019 observations as “many people believed prayers could work like 978-1-7828-5765-5 magic spells.” There is a key at the end for the dozens of specific items or people viewers are urged to locate throughout; it joins At the Number Circus, learning is a picture gallery of renowned knights to cap an amiable, if far fun. from authoritative, seek-and-find ramble. Welcome to the Number Circus, Unvarnished infotainment for sharp-eyed Where’s where every numeral has a fun and exciting role: 2 is a , 6 is Waldo fans. (glossary, timeline) (Informational picture book. an acrobat, and 8 is an animal trainer. On each page of this fanci- 6-9) ful and fairly sturdy lift-the-flap book, one simple, cleanly writ- ten line of text introduces readers to an anthropomorphized numeral participating in a circus performance. On the bottom or the top of each spread is a series of flaps that have questions on them that guide the reader through literacy and numeracy exercises that are both entertaining and developmentally appropriate. These include counting objects (“How many rib- bons is this dancer twirling?”), identifying objects and numeri- cal symbols (is 6 or 4 “at the bottom of the pyramid?”), and understanding relational concepts such as “fewer” and “taller.”

156 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult - - book.

up/picture - (Pop

A A playful counting book about a HIDE ’N’ SHEEP Sattler, Jennifer Sattler, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster $7.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 30, | Jul. $7.99 Illus. by Shum, Benson by Shum, Illus. 978-1-5344-0397-0 4) - The ovine protagonist is ready to play hide-and-seek, but A humorous introduction to counting and farm ani A dramaticA and decorative marine miniadventure, best 6) - Shum’s laugh-out-loud illustrations. laugh-out-loud Shum’s be confused about whether or not to count the disguised sheep count about whether or not be to confused by painting spots on itself and hides with the ducks by wearing mals. (Board book. 2 for those graduated from board books. person, with the sheep asking readers to come - play. Unfortu plets, tease that a misses choice the to opportunitycontinue to page of this counting book features cartoon illustrations of watch out—this woolly friend is a master of disguise! Every though, in the nately, ensuing pages the voice shifts away from readers, not mention to inject to additional humor - the into sto rytelling. children who Furthermore, are learning count to may vast and empty ocean, / where the water’s deep and dark, / some / dark, and deep water’s the where / ocean, empty and vast white and shiny teeth appear… / Quick, little Afish! SHARK!” with outsized teeth and an avid stare. Still, the other scenes sense of humor. The book charmingly begins in the second returns fishand playthe undertwo the watchful gaze of the tur sheep who is a master of disguise. sheep who is a master - cou rhyming in expressed statements third-person to sheep the time donning a disguise that is sure to make both older toddlers toddlers older both make to sure is that disguise a donning time turns of phrase that are perfectly attuned to young children’s tle and other larger, smiling denizens. It’s a lot of drama for such for drama of lot a It’s denizens. smiling larger, other and tle the frisson.The layering of the die-cut characters against their on each page. Overall, though, the rhyming text clever, and fun is to read rhythmic, aloud, especially when accompanied by environment makes for pleasingly three-dimensional if rather a sheep hiding with groups of animals around the farm, each and adults giggle. For example, the sheep hides with the cows a fake beak. Sattler’s narration is sprinkled with silly puns and a compressed format, highlighted by a deliciouslyformat, a highlighted compressed shivery shark are benign enough to allow even very young audiences to enjoy fragile tableaux. In the final scene all is serene once again, as the goby’s playmate playmate goby’s the as once again, serene is all scene final the In 4 - - dimensional cartoons are cartoons dimensional - 3) - all kids are good kids all kids 157 2019 | | 15 july books | kirkus.com | board & novelty gleefully friendly. toddler Hammer’s two Hammer’s Furnished Furnished with a ribbon to tie the A A reef in the round provides both With With skin tones ranging from deep brown to paper white, a diverse group of brightly colored coral in an array of cut home and hazards for a small orange goby. orange small a for hazards and home setting offers multilayered views of children represents a wide range of - tem covers back, Rand’s five-sided marine out forms and thick fronds of waving LITTLE FISH Nevin, Judy Carey Judy Nevin, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) Little Simon/Simon & Schuster Rand, Emily $7.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 | Mar. $7.99 $24.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 $24.95 | Sep. 17, ALL KIDS ARE GOOD KIDS Thames & Hudson (10 pp.) Thames & Hudson Illus. by Hammer, Susie by Hammer, Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-5344-3204-8 978-0-500-65162-9 5) - (Novelty. 2 The text follows a repeated rhyming pattern for each line: A playful celebration childhood. of (Board book. 1 An enjoyable way to build pre-K literacy and numeracy bleed illustration or is made up of a collection of smaller panels. of collection a of up made is illustrationor bleed book might. be noted that this is not a traditional storybook and, until chil- hues are gleefully toddler The friendly. project ends with the pillow forts in the scenes. While there doesn’t appear to be a peraments, interests, and characteristics. peraments, interests, plet spans a double-page spread that’s illustrated with a full- what is being asked of them and to find theIt answers. should narrative thread that binds these episodes together and there is there and together episodes these binds that thread narrative is clear and direct, making it easy for children to understand sional cartoons populated with stocky, round figures in medium in figures round stocky, with populated cartoons sional skills. seems an idyllic place for a very small golden fish…until the greenery along with glimpses of jellyfish and other sea life.It goby is left alone when a playmate is swept away in a shoal of tle to hide first from a “grumpy grouper” and then, well: “In the “grumpy grouper”well: “In then, first and hide a from to tle extensive extensive adult participation than a narrative or nonfiction ette ette is soft and The inviting. is text—which mostly questions— other Itfish. goes onafter an encounter with a friendly sea tur a new batch of kids with each page - two-dimen turn, Hammer’s query: “What kind of kid are you?”—and the group of five tykes tykes five of group the you?”—and are kid of kind query:“What looks invitingly and cheekilydepicted at readers for a reply. dren become familiar with the concepts inside, requires more Children enjoy outdoor adventures, art activities, and building The illustrations are busy without feeling crowded, and the pal- “Calm “Calm kids, mad kids / Hugs from mom or dad kids.” Each - cou Visually, the permutations are vastly amusing. what’s going on here?

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? connect dots of a certain color or particular relationship; turn A Tell-Your-Own-Tale Book dots into fruit, cars, fish, faces, and more; or mark everything up Tallec, Olivier in some other way. Along the way motor skills get a workout too, Illus. by the author as the interactions tend to progress from simple to less so: “Make Chronicle (28 pp.) these dots the same. / Now make them as different as can be!” $15.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 Who knew there was so much one could do with red, yellow, and 978-1-4521-7317-7 blue dots? Once they start, primary grade Picassos are going to find it hard to stop before the end, and as the pages aren’t eras- Split pages work comical twists able, do-overs aren’t in the picture. on the clothes and actions of a cast of Brilliant as usual—but best suited for the shelves of (mostly) animals. personal libraries rather than public ones. (Novelty. 4-6) Tallec (Who Was That?, 2018, etc.) invites viewers to giggle at silly headwear, flip to pair it with a character and a plot HALLOWEEN KITTY element, and then do something at least Yoon, Salina tangentially related such as sing a favorite Illus. by the author song or, more often, answer a personal question: “Everywhere Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (12 pp.) we go, / Carter puts on funny clothes. / What’s something new $7.99 | Jul. 23, 2019 you want to try?” The questions range from innocuous (“What 978-1-5344-4342-6 superpower do you wish you had?”) to provocative: “What Series: Wag My Tail sneaky things did you do today?”; “Do you have any secrets?” Except for brown-skinned Marc and an unnamed white cheer- Kitty wants to play with someone—but this Halloween, leader, the dozen two-sided cartoon figures posing on the fronts everyone is busy! and backs of the central segments are grave- or annoyed-looking Kitty is looking for a playmate, but no one has time to animals with anthropomorphic bodies clad in a variety of chil- play with her. Although she entreats a series of creepy-crawly dren’s wear, from saggy swimming trunks to overalls. Visually, creatures fit for Halloween—including a bat, a spider, anda the permutations are vastly amusing. A grumpy-looking green crow—everyone is occupied doing what they do best. As the duck might wear a backward baseball cap while sitting on the story proceeds, the side characters flap, spin, and caw their shoulders of a much-smaller, stressed-looking red creature clad excuses, as Kitty’s face gets increasingly disappointed. Finally, only in a bow tie and tighty whities. “At the end of every book, / Kitty asks a ghost—who, luckily, is always ready for a game of we feel a little sad,” the outing concludes. “What should we do peekaboo, pun very much intended. Yoon’s endearing illustra- next?” More than a few readers will be tempted to flip back in tions make use of a dark, rich palette appropriate for Hallow- search of further juxtapositions and scenarios. een. The artfully placed text is set in a creatively spooky type, Mix-and-match storysmithing, more subtle and there- adding to the book’s holiday feel. The story itself is written fore more evergreen than it seems at first glance.(Novelty in simple, playful language that makes excellent use of move- picture book. 6-8) ment and and invites children to respond to the illustrations well before they are able to decode words. The tab that moves the kitten’s sturdy, felt-covered tail at the top of the DRAW HERE cleverly designed book is easy to use and will make both kids An Activity Book and adults giggle. The kitten’s increasingly sorrowful reactions Tullet, Hervé are also a useful tool for talking to children about empathy and Illus. by the author persistence, both evergreen lessons. Chronicle (140 pp.) A playful and interactive introduction to Halloween. $14.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 (Board book. 1-3) 978-1-4521-7860-8

From the Press Here! (2011) panjandrum, a high-energy invi- tation to break out pens, pencils, and crayons for an instructive rumpus. A brisk, directed tutorial in following instructions while hav- ing a barrel of fun, this workbook opens with a visual flex in the form of a flap of die-cut holes placed interestingly over a diverse set of patterns, then presents a hefty block of 140 drawing pages. These range from totally blank at the outset to busy spreads teeming with dots, circles, or other shapes in primary colors, and each comes with a prompt: to add dots or loops of specified size or in specified places; carefully color inside, or outside, the lines;

158 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult 10) - 13) - 12) - 12) 7) - - Series: The Club, 2 Series: Series: Cultures of the Ancient World Ancient of the Series: Cultures Series: Owl Diaries, 11 Comics Series: Science Series: CatStronauts, 5 Series: CatStronauts, SLAPDASH SCIENCE CATS Nature and Nurture and Nature Chicago Review (208 pp.) Chicago Review Gordon, Elizabeth Gordon, Carr, Simonetta Carr, Branches/Scholastic (80 pp.) Little, Brown (192 pp.) First Second (128 pp.) Second First Brockington, Drew Elliott, Rebecca Elliott, Andy Hirsch, $18.95 | $11.70 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 Aug. paper | $18.95 | $11.70 $18.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 Aug. $18.99 | $4.99 paper | $15.99 PLB | Jul. 30, 2019 30, PLB | Jul. $4.99 paper | $15.99 13, 2019 Aug. $19.99 | $12.99 paper | $18.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 27, Aug. $18.99 | TRIP TO THE PUMPKIN FARM PUMPKIN TO THE TRIP ANCIENT ROMANS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS THEIR AND ROMANS ANCIENT (Fiction. 8 (Fiction. (Nonfiction. 9 (Fiction. 5 (Fiction. nonfiction. 9 (Graphic (Graphic science fiction. 6 (Graphic Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. by the author Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-5383-8246-2 978-1-5383-8245-5 paper 978-0-914091-71-4 978-1-338-29864-2 paper 978-1-338-29865-9 PLB 978-1-250-14313-6 978-1-250-14312-9 paper 978-0-316-45124-6 An Activity Guide JAVI TAKES A BOW TAKES JAVI West 44 (88 pp.) West | 15 july 2019 | 159 series | 15 july | kirkus.com | continuing

7) 7) - -

7) - 12) - continuing series continuing Series: Life on Earth Series: Life on Earth Series: Ranger Rick Series: Ranger Series: Stanley Series: Alton Heights All-Stars, 2 Heights Alton Series: I WISH I WAS A MONARCH BUTTERFLY A MONARCH I WAS I WISH STANLEY’S TRAINSTANLEY’S NOTHING BUTNOTHING NET PLANET EARTH Harper/HarperCollins (32 pp.) Harper/HarperCollins Peachtree (32 pp.) Peachtree Bové, Jennifer Bee, William Bee, $14.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 Aug. $14.99 | $14.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 Aug. $14.99 | $16.99 | $4.99 paper | Jul. 23, 2019 23, $16.99 | $4.99 paper | Jul. $14.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 Aug. $14.95 | $18.95 | $11.70 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 Aug. paper | $18.95 | $11.70 THINGS THAT GO THAT THINGS (Informational novelty. 4 novelty. (Informational (Informational novelty. 4 novelty. (Informational (Informational early reader) (Informational (Picture book. 3 (Fiction. 8 (Fiction. Illus. by Lozano, Andres by Lozano, Illus. Illus. by Lozano, Andres by Lozano, Illus. Illus. by the author Illus. 978-1-78603-455-7 978-1-78603-458-8 978-0-06-243223-0 978-0-06-243222-3 paper 978-1-68263-108-9 978-1-5383-8214-1 978-1-5383-8213-4 paper Wide-Eyed Editions (16 pp.) Wide-Eyed Wide-Eyed Editions (16 pp.) Wide-Eyed West 44 (88 pp.) West Aro, David Aro, Alexander, Heather Alexander, Alexander, Heather Alexander, HIDE AND SQUEAK! A FIST FOR JOE LOUIS AND ME Ingalls, Ann Noble, Trinka Hakes Illus. by Ceolin, André Illus. by Tadgell, Nicole Sleeping Bear (32 pp.) Sleeping Bear (40 pp.) $9.99 | $4.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 $17.99 | Aug. 15, 2019 978-1-53411-008-3 978-1-53411-016-8 978-1-53411-009-0 paper Series: Tales of Young Americans Series: Tip and Tucker (Picture book. 7-8) (Early reader. 4-6) BRUCE LEE LULU & ROCKY IN DETROIT Sánchez Vegara, Isabel Joosse, Barbara Illus. by Bustos, Miguel Illus. by Graef, Renée Frances Lincoln (32 pp.) Sleeping Bear (32 pp.) $14.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 $16.99 | Aug. 15, 2019 978-1-78603-789-3 978-1-53411-017-5 Series: Little People, BIG DREAMS Series: Our City Adventures (Picture book. 4-7) (Picture book. 4-8) RUDOLF NUREYEV A PINCH OF PHOENIX Sánchez Vegara, Isabel Lang, Heidi & Bartkowski, Kati Illus. by Arosio, Eleonora Aladdin (384 pp.) Frances Lincoln (32 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 $14.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 978-1-5344-3709-8 978-1-78603-791-6 Series: The Mystic Cooking Chronicles, 3 Series: Little People, BIG DREAMS (Fantasy. 8-12) (Picture book. 4-7) THE TIME TRAP ADDISON COOKE AND THE RING OF DESTINY Mara, Wil Stone, Jonathan W. West 44 (88 pp.) Philomel (384 pp.) $18.95 | $11.70 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 $17.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 978-1-5383-8359-9 978-0-399-17379-0 978-1-5383-8364-3 paper Series: Addison Cooke, 3 Series: Twisted, 3 (Mystery. 8-12) (Horror. 8-12) ADHD EMOTION EXPLOSION But I Triumph, Big Time Melmed, Raun with Larsen, Caroline Bliss Illus. by Kriembonga, Arief Familius (116 pp.) $12.99 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-64170-136-5 Series: Marvin’s Monster Diary, 2 (Fiction. 7-11) NIGHT OF SOLDIERS AND SPIES Messner, Kate Illus. by McMorris, Kelley Scholastic (160 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 9, 2019 978-1-338-13402-5 Series: Ranger in Time, 10 (Fiction. 7-10)

160 | 15 july 2019 | children’s | kirkus.com | young adult

These titles earned the Kirkus Star: THE COLOR OF THE SUN Almond, David Candlewick (224 pp.) BECOMING BEATRIZ by Tami Charles...... 165 $16.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5362-0785-9 PET by Akwaeke Emezi...... 166 The blurred boundaries between life THE GRACE YEAR by Kim Liggett...... 170 and death, love and hate, joy and sorrow, RED SKIES FALLING wild and tame form the heart of this by Alex London...... 171 dreamlike story. WHITE BIRD Tyneside boy Davie sets off a few by R.J. Palacio...... 174 weeks after his father’s death to wander

WHO PUT THIS SONG ON? by Morgan Parker...... 175 aimlessly through town on a hot, sunny young adult summer’s day. He encounters a friend who shares the titillat- THERE WILL COME A DARKNESS by Katy Rose Pool...... 175 ing news of his discovery of a dead body—a slightly older boy apparently killed in a knife fight with a young man from a rival PUMPKINHEADS by Rainbow Rowell; family. Short chapters describe Davie’s conversations as he illus. by Faith Erin Hicks...... 176 rambles about, seeking the chief suspect. Along the way he stops for conversations with a disillusioned priest, two little SNOWFLAKE, AZ by Marcus Sedgwick...... 176 girls playing an imaginative game of fairies, an old man who lost a leg in a mining accident, a woman who shares a fantas- FRANKLY IN LOVE by David Yoon...... 179 tical story of a baby lost and found, and a veteran who gently nurtures his flourishing garden, among others. Dreamy, artistic Davie loses himself in his imagination and in the contradictions FRANKLY IN LOVE of the untamed beauty of his surroundings: larks and buzzards, Yoon, David buttercups and abandoned coal pits. Touches of humor, pithy Putnam (432 pp.) words of Northern common sense, and moments of height- $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 ened tension and mystery provide grounding elements in the 978-1-984812-20-9 midst of the reverie. All characters in this English town appear to be white. A haunting tale of embracing transformation and find- ing beauty in an imperfect world. (Fiction. 12-adult)

THE DARK OF THE SEA Baksh, Imam Blouse & Skirt Books (216 pp.) $12.99 paper | Sep. 15, 2019 978-976-8267-23-8

Magic and mayhem meet adolescent angst in this gripping Caribbean tale set in Guyana. Fifteen-year-old Danesh navigates life as a dyslexic student in a high school where he receives little support and in a community overrun with alcoholism and hopelessness. Despite being raised Hindu, Danesh is disconnected from his parents’ religion thanks to his irreligious grandfather. Seen as a

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 161 celebrating excellence: 50 years of the coretta scott king book awards

The mood at the American Li- mendous cultural diversity that exists within the Afri- brary Association’s Annual Con- can American community and the many stories there ference in Washington, D.C., in are to tell. A brief glance at the list of winner and honor late June was a joyous one, as sev- books demonstrates that far from representing a niche, eral events and sessions focused these titles encompass a vast range of genres and sub- on the 50th anniversary of the ject matter. They are a potent reminder to African founding of the Coretta Scott American youth that their lives matter, their history King Book Awards and their im- matters, their future matters—that they are seen and pact on literature for young peo- valued by African American adults who pour heart and ple. These celebrations followed, soul into creating works to entertain, uplift, and guide in turn, on the heels of commemorative exhibits and them. Non–African American young people need and programs that have been taking place in libraries, mu- deserve to be enriched by these books too. seums, and schools all around the country. The Coretta Scott King Awards breakfast ev- ery year is a deeply emotional, even spiritual, event, with many tears being shed, and it was even more so during this landmark year. Varian Johnson, in his profoundly moving acceptance speech for the 2019 Author Honor for The Parker Inheritance, spoke di- rectly to his two small daughters, sitting in the au- dience. He urged them to look for books with the black Coretta Scott King seal on them. Which is ex- cellent advice for each and every one of us. In tribute to decades of outstanding creativity, I urge you to pick up some winning titles you may not yet have read. Not sure where to start? Here The significance of these awards and all they rep- is a small sampling of my resent cannot be underestimated. As noted scholar favorites, in no particu- Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop says in her essay “Let Our lar order: Jason Reynolds’ Rejoicing Rise” (Horn Book, May/June 2019), the When I Was the Greatest awards “originated as a response to the failure of the (2015 Steptoe Award), Rita children’s literature establishment to acknowledge Williams-Garcia’s One Cra- the talents and contributions of African American zy Summer (2011 Author writers and illustrators.” While prestigious awards Award), Patricia Hruby such as the Newbery and Caldecott are intended Powell and Christian Rob- to recognize superlative achievement, the fact that inson’s Josephine: The Daz- they routinely overlooked African American cre- zling Life of Josephine Baker ators was indicative not of an absence of deserving (2015 Illustrator Honor), materials but, I would argue, of biases in the selec- David Barclay Moore’s tion criteria and processes that juries today should The Stars Beneath Our Feet (2018 Steptoe Award), and still confront, query, and challenge. Ntozake Shange and Kadir A. Nelson’s Ellington Was Shining a light on African American authors and Not a Street (2005 Illustrator Award). —L.S. artists through the prestigious Coretta Scott King Book Awards amplifies voices that represent the tre- Laura Simeon is the young adult editor.

162 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | troublemaker, Danesh finds comfort in his relationships with his THE BRILLIANT DARK grandfather, best friend, and the ocean, where he once experi- Beiko, S.M. enced a surreal moment that he is unsure even happened. While ECW Press (544 pp.) seeking solace in the company of the ocean, Danesh encounters $18.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 an ethereal creature and discovers an entire underwater world 978-1-77041-359-7 that he traverses better than his real life. Thrilled and curious, Series: The Realms of Ancient, 3 Danesh finds he has a mission, one which may see him become the hero he’s always dreamed of being and which may help him The Realms of Ancient trilogy con- uncover his life’s purpose. With writing that gives an authentic cludes as fractured factions stare down voice to its Creolese-speaking protagonist, carefully describing an imminent apocalypse. internal struggles as well as physical landscapes, Baksh (Children In the seven years since Children of of the Spider, 2016) creates a complex world with an inclusive the Bloodlands (2018), the mass unveiling cast of black and East Indian characters. The descriptions of of the Denizens, the open appearance authentic cultural symbols and practices of Guyanese people, of monsters, and the looming Darkling Moon have radically some of whom are Hindu or Muslim, make Danesh’s explora- altered society. Now Mundanes oppress Denizens while the Ele- tion of a nearby—yet unseen—mystical aquatic land shrouded mental Task Guard, overseen by the United Nations and operat- in stories of Greco-Roman mythology more believable. ing under the guise of unification, seeks to eliminate the threat Magical realism done well: a whirlpool of adventure of Denizen magic through their mysterious, sinister-sounding that will suck readers right in. (Fantasy. 15-adult) programs. Large amounts of exposition are interwoven with Saskia’s storyline, both refreshing readers on the sprawl of

the previous books and illuminating societal changes. Now a young adult COLD GRAB rebellious teenager raised by Phae, she’s a talented Mundane Barwin, Steven hacker in the service of Denizens until the Task Guard catches James Lorimer (192 pp.) her and offers her a job. The Moth Queen, the personification $8.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 of Death, also has an eye on Saskia. Saskia must play all sides 978-1-4594-1379-5 while sifting through the increasingly complicated mythologies Series: SideStreets to find a way to get Roan and Eli—and the Ancient—back in time to save the world in a storyline with twists aplenty. The Uprooted from the Philippines to cast is multiracial and multicultural, with Scottish and Japanese Canada, 16-year-old Angelo struggles to lead Saskia, returning supporting characters such as Inuit Natti connect with his mother and resist toxic (who explicitly sees the intersectionalities at play in the new pressure from friends. order), and other minor characters; both straight and lesbian For almost 10 years, Angelo’s mother, Yvonne, has been romances are represented, and there’s a genderqueer character. working overseas to provide for their family, but that doesn’t Highly sophisticated and fully immersive. (Fantasy. stop him from resenting her for her absence. Struggling with 12-adult) homesickness and trying to navigate his new life, Angelo finds acceptance with a group of Filipino boys who make a hobby out of stealing. Warring with the good and bad influences in his life, STORMRISE Angelo must decide what path he’ll take. The other titles in this Boehme, Jillian series also focus on troubled teens confronting the ramifica- Tor Teen (320 pp.) tions of their reckless actions. In Locked Up by Cristy Watson $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 (Room 555, 2019, etc.), 17-year-old Kevin is offered early proba- 978-1-250-29888-1 tion but is weighed down by the guilt of harming another per- son during a joyride. In Push Back by Karen Spafford-Fitz (Unity War has come to the country of Club, 2018, etc.), 16-year-old Zaine’s anger over his mother’s Ylanda. abandonment leads him to lose control and break the law. On The northern nomads have breached the Run by debut author Marilyn Anne Holman features 17-year- the border, and each family must send old Ryan, who gets caught up in a crime scene and bolts to avoid one male to fight. Seeking to protect her returning to juvie. Each of these stories focuses on remorse, for- twin brother, Storm, disabled by a child- giveness, and change. Most of the titles feature ethnic diversity. hood illness, Rain adopts his identity—even though discovery While the plots may be predictable, character growth is present would mean death for her and dishonor for her family. Hav- and the stories highlight important subjects such as treatment ing trained in the art of Neshu fighting with her father, Rain is within youth detention centers and difficulties experienced by confident about battle, but the practical matter of hiding her immigrants. female body remains. She consults Madam S’dora for something High-action, high-concept stories for reluctant readers to make her periods stop, even dragon magic. Like most, Rain who want grit. (Fiction. 12-18) (Locked Up: 978-1-4594-1403-7; On believes dragons are the stuff of legend, but when she-king the Run: 978-1-4594-1399-3; Push Back: 978-1-4594-1375-7; ) dragon Nuaga begins to visit her dreams, Rain recognizes not

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 163 only that dragons are real, but that they offer hope for winning SEEKER the war. While the premise is nothing new, solo debut author Chance, Kim Boehme makes the story exciting: The world is well thought Flux (352 pp.) out, and the dragons are distinctive, with clear rules for magic $14.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 that will draw readers in. The northern nomads and their leader, 978-1-63583-038-5 Tan Vey, are more a faceless evil than fully developed in their Series: Keeper, 2 own rights, but the main characters are strong and well rounded, and readers will feel invested in their survival. Characters are Fledgling witch Lainey Styles must described as having olive or golden skin and dark hair. harness her magic to defeat a diabolical Mulan with dragons for added fun: Be prepared to foe in Chance’s follow-up to Keeper (2018). break out into “I’ll Make a Man out of You.” (Fantasy. 13-16) Lainey is the Keeper of the powerful DuCarmont Grimoire, a book of pow- erful spells, and she just accidently burned down the Georgia MINOR PROPHETS plantation of the Master, an evil warlock who murdered the Cajoleas, Jimmy last of her family. The Grimoire contains a spell that will allow Amulet/Abrams (368 pp.) the Master to extract magic from other Supernaturals. Now $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 Lainey and her best friend, Maggie, are helping the rebels in 978-1-4197-3904-0 their fight against the Master. Rebel leader Zia sees Lainey as their ultimate weapon, but they must unite the various Super- After his mother’s death in a car acci- natural factions. It won’t be easy, and Lainey must first come dent, a lonely and introspective teen’s to terms with her own wild power while comic-book superfan unusual gift leads him down a winding Maggie, who was bitten by a Shifter, hopes her new powers will road of startling revelation. give her a higher purpose. Meanwhile, Lainey’s protector and Poet Lee Sanford, no stranger to betrayer, Ty, puts his own risky plan in motion. Chance signifi- visions, had a vision of his mother’s cantly expands her world of magic and Supernaturals (Shifters, death before it happened, and he and his Fae, witches, etc.) with Lainey’s, Ty’s, and Maggie’s alternating snarky younger sister, Murphy, suspect their tyrannical stepfa- narratives, and getting to know the funny, good-hearted, and ther, Horace (aka the county sheriff), might be responsible. In superhero-obsessed Maggie is a particular delight. Chance has a panic, they knock him down, steal his Trans Am, and head to upped her game with this solid sequel. Lainey and Ty are white, the Farm, their estranged grandmother’s remote homestead and Maggie is black, and there are a variety of skin tones in the and former commune in blighted Benign, Louisiana. Grandma Supernatural community. welcomes them and encourages Lee to explore his visions and A fun, high-stakes, often surprising thrill ride. (Fantasy. commune with the Spirit that exists in the natural world. Mur- 14-18) phy thinks Grandma is hiding something (the barn is locked up tight), but Lee is filled with new purpose. Questions arise from Lee’s visions of his deceased uncle, the blond, blue-eyed VERIFY Jeremiah, who was a revered evangelist, and Lee is captivated Charbonneau, Joelle by Jeremiah’s tape-recorded sermons, which he finds hidden. HarperTeen (320 pp.) He also develops feelings for his Grandma’s tenant, Cass. Soon, $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 however, events take an ominous turn, a rift grows between 978-0-06-280362-7 Lee and Murphy, and he faces shattering choices. Cajoleas’ (The Series: Verify, 1 Good Demon, 2018, etc.) atmospheric, often bloody, tale, steeped in mysticism and the occult, raises questions of fate, belong- An alluring young man gives teenage ing, acceptance, and spirituality, and Lee’s narrative will reso- Meri a slip of paper that changes every- nate with anyone who has ever felt left out. All characters are thing she knows about the world and sets assumed white. her on a quest for the truth. Harrowing and hypnotic. (Horror. 13-adult) The paper says only “VERIFY,” a word Meri has never seen before. As it turns out, there is a lot about the world that Meri does not know. Following clues left by her late mother, Meri begins to learn the truth behind the clean, eco-friendly, safe society in which they live. Charbon- neau (Eden Conquered, 2018, etc.) imagines an America where years of banned word lists, travel restrictions, and censor- ship through digitization have made truth meaningless. The fast-paced story hits all the expected beats as the author sets up Meri’s dystopian world, one that is interesting but will feel familiar to readers experienced with the genre. Meri is hurriedly

164 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | A necessary portrayal of a young Afro-Latina woman who makes her own path. becoming beatriz

inducted into a secret resistance group, all while dealing with BATTLE BORN friendship, romance, her father’s alcoholism, and pursuit by the Meridian Divide secret police. A strong thread of anxiety about technological Clarke, Cassandra Rose advancement runs through the book, from the untrustworthi- Scholastic (272 pp.) ness of e-books to the dangers of recycling paper books. Many $9.99 (paper) | Oct. 1, 2019 threads are left dangling in obvious preparation for a series, but 978-1-338-28099-9 the abrupt ending will leave dystopia-loving young adult read- Series: HALO, 2 ers eager to find out what happens next. Meri is white, and two important secondary characters have brown skin. Three months after their home planet, Hard to put down but easy to forget. (Dystopian. 13-18) Meridian, was attacked by the alien orga- nization known as the Covenant, Evie, Victor, Dorian, and Saskia finish up their BECOMING BEATRIZ training with the Office of Naval Intelligence at Tuomi Base. Charles, Tami ONI assigns the teens to return to Meridian to act as guides Charlesbridge Teen (272 pp.) for the militia team based there. The teens know the terrain $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 and the underground tunnels that run through the town of 978-1-58089-778-5 Brume-sur-Mer, making them a major asset. With the help of Spartan Owen-B096 they manage to sabotage the In a city where “cocaine is king,” can Covenant’s digging equipment and retrieve the artifact that a teenage gang leader dare to dream of originally brought the Covenant to Meridian. It reveals a map

another life? leading to the northern city of Annecy. Once they arrive, woe- young adult Newark, New Jersey. 1984. Beatriz fully unprepared, they discover what the artifact was leading Mendez and her older brother, Junito, them to—and it produces more questions than answers. In the lead the powerful Latin Diablos gang. end, the group has to make a drastic decision in order to stay Everything changes on Beatriz’s 15th birthday when a Haitian alive. Clarke’s (HALO, 2018 etc.) second installment is another gang leaves Junito for dead and Beatriz badly injured. A Like adventure story full of twists and turns, best for readers famil- Vanessa (2018) spinoff, this page-turner opens dramatically with iar with the previous title. Some character growth provides an a visceral fight scene that introduces a fierce protagonist. Bea- added layer of interest to this plot-driven suspense story. As triz is a Spanglish-speaking Puerto Rican badass with “a blade before, diversity is indicated through names. Fans of “Halo” will tucked inside [her] cheek…to use on anybody who tries to step.” enjoy seeing the world come to life. In the aftermath of Junito’s death, Beatriz struggles to maintain Readers who enjoy guns-blazing action will fly through her standing as a Diabla, raise her grades (mostly D’s and F’s), and this book. (Science fiction. 12-18) support her grief-stricken of a mother. Though “danc- ing ain’t gonna pay the bills,” she allows her childhood dream of becoming a dancer to glimmer through her tough exterior MAYHEM AND MADNESS each week when watching her favorite TV show, Fame. Told in Chronicles of a Teenaged the first person, this narrative is full of passion and humor, with Supervillain flashbacks rooted in Beatriz’s beloved salsa music. Realistic Dauber, J.A. newsprint clips effectively add context. A friendship/romance Holiday House (304 pp.) with a new boy contributes depth while avoiding predictabil- $18.99 | Aug. 13, 2019 ity. As Beatriz transcends her trauma and self-doubt—“No such 978-0-8234-4255-3 thing as a gangbanger turned famous dancer”—readers experi- ence a necessary portrayal of a young Afro-Latina woman who An average teen unravels the mystery makes her own path, one that isn’t straightforward, told in an of his missing father. extremely realistic voice. High school junior Bailey’s father Inspiring and fresh. (historical notes) (Fiction. 12-18) disappeared seven years ago without any clues as to where he went. There were no warning signs, his par- ents were happy together, and his father loved him. So where did Dad go? Bailey’s spent the time without his dad trying to suppress his abandonment issues and move forward, but when he discovers a secret basement under his house that contains an Iron Man–esque supersuit, Bailey starts to piece the puzzle together. The suit is identical to the one worn by the long-for- gotten villain Mayhem, a domestic terrorist who’d smash up banks, steal the money, and deliver it to orphanages and other downtrodden folks via wire transfers and anonymous donations. It isn’t long before Bailey tries on the suit and steps into his

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 165 Shoots for the stars and explodes the sky with its bold brilliance. pet

father’s shoes, looking for more answers to his questions. The PET mystery unravels at a steady pace, never letting readers get too Emezi, Akwaeke far ahead or moving too quickly so that they become lost. There Make Me a World (208 pp.) are some clever twists and turns here along with strong char- $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 acter work. Bailey is a compelling protagonist, and the author 978-0-525-64707-2 smartly shades his parents enough to make their relationship just as interesting. The novel’s end points to a possible sequel, Teenager Jam unwittingly animates but the emotional arcs have a solid conclusion that will leave her mother’s painting, summoning a readers feeling satisfied. Characters are assumed white. being through a cross-dimensional portal. A nifty mystery with pleasant superhero twists. (Adven­ When Pet, giant and grotesque, ture. 12-16) bursts into her life one night, Jam learns it has emerged to hunt and needs the help of a human who can go places it cannot. Through their WE ARE LOST AND FOUND telekinetic connection, Jam learns that though all the mon- Dunbar, Helene sters were thought to have been purged by the angels, one still Sourcebooks Fire (304 pp.) roams the house of her best friend, Redemption, and Jam must $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 uncover it. There’s a curious vagueness as to the nature of the 978-1-4926-8104-5 banished monsters’ crimes, and it takes a few chapters to settle into Emezi’s (Freshwater, 2018) YA debut, set in an unspecified Teens in 1980s New York City navi- American town where people are united under the creed: “We gate adolescence in the wake of the are each other’s harvest. We are each other’s business. We are each other’s AIDS crisis. magnitude and bond,” taken from Gwendolyn Brooks’ ode to Paul When Michael’s older brother, Con- Robeson. However, their lush imagery and prose coupled with nor, came out to their Catholic parents, nuanced inclusion of African diasporic languages and peoples their father kicked Connor out. At creates space for individuals to broadly love and live. Jam’s 16, Michael keeps his sexuality secret in fear of the same fate. parents strongly affirm and celebrate her trans identity, and Michael could move out and go drinking and dancing every Redemption’s three parents are dedicated and caring, giving night with his friends at The Echo and “forget, forget, forget.” Jam a second, albeit more chaotic, home. Still, Emezi’s timely But, in the shadow of the “gay plague,” he asks: “How do I live and critical point, “monsters don’t look like anything,” encour- my life without becoming a statistic?” As people around Michael ages our steady vigilance to recognize and identify them even in get sick, he struggles to balance his desire for liberation and the the most idyllic of settings. consequences that may come with it. Dunbar (Boomerang, 2018, This soaring novel shoots for the stars and explodes the etc.) painstakingly populates the narrative with 1980s refer- sky with its bold brilliance. (Fantasy. 14-18) ences—particularly to music—creating a vivid historical setting. However, occasional contemporary phrases like “All the things” do slip in. With characters that veer toward , the text THE DECEPTION seems more history- than character-driven. Nonetheless, the Gallier, Laura racially and religiously diverse cast, emphasis on safe sex prac- Wander (304 pp.) tices, and careful maneuvering around queer plot tropes offer a $19.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 compelling, teen-movie–esque portrait of the times. Dunbar’s 978-1-4964-3392-3 lack of quotation marks in dialogue augments Michael’s strong Series: Delusion, 2 first-person voice, matching the sense of immediacy brought by the author’s vignette style. The afterword with reflections from The war between good and evil rages three activists provides real-life historical context. Michael and on in this sequel to The Delusion (2017). his family are coded as white. After surviving a deadly school A painful but ultimately empowering queer history les- shooting, 19-year-old Owen Edmonds son. (afterword) (Historical fiction. 13-18) has devoted his life to saving the town of Masonville from the dark demon Molek and the unearthly creatures who carry out his sinister bidding. Together with his bubbly, beautiful girlfriend, Ray Anne, Owen looks for clues that will explain a rash of mysterious disappearances as well as why Masonville is still plagued by a dark presence. Owen and Ray Anne use their supernatural sight to visualize the shackles and chains of personal bondage that burden anyone who hasn’t surrendered to God. This ability helps them discern who’s on their side as they race to root out the source of the evil in their town. To complicate matters, a shadowy figure has begun

166 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | paying visits to Owen’s apartment, and, despite warnings from OBVIOUSLY his girlfriend and pastor, he’s intrigued by what the entity has to Stories From My Timeline say. Owen often feels conflicted over what he knows the Bible Hughes, Akilah teaches and what his heart desires, which causes friction with Razorbill/Penguin (288 pp.) loved ones and undermines his mission. Some secondary char- $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 acters are black, but most main characters are assumed to be 978-1-10199-890-8 white. Troublingly, there are several negative and stereotypical mentions of Africa that reference witch doctors, human sacri- Comedian and YouTube celebrity fice, and suffering. Hughes takes readers on a hilariously A literal writing style and underdeveloped characters intimate journey into her world. detract from an otherwise compelling concept. (Christian Beginning with her childhood in supernatural fiction. 12-18) Kentucky and ending in New York City as she conquers the world of YouTube, Hughes shares stories of spelling bee successes, raccoon infestations, and a cheerleading SIX GOODBYES WE fail, none of which she allowed to deter her from her dreams of NEVER SAID one day becoming as famous as Oprah, someone she admires for Ganger, Candace what she does to support others. Sprinkled throughout these Wednesday Books (320 pp.) laugh-out-loud accounts, Hughes keeps it real with autobio- $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 graphical essays that touch on her absent father and the pain of 978-1-250-11624-6 being a child in a classroom taught by a hostile, racist teacher.

Many teens will relate to everything she shares about acne, eat- young adult Two teens maneuver painful routes ing disorders, self-esteem, and body positivity, not to mention through profound grief as well as the tales of besties and breakups, as she leaves childhood behind complex quagmire of severe mental and barrels toward the world of adulthood. When things go illness. badly as Hughes overcomes a serious health scare, readers will Seventeen-year-old biracial (Latinx want to fight right alongside her. These essays read like warm and white), bristly Naima is spending the summer with her conversations with an older cousin. The readable format pro- grandparents in Indiana. She never forgave her father for leav- vides helpful advice—sandwiched between love and laughter— ing on multiple military tours, but now that he’s given his life in on growing up. Whether they have heard of her before or not, service of his country, she’s angrier than ever. Fifteen-year-old young people will root for this young African American come- sweet-tempered, Latinx Dew lives next door with his adoptive dian as she navigates life’s challenges. The short chapters and parents following his parents’ deaths. He prefers communicat- chatty style make this an appealing choice for reluctant readers. ing via tape recorder and is convinced that he and Naima can Engaging. (Memoir. 13-adult) help each other. They’re both adrift in their devastating new realities. The teens’ mental illnesses—Dew’s social anxiety; Naima’s OCD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and A DARK IRIS PTSD—are conveyed in a realistic and poignant manner. Naima Jones, Elizabeth J. is fat and pansexual while Dew has severe food allergies, and the Blouse & Skirt Books (240 pp.) protagonists’ multilayered, intersectional identities make them $12.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 all the more believable. Dew’s fixation on and out-loud narra- 978-976-8267-25-2 tion of his observations of Naima are intrusive and border on inappropriate, and others join Naima in deeming such behavior Set in Bermuda in 1972, this novel disrespectful while supporting her in setting boundaries. The tells the story of 13-year-old Rebekah teens benefit from an unflagging support system, which also Eve, a talented black artist whose visions provides alternate reflections for navigating grief. The novel is hold keys to the past. ultimately hopeful, and readers will connect with the messy, vis- Rebekah has tested into Meridian, ceral lives simmering on the page. the best school on the island, to the Profoundly emotional and truthful. (author’s note) (Fic­ delight of her ambitious mother. But Rebekah finds it hard tion. 14-adult) to focus in class, especially when people and scenes appear in her mind that demand to be drawn. Her best friend, Wanda, is growing apart from her; her parents have separated; and her mother is dating a white man—all of which are additional distractions. But Rebekah’s father supports her art, and when the mysterious Lady of the Library tells him to bring her to the island’s eminent black artist, Mr. Stowe, for private lessons, he does so. This helps her understand that people from the past are revealing their stories through her art. While

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 167 INTERVIEWS & PROFILES Debbie Rigaud

HER NEW ROM-COM NOVEL IS AN ENTERTAINING TALE THAT ALSO ADDRESSES SERIOUS REAL-WORLD TOPICS By Megan Labrise Photo courtesy Greg James says, “but being from communities that have always said, ‘You are a princess, you come from king and queen,’ it felt right, it felt fun to explore this, but for teens.” In Rigaud’s sparkling YA rom-com, Truly Madly Roy- ally (July 30), 16-year-old community organizer Zora Emerson attends a prestigious summer program at Hal- stead University, a short train ride but a world away from her beloved hometown of Appleton, New Jersey. Zora loves Halstead, but she’s not feeling the gen- eral air of privilege and pretension that fills its hallowed halls. A chance encounter in the library leads her to pour out her frustrations to a boy she can’t see through the stacks. Unlike her pretentious classmates, “Library Boy” willingly (and wittily) attests to his privilege:

“Sorry I’m privileged,” he confesses. “And not only just because I’m a straight white male. I’m a straight white male from a long lineage of privi- leged people in power—with the ridiculous bank accounts to prove it.” “ ‘Whoa, that’s like coming straight out the womb Beyoncé,’ I say with my eyebrows practi- cally at my hairline. ‘Beyoncé didn’t even come straight out the womb Beyoncé!’ ” “That’s like coming straight out of the womb When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry on May Beyoncé, but without any of her talent or hard 19, 2018, Debbie Rigaud rejoiced. work, yet people are throwing EGOTs at you, “At the time I was saying, ‘It’s like a real-life rom-com, following you in droves, and waiting with bated and here we all are in the story!’ ” Rigaud says by phone breath for you to do something amazing.” from her home in Ohio, “meaning women of color.” The young adult writer, who began her writing career report- When “Library Boy” turns out to be Owen Whit- ing news and entertainment for Seventeen, Twist, and telsey, the youngest prince of the white royal family of CosmoGIRL!, is the Manhattan-born, New Jersey–raised a small European country in the Celtic Sea, Zora must daughter of Haitian immigrants. weigh the public and private costs of a high-profile “For our inner children, who’ve grown up reading sweet summer romance with her responsibilities to her about princesses and not recognizing ourselves,” she family, her community, and herself.

168 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | “I feel like every good story has a love story in it,” says Rigaud, who classifiesTruly Madly Royally as a rom-com but not necessarily a full-on romance. “But I always wanted to establish that Zora’s life is already in prog- ress. Obviously, she’s not half a person—she’s not one of those ‘you complete me’ types—she’s not like that at all. She has a whole life, and how will this fit along with ? It’s more of introducing [a love interest] to a some abrupt transitions occasionally make the story difficult that to follow, the novel is fast-paced and sprinkled with recogniz- very goal-oriented, focused person and seeing if it will able growing pains and cultural realities. The historical events throw her off, if she will say, ‘You know what, I’m still Rebekah’s art uncovers are inspired by real historical events. The blurred line between imagination and truth-telling in a kid, why can’t I take this on and have a little fun? It’s artistic expression is intriguingly portrayed in this ode to art summertime!’ ” and to the silenced, condemned voices of the past. With snappy dialogue, good humor, and a propulsive With elements of mystery and history, emotion and thrill, this is a worthwhile addition to any collection. plot, is “a light and entertaining tale Truly Madly Royally (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 12-18) that also addresses serious real-world topics,” Kirkus writes—one that joyfully emphasizes the power and CRISIS ON THE BORDER importance of representing black and interracial love Refugees and in YA literature. Undocumented Immigrants Kallen, Stuart A. “I just want to invite readers into Zora’s world, in- ReferencePoint Press (80 pp.) vite them into Zora’s community, and just feel the love $30.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 that’s there,” Rigaud says. “Come along for the ride, 978-1-68282-737-6 laugh along, and maybe cry along, but definitely come An examination of the humanitar- young adult with compassion, come with an open heart, and see ian crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border. Divided into four chapters, with why Zora is, in her own right, a hometown princess.” plentiful color images and informative sidebars, this broad dive into recent immigration issues looks at Latin American Fully migrants who risk everything in an attempt to start over in Megan Labrise is the editor at large and co-hosts the the U.S. and the Trump administration’s efforts to curb and Booked podcast. Truly Madly Royally was reviewed in the deter the flow of refugees. Readers first learn about the much May 15, 2019, issue. publicized 2018 migrant caravan from Central America: Hon- durans and others braved a dangerous journey to the border near Tijuana in search of asylum in the U.S. and an escape from the violence ravaging Central America. The sheer size of the migrant caravan led to the failure of an ill-equipped U.S. response that exposed an aggressive anti-immigration agenda, exemplified by President Donald Trump’s zero tolerance pol- icy and the administration’s subsequent response to the wide- spread backlash against the separation of parents and children. Despite the comprehensive inclusion of differing perspectives, including an enlightening passage by an immigration judge, the author falls short of condemning the Trump administra- tion’s policies, possibly normalizing some of the rhetoric com- ing out of the White House. This accessible overview excels by dedicating space for words from migrants, refugees, and Dreamers stuck in a stifling bureaucratic limbo. A final chap- ter on potential paths for change offers some glimmer of hope. A generous, if flawed, survey of a complex, knotty issue. (source notes, resources, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 14-19)

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 169 DREAMS COME TO LIFE easy. Poachers, who trade in the body parts of grace-year girls, Kress, Adrienne surround the camp, and paranoia, superstition, and mistrust Scholastic (304 pp.) rule. Not everyone will make it home alive. The bones of $9.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 Liggett’s (The Unfortunates, 2018, etc.) tale of female repression 978-1-338-34394-6 are familiar ones, but her immersive storytelling effortlessly Series: Bendy and the Ink Machine, 1 weaves horror elements with a harrowing and surprising sur- vival story. Profound moments lie in small details, and readers’ Kress (The Quest for the Kid, 2019, hearts will race and break right along with the brave, capable etc.) creates a hair-raising tale based on Tierney’s. The biggest changes often begin with the smallest the popular survival horror video game rebellions, and the emotional conclusion will resonate. All “Bendy and the Ink Machine.” characters are assumed white. She capitalizes on its survival- Chilling, poignant, haunting, and, unfortunately, all ist plot and creepy ambience by setting her story—like the too timely. (Dystopian. 14-18) video game—largely on the premises of Joey Drew Studios, a New York City–based production house dedicated to creating “Bendy” cartoons. Emulating the shifting perspective of this THE BONE HOUSES genre, in which players have less control than in a typical action Lloyd-Jones, Emily video game, the 16-year-old Jewish protagonist, Daniel “Buddy” Little, Brown (352 pp.) Lewek, begins his story by ominously looking back to the sum- $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 mer of 1946, warning readers that while dreams may come true, 978-0-316-41841-6 nightmares do as well. Though somewhat cagey as a narrator, Buddy is an extremely likable character, having dropped out of Ever since the dead have started school to help support his recently widowed mother. He’s now coming back to life, gravedigger Ryn has dealing with the unannounced arrival to their Lower East Side been out of work. tenement of his Polish grandfather, who speaks little English, Desperate to protect her younger is pale and shockingly thin, and has strange numbers tattooed siblings and clear her family’s debts to a on his arm. Buddy thinks his dreams of financial solvency and greedy landlord, Ryn connects with Ellis, becoming an artist are about to become a reality when Mister a lost mapmaker who will pay her to guide him into the moun- Drew hires him to be an errand boy and art apprentice, but he tains. Raised in Caer Aberhen after being found in the woods by soon discovers something as dark as the ink that animates the a prince, Ellis now searches for any trace of his parents, though Bendy figures lurks in the Drew Studios halls, forcing him to chronic shoulder pain from a mysterious injury slows him down. reexamine his entire worldview. Through a forbidden forest teeming with monsters, together Sinister and twisted, this Faustian page-turner enlight- they look for a mythical cauldron that will end the curse of the ens as it frightens. (Fiction. 12-18) risen dead. Lloyd-Jones (The Hearts We Sold, 2017, etc.) grue- somely describes the undead, called bone houses, with their rot- ting flesh and unseeing eye sockets—yet the mood never gets THE GRACE YEAR too dark thanks to a tenacious and strangely adorable undead Liggett, Kim goat along with some mild romantic tension. The journey is Wednesday Books (416 pp.) slow to get started, the numerous attacks and fight scenes with $18.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 bone houses grow tedious, and the twists are predictable, but 978-1-250-14544-4 nonetheless this Welsh-inspired story is haunting and compel- ling. Apart from a dark-skinned villager depicted as an outsider, A rebellious 16-year-old is sent to an all characters are presumed white. isolated island for her grace year, when A stand-alone dark fantasy that readers will want to she must release her seductive, poison- sink their teeth into despite its flaws.(Fantasy. 14-18) ous magic into the wild before taking her proper place as a wife and child bearer. In gaslit Garner County, women and girls are said to harbor diabolical magic capable of manipulat- ing men. Dreaming, among other things, is forbidden, and before girls embark on their grace year, they hope to receive a veil, which promises marriage. Otherwise, it’s life in a labor house—or worse. Strong, outdoorsy, skeptical Tierney James doesn’t want to be married, but a shocking twist leaves her with a veil—and a dangerous enemy in the vindictive Kiersten. Thirty-three girls with red ribbons symbolizing sin woven into their braids set out to survive the island, but it won’t be

170 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | A YA Game of Thrones. red skies falling

RED SKIES FALLING where he befriends enigmatic inmate Madeleine, a Nightwalker London, Alex with a dark past. Like most tales, the lines between good Farrar, Straus and Giroux and evil are nebulous, and as Bruce struggles with issues like (480 pp.) economic inequality, he learns he must define those boundaries $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 himself. With electric pacing and dynamic black-and-white illus- 978-0-374-30684-7 trations punctuated with bright splashes of yellow, Moore’s (The Series: Skybound Saga, 2 Zodiac Legacy, 2017, etc.) adaptation of Lu’s (Wildcard, 2018, etc.) novel is a visual delight with all the cinematic panache one would Stakes soar in this sequel to Black expect from the superhero franchise. Focusing upon Wayne Wings Beating (2018). before he fully adopted his Batman persona, this makes for a fine In their war of feathers and blood, jumping in point for both seasoned fans and newcomers alike. the Kartami extremists seek to eradi- Wayne presents as white, but secondary characters are ethnically cate the Uztari’s sinful “cult” of falconry forever. Only the diverse. ghost eagle’s power—“death and fear incarnate”—can turn the A worthy addition to the expansive Batman corpus. tide toward victory. With a natural gift for the Hollow Tongue (Graphic fiction. 12-adult) (the ancient language of birds), teen Kylee may be the only one who can communicate with the giant bird of prey. As she studies the language in the Sky Castle, Kylee becomes a pawn WE SPEAK IN STORMS in the political machinations of the Uztari elite. Back in their Lund, Natalie home of the Six Villages, her gay twin brother, Brysen, has his Philomel (464 pp.)

own target on his back as he readies for an impending attack. $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 young adult Many nestlings will die, but which flock will survive? Lon- 978-0-525-51800-6 don skillfully maneuvers omniscient third-person narration around the various players, with special focus on the twins. Three outcast teens come together Though the main driving force of the novel is the preparation when a tornado stirs up literal and fig- for war, he takes care to preen the budding romance between urative ghosts in their small Midwest- Brysen and Jowyn and deepen the already strong characteriza- ern town. tion of the majority brown-skinned cast. However, London’s In 1961, a tornado touched down at masterful plotting and battle sequences are the true feath- a drive-in movie in Mercer, Illinois, kill- ers in his authorial cap. Readers clamoring for a YA Game of ing almost all of the town’s teenage population. Half a century Thrones will easily fall prey to this trilogy and await the final later, that loss still haunts Mercer’s residents, and when another installment. tornado strikes the same location, the current batch of teens Arresting. (Fantasy. 13-adult) are especially rattled. There have always been rumors that those killed in the old tragedy remain in Mercer as Storm Spirits, and three misfit high school students think they might be starting to BATMAN receive the spirits’ messages. Joshua, who feels invisible at school Nightwalker (The Graphic due to his weight and sexuality, teams up with Brenna, whose con- Novel) tentious relationships with her family and a toxic ex-boyfriend Lu, Marie compound the loneliness she feels as a Latina in a predominantly Adapt. by Moore, Stuart white community, and Callie, who has slid into an eating disor- Illus. by Wildgoose, Chris der as her mother’s terminal illness progresses. The three share DC Ink (208 pp.) alternating point-of-view narration interspersed with a Greek $16.99 (paper) | Oct. 1, 2019 chorus of the Storm Spirits’ collective voices. Joshua, Brenna, and 978-1-4012-8004-8 Callie are all sympathetic characters, but their slow-burn story is smothered under the weight of ponderous, self-serious narra- A pre-Batman Bruce Wayne takes tion. An incest survivor is deeply othered. All three teens’ “Very his first strides toward becoming the Special Issues” are too tidily swept away when their drawn-out Caped Crusader. conclusion finally arrives. What starts as a delicate ghost story In this graphic adaptation of the novel by the same name, ultimately collapses under its own slow weight. 18-year-old newly minted billionaire Wayne wrestles with increas- Too much dead calm, not nearly enough storm. (Paranor­ ingly adult issues: how to control his newfound power in man- mal. 12-18) aging his deceased parents’ fortune, facing the unknown once high school ends, and an intense call to defend the city he loves. When a nefarious group known as the Nightwalkers descends upon Gotham City, reigning terror upon the rich, Bruce begins his first foray into vigilantism. Unimpressed by his attempts, he is reprimanded by the GCPD and sent to work at Arkham Asylum,

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 171 A fresh take on loving yourself. the other f word

SERPENT & DOVE eventually they get around to sharing that it’s OK to be fat, and Mahurin, Shelby fat people deserve love, respect, and happiness. The strongest HarperTeen (528 pp.) chapters present a fresh take on loving yourself: the hilarious $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 honesty in Lily Anderson’s (The Undead Girl Gang, 2018, etc.) 978-0-06-287802-1 “How to Be the Star of Your Own Fat Rom-Com,” the evocative Series: Serpent & Dove, 1 language of Miguel M. Morales’ “Does this poem make me look fat?” and the inspiring advice in Saucyé West’s “Your Journey to A stealth witch and a devout witch Being #fatandfree.” While a list of plus-size fashion resources hunter are forced to marry. in the backmatter feels like an unfinished afterthought, never- In this French-flavored fantasy world, theless fat adults will wish they’d had this book growing up, and witches are hunted down by the Church’s fat teens will finally feel seen. Chasseurs and burned at the stake; they Frank and fabulous. (fat fashion resources) (Anthology. retaliate against this genocidal crusade through vicious terrorist 12-adult) attacks. Thief Louise le Blanc wants none of that—she’s left her witch life behind. But Lou ends up on Chasseur captain Reid Diggory’s radar when a heist goes bad; his attempt to catch THE QB BAD BOY AND ME her lands them in a situation so compromising that the arch- Marley, Tay bishop suggests marriage to save face. Lou’s initial priority is Wattpad Books (416 pp.) self-protection—wanting to avoid both fallout from the heist $10.99 paper | Aug. 13, 2019 and a dangerous figure from her past—and she’s fine with using 978-0-9936899-4-9 Reid. The slow-burn, opposites-attract romance between crass, irreverent Lou and prim and proper Reid gets very hot and sexy Peppered with dirty jokes and sen- once it ignites. Lou sees firsthand the damages some witches timental moments, this risqué debut do to innocents, has her presumptions about individual Chas- follows a quixotic quarterback and a self- seurs challenged, and also sees up close the horrors Chasseurs possessed cheerleader through their tor- perpetrate. Despite occasional pacing hiccups and an easily rid romance. guessed twist, the secondary characters will charm readers, and Headstrong and vaguely anti-social, the story picks up when Lou’s past dangerously catches up to high school senior Dallas Bryan knows who she is and what she her, revealing the true stakes. Though at heart a romance, rich wants: She’s a dancer masquerading as a cheerleader who wants second-tier characters round out the shades-of-gray, morality- out of Castle Rock, Colorado, by way of CalArts. Uninterested and-empathy themes. Witches, Chasseurs, and some secondary in dating, she nevertheless finds herself embroiled with Dray- characters come in all colors; the leads appear white. The end- ton Lahey, Archwood High’s superhot, superrich star quarter- ing screams sequel. back. Can their tenuous pairing survive past high school? The Will cast a spell on romance fans. (Fantasy. 15-adult) book is driven by two major commitment-related conflicts: Drayton battles with his parents over pressure to continue a family legacy of playing for Baylor University while Dallas must THE OTHER F WORD come to terms with her aversion to serious relationships. A A Celebration of the forthright narrator, Dallas shares the always horny, often boozy Fat & Fierce highlights of the adventures enabled by Drayton’s bottomless Ed. by Manfredi, Angie wallet and selectively permissive parents. In one episode, an Illus. by Tegtmeier, Lisa away-game liaison leads to a jaunt in California; in another, a Amulet/Abrams (224 pp.) CalArts campus tour guide shows up in Colorado and forces $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 the not-quite-couple to acknowledge their bond—which, as 978-1-4197-3750-3 an outcome of their ongoing romantic tension, will not come as a surprise to readers. Occasional narrative omissions prove Body positivity and fat acceptance disappointing, and linguistic slips by the New Zealand author take center stage with this anthology of are distracting. Most characters are assumed white; Dallas’ best prose, poems, lists, and art. friend is cued as black. Featuring authors, artists, models, entrepreneurs, and Despite its enjoyable characters and palpable passion, influencers, the 30 contributors to this collection represent a sloppy execution and overall predictability make this one dazzling multiplicity of voices from different gender identities, to skip. (Romance. 15-adult) ethnicities, and sexual orientations. The work ranges from seri- ous to lighthearted, from academic cultural analysis to intimate personal essays and letters to the authors’ teen selves. Many pieces focus on the struggles, self-loathing, and shame of liv- ing in a fat body—at odds with the joyful, bright, cartoon illus- trations of round bodies dancing throughout the book—but

172 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS happened and how it may be related to the real Lucy. The setup Janusz Korczak, His Orphans, is slow and complicated, with many diverse characters, rela- and the Holocaust tionships, and supernatural rules. While normally something Marrin, Albert to be celebrated, this diverse cast feels forced and inauthentic, Knopf (400 pp.) like moons orbiting the main white protagonist, Sara (Becca is $19.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 Asian—her ethnicity is never specified—and adopted). When 978-1-5247-0120-8 the plot eventually picks up its pace, the story becomes quite engrossing and cleverly moves between its many narrators, Janusz Korczak’s dedication to characters, and plot twists. If readers can move past the long- orphaned children during World War II winded and complicated setup, they will enjoy this mashup of serves as a reminder of the good one per- The X-Files and the The Blair Witch Project, but those seeking a son can do in a world gone dark. handy conclusion will likely be disappointed. Henryk Goldszmit, known by his pen name, Janusz Korc- A mixed bag for patient older teens. (Mystery. 15-18) zak, was a quiet, unassuming doctor, veteran, respected author, director of a children’s home—and a Jew in Poland at a time when Nazi ideology was on the rise in neighboring Germany. THE LIARS OF Considered a pioneer in child psychology, Korczak and his chief MARIPOSA ISLAND assistant, Stefania Wilczyńska, operated Dom Sierot, a home Mathieu, Jennifer for orphans in Warsaw, guided by the philosophy that children Roaring Brook (352 pp.) were worthy of respect as whole beings, not just future adults, $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019

and deserving of autonomy and self-determination. Unfortu- 978-1-62672-633-8 young adult nately, the nurturing environment of Dom Sierot was no match for the Nazi war machine and Korczak, Wilczyńska, and their A moving historical novel about beloved children died in the gas chambers of Treblinka in 1942. Texan siblings Elena and Joaquin Finney Marrin (Very, Very, Very Dreadful, 2017, etc.) uses Korczak’s life to and their alcoholic, controlling mother, explore 20th-century Germany’s path to extremism and brutal- Caridad. ity. Going beyond simple biography, the book focuses on eugen- It’s 1986, and Elena is excited about ics and the Nazi’s molding of youth, the roots of anti-Semitism the summer, the only time of the year her mother allows her and racism, and their modern legacies. The readable tone makes some degree of freedom, as she gets to babysit for the holiday- the long text accessible and engaging. Disappointingly, more ing Callahans. It’s the summer after high school graduation attention is paid to Wilczyńska’s perceived lack of beauty than for Joaquin, and his future is wide open if only he can find the to her intellectual accomplishments as a rare woman able at courage to leave Mariposa Island—and his family—behind. The that time to complete a science degree. narrative alternates between Elena and Joaquin in 1986 with Meticulous research supports a Holocaust book wor- flashbacks to Caridad’s past as the daughter of wealthy white thy of attention. (notes, selected sources, index) (Nonfiction. Cubans living through the Cuban revolution and, later, life as 14-adult) a lonely teen refugee in Texas. Having lost her family, her lan- guage, and her history, Caridad struggled to adapt to a new life with a working-class foster family. Meanwhile, in 1986, Joaquin RULES FOR VANISHING and Elena find different strategies to survive in a household Marshall, Kate Alice of fear and manipulation. The daughter of a Cuban refugee, Viking (416 pp.) Mathieu (Moxie, 2017, etc.) empathetically delves into thorny $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 questions of identity, trauma, abuse, choices, family bonds, and 978-1-984837-01-1 the lengths people will go to keep a measure of control in their lives. With a touch of romance, this gentle, multilayered novel What happened to Becca Donoghue? comes with a dash of the unexpected thanks to the deeply unre- Sara Donoghue never believed the liable nature of its narrators. rumors that her sister, Becca, simply A beautiful portrayal of a Cuban American family dur- ran away from home with her boyfriend. ing a crossroads summer. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. Becca had been obsessed with Lucy 14-adult) Gallows, the ghost from the 1950s who allegedly haunts their town, and the mysterious road that Lucy traveled on before she disappeared. Before Becca vanished too, the last thing Sara overheard her say was “We know where the road is. We’ve got the keys. That’s all we need to find her. I’m not backing down now. Not after everything we’ve done to get this close.” As the one-year anniversary of Becca’s disappear- ance approaches, Sara becomes desperate to discover what

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 173 THE HEARTWOOD CROWN black men and hold them back from success. When a dispute Mikalatos, Matt in SLAY spills into the real world and a teen is murdered, the Wander (416 pp.) media discovers the underground game and cries racism. Kiera $24.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 has to fight to protect not only her identity, but the online com- 978-1-4964-3175-2 munity she has developed. Despite some one-dimensional char- Series: Sunlit Lands, 2 acters, especially Kiera’s parents, debut author Morris does a fantastic job of showing diversity within the black community. A dying girl, a failing world. Nongamers might get bogged down in the minutiae of the game In this sequel to The Crescent Stone play, but the effort is well worth it. (2018), Madeline has returned to Earth Gamers and black activists alike will be ready to SLAY still sick after rejecting the Elenil magic all day. (Fiction. 13-18) that allowed her to breathe freely at the cost of another. However, the crumbling magic system and unfolding secrets draw her back to the Sunlit Lands. Though WHITE BIRD Madeline is key, the story focuses on Shula Bishara, a Syrian ref- A Wonder Story ugee and ex-Elenil soldier; Jason Wu, the boy who pledged never Palacio, R.J. to lie; and Darius Walker, Madeline’s ex and a Black Skull. The Illus. by Palacio, R.J. with Czap, Kevin main plot points are blatantly laid out—no need to guess who Knopf (224 pp.) will die at the end—but it is the journey and the choices made $24.99 | $27.99 PLB | Oct. 1, 2019 along the way that make this story shine. Despite prophecies, 978-0-525-64553-5 fire powers, a magical sword, and the silliness of a kitten-sized 978-0-525-64554-2 PLB rhinoceros, these are sympathetic teens who struggle to make hard decisions in lives complicated by revenge, guilt, and sacri- A grandmother shares her story of fice. More so than in the previous book, this volume focuses on survival as a Jew in France during World parallels with current race relations and considers modern his- War II. tory and literature from the viewpoint of the disenfranchised As part of a homework assignment, Julian (Auggie’s chief and oppressed. Madeline is white, and there is ethnic diversity tormentor in Wonder, 2012) video chats with Grandmère, who in the rest of the cast. Navigating this world and its characters finally relates her wartime story. Born Sara Blum to a comfort- may be daunting for those seeking a quick read, but others will able French Jewish family, she is indulged by her parents, who find much to delve into and unpack. remain in Vichy France after 1940. Then, in 1943, after the Ger- A fantasy for thoughtful readers. (notes, cast of char- man occupation, soldiers come to Sara’s school to arrest her and acters, appendix, lexicon, legends, poem, excerpts, stories) the other Jewish students. Sara hides and is soon spirited away (Fantasy. 13-17) by “Tourteau,” a student that she and the others had teased because of his crablike, crutch-assisted walk after being stricken by polio. Nonetheless, Tourteau, whose real name is Julien, and SLAY his parents shelter Sara in their barn loft for the duration of the Morris, Brittney war, often at great peril but always with care and love. Palacio Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster (336 pp.) begins each part of her story with quotations: from Muriel $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 Rukeyser’s poetry, Anne Frank, and George Santayana. Her 978-1-5344-4542-0 digital drawings, inked by Czap, highlight facial close-ups that brilliantly depict emotions. The narrative thread, inspired by A high school senior secretly creates Palacio’s mother-in-law, is spellbinding. In the final pages, the a massively multiplayer online role-play- titular bird, seen in previous illustrations, soars skyward and ing game dedicated to black culture but connects readers to today’s immigration tragedies. Extensive is attacked in mainstream media after a backmatter, including an afterword by Ruth Franklin, provides player is murdered. superb resources. Although the book is being marketed as mid- Frustrated by the rampant racism in dle-grade, the complexities of the Holocaust in Vichy France, the online multiplayer game universe and exhausted by having the growing relationship between Sara and Julien, Julien’s fate, to be the “voice of Blackness” at her majority white high school, and the mutual mistrust among neighbors will be most readily honors student Kiera creates SLAY—a MMORPG for black appreciated by Wonder’s older graduates. gamers. SLAY promotes black excellence from across the Afri- A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending can diaspora as players go head-to-head in matches grounded in and beautifully hopeful. (author’s note, glossary, suggested black culture. Although Kiera is proud of the game and the safe reading list, organizations and resources, bibliography, space it has become for hundreds of thousands of participants, photographs) (Graphic historical fiction. 12-16) she keeps her identity as lead developer a secret from everyone, including her black boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are a tactic on the part of white people to undermine

174 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | This epic fantasy novel deftly plays with genre expectations. there will come a darkness

WHO PUT THIS to some, and it will appeal to those interested in subjects such SONG ON? as Charles Manson and the Branch Davidians. As readers fol- Parker, Morgan low Piper through therapy, they learn that while memories can Delacorte (336 pp.) be unreliable, they can trust their feelings and listen to their $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 instincts. Piper finds that while time might not heal all wounds, 978-0-525-70751-6 supportive friends, family, medication, and therapy will help. Characters are assumed white. Seventeen-year-old Morgan is deter- An intriguing look at a young woman adjusting to life mined to live her truth as a quirky black outside a cult. (Fiction. 13-adult) girl in a predominantly white, small town in Southern California while struggling with depression and anxiety. THERE WILL COME Morgan has more than her fair share of teen angst. She’s A DARKNESS regularly the only black person in the room, frequently told that Pool, Katy Rose she’s “not really black.” She takes medication for depression and Henry Holt (496 pp.) anxiety. Her history teacher is clueless about black history and $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 idolizes Ronald Reagan. For a Goodwill clothes–wearing “emo” 978-1-250-21175-0 girl in a sunny Southern California suburb, Christian school Series: Age of Darkness, 1 is “like going to high school inside a church inside a PacSun.” And Morgan is tired of having to act like she’s religious. She has “The Age of Darkness is almost upon

doubts about faith and her ability to handle life, and if she were us.” young adult white, she’d be cool in a late-’90s teen film kind of way. But a One hundred years ago the Seven black manic pixie dream girl is not something her peers embrace Prophets disappeared from the world, as cool. With music as a solace and constant companion, Mor- leaving one last secret prophecy predicting an Age of Darkness, gan and her motley crew of friends navigate love, bullying, and the end of the Graced, the destruction of all civilization, and a an uncertain future. Poet Parker offers readers a heart-filled, Last Prophet who will know how to prevent it all. The Order laugh-out-loud hilarious YA fiction debut. Morgan’s pain and of the Last Light has been lying in wait ever since for the har- passion electrify every page. Her life feels like a mess, but faced bingers to appear: The rise of the Deceiver (the Hierophant, a with racism, rejection, and everyday growing pains, her hope man bent on destroying the Graced) and the murders commit- and determination still shine through. ted by the Pale Hand signal that the time has finally come. And A funny, clever, wild ride of a story about growing up then the Last Prophet is found. Five young people who share and breaking free. (Fiction. 12-adult) the narrative—a prince, a murderer, a dying sister, a warrior, and a gambler—have roles to play as the Last Prophecy unfolds and the world starts to change. This epic fantasy novel revels THE LIAR’S DAUGHTER in rich worldbuilding, deftly plays with genre expectations, and Peterson, Megan Cooley thoughtfully examines the power dynamics between those born Holiday House (304 pp.) with abilities and those without as well as the friction between $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 free will and prophecy. A cast of fully developed, flawed, and 978-0-8234-4418-2 endearing characters whose actions are genuinely unpredict- able are present and accounted for in a world full of brown and An angst-y version of Unbreakable queer people in this story that continually walks the fine line Kimmy Schmidt. between darkness and hope. Piper believes in the Community: A well-crafted, surprising, and gripping start to a new Mother and Father have established trilogy. (Fantasy. 14-adult) strict rules that keep everyone safe. Even if all the rules do not make sense— bleaching hair, digging graves, being told whom you will marry— Piper faithfully believes. When government agents enter their compound and she and the others are taken to the Outside against their will, she will do anything to go back. However, she has been sent to live with a woman who tells her that she is her real mother and that Piper was taken from her as a child. Peterson (The Angry Alien, 2017, etc.) weaves a lush novel full of cryptic scenes divided into “before” chapters showing Piper’s life in the cult and “after,” when she is set free, which readers fit together for a thrilling ending. The novel presents an accessible look at what makes cults (especially religious ones) attractive

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 175 The art enhances this endearing picture of teenage love. pumpkinheads

TRANS+ part ways for college. Deja encourages Josie to take a chance Love, Sex, Romance, and and talk to the girl of his dreams instead of pining for her from Being You afar. Not to be dissuaded by his reticence, Deja leads Josie to Rayne, Karen & Gonzales, Kathryn multiple stops in the Patch in search of the almost-impossible- Illus. by Rayne, Nyk & Passchier, Anne to-find Fudge Girl, with every stop taking them in a new direc- Magination/American Psychological tion and providing a new treat. As they journey through the Association (304 pp.) Patch—chasing a snack-stealing rascal, dodging a runaway goat, $16.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 and snacking their way through treats from fudge to Freeto 978-1-4338-2983-3 pie—they explore the boundaries of their friendship. Visually bright and appealing in autumnal reds, oranges, and yellows, the A comprehensive guide for transgen- art enhances this endearing picture of teenage love. Deja is a der teens. beautiful, plus-sized black girl, and Josie is a handsome, blond Without access to resources, growing up as a transgender white boy. person can feel isolating. However, the authors emphasize that A heartwarming, funny story filled with richness and transgender people exist as “part of a strong, important global complexity. (Graphic fiction. 14-18) history.” In this handbook for navigating young adulthood as a transgender person, debut author Gonzales and Rayne (Girl, 2017, etc.) organize the chapters into six sections: an introduc- SNOWFLAKE, AZ tion to gender, dysphoria, and coming out; body development Sedgwick, Marcus and reproduction; paths for transitioning; strategies for dating, Norton (320 pp.) building healthy relationships, and identifying unhealthy pat- $18.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 terns; sexual activity and health; and confronting challenges in 978-1-324-00441-7 other aspects of life like school and work. Each chapter includes diary entries from trans people of varying identities and back- Ash travels to the desert highlands of grounds. The authors also chime in with their own personal Snowflake, Arizona, to look for his older reflections. Quirky portraits of each contributor accompany stepbrother, Bly, who has disappeared to the diary entries and author reflections. A conversational tone this rural enclave for reasons unknown. makes the content more engaging and approachable. Along the Ash, 18 and assumed white, succeeds way, Gonzales and Rayne stress that certain topics may be trig- in finding Bly, but what he discovers in gering or exacerbate dysphoria for readers, so they encourage Snowflake keeps him there far longer than expected, and for skipping parts or replacing terminology that feels uncomfort- reasons he couldn’t have predicted. Here he finds an odd com- able with more affirming words as a means of self-care. Every munity of white, mostly middle-aged misfits who are all sick, chapter ends with additional trans-centered resources. While their bodies ravaged by chemicals ubiquitous to daily life. The the guide covers a broad range of topics, a central theme unites canaries, as they call themselves, are a warning of what is to them: Transgender people of all identities have their own valu- come to broader society, yet their suffering is dismissed by the able narratives to share that are deserving of respect. medical establishment. To survive, they’ve created a community Honest, inclusive, and essential. (dictionary, bibliogra- of mutual care far from the toxins of city living. The novel turns phy, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18) the post-apocalypse genre on its head, forgoing extremes to instead focus on the subtleties of pre-apocalyptic days. It takes time to sink into Sedgwick’s (The Monsters We Deserve, 2018, etc.) PUMPKINHEADS odd cadence, which may put off some readers, but the payoff Rowell, Rainbow for those who push through is tremendous. Expert foreshadow- Illus. by Hicks, Faith Erin ing pulls readers along to unavoidable disaster; when the blows First Second (224 pp.) arrive, they land with a visceral punch. Sedgwick’s restraint is $17.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 remarkable, and he achieves something special with the raw, 978-1-62672-162-3 vulnerable humanity he reveals through these characters. Their relationships are deep yet fraught; their suffering and humor Autumn loving, they had a blast; equally sincere. autumn loving, it happened too fast. An ominous, relevant, and uniquely compelling read. Having worked together in the Suc- (author’s note) (Fiction. 15-adult) cotash Hut at the pumpkin patch for years, best friends and co-workers Deja and Josiah, who goes by Josie, ditch work and find love on their last night, heading out in search of Josie’s unrequited love, the girl who works in the Fudge Shoppe. Deja, a witty and outgoing girl who attracts— and is attracted to—boys and girls alike, is set on helping the shy, rule-following Josie move out of his comfort zone before they

176 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | THE SURVIVAL LIST debut novel is a fluttery, insightful teen romance told in both Sheinmel, Courtney boys’ voices, filled to the brim with feelings but sidestepping Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins melodrama and coming-out angst. The author gives emotions (320 pp.) form, texture, and color, taking readers along on Adam’s and $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 Caleb’s journeys while remembering that a boyfriend is not 978-0-06-265500-4 an antidote to life’s supernatural—or mundane—problems. Though the author touches on several unresolved plotlines A 17-year-old Jewish girl seeks answers from her science-fiction podcast, The Bright Sessions, especially after her sister dies by suicide. in the second half, the novel is strong enough to stand alone Sloane laments missing critical signs for those who have never listened to it. Caleb is white; dark- after her beloved older sister, Talley, takes skinned Adam’s father is Jewish. her own life, leaving only a list bear- A warm, satisfying love story with depth. (Science fiction. ing a California phone number, the initials “TSL,” and cryptic 13-adult) references to names and places. Determined to decipher Tal- ley’s code, Sloane embarks on a road trip across California with Adam, the phone number’s handsome, evasive owner. As EXILE FROM EDEN clues fall into place via an implausible series of coincidences, Or, After the Hole Sloane learns that Talley was keeping a painful secret. Unfortu- Smith, Andrew nately, Talley is portrayed as one-dimensionally “special”: bril- Simon & Schuster (368 pp.) liant, kind, and universally admired. However, Sheinmel’s (Let’s $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019

Mooove!, 2019, etc.) painfully realistic depiction of depression 978-1-5344-2223-0 young adult sensitively emphasizes that “it’s a medical condition, a poten- tially fatal one.” Though the author intricately portrays Sloane’s A grotesque, post-apocalyptic explo- grief and guilt, her poignant take on the butterfly effect— ration of story, reality, and adolescent including thought-provoking references to the Holocaust and boyhood. its legacy—explores not only suicide and its aftermath, but Sixteen years after the end of Grass­ survivors’ capacity to heal. The bond between Sloane and her hopper Jungle (2014), when the Midwest fiercely supportive best friend, Juno, lightens the mood, their was decimated by an apocalypse of 10-foot praying mantises, chats about boys and babysitting gently reassuring readers that a handful of survivors are living in an underground bunker in life goes on. With few physical descriptions, the book seems to Iowa. Sixteen-year-old Arek, born in the bunker, is increasingly follow a white default. Juno is deaf, and two of Sloane’s friends feeling stifled, particularly by his grandmother, the “SPEAKER are gay. OF LAWS in the hole,” and his mother, whose “sadness and Contrivances notwithstanding, this is a sympathetic, anger became a stormy ocean inside the hole, drowning me.” thoughtful exploration of depression, suicide, grief, and He’s in love with and lusts after his only peer, biracial (Chinese/ healing. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18) white) Amelie Sing Brees. When his fathers, Austin and Robby, venture aboveground and don’t return, Arek is determined to seize the moment to explore the wider world and discover THE INFINITE NOISE what has happened. Arek’s first-person narrative is an inten- Shippen, Lauren tionally crafted meditation on art, truth, reality, reproduction Tor Teen (336 pp.) (both abstract and biological), and meaning-making. The only $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 brown character falls into disturbingly racist tropes: a 12-year- 978-1-250-29751-8 old boy named Breakfast who is “completely wild,” constantly Series: Bright Sessions, 1 “scratch[ing] his balls,” obsessed with money, hates wearing clothes, and has “wild dreadlocks.” Breakfast’s companion is a High school football player Caleb chimpanzee named Olive, whom Breakfast is convinced is just is drawn to his sad, bookish classmate a very hairy human girl who never talks. Smith’s (The Size of the Adam, who is an island of calm in an Truth, 2019, etc.) trademark portrayal of women characters, ocean of other people’s emotions. which at its most generous can be described as a lack of atten- Caleb is the quintessential hand- tion, continues here. some, popular athlete, but he’s dealing with an unusual prob- “I am my father’s son,” the protagonist notes early on; lem: He has the supernatural power of feeling others’ emotions. this couldn’t be truer—for better and, quite arguably, for Sure enough, high school is a stressful place for someone with worse. (Science fiction. 14-18) such a power, and Adam is the only person at school whose emo- tional presence helps Caleb bear the onslaught of teenage feel- ings. Adam, who is Jewish, has a huge crush on Caleb but doesn’t dare hope that Caleb feels the same way about him. Meanwhile, Caleb understands everyone’s feelings but his own. Shippen’s

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 177 THE SUICIDE EPIDEMIC opportunity after a chance encounter with the girls. Mean- Steffens, Bradley while, a bloody coup is brewing at Big Daddy’s compound. ReferencePoint Press (80 pp.) D’s, Spider’s, and Min’s friendship and grief are painted in $30.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 realistic strokes, and Ariel’s own heartbreaking narrative 978-1-68282-741-3 reveals an all-too-believable place where women and girls are cogs in a madman’s extremist vision. Treggiari (Blood Will Out, An abbreviated but data-packed 2018, etc.) offers chills both subtle and shocking, and readers overview of a burgeoning health crisis. won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough. All characters The numbers are appalling—over are assumed white. 47,000 suicides in the U.S. in 2017—and Jaw-dropping twists and a distinct Deliverance vibe ele- it’s growing worse. Through both statis- vate this riveting thriller. (Thriller. 14-adult) tics and anecdotes, this slim volume hammers home the dra- matic rise in U.S. suicide rates across all demographic groups, regions, ages, and occupations. The causes are multifarious and ARE YOU LISTENING? not well understood: They range from immediate contributors Walden, Tillie like easy access to means; proximate factors such as bullying and Illus. by the author mental illness; and broader cultural trends, including increasing First Second (320 pp.) economic anxiety and social isolation. An entire chapter zeroes $17.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 in on teen suicides; another examines the often overlooked 978-1-250-20756-2 impacts (sometimes life-threatening) on the bereaved. The work concludes with a brief discussion of prevention and post- Two women on the run from their vention, with heavy emphasis on diagnostic rubrics. The writ- pasts travel across west Texas. ing style is dry and data intensive, aimed more at report writers Eighteen-year-old Bea runs away than at those seeking emotional help or closure. Still, the inclu- from home without a plan except escap- sion of affecting personal stories and tangential boxed inserts ing—until she crosses paths with 27-year-old Lou at a gas sta- does help break the numbing effect of the constant barrage of tion on the way out of town. They share the same need to get dire statistics. All examples and citations are recent, most from away from all the people they know. Together, they embark on the last two years. The phrase “commit suicide” or variations a road trip to Lou’s great-aunt’s house in San Angelo and then are used multiple times. Color photographs show individuals of to return a lost cat to a mysterious town called West. How- various ages and ethnicities. ever, the dark and foreboding Office of Road Inquiry pursues Best for libraries updating resources on an issue that them in search of the cat in their possession. Walden (On a (alas!) isn’t going away anytime soon. (source notes, appen - Sunbeam, 2018, etc.) crafts a story rich in metaphor about dices, resources, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16) two gay women on a journey through trauma and grief. The unpredictable, shifting landscape in which lakes appear and roads change course encapsulates the treacherous and nonlin- THE GREY SISTERS ear path of healing. Complex panel layouts in dark tones and Treggiari, Jo moody reds often bleed together, and stretches of silent art fit Penguin Teen (256 pp.) the heaviness of the tone. Background characters whose eyes $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 are hidden add to the rising sense of anxiety throughout the 978-0-7352-6298-0 story. In the midst of this intense atmosphere, Lou and Bea develop a moving bond and deep trust that allow Bea to open Three teenage girls encounter much up to Lou. The resolution offers hope that both characters more than painful memories when they will continue to heal. Characters appear to be white. travel to the mountainside site of the A tsunami of emotions—sharp and heavy. (Graphic novel. plane crash that killed their loved ones. 14-adult) It’s been two years since a small plane went down near a mountain peak formation called The Grey Sisters. Now, 11th graders D and Spider and their friend Min are heading to the site where D’s twin sister, Kat, and Spider’s younger brother, Jonathan, died. D seeks closure for the loss of her other half, the girl whom Spider loved—but Spider, whose self-destructive streak since the tragedy has caused friction, isn’t convinced they’ll find it. What they do find is a clash with Big Daddy, the leader of a survivalist group. Ariel is one of Big Daddy’s teen “soldiers.” She’s desperate to get fellow soldier Aaron to a doctor after he’s viciously mauled by a bear, and she sees an

178 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | Illuminates weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face on struggles both universal and particular. frankly in love

SHATTER CITY self-proclaimed Flying Opera Company, in hopes of taking Westerfeld, Scott revenge on Jianzhu. As with the original, a mix of East Asian Scholastic (416 pp.) cultures provides the template for character profiles and $18.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 worldbuilding. Yee (The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, 2017) artfully 978-1-338-15041-4 weaves in political entanglements as well as complex cultural Series: Impostors-Westerfeld, 2 identities to fully immerse readers in Kyoshi’s world. The pace strikes a careful balance between page-turning conflicts and Frey will do anything to find her twin revelations of Kyoshi’s past. Each page is efficient in its sto- sister as their father works to conquer rytelling, furthering the plot without lessening the suspense. more unsuspecting cities. Knowledge of the original series is ideal for full enjoyment After once again assuming the An action-packed tale that answers some long-awaited role of her sister, Rafi, Frey toils in her questions; fans will look forward to the promised sequel. father’s tower, easily fooling him and playing up the drama of (Fantasy. 12-16) her engagement to Col Palafox for the feeds. But she’s a pris- oner; both she and Col wear bomb collars that will explode if they attempt escape. Meanwhile, Rafi has taken on the mantle FRANKLY IN LOVE of Frey, working with rebels in the wild who are demanding Yoon, David their father’s punishment. But their father has plans: He’s set Putnam (432 pp.) his focus on the destruction of the city of Paz, the last place $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 Rafi was seen. But once Frey and Col set out on their mission, 978-1-984812-20-9

it becomes clear that Rafi doesn’t want to be found. Even so, young adult Frey will do anything to locate her, though she’ll have to con- A senior contends with first love and front the fact that maybe she doesn’t know her sister at all, heartache in this spectacular debut. and she certainly doesn’t know herself. Propelled by intricate Sensitive, smart Frank Li is under a worldbuilding and heart-pounding action, there’s never a dull lot of pressure. His Korean immigrant moment. Frey’s journey to self-discovery takes the forefront, parents have toiled ceaselessly, run- and it’s hard-won, thoughtful, and complex. Readers will jones ning a convenience store in a mostly for the next installment, eager to witness their heroine take on black and Latinx Southern California neighborhood, for their more thrilling adventures. As before, race is not defined in this children’s futures. Frank’s older sister fulfilled their parents’ European-inflected fantasy world. A nonbinary character has a dreams—making it to Harvard—but when she married a black larger presence in this book. man, she was disowned. So when Frank falls in love with a Page-turning action made even more engrossing by a white classmate, he concocts a scheme with Joy, the daughter rare emotional core. (Science fiction. 12-18) of Korean American family friends, who is secretly seeing a Chinese American boy: Frank and Joy pretend to fall for each other while secretly sneaking around with their real dates. THE RISE OF KYOSHI Through rich and complex characterization that rings com- Yee, F.C. pletely true, the story highlights divisions within the Korean Amulet/Abrams (448 pp.) immigrant community and between communities of color $18.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 in the U.S., cultural rifts separating immigrant parents and 978-1-4197-3504-2 American-born teens, and the impact on high school peers of Series: Avatar, The Last Airbender, 1 society’s entrenched biases. Yoon’s light hand with dialogue and deft use of illustrative anecdotes produce a story that illu- The origins of Kyoshi, from the minates weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face beloved television series Avatar: The Last on struggles both universal and particular to certain identities. Airbender, have been shrouded in mys- Frank’s best friend is black and his white girlfriend’s parents tery—until now. are vocal liberals; Yoon’s unpacking of the complexity of the Orphaned Kyoshi is treated as an racial dynamics at play is impressive—and notably, the novel outcast in the small coastal village of Yokoya. To survive she succeeds equally well as pure romance. works in the mansion of Avatar Yun as his servant and com- A deeply moving account of love in its many forms. (Fic­ panion. When she accompanies Yun to a treaty negotiation, tion. 14-adult) violence breaks out, unleashing Kyoshi’s hidden earthbend- ing capabilities and throwing doubt on Yun’s legitimacy. Yun and Kyoshi engage in a ritual to find out who the true Avatar is only to be betrayed by one of his mentors, Jianzhu, forcing Kyoshi to flee. With the help of Rangi, a Firebender warrior and friend, they now must evade Jianzhu and his extensive net- work. Kyoshi receives tutelage from a group of bandits, the

| kirkus.com | young adult | 15 july 2019 | 179 A darkly humorous, rapid-fire read. now entering addamsville

NOW ENTERING ADDAMSVILLE continuing series Zappia, Francesca Illus. by the author SHADOW & FLAME Greenwillow (432 pp.) Arnett, Mindee $18.99 | Sep. 11, 2019 Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (496 pp.) 978-0-06-293527-4 $17.99 | Jun. 4, 2019 978-0-06-265269-0 Her family has been a target of Series: Rime Chronicles, 2 slurs—“trailer dogs,” “rednecks”—but she may still save the town. (Fantasy. 14-18) Eighteen-year-old Zora Novak is down two parents and two fingers, living in a trailer on the IMMUNITY town outskirts with her sister, Sadie, because their mom’s Bowman, Erin missing and father’s in jail. Deceptively quaint Addamsville, HarperTeen (448 pp.) Indiana, relies on a thriving ghost-tourism industry, although $17.99 | Jun. 12, 2019 Zora’s the only person who can see the departed. But the 978-0-06-257417-6 ghosts (thankfully gloomy, not gruesome) are restless, and Series: Contagion, 2 there’s a shape-shifting, ghost-eating firestarter on the loose, (Science fiction. 13-18) destroying property and possibly possessing people. Like a profane, brunette Buffy, Zora has a gift but needs a Scooby gang to help her save Addamsville. Reluctantly allying with reformed (maybe) firestarter Bach and insufferably perfect cousin Artemis, Zora attempts to dispatch the firestarter, sabotage a ghost-hunting TV crew, solve mysteries, survive high school…and avoid maiming, death, or serious jail time. Abrasive, defensive, and secretly sentimental, Zora doesn’t let social pariahdom stand in the way of fulfilling her paranormal duties. Zappia (Eliza and Her Monsters, 2017, etc.) both invokes and subverts poverty porn, dark tourism, and small-minded small-town life in this arch look at social inequalities that doesn’t skimp on supernatural spookiness, slapstick, or teen- age snark. Main characters follow a white default, but there is some ethnic diversity in secondary characters. A darkly humorous, rapid-fire read in which the living are sometimes scarier than the dead. (Paranormal. 14-18)

180 | 15 july 2019 | young adult | kirkus.com | indie These titles earned the Kirkus Star: THE DAUGHTER OF PATIENCE Alkheder, Hussin Lulu (262 pp.) FIRE DANCER by S.A. Bolich...... 183 $13.48 paper | $9.99 e-book Apr. 8, 2019 FROM CINDERS TO BUTTERFLIES by Richard B. Fratianne...... 187 978-1-4834-9916-1

UNLIKELY FRIENDS by Judith Moffett...... 195 A debut mystery tells the story of a crime-solving imam looking for answers BOOTH’S CONFEDERATE CONNECTIONS by Sandy Prindle...... 199 in the shadowy underworld of Damascus. On a January day in 2010, the police arrive at a crowded Damascus apart-

ment building—one that the Syrian authorities rarely visit. A young adult dead woman, Hadiya Kishat, lies on a couch watched over by her five shellshocked children while the woman’s husband and father-in-law assure the police that nothing is amiss. An enve- lope is passed to the lead detective, and the case all but disap- pears. A few weeks later, Hadiya’s brother, Mustafa, approaches the imam of the Al-Shagoor Mosque, confused as to the cir- cumstances of his sister’s death and why her children live in poverty despite her husband’s lucrative career in Dubai. The idiosyncratic Mullah Abdullah Al-Allab, an “unofficial private detective, who took advantage of his religious position to help people and solve their problems,” agrees to look into the mat- ter, and when he is next in Dubai, he pays a visit to Hadiya’s widower, the wealthy but evasive Mazen Mis’ed. The mullah gets few answers, but when he flies home to Syria, he is arrested at the airport, held for several weeks, and tortured for reasons he does not understand. When he is finally released back to his family, he discovers that his favorite student at the mosque, Salah Almawazly, has disappeared without a trace. Unknown to Mullah Abdullah, Salah had become involved with a secre- tive religious organization committed to re-creating an Islamic caliphate, and he has already recruited Hadiya’s disabled son, Khaled—who suffers from a congenital bone disorder—as a member. Now the mullah, who likes to play detective, will have to become a real investigator in order to discover the true fates of Hadiya and Salah and the secret that connects them. Alkheder’s detailed prose, though sometimes choppy, is often quite funny, as here when he describes Mullah Abdullah’s unique career choices: “His father had told him a detective’s career was not suited for faithful people, and had reminded FROM CINDERS TO BUTTERFLIES him the hereafter was our final destination….He’d promised A Spiritual Journey to Healing his father he would study the Islamic Sharia, but never prom- Fratianne, Richard B. ised that he wouldn’t work as a private detective.” The humor Franklin Street Books (196 pp.) cuts against the larger sense of unease that characterizes the $15.95 paper | Jun. 3, 2003 novel, which is full of dark alleys, secret agents, and people 978-1-59299-018-4 attempting to mind their own business. The mullah is a charm- ing character—naturally curious, occasionally sanctimonious,

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 181 on mental illness

Indieland often receives well-con- and often completely tactless. The women who surround him— sidered titles on the subject of mental his wife and daughters and also the daughters of Hadiya—pro- illness, something 20% of adult Ameri- vide illuminating foils to his conservative worldview while cans face annually, according to the Na- also revealing a major societal fault line. The mystery, which tional Alliance on Mental Illness. These branches off in many twisting tentacles, is captivating enough, reviewer-recommended titles cover the but the book is most successful in the ways that its conflicts topic from various angles: the disastrous speak to the larger issues of life in contemporary Syria and else- where. Though the pacing occasionally lags, the author’s well- effects of lobotomy, memoirs on mental constructed characters and inherently noirish setting—which confusion and recovery, and the misun- should make the audience want to immediately find more mys- derstood condition of catatonia. teries set in Damascus—will keep readers engaged to the end. Examined Lives by Roberta Reb Allen: A deliberative, Syria-set detective tale that manages to “The author not only sheds light on the disturbing mid-20th- address intriguing modern issues. century practice of lobotomy (which was mostly performed on female patients), but also thoughtfully examines the ramifica- KILLING VINCENT tions of such practices—and mental illness generally—on sub- The Man, the Myth, sequent generations.” and the Murder I Could Almost Touch the Devil by Arenberg, I. Kaufman CreateSpace (350 pp.) Dawn Rodger: This memoir about a $19.95 paper | $6.95 e-book teacher’s mental disintegration and re- Oct. 17, 2018 covery “should be highly valuable for 978-1-72950-757-5 those seeking to make sense of mental illness, either their own or a loved one’s.” A debut work of historical investiga- The author also outlines her process of tion argues that the famous painter of improving her self-regard, “from consid- The Starry Night was murdered. ering herself a ‘psycho’ to simply realiz- Most historians believe that the clinically depressed Vin- ing that her mind, like any other organ, cent van Gogh died in 1890 of wounds he had sustained when he shot himself in the abdomen with a revolver. Physician and was subject to illness.” amateur sleuth Arenberg feels differently. The great artist, the Shift Happens: Breakdowns During Life’s Long Hauls by Mar- author argues, was the victim of a murder and coverup so devi- got Genger: Genger captures the palpable effects of her men- ous that they have gone largely unsuspected for well over a tal illness: “I sat there, miserably uncomfortable, on the sticky century. “This intriguing and epic cold case of the death of Vin- plastic seat, unable to move, feeling sick with all the visuals cent van Gogh involves multiple theories and scenarios of what happened on July 27, 1890,” writes Arenberg. “With almost no whizzing by. Telephone poles hit my eyes, bushes blurred like agreed-upon facts, it remains one of the most enduring legends tripping on acid.” Our reviewer calls her account “an emotion- and enigmatic unsolved mysteries of art history.” Using modern ally intuitive memoir and a rip-roaring American road story forensic analysis, documents from van Gogh and his associates, in the Jack Kerouac tradition—one with a valiant protagonist and the most recent theories of experts, the author meticu- that readers will root for.” lously examines the case for suicide and accident, attempting to show the ways in which the record has been misinformed, The Madness of Fear: A History of misinterpreted, or ignored. He then chases down the various Catatonia by Edward Shorter and suspects that might have been involved, landing finally on Max Fink: “Shorter and Fink offer a those who he believes actually killed the man, offering their probing, well-informed, and very read- reasons for doing so and the ways in which they were able to able account of the arcane theorizing keep the truth from the public. Arenberg’s prose is exact and and factional struggles by which psy- excited, making it clear just how much fun he has had trying chiatrists hashed out a consensus on to solve the puzzle. “She was there and saw and heard every- catatonia, schizophrenia, and other thing!” he writes, defending the credibility of Adeline Ravoux, psychic ailments, one that’s enriched the subject of one of van Gogh’s paintings. “She has no obvious or nefarious agenda.” As with many conspiracy-minded books, with dozens of intriguing case stud- this one sometimes gets lost in the weeds, slowing momentum ies.” —K.S. and diffusing tension. The audience will likely think a tighter, less shaggy work would have been a better read. Even so, there Karen Schechner is the vice president of Indie. is much to be learned about the artist’s milieu and his final days, and the author enjoyably transforms some of the famous faces

182 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | in van Gogh’s portraits into whodunit suspects. Fans of the revi- FIRE DANCER sionist theory genre should enjoy this earnest work in which the Masters of pleasure lies not in the truth but in the uncertainty. the Elements While not completely persuasive, this alternative the- Bolich, S.A. ory on van Gogh’s death manages to provoke doubt as to B Cubed Press (383 pp.) what actually happened. $13.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Mar. 6, 2019 978-0-9989634-7-1 A CHAMELEON FROM THE LAND OF THE QUAGGA In this debut novel, a talented but An Immigrant’s Story anguished master of fire must overcome Bismillah, Joan her past failures and rally the inhabitants FriesenPress (396 pp.) of a beleaguered village. $30.90 | $29.99 paper | $8.99 e-book Jetta is a Firedancer, the youngest ever Third Rank master. Apr. 1, 2019 She can tame and vanquish fire with the power of dance—from 978-1-5255-3176-7 infant flames to cunning hysths and even raging outbreaks of 978-1-5255-3177-4 paper The Ancient itself. But Jetta’s reputation is tarnished. A year ago, fire claimed the village she was assigned to protect. Her life In Bismillah’s debut memoir, she dis- mate was killed and Jetta herself, injured. Although recovered cusses growing up in South Africa under physically, she has lost the unshakable confidence necessary to

apartheid, encountering prejudice toward mixed-race relation- keep The Ancient at bay. Why then has the Circle of the Fire young adult ships, and escaping oppression through immigration. Clans sent her and her childhood friend Setti (a mere Second “This multi-hued society” of South Africa “should have Rank journeyman) to investigate outbreaks of fire in Annam adopted the quagga, that extinct beast with its varicoloured body, Vale? Annam is home not only to Stone Delvers—a clan of as an emblem for the country,” writes the author. In this book, giants who mine the mountains for fire-dousing containment Bismillah looks back on a life affected by racial segregation, and stone—but also now to Windriders, whose presence could eas- her remembrance has a sense of urgency: “Alzheimer’s, lurking in ily fan the flames of The Ancient. Tensions run high. Many of a recess of my brain, threatened to distort my recollections to a the Delvers welcome Jetta, but others distrust her, believing deconstructed, Picasso-like abstraction,” she discloses. She was her to be incompetent or even the cause of the conflagrations born in Johannesburg in 1928 to an Italian father and a mother of that she and Setti subdue. What’s worse, The Ancient grows “Scottish and Anglo-Indian descent.” Her family was considered shrewd. Fire has evolved and no longer bows to the traditional privileged, but her formative years were by no means sheltered; forms of the dance. If Jetta is to save Annam, she must unite its she was raised by a tyrannical grandmother with Victorian values, inhabitants and overturn an entire worldview. Bolich’s impres- her mother died during her childhood, her father was severely sive novel captures the best elements of fantasy writing while wounded during World War II, and her brother was killed in a avoiding most of the pitfalls. This series opener, though prom- car accident. Her life changed again in nursing school, where ising further development, is self-contained, its worldbuilding she met Abdul Haq “Bis” Bismillah, an Indian medical student unobtrusive yet substantial. The characters are complex: Jetta and the man she would later marry. Their relationship faced ugly with her impetuous, strong will; faithful, lovelorn Setti; the prejudice in South Africa, and they escaped to raise a family, first ethereal Windrider Sheshan (Jetta’s romantic interest); and in London, England, then in Fergus, Ontario. Bismillah’s prose down through the minor players. Their conversations, though is characterized by elegant, vivid flourishes; for example, she dis- stylized to an extent, are not stilted, and the conflicts and cusses how “pictures of places and people, both living and dead, dangers at Annam arise naturally from the scenario, not from tumbled like acrobats across the screen of my mind.” Of a date authorial trickery or incongruous decision-making. Readers in Johannesburg with Bis, she writes, “I recall the susurrus breeze will feel Jetta’s frustrations and uncertainty (“Those tunnels full that rustled through the branches…and the chirping cicada’s of fire haunted her. The Delvers knew nothing of fire, had no nocturnal song to the accompaniment of Debussy’s hauntingly concept of the danger in leaving The Ancient fretting behind a beautiful and melodic ‘Clair de Lune’ over on the radio.” Along makeshift barrier of dirt. She pictured the Old Man patting at with evocative imagery, the memoir presents an enduring mes- his prison with hands of fire…searching restlessly for a way out”) sage about racial awareness. At one point, the author recounts and her resolve. As the dance against The Ancient grows ever how Bis described South Africa’s train carriages: “second-class… more perilous, the audience will gladly journey with her. reserved for Indians…and third class with its un-upholstered A gripping fantasy full of magic and heart. and bare wooden seats for black people.” As a European always traveling first class, she says, she’d never encountered such- dis crimination before. Overall, this is a historically rich chronicle of 20th-century South Africa by an inspirational woman. Tender, romantic recollections interlaced with a biting appraisal of apartheid.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 183 MOTHER MAY I? SEVEN STEPS TO YOUR A Post-Floydian Folly BEST LIFE Boxer, Sarah The Stage Climbing Solution Illus. by the author for Living the Life You Were International Psychoanalytic Books Born to Live (188 pp.) Broder, Michael S. $17.95 paper | May 17, 2019 G&D Media (304 pp.) 978-1-949093-17-9 $19.95 paper | $14.98 e-book Jan. 23, 2019 In Boxer’s (In the Floyd Archives, 2001) 978-1-72251-013-8 satirical graphic-novel sequel, a group of animals searches for a new psychoanalyst A psychologist explains how “Stage after Freudian Dr. Floyd abandons them. Climbing” can result in a happier life. Bunnyman, Mr. Wolfman, Rat Ma’am, and Lambskin are all Formulaic approaches for achieving maximum potential former patients of Dr. Floyd. Sadly, the bird psychoanalyst has are common in self-help books. Broder (Positive Attitude Train­ flown away and left the four in the woods, their therapy incom- ing, 2019, etc.) offers one, as well, but his seven-stage concept plete. Rat Ma’am suggests performing a sacrifice or burning an is a memorable one. This often engaging book begins with an effigy of Dr. Floyd, which eventually becomes a much tamer overview of these self-actualizing stages (“Overcoming Depen- “weenie roast.” For more structure, the group may simply need, dency,” “Taming Your Primitive Self,” “Living Life by Your as Rat Ma’am puts it, “a really watchful psychoanalyst.” Bun- Rules,” “Becoming Fearless,” “Taking Charge of Your Life,” nyman, who has an Oedipal complex, nominates Lambskin, his “Follow Your Passion” and “When Benevolence Takes Over”) as surrogate mother, whose wool he often gingerly strokes. Kids’ well as a description of the “hooks” that “can propel you for- games, such as the titular “Mother May I?” become the animals’ ward or hold you back.” Chapters fully explore each stage, using new form of therapy. But when that’s not enough, Lambskin numerous anonymized examples from the author’s practice or produces a little black sheep from her pocket: Melanin Klein. counsel in the form of “action steps” designed to lead the reader Melanin treats Bunnyman, Mr. Wolfman, and Rat Ma’am as through self-examination. Many steps require serious thought her children—and treats her kids as patients, including kids and even deep reflection, such as the third-stage advice to from her own pocket: Melittle Little, Little Hans, and Squiggle “Examine what you have always wanted to do with your life but Piggle. Her brand of psychoanalysis is decidedly different than have resisted because you were afraid to leave behind that com- Dr. Floyd’s; for instance, she believes that everyone, even her fortable state of discomfort.” Each stage logically builds upon children, is “strangely attracted” to her. But, with luck, Melanin the others, culminating in the final one in which “the forces will still be able to help the neurotic animals. Boxer’s previous of gratitude and passion work together.” The stages generally book spoofed Sigmund Freud, but this follow-up concentrates progress from birth through adolescence and adulthood to old primarily on psychoanalysts Melanie Klein and D.W. Win- age, but they’re not exactly related to chronology, the author nicott. The delightful story is generally surreal, with objects says; people may go through stages at different times, he asserts, appearing out of nowhere (such as a toy train) and Bunnyman and not everyone will go through all the stages. This explana- having apparent hallucinations involving Dr. Floyd. Neverthe- tion may cause confusion for some readers, but Broder aims less, the comedy is abundant and perhaps best appreciated after to clarify his formula in the last chapter, in which he focuses perusing the author’s historical notes at the end. For example, on how stages relate to such areas as conflict management and Melanin asks the animals to create squiggles out of Squiggle problem-solving. Broder aptly describes this final chapter as “a Piggle’s pliable tail, which, Boxer explains, is based on a thera- calibration” of the stages, suggesting that readers can employ peutic drawing game that Winnicott created for kids. As in her the Stage Climbing system in different ways depending on the preceding book, Boxer offers clear, simple artwork that suit- goal. This chapter effectively acts as a road map of sorts, but it’s ably resembles children’s drawings, and it includes moments of entirely up to the reader to implement it, which some may find praiseworthy visual humor, such as Rat Ma’am pointing to her to be a challenge. own thought balloon: “Those are my little black thoughts.” An approach that may be overly complex for some but A kooky and witty illustrated tale that’s full of intelli- life-affirming for others. gence and educational value.

184 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | Burleson’s story celebrates creativity while offering the message that someone loved is never really gone. my brother’s lion

MY BROTHER’S LION bandits who have the travelers in their sights. Back in Trevalden, Burleson, Joshua Lords Pembroke and Josselin, both ministers, try to retain order, Illus. by the author which is a decidedly arduous task, as someone essentially stages Self (32 pp.) an uprising. Louis hopes that he, Selen, or another can survive $15.99 | $2.99 e-book | Jan. 1, 2019 with a traitor in the group’s midst. Even if most of them perish, 978-1-73277-850-4 it only takes one individual to return to Trevalden with the cure. Though Carlsson’s (Rising From Dust, 2017) novel has all the A young boy and his stuffed lion go on ingredients of a fantasy, such as dragons and hints of magic, it’s an outer-space voyage in this picture book the interaction between the humans that propels the story. For from debut author/illustrator Burleson. example, distrust slowly emerges within the traveling group, The narrator recollects a time when and there’s a betrayal in Trevalden. It’s an engrossing approach his older brother told him a story about how he fixed a broken that leads to myriad dynamic characters, all with their own flaws. constellation with the help of his magical toy lion. The lengthy, This includes the royal couple, two men who are unquestion- rhyming couplets reveal how, “when a glowing thread…cut loose ably in love, as evidenced by their few prolonged, occasionally from a constellation” came into the older brother’s window, he explicit dalliances. But they’re not immune to friction since Sel- and the lion turned a bed into a sailing ship and set off, rescu- en’s worry about being unable to birth an heir for Louis makes ing several creatures (such as a “banana man” and a mechanical the king believe the queen is unhappy with their relationship. dragon) along the way. When the pair was about to reconnect The author’s descriptions are solid but especially vibrant when the thread, they faced the “dangerous villain” Scissorat; later, lingering on the environment: “The melancholic landscape of the lion stayed behind to protect the constellation, and the boy fields and copses stretched from a vale to the other. Here and

said goodbye, knowing the lion would watch over him. Each there, bound to the sky by their columns of smoke, homesteads young adult miniadventure could easily have been its own tale; the locations curled in the shade of a forest. Brown, hunched figures hustled and characters are intriguing and imaginative, and Burleson’s around like ants on an anthill.” But there’s an unfortunate lack cartoonish illustrations with gorgeous backgrounds invite read- of female characters, with Kilda, part of Louis’ group, the only ers into the fictional world. The couplets are long enough that notable woman. Adding to that is Louis’ insulting the gender by the poetry isn’t obvious, but the rhymes are solid and consistent. implying Kilda isn’t “respectable” due to her manner of speech Burleson’s story celebrates creativity while offering the message and dress and saying her place, as a wife, is at home. Neverthe- that someone loved is never really gone. less, with quite a few deceitful characters in the mix, Carlsson’s A touching and whimsical rhyming bedtime adventure tale revolves around ever changing perceptions, and Kilda’s with engaging images. strength is evident before the end. While mystical elements befit the genre, the relatable human characters make this story indelible. TEARS OF WINTER Light From Aphelion Carlsson, Martine THE GREAT CONNECTING Self (711 pp.) The Emergence of Global $5.40 e-book | Feb. 16, 2017 Broadband and How That Changes Everything When a plague begins killing the citi- Cashel, Jim zens of a kingdom, the king, queen, and Radius Book Group (224 pp.) others embark on a quest to find a cure in $11.48 | $11.56 paper | Jun. 11, 2019 this fantasy sequel. 978-1-63576-645-5 Lissandro, prince of the Frozen 978-1-63576-646-2 paper Mountains, is visiting the kingdom of Trevalden just in time for the winter solstice. It’s a time to cel- A researcher assesses both the chal- ebrate with his friends Louis, the king, and Selen, who’s likely lenges and the potentially transforma- the only male queen in the neighboring countries. But sudden tive power of global internet access. deaths from a mysterious sickness halt the festivities in the king- As ubiquitous as the internet may seem, debut author Cashel dom’s capital of Nysa Serin. It’s quickly apparent that further observes, a considerable swath of the world—its poorest parts— ailing citizens indicate a plague that, based on an autopsy, isn’t remains without access to it, “locked out” of one of the most one Louis or anyone has seen before. Lissandro suggests travel- significant technological inventions of this era. But there are ing to the Ebony Forest, where there’s a magical place that may good reasons to believe that will change soon, in particular the have answers—and a cure. He and the royal couple join a small plummeting costs associated with satellite technology, which group and head north. But their journey proves much longer effectively delivers faster and higher quality broadband service. and more treacherous than they had envisioned. Bodies along In addition, major companies like Google and Facebook, with the way seem to point to a murderer within the group. This commercial interests in reaching more customers, are experi- may be the same person who’s possibly feeding information to menting with new ways to supply the developing world with

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 185 internet access. Facebook has been using drones as instruments for outsiders, but I didn’t know this yet. If I had, I might never of delivery, and Google has been harnessing balloons. More- have gone.” Using her own experiences as well as those of some over, governmental institutions are making a contribution as of her students—including a teen whose father was ordered well; in 2010, the United Nations established the Broadband by village elders to educate one of his 23 children and a pupil Commission for Digital Development and considers the gen- who, at the age of 13, escaped an arranged marriage to a 30-year- eral adoption of broadband access central to the achievement old—Cutler presents a picture of the joys and challenges faced of its other developmental goals for poorer nations. The author by this first generation of educated Maasai girls. Following her astutely raises an important question: How will the widespread two-year stint in Tanzania, the author continued to support the promulgation of broadband—what Cashel calls the “Great school from afar for 20 years. Cutler’s prose is considered and Connecting”—affect otherwise disadvantaged populations? He often lyrical, as when she describes the physical conditions of provides a searching discussion of the many ways—financial, the Great Rift Valley: “During the dry season, it is a dusty, radi- medical, political, and communicative, just to name a few—in ating cauldron of cracked earth. In the wet season, it is a ver- which broadband will positively alter the socio-economic land- dant miracle rising from the very brink of despair.” The author scapes of the beneficiaries. In addition, the author assesses is sensitive to the traditions of Maasai culture but is unafraid to the challenges, particularly the use of the internet as a tool of criticize those aspects that she feels are damaging for girls. The extremist hate and political oppression. Finally, he presents a book is a valuable record, showing both the successes and limi- series of thoughtful solutions to these impediments and a kind tations of education and Western assimilation of native cultures. of road map for governments and investors alike to accelerate At its heart, though, it is an education memoir—alternatingly the process and clear inevitable hurdles. Cashel is a researcher moving and tedious, as they frequently are—to which anyone and visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Govern- who has spent time in a classroom will likely relate. ment, and so it is unsurprising his study is impressively exacting. A sometimes-slow but often enlightening account of At the same time, it’s an exceedingly practical work and draws teaching in East Africa. heavily not only on theory and data, but also on the author’s travels to the developing world. Unfortunately, his optimism can be excessive; for example, especially after the last year of BELLA, THE revelations about Facebook’s business, it is remarkable he can WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR write: “The good news is that Facebook does have in its mis- Protecting Piping Plovers sion statement—and undoubtedly in its corporate DNA—the Dolan, Katie idea of making the world a better place.” Still, this remains an Illus. by Oksner, Judith incisive tour of a complex set of issues. Self (40 pp.) A thorough and concise look into the technologically $15.00 paper | Jan. 5, 2019 saturated future. 978-1-79320-097-6

In this children’s book, a dog explains the reasons why pip- AMONG THE MAASAI ing plovers are endangered and the measures being taken to A Memoir protect them. Cutler, Juliet Nine-year-old Bella narrates that she’s a black Newfound- She Writes Press land whose retirement mission is “to help wildlife” with her son $16.95 paper | Sep. 10, 2018 Blue, and “my human,” Katie. (Bella’s a former journalist who 978-1-63152-672-5 wrote for such magazines as “BONE APPETIT” and “DOG’S DIGEST.”) Newfoundlands make good “Ambassador” ani- A woman recounts her two decades mals, she says, because they’re gentle as well as protective. And dedicated to educating Massai girls in many species need protecting, she notes, due to factors such as Tanzania in this debut memoir. habitat loss, pollution, the climate crisis, and “human-wildlife Many teachers have said that they conflict,” as when piping plovers and humans want to share the learned as much from their students as same beach: “shorebirds are one of the most threatened bird their students learned from them. When the pupils are the girls families in the world,” notes Katie. In Little Compton, Rhode of Maasailand, the lessons learned are a bit different than those Island, Goosewing Beach is the site of a salt-marsh nature con- gleaned by other teachers. When the 24-year-old native of Bill- servancy that protects plovers’ nests during breeding season. ings, Montana, arrived in the country in the late 1990s to teach One plover, Hercules, has a damaged wing feather and gets left at the Maasai Secondary School for Girls, Cutler met teenagers behind when the other birds head south for the winter, so Bella whose experiences had already included the threat of arranged and Blue stand guard, allowing Hercules to rest, undisturbed by marriages, early motherhood, polygamy, and genital mutilation predators. After speaking with a red fox drawn to the beach by in addition to rampant gender discrimination and severe pov- humans’ garbage, Bella thinks of an appropriate slogan: “People, erty. “Helping others and empowering others are not always the Predators, Pets, and Piping Plovers: we’re all connected.” She same thing,” writes the author in her introduction, recalling her convinces local cats “to cut back on evening forays” at the beach idealistic motivations. “Neither are simple matters, particularly and finishes by listing ways humans can help protect plovers,

186 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | The religious elements of the memoir are skillfully interwoven with stories of the impressive achievements of the burn unit. from cinders to butterflies

such as by picking up beach garbage and keeping felines indoors. FROM CINDERS In her debut, Dolan presents her ecological message with an TO BUTTERFLIES effective mix of facts and anthropomorphic storytelling. She A Spiritual Journey clearly explains what’s at stake and how humans can contribute to Healing to rescuing endangered birds. Bella has an appealing personal- Fratianne, Richard B. ity; her protectiveness is touching, and as an “Ambassador,” she’s Franklin Street Books (196 pp.) even polite to cats. The author also straightforwardly explains $15.95 paper | Jun. 3, 2003 the scientific material, such as how an ecosystem is thrown out 978-1-59299-018-4 of balance when “apex predators” disappear and “mesopreda- tors” thrive. She’s convincing without hammering the points A burn unit doctor’s account of heal- home, making it more likely that kids will be inspired to make ing and transformation. their own environmental contributions. Oksner’s (Barking, 2017, Fratianne, an emeritus professor of etc.) softly shaded watercolor illustrations are lovely and cap- surgery at Case Western Reserve University and the founder ture the animals’ distinctive charms. of the burn center at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center, An engaging environmental message from an endear- combines his experiences as a physician with his unfolding faith ing canine character. journey as a Christian in this debut, crafting a narrative that centers on the concept of personal development: “Most of us never fully know or appreciate the person we can become,” he OH NO! REINDEER FLU! writes. “We do not fully explore our potential; our gifts and our Egar, Valerie L. talents or our qualities as human beings.” Fratianne and his team,

Illus. by Campeau, Tamara which he calls his “extended family,” have treated many patients young adult Whistle Oak with pain and long-term trauma from serious burn injuries. In $17.99 | Oct. 3, 2019 some ways, he says, the most challenging injuries are those to a 978-1-73359-330-4 victim’s sense of self. He notes how patients with scarred skin or deformed features felt afraid that they would be objects of An adorable team of enthusiastic hus- pity or ridicule when they rejoined society. The stress of dealing kies helps Santa Claus in this picture book with this brought Fratianne to the edge of quitting his job, but from debut author Egar and illustrator at this point in his story, he recounts a personal spiritual awak- Campeau (Mon guide nature, 2019, etc.). ening—a sense that God was urging him to love his patients Santa just doesn’t know what to do despite the enormity of their needs. His first response to God, when the elves tell him the reindeer are sick. Rudolph pledges he writes, was “I can’t. I can’t. They need too much; much more to pull the sleigh himself, but he has a fever, so Santa needs than I can give.” The author employs a highly effective blend of another plan. First, a “famous daredevil pilot,” a woman with autobiography and spiritual manifesto in these pages, revealing windblown black hair, offers to transport Santa, but the plane how transforming the lives of others became possible by using won’t fit all the toys. Then local huskies Romeo and Sheba what he calls the “supernatural gifts” of faith, hope, and love. call for their friends to help. Several other boisterous huskies The religious elements of the memoir are skillfully interwoven arrive to pull Santa’s sleigh, and one irrepressible pup, Frost, is with stories of the impressive achievements of the burn unit; determined to be the most helpful dog of all. The mission goes specifically, he tells how the team worked wonders by always smoothly despite one small hiccup when Frost tries to catch a treating patients as beautiful people and by affirming every bit falling star, and Santa’s very grateful. The ending here is no sur- of progress that they made in their arduous journeys back to prise—Christmas is saved once again—but the dogs steal the their everyday lives. Fratianne’s own health scare at the book’s show. Campeau’s action-packed, painterly color images show climax only underscores the lessons that he so touchingly con- the pups in energetic states, whether they’re playing with polar veys throughout. bears or engaging in a game of tag. The few slightly challenging A straightforward and uplifting story of helping others vocabulary words (“halted,” “harnesses”) are clear from context, through earnest Christian faith. and the simply structured sentences will help newly indepen- dent readers feel confident. A lively holiday tale that may make youngsters wonder why Santa ever used reindeer in the first place.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 187

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES David Leadbeater

THE INAUGURAL WINNER OF THE AMAZON KINDLE STORYTELLER AWARD TALKS ABOUT HIS SUCCESSFUL CAREER By Rhett Morgan

Amazon Kindle Storyteller award in 2017, which secured him a publication deal with Amazon imprint Thomas & Mercer for subsequent releases in the series. I talked to Leadbeater recently about his career.

What have been some of the biggest influences on your writing? Growing up, I devoured as many books as I could, from the works of Stephen King to Tolkien. More recently, I’ve loved series by Robert Crais and Matthew Reilly. The most influence on my writing probably came from King and Crais.

Why did you decide to give the character Alicia Myles her own series? Alicia became a very important, much-loved character in the first eight or nine Drakes. I was getting so many re- quests for her to be in a series of her own that I thought I’d give it a try!

With 2012’s The Bones of Odin, U.K.-based writer Da- When did you first decide to release your novels on vid Leadbeater introduced readers around the world to your own? Matt Drake, a retired Special Air Service officer who I’ve been writing short stories and novels since I was 15 finds himself chasing after the “Tomb of the Gods,” sup- years old; that’s 38 years now! In 2011 my wife brought the posedly the greatest archaeological find of all time. After Amazon Kindle to my attention, where by using Kindle self-publishing Odin through Kindle Direct, Leadbeater Direct, authors could publish their own work. I sat down rose to the top of bestseller charts in the U.K. and built at that point to plan and write a new series especially for an international following for his humorous and excit- the Kindle, which turned out to be the Matt Drake series. ing series of modern-day treasure hunts. His success has since led to 20 more entries in the Drake series, a spi- You’ve had a lot of success releasing directly to Kindle; noff series dedicated to the adventures of Alicia Myles what do you think helped your books to find readers? (Drake’s female counterpart), and 2017’s The Relic Hunt- The Drake series started to get popular in 2012, at which ers, the beginning of a fresh new series following a group time I was heavily involved on social media, releasing a of relic smugglers. Hunters quickly expanded Leadbeat- book every four months despite working a full-time job er’s fan base and his appeal once it received the inaugural as well and getting involved in everything I could find.

188 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com |

What would be your advice to writers considering self-publishing? Be prepared to adapt and change your strategies. First, plan and write your novel in a genre you are comfortable with. Consider that you may want this book to become a series in the future. Start using social media steadily, building a base for your brand and interacting with po- INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE tential readers and allies. Make sure your book is prop- FOR DEPRESSION erly edited and has a professional cover and blurb. Before A Breakthrough Treatment release, understand your brand, your ad campaign strate- Plan That Eliminates Depression Naturally gies, and your budget. Start to build a mailing list. Greenblatt, James & Lee, Winnie FriesenPress (396 pp.) What will your next release be? $34.99 | $24.99 paper | Mar. 18, 2019 978-1-5255-4189-6 Coming next, later this year, will be Four Sacred Treasures 978-1-5255-4190-2 paper (Matt Drake, 22). A comprehensive, personalized approach to the treatment of depression What do you think has drawn readers to the character that uses an individual’s unique “biochemical signature.” of Matt Drake? According to Greenblatt (Finally Focused, 2017), who co- authored this book with debut author Lee, the psychiatric I think it’s the personable, dented, approachable charac- community has a tendency to treat depression as a monolithic ter of Drake and all the other main characters that has phenomenon, a one-size-fits-all approach that encourages a endeared the series to my readers. There are actually 6 or heavy reliance upon pharmacological cures. There are many different types of depression, however, and a dizzying array of 7 main characters working together, developed gradually potential root causes. As a consequence, the author avers, each young adult through the entire series, and I often receive messages case must be treated singularly. In fact, everyone is “biochemi- cally unique”—a dynamic organization of hormonal, genetic, from readers saying how they enjoy seeing what happens neurophysiological, and psychological factors. As an alternative in each character’s developing storyline just as much as to the regnant models of conventional psychiatry, Greenblatt each book’s plot. advocates for “integrative psychiatry,” a holistic approach that considers the full panoply of depression’s causes as well as possi- ble cures, including spiritual responses like yoga and meditation, Rhett Morgan is a writer and translator living in Paris. nutritional programs, exercise, and of course, psychotherapy. The author soberly presents a mountain of data to support his position and confirm his commitment to supporting only “evidence-based medicine.” Greenblatt powerfully argues that pharmacological treatments are far less effective than typically reported and not well understood. He presents a discomfiting picture of traditional psychiatry that is financially beholden to a pharmacological industry and dogmatically attached to empirically untenable theories. “Traditional psychiatry is in crisis,” he writes. “The ideas as to what causes depression are not based on strong science, and our current treatments are not working nearly as well as they should.” Greenblatt’s expertise on the subject is irreproachable. He’s a psychiatrist who has been successfully using integrative medicine for more than 30 years and has been inducted into the Orthomolecular Medi- cine Hall of Fame. At each stage of his argument, he supplies a bevy of experimental support, and he lucidly, concisely explains remarkably technical subjects like epigenetics: “the study of trait variations caused by external or environmental variables… that may turn genes on or off or may change the ways in which cells ‘read’ DNA, but which do not involve any alterations to DNA sequences.” Also, the entire study radiates intellectual moderation. Greenblatt never rejects the use of drugs in treat- ment; he thoughtfully recommends a far more judicious use of them—and only as part of a therapeutic regimen that addresses the full medical profile of each patient. A scientifically scrupulous and impressively accessible introduction to integrative psychiatry.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 189 FIGHTING FOR YOU ADAPTIVELY RADIANT Hagen, Layla Henning, Joseph E. Self (226 pp.) Self (248 pp.) $11.82 paper | Jun. 19, 2019 $14.95 paper | $6.99 e-book 978-1-09-972808-2 May 28, 2019 978-1-73306-172-8 Sparks fly when a star soccer player meets his team’s sponsorship manager in A Pacific-leaping fantasy debut tells this fifth installment of a series. the story of two relatives on a journey to As a top player for the LA Lords soc- discover a magical family secret. cer team, Jace Connor is accustomed Cousins Justin and Kaito arrive on to a fast-paced lifestyle and plenty of the Japanese island of Yakushima to visit attention from the media and adoring their grandparents. Justin grew up in Hawaii but now lives in female fans. Love is the last thing on his mind until he meets California, and this is his first trip to Japan to visit his relatives. Brooke Derringer, the team’s new sponsorship business devel- Kaito was orphaned 10 years ago and subsequently raised by his opment manager. Brooke needs a fresh start after weathering aunt and uncle in Japan. Each has received a family heirloom as the breakup of a long-term relationship and leaving her job a 21st birthday gift: Justin a pocket watch and Kaito a pocket at a fashion magazine. She is excited about the position but knife. They discover that the knife unlocks a secret compart- nervous because the LA Lords’ coach is her father, Stephen. ment in the watch containing a map, which they follow into She wants to prove that she was hired for her business experi- the forest until they discover a jar containing nine small stones: ence and not because of family connections. Jace is immedi- “The grayish-blue river rocks are flat, smooth, and roughly two ately attracted to Brooke, but she is wary of getting involved inches across. Each one has an animal engraved on one side and with him because she does not want to mix her personal and kanji etched on the other.” There is also a note from their great- professional lives as she did at the magazine. While working grandfather Kuro Saito, who writes that they will discover the with Jace on endorsement opportunities, Brooke discovers meaning of the stones in due time. So begins a scavenger hunt another side of him, one devoted to his family and community. that will take them across Japan, Hawaii, and California as they Jace is determined to win Brooke’s heart, and their impromptu have nine supernatural encounters and uncover nine amazing dinners and workout sessions at the gym blossom into a pas- objects. They will eventually unlock the ability to take an even sionate romance. Jace and Brooke want a future together. But grander odyssey—but first Justin and Kaito will have to collabo- when Jace’s dispute with a jealous teammate spirals into a pub- rate to put their great-grandfather’s puzzle together. Henning’s lic relations nightmare, the couple must decide whether their prose is simple—sometimes to the point of blandness—but his love is worth fighting for. This installment of Hagen’s Only( images are often wonderfully surreal: “The pixies begin to inter- With You, 2019, etc.) Connor Family series is a briskly paced act with one another in an unusual manner, and all nine marine and satisfying contemporary romance that builds on the animals in the twenty-five-gallon tank form a single-file line and author’s talent for creating endearing characters and heart- start swimming in unison. They stop just in front of the glass felt and deeply passionate love stories. Hagen sticks with the near Justin’s nose and spread out to form a perfect circle.” Saito engaging narrative style found throughout the series. The and his migrant history provide a colorful backstory, but on the lively and fast-moving chapters alternate between Jace’s and whole the characters are not terribly complex, and the checklist Brooke’s first-person perspectives. This technique allows the aspect of the quest is the plot’s primary engine. Even so, the author to fully develop the characters and their motivations, mix of traditional Japanese and Hawaiian folklore with some particularly Brooke’s initial desire to establish personal and contemporary sci-fi and fantasy elements makes for a fresh and professional boundaries between her and Jace. Their romance distinctive read. develops at a gradual pace as they navigate the dynamics of a A mostly enjoyable supernatural tale that embraces the workplace relationship. While Jace and Brooke’s bond is the Japanese diaspora. primary focus of the novel, a well-developed subplot involving the athlete’s teammate Levi provides the tension that leads to a crisis for the nascent couple. Fans of the series should also enjoy return appearances from members of the Connor family. A sizzling, sexy romance and a rewarding continuation of a family series.

190 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | The author soundly balances his own story with information about abuse and treatment, offering numerous lists of symptoms and resources. resilient people

RESILIENT PEOPLE THE TROUBLE A Journey From Childhood WITH COWBOYS Abuse to Healing & Love James, Victoria Huttner, Rick Entangled: Amara (320 pp.) Lioncrest Publishing (236 pp.) $7.99 paper | $3.99 e-book $14.99 paper | $6.99 e-book Mar. 26, 2019 May 3, 2019 978-1-64063-541-8 978-1-5445-0309-7 New York Times–bestselling author Huttner guides the reader toward James’ (A Christmas Miracle for the Doctor, overcoming their childhood abuse in this 2018, etc.) latest is a second-chance romance debut motivational work. between a rogue cowboy with an ailing par- When Huttner was just 6 months old, he was sent away to ent and a hardworking small-town girl with artistic dreams. live briefly with relatives. He later found out that this was due Ty Donnelly has reluctantly returned to his hometown to the fact that his mother, reeling from the recent death of her of Wishing River, Montana, after eight years of competing in own mother, had suffered a nervous breakdown and tried to rodeos and working as a ranch foreman. His father, Martin, is hurt him. Later, at age 13, he was sexually abused by a friend of recovering from a stroke and unable to run the Donnelly ranch the family—a police officer. Huttner suffered from nightmares on his own—but neither father nor son has forgotten the con- and many other symptoms, eventually developing a destructive flict between them that drove Ty away. Meanwhile, Lainey drinking habit in adulthood. Even once he began seeking treat- toils away in the town diner, fulfilling a promise that she made

ment for his trauma, he was unable to find relief. “I kept looking to her late grandmother Tilly to keep the restaurant going. She young adult to be healed, not to heal,” writes Huttner in his introduction. also brings Martin dinner every night, and she finds her former “Finally, I started examining some of the hard issues of my past, crush on Ty rekindling. As Ty navigates his fraught relation- looking at the patterns of abuse and my patterns of self-destruc- ships with his father and his former friends Dean and Cade, tion. Once I began to look inside, true healing began.” This Lainey harbors a secret about a hefty loan that Martin granted book is a record of the lessons he learned, a tumultuous process her just before his stroke. She and Ty begin a tentative court- of trial and error that he hopes other abuse survivors can ben- ship built on attraction and respect, bonding over new ideas efit from. Though the experience is different for every survivor, to put the ranch in the black once again. Eventually, Lainey the author shares his own stories of abuse and treatment along confesses her dream to study art in Florence, Italy, which she’s with universal strategies to help the reader forgive themselves deferred twice. But when she and Ty learn that their priorities and let go of their pain. Huttner’s prose displays confidence but may be very different, each must decide whether love really also vulnerability: “I developed a stutter and could no longer can conquer all. James builds a vibrant world in the fictional introduce myself as ‘Freddy’; I ended up switching my name to Montana town, featuring believable supporting characters, ‘Rick.’ I wet the bed for years. I was afraid of other boys. If a such as Lainey’s naturopath best friend, Hope Martin, and fight threatened to break out, I was paralyzed; I couldn’t defend physician Dean, who naturally hate each other—sowing the myself.” The author soundly balances his own story with infor- seeds for a future book, no doubt. There are no wacky mis- mation about abuse and treatment, offering numerous lists understandings here, though; instead, Ty and Lainey must of symptoms and resources for the reader’s easy consultation. learn to be honest with each other—about everything from Most of this information is available elsewhere, but the presen- premarital sex to family relationships—before the predictable tation here is clean and kind, and those who need it will likely ending. Sick parent Martin seems to appear and disappear at find solace in this work. the convenience of the plot, and the secondary conflicts seem A polished, empathetic mix of memoir and advice for overly numerous. That said, the dialogue is sharp, the setting childhood abuse survivors. is clear, and the protagonists are compelling throughout. A lovingly written modern-day fairy tale with complex characters and a well-earned, satisfying ending.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 191 YOUR MOVE blush, particularly for those readers who have never thought of What Board Games Teach Us games as an artistic medium—at least not one that comments About Life on society. Regular gamers will enjoy these takes on familiar Kay, Jonathan & Moriarity, Joan titles. And readers just discovering the tabletop renaissance will Sutherland House (180 pp.) likely want to play some of these games themselves. $12.16 paper | Sep. 11, 2018 An illuminating book that both introduces and cri- 978-1-9994395-4-5 tiques an often overlooked art form.

A nonfiction work explores society and culture through the lens of tabletop games. STEP LIGHTLY Board games have undergone a resur- Stories gence in recent years—perhaps partly, Klym, Kendall debut author Moriarity argues, as a rejection of the ubiquity of Livingston Press (198 pp.) digital entertainment—but they have been with us for centuries. $12.34 paper | Jun. 30, 2019 They often replicate some aspect of real life: war, wealth accumu- 978-1-60489-224-6 lation, resource management. In this way, they provide an intrigu- 978-1-60489-223-9 paper ing mirror of the society in which they are created. “This is not a book of strategy tips or game reviews,” writes Moriarity at the This debut collection of short fiction beginning of this volume. “It is about the things games can teach by Klym, a former professional ballet us about ourselves. Each chapter focuses on one or two game dancer, explores the lives of expert and titles…and draws out a revealed lesson in history, psychology, phi- novice dancers to reveal how the art form losophy, society or culture.” Moriarity, a gamer-turned-writer, and channels the power of self-expression. Kay (Among the Truthers, 2017, etc.), a writer-turned-gamer, take In a brief introduction, the author describes his background turns, chapter by chapter, pulling at those threads that they find as a dancer (he studied at New York City’s School of American most interesting. Kay uses Settlers of Catan—the first European Ballet) and tries to articulate how dancing and composing sto- title to become highly popular in the United States—to examine ries intersect for him: “When I write, I dance,” he states. He how European board games in the postwar years tended to focus describes the relationship between writer and reader as a part- on peaceful, creative themes in contrast to the conflict- and com- nership—one that’s aided by growing familiarity. In “The Bal- petition-driven American ones like Risk. Moriarity reveals how let Class,” an amateur ballerina in her 40s observes that her The Game of Life—the 1960 reimagining of Milton Bradley’s classmates are a motley but lovable crew. In “The Belly Dance,” original 1860 game The Checkered Game of Life—dispensed Karla, a woman faced with a stalled marriage, turns to a belly with its predecessor’s concept of moral choice and replaced it dancing class, which teaches her the moves that she needs to with a deterministic quest to gain material wealth. In addition spark a new sexual rapport with her husband. As a writer, Klym to providing a window into society, games offer players an oppor- is clearly drawn to formal variance; as a result, these stories tunity to learn (sometimes unwittingly) about other segments of feature braided narratives, bulleted lists, step-by-step guides, a society. Kay discovers how two games—Greenland and 1812: The faux product disclaimer, and a dessert recipe. The author also Invasion of Canada—made him think about and even identify freely uses section titles, which provide crisp packaging for with different cultures. Moriarity (in a chapter called “Horrible vignettes that, read quickly, create a sense of swift movement People”) confronts her prejudices about the sort of people who through time and theme. The story “Pavlova,” for instance, love Cards Against Humanity. unfolds in newspaper clippings, diary entries, and a mysteri- Kay and Moriarity are both skilled writers and elucidators, ous, aforementioned recipe to tell the story of a dessert dish so and their voices are distinct enough to provide the book with potent that it summons the ghost of its namesake—legendary a pleasing yin and yang. Their dueling chapters on Monopoly Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova—and physically transforms any skillfully illustrate their various interests. Kay comments on dancer who eats it. how the game’s poor-get-poorer, rich-get-richer mechanic is Klym has an accomplished command of narrative voice. “characteristic of a certain dynamic observed in nature, engi- In “A Professional Male Ballet Dancer in Twelve Steps,” he suc- neering, and human relationships, one that mathematicians cinctly captures the tone and diction of a child: “your parents sometimes describe as unstable equilibrium.” Moriarity, mean- took the leaves you collected and ironed them between pieces while, focuses on the psychological benefits—and worsened of waxed paper. You said you loved the smell.” The book runs gameplay—of the popular but noncanonical Stupid Free Park- into trouble with its dialogue, however, which is often too ing Rule: “I am using the word ‘rule’ in the loosest possible sense wooden and prosaic to seem believable: “You put body, mind, because there is, in fact, no such rule—which is a big part of the and soul into the entire process,” Karla’s husband in “The Belly problem.” The authors include a mix of classic titles that most Dance” says, “but cooking and eating are not the same thing readers will know (Scattergories, Scrabble, Dungeons & Drag- as loving.” The author’s clear passion for dance enlivens the ons), with more-complex offerings from the tabletop world 15 tales, but he sometimes bends over backward to coin a new (Pandemic, Dead of Winter, Legend of the Five Rings). It’s a phrase that expresses its importance, as in the story “Origin”: far more perceptive and intriguing book than it appears at first “A state of eloquence encased in a spark of spontaneity, Dance

192 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | The author slyly packs in quite a bit of information, including an explanation of moonquakes. the shadows moving in the moon’s skull eyes

set the world in motion.” Klym frequently mentions the diffi- lungs of whales, the throats of giraffes, the mouths of Rex, the culties that dancers face, such as stereotypes regarding sexual- noses of elephants, the voices of wrens, tapping the holy, cosmic ity, problems of body image, and the physical and mental tolls winds that had given life to .” The author of performance and training. Despite this, some of the stories also slyly packs in quite a bit of information, including an expla- here lack any tension at all. In “The Ballet Class,” for instance, nation of moonquakes, a look at magnesium’s functions on the climax occurs when a character’s ex-girlfriend unexpect- Earth and on the moon, and an accounting of various lunar god- edly shows up, but the end still fizzles. In “The Belly Dance,” desses in human mythologies. Lago appears less interested in Karla lies in order to join a class for pregnant women, but this specific facts, however, than he is in capturing larger, less com- complication never transforms into something interesting. And prehensible properties of the moon and of existence in general. “Origin,” a creation myth of cartoonish grandiosity, never allows He divides the book into short chapters, each one a riff on a readers to access the emotion at its core. specific idea, such as what the concept of zero might mean on An uneven set of tales but one with plenty of bright spots. the moon; some are closer to poetic meditations. As such, the book’s style may not be every reader’s cup of tea, but it is suc- cessful in making the moon feel simultaneously alien and tactile. THE SHADOWS MOVING IN One can almost feel the moon dust between one’s fingers. THE MOON’S SKULL EYES An original, impressionistic take on man’s first brief, A Vision of Apollo XI off-world encounter. Lago, Don Livingston Press (158 pp.) $11.09 paper | May 31, 2019 SMART, SUCCESSFUL

978-1-60489-230-7 & ABUSED young adult 978-1-60489-229-1 paper The Unspoken Problem of Domestic Violence and the Lago (Grand Canyon, 2015, etc.) imag- High-Achieving Female ines the moon landing from the moon’s per- Mailis, Angela spective in this work of creative nonfiction. Sutherland House (178 pp.) The cratered surface of the moon may seem alien to peo- $17.95 paper | Sep. 25, 2019 ple who are used to the landscapes of Earth, but in the grand 978-1-9994395-7-6 scheme of things, its appearance represents the norm: “The whole universe is like the moon, chaotic and lifeless and mind- A scientist combines research and less,” writes Lago in his prologue. “This is a universe of craters, personal experience to advise women in of planets and moons saturated with craters, craters within cra- abusive relationships. ters, craters atop craters, craters ruining other craters.” Lago In this self-help book, Mailis (co-author: Beyond Pain, 2003) had this realization while watching a lunar eclipse in Verdun, opens with an account of her physician colleague’s murder of France, where the craters made by World War I ordnance still his wife, also a doctor. The guide then moves to the author’s pockmark the landscape—proof, perhaps, that mankind has recollections of her verbally and emotionally abusive marriage. internalized some universal forces of destruction. What follows She details the many years of difficulty and denial she faced is a meditation on what Earth looks like from the moon, par- before leaving her husband, eventually broadening the narra- ticularly that strange time when an “asteroid” from our planet tive to incorporate stories from many of her acquaintances who landed on the lunar surface—and two astronauts got out of it have experienced turbulent relationships. The women’s tales and began walking around. What must the moon have made look at the abuse, the decisions to abandon partners—or, in of this strange encounter as it was presented with such oddi- some cases, to stay with them—and the recovery process. Their ties as symmetrical objects, gaseous oxygen, artificial light, and testimony provides a wide range of experiences with common living organisms? How odd was it for its dust, which had sat threads throughout. The author concludes that low self-esteem undisturbed for millions of years, to suddenly take the shape of is the main reason women endure abuse (“It was never the pro- human footprints? fessional part of us that felt deficient. It was our feminine selves Lago uses the moon to dislocate readers and ask them to who felt small, weak, timid, insecure, and unwomanly, allowing consider everything from a new and remote perspective—from our abusers to control us”), although codependency, naïveté, and the effect of the moon’s gravity on water in the astronauts’ bod- excessive empathy also appear to be factors. The final chapter ies to the moon’s relationship to calcium, gold, and glass to its is based on responses to a survey Mailis distributed to younger role in the lives of owls and luna moths and its distinctly inhu- women in her network to measure their attitudes toward man sense of silence and time. “Through the moon’s grey, cra- domestic violence. (The survey text is included in an appendix, tered mirror,” he writes, evoking the epiphanies of Apollo XI though the author acknowledges that her sample is interesting astronauts, “we might finally be able to see ourselves clearly.” but not statistically rigorous.) She is surprised to find that the Lago’s prose is as controlled as a lunar module, and it often shift she anticipated is not revealed in the survey results, which becomes quite lyrical: “The astronaut breathed deeply, deep indicate that the younger women are not less likely to endure into time, deep into Earth, deep into life, breathed with the abuse and do not flee troubled relationships more quickly than

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 193 those of Mailis’ generation. Half her respondents shared their vanity, and widespread ignorance. The six short parts of the work own stories of abuse, suggesting that it continues to be wide- provide an intriguing take on what generally makes humans tick. spread. The manual concludes with an analysis of the factors The titles of the parts, such as “DIGGING DEEPER INTO that may drive the prevalence of abuse in younger generations. YOUR PREY’S REALITY” and “WHAT DRIVES THE ANI- The book, published in Canada, profiles Canadian women MAL,” are clearly constructed to reinforce the text of the simu- and gathers statistics primarily from that population. The lated guide. The content is cleverly written, if forced at times, women who provide the anecdotes include immigrants like describing elements of humanity like language (“Just a system the author and native-born Canadians, although they tend to of codes and symbols that are ripe for misinterpretation”), criti- be from similar socio-economic backgrounds. Drawing on the cal thinking (“It’s the emotions inside their heads that matter work of psychologist Joan Lachkar, Mailis focuses on “high- to humans”), and feelings (“Humans can suffer and feel better— functioning women” who are “well-educated, successful, and they can take pleasure from sacrifice”). The most intriguing career oriented.” Although the author incorporates published aspect of the book is the way the alien observes human behavior, research (references are included in the volume’s backmatter), as if it is being evaluated from an outsider’s perspective. This the narrative chiefly concentrates on the abused women’s anec- can be amusing, disconcerting, perceptive, or bizarre depend- dotes. The text is competently written and highly readable, with ing on how readers process the material. If nothing else, it is an little psychological jargon or technical language. But some parts exercise that serves to point out the absurdities of the species. would benefit from further review. Chapter 5 examines how the At the end, the author explains that his purpose for the novel women’s actions contributed to failed relationships in language format “is to raise attention to the importance of self-reflection (“maladaptive behaviors and denial”) that seems to hold them and the pursuit of wisdom.” Hopefully, those who plow through responsible for allowing abuse to occur. And the negative com- this unusual work will be enlightened—or perhaps chagrined. ments about overweight people are off-putting. While Mailis’ An offbeat, unconventional, and imaginative explora- analysis of factors leading to abuse in younger women’s relation- tion of the human race. ships is generally solid, there is a touch of pearl-clutching in describing the “scanty outfits with camera angles hyping their sexuality” of Madonna, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé. Still, most NEON EMPIRE of the guide is filled with useful information for women seeking Minh, Drew to determine if they are experiencing abuse, attempting to leave Rare Bird Books (220 pp.) violent relationships, and trying to understand the characteris- $16.00 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 tics of healthy partnerships. 978-1-947856-76-9 A valuable blend of research and anecdotes that explores why successful women experience abuse. In Minh’s (Nomad X, 2012) sci-fi novel set in the near future, a filmmaker’s miss- ing wife is accused of terrorism, and he THE ART OF searches for her at the adults-only resort HUNTING HUMANS she envisioned—a Las Vegas–style city A Radical and Confronting governed by social media. Explanation of the Cedric Travers’ directing career faded when YouTubers made Human Mind Hollywood movies obsolete. Now, circa 2027, he seems more Mazzi, Sidney dispirited than dismayed that his estranged wife, Mila Webb, Self (221 pp.) has vanished. She masterminded Eutopia, a resort metropolis $15.50 paper | $9.50 e-book | Feb. 7, 2019 built on Native American land and re-creating, with high-tech 978-1-79196-075-9 kitsch, the ambiance of a past Europe; the real, war-torn Europe no longer gets many tourists. Visitors and transient inhabitants A work with a preposterous premise of Eutopia include leading social media “influencers” and wan- offers a look at humans. nabe celebrities who monetize their stays by livestreaming their What if an alien were to write a manual that instructs com- experiences—including outbreaks of crime and violence that patriots how to “hunt a human”? This fantastical, fictional con- seem suspiciously staged. Mila’s disappearance has a connection cept forms the basis of a story by Mazzi (Tainted by Fire, 2016), to a brutal bombing of the local, fake Louvre. Travers enters the who maintains the charade until the very last page, wherein he city to find answers and plunges into its intrigue and artifice. He reveals his rationale for writing the book. This is the kind of also dallies with social media femmes fatales, such as Sacha Vil- creative exercise that is likely to split its audience; some will be lanova, a snooping investigative reporter, and A’rore, a cyborg taken with the prose and play along while others will dismiss it supermodel who’s Eutopia’s “main influencer.” There are cameos as nonsense. The objective, though, is to expose the many foi- of real-life figures, such as former boxer Floyd Mayweather and bles humans share and assess them as if viewed through an alien Donald Trump’s son, Barron, but the author’s sure, steady voice lens. The introductory chapter sets up the strangely insightful seldom ventures into satire. However, the missing-Mila plotline, volume nicely by summarizing “some of the weaknesses” of which seems tailor-made for cybernoir, evaporates into a click- humans that “we will explore.” These include emotions, fear, thru world obsessed with ads, emojis, analytics, fame, youth, and

194 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | Noe’s book celebrates one sector of a compassionate network of caregivers with empathy, appreciation, solidarity, and immense pride. fag , divas and moms

materialism. This bracing story is a great ride, overall, even if the FAG HAGS, DIVAS AND MOMS ending offers little resolution. But the cutting-edge tech has a The Legacy of Straight short sell-by date; time will tell whether this novel ages as well Women in the as, for example, past futuristic narratives about incredible secrets AIDS Community hidden on floppy disks. Noe, Victoria Sci-fi fans will want to read this story of #SocialMedia- King Company Publishing (226 pp.) Dystopianism before it becomes a reality. $16.99 paper | $4.99 e-book Mar. 29, 2019 978-0-9903081-9-5 UNLIKELY FRIENDS James Merrill and Public speaker and activist Noe Judith Moffett: (Friend Grief and Men, 2016, etc.) chron- A Memoir icles the sometimes-overlooked efforts of women who helped Moffett, Judith battle the AIDS epidemic. Self (544 pp.) In 2014, the author attended a panel discussion that fea- $21.00 paper | $6.99 e-book tured gay and straight women who played prominent roles in Jan. 23, 2019 the fight against AIDS. She felt that their impassioned stories 978-1-79298-040-4 needed more widespread attention. In this book, she informa- tively writes about tireless support workers, such as Terri Wilder, Poet and science-fiction writer Mof- who dedicated her life to AIDS activism and awareness, and

fett (The Bear’s Baby and Other Stories, the late activist Iris De La Cruz, as well as more famous pub- young adult 2017, etc.) recalls decades of friendship and correspondence lic figures, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana. Other with the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet James Merrill. chapters focus on other women who were hospice volunteers, As a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Mad- caregivers, mothers, pioneering researchers, and medical educa- ison in 1967, Moffett took Merrill’s poetry class and found him tors who were trained on the front lines of the epidemic. Many to be exotic and unique. It led to a nearly three-decade friend- of these women were HIV-positive themselves and found that ship, here preserved in letters and extensive journaling. Moffett the system, with its consistent “lack of accurate, stigma-free sex went to Sweden to translate poetry, returned to America, and education,” failed them, as it had the gay male community in spent years in frenzied activity—writing, teaching, and moving the 1980s and ’90s. Noe writes proudly and engagingly of her from place to place—all the while sending her poems to Merrill own social and political advocacy and activism, including her for review. Their friendship was warm, if somewhat anxious on work at a residential program for AIDS survivors, lobbying on her part, and full of Merrill’s self-styled mystery (“the person Capitol Hill for the Ryan White Care Act in 1990, and joining who puzzles + fascinates us needn’t be a puzzle at all, so much ACT UP/NY in 2013. She remembers being known as a “fag ” as a key...to the unsolved puzzle of ourselves,” he wrote to Mof- then, but she tells of how she learned to embrace that moniker. fett in 1970. The closeted, gay Merrill didn’t let Moffett get too This essential book is most poignant when Noe channels the close when it came to discussions of sexuality, but she addressed pain, loss, and helplessness of the 1980s, when AIDS-related it through literary criticism. A who’s who of the poetry world hospital programs “did not have unanimous workplace support” appeared at various conferences and readings, including Eliza- and half of most primary care physicians refused to treat AIDS beth Bishop, Allen Ginsberg, and Robert Bly, and Moffett pro- patients. Instead, she points out, men and women with AIDS vides color commentary. Her Merrill scholarship is exhaustive, had to rely on the kindness of strangers—people who nursed as she spent years writing a book about his work while finding the ill, defended them, and, above all, loved them uncondition- success with her own poetry. She and Merrill were rarely in the ally. Noe’s book celebrates one sector of this compassionate net- same place, but she lovingly describes a 1973 trip to Greece work of caregivers with empathy, appreciation, solidarity, and and moments at his New York City apartment. Both eventu- immense pride. ally struggled with serious health problems, but they remained An obvious labor of love for the author and a moving close due to their obvious reliance on each other’s intellect and tribute to the unsung heroes of the AIDS crisis. their lifelong dedication to their crafts. Moffett’s painstaking memoir is epic in length but remains consistently engrossing. Particularly noteworthy is her desire to get to the root of her own fascination with Merrill, and she reaches some surprising conclusions about herself. She tells her own life story of struggle and success with undying fervor, and Merrill’s letters show him to be urbane, witty, a bit fussy, and generous when it mattered. The two were different in many ways, but Moffett’s account of what they shared is authentic and impressive. An absorbing, indispensable portrait of poets.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 195 QUEERIES Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Patsy

By Karen Schechner

Photo courtesy Jason Berger Mother-daughter relationships are complex. I’ve always been fascinated by how generational traumas and gendered expectations are passed on through these relationships. Also, as much as we deny this in our youth, as adults we realize how similar we are to the people who nurtured us. We also realize that they are human beings, not gods. While writing Patsy, I had to consider our realm in our society, where we put mothers on a pedestal, completely disregarding them as women with flaws, desires, sexuality, yearnings, and dreams of their own. Once we begin to see our parents as humans, we become more forgiving and empathetic toward them. In Patsy, my hope was for Tru to learn this about her mother. To the reader, it’s obvious that both characters are more alike than they know. In fact, both Tru and Patsy struggle with depression and are existing in parallel realms as queer. In the beginning of the book, Patsy tells Tru to “be a good girl” in an attempt to steer Tru out of what Patsy un- derstands as “her tomboy ways.” Similarly, in Here Comes the Sun, Delores tells Thandi, “Nobody loves a black girl, not even herself.” It goes to show that while we may feel alone in our struggle and identity, there might be someone else—per- haps the very person who brought us into the world—who might have struggled with the same things.

Patsy, and her child, Tru, have identities that aren’t Nicole Dennis-Benn’s latest book, Patsy, revisits some of accepted by their Jamaican community. As a lesbian, her previous novel’s themes—intergenerational conflict, race, did you have similar struggles with the acceptance secrecy, sacrifices, and queer identity. The title character, a of your own identity? lesbian and single mother, immigrates to Brooklyn from Ja- I was never an out lesbian in Jamaica. Homosexuality was maica to reunite with a lost love and build a better future for taboo with the majority of the country being Christian. herself and her young daughter, Tru, whom she leaves behind. Therefore, I felt like I was the only one who harbored those Our reviewer writes, “It’s a marker of Dennis-Benn’s master- feelings. Not many Jamaicans dared to come out of the clos- ful prowess at characterization and her elegant, nuanced writ- et. If they were found out, they could be beaten and killed. ing that the people here—even when they’re flawed or unlik- At least, that was what I grew up seeing around me. I was able—inspire sympathy and respect.” I talked recently with raised to fear people like me—gays and lesbians. We didn’t Dennis-Benn about motherhood, the loneliness of sentences, even have a name for it then. People just referred to them as and queer fiction. “funny.” If it was ever speculated that someone was “funny” in my community, people would shun the person and snatch Both Patsy and your previous novel, Here Comes the their children, since, in their minds, homosexuality was syn- Sun, address troubled mother-daughter relationships. onymous with pedophilia. I waited until I moved to America What is it about the dynamic that drives your interest? to come out. I, like Patsy, came to America to live out loud.

196 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | In your work, there are many fantastic lean sentenc- es that speak volumes, like, “Jesus is the only viable excuse a young woman can use to deny the penis.” What goes into a good sentence for you? I labor over all my sentences. I would spend an entire day obsessing over a sentence, sometimes forgetting to eat. Gary Lutz was right when he wrote about the sentence being a very lonely place. I’m very particular about the THE FALCONER words I use. The sentence you mentioned served as an A Heartland Tale epiphany as I wrote it. It never occurred to me how much Pattison, Darcy Mims House (232 pp.) resentment I carried for religion and its oppression of $15.99 paper | Jul. 9, 2019 women and our bodies until I wrote it. 978-1-62944-123-8

In Patsy, there’s an ongoing sense of longing. This second volume of a YA series focuses on a teenage girl, her gyrfalcon, Is tone something you’re consciously creating and a promise made to her grandfather. as you’re writing? At the age of 11, Brittney Eldras What I’m more conscious of is voice. Patsy’s voice came stole a gyrfalcon egg from a nest. She raised the bird to be her friend in her lonely home valley of to me first, and I wrote the story with that voice in mind. the Heartland. Two years later, Britt has lost her parents in Tru’s voice followed. All my fictions start with a voice that an avalanche. She and her gyrfalcon, Tatty Mog, are partners leads me into the story. in life, hunting and growing up together. One day, her grand- father Winchal Eldras, who is a Wayfinder and able to locate anything, claims that he no longer hears the Finder’s Bell. It What do you look for in queer fiction? should be in the city of G’il Rim, to the south. Granfa, as Britt Complexity. I like stories and characters with layers. But calls him, passes the Finding on to her, beginning her appren- then again, this perspective is coming from a black lesbi- ticeship. She must now venture to G’il Rim and search for young adult the Bell. Increasing her challenges are the Zendi, conquerors an Jamaican immigrant woman. There’s more to a person who hold the Heartland in an economic death grip. They’re than their sexuality. Similarly, there is more to a person a society that worships albinism and has outlawed any but than their race, class, culture, and gender. Fiction should themselves from owning a gyrfalcon. Britt must also beware reflect that. the Zendi’s intense superstitions and a prophecy revolving around the deaths of seven court ravens. Should the ravens die, war would recommence in the Heartland. In this sequel, Pat- What are you working on now? tison (Pollen, 2019, etc.) delivers a charismatic YA fantasy that I’m currently working on my third novel. I don’t want to features striking worldbuilding centered on the bond between people and animals. She includes veterinary facts, including give away what the story is about. Like , it’s set in Ja- Patsy details about bumble foot, which occurs when a bird cuts maica and Brooklyn, New York. This story is really a chal- itself with an overlong talon and becomes infected. There are lenge since I have never written anything like it before, but also the Tazi hounds, “a breed of royal and telepathic dogs,” I like challenging myself! like Lady Jetje. The Zendi prince, Oran Ziggmaccus, is a fabu- lous villain whose code keeps him from cheating at cards yet he has no problem whipping whomever offends him. These Karen Schechner is the vice president of Kirkus Indie. Patsy elements (and many more) come together in a visionary pal- was reviewed in the April 1, 2019, issue. ette over which the author executes fine control. In one sub- tly ominous scene, “albinos enter the middle door” of a shrine while “everyone else goes to a side door.” As the drama cre- scendos, a key component from the previous volume comes into play. A gorgeous finale illustrates the depths of human- ity’s companionship with animals. An impressive fantasy sequel featuring a brave apprentice.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 197 ARISE FROM THE DUST NOTABLE WOMEN Polson, Michol OF PORTLAND Self (319 pp.) Prince, Tracy J. & Schaffer, Zadie $4.99 e-book | Feb. 3, 2019 Arcadia Books (128 pp.) $26.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 5, 2017 A member of the Church of Jesus 978-1-4671-2505-5 Christ of Latter-day Saints fights in the Civil War after being conscripted against Two historians offer a brief look at his will. the role women have played in the evolu- In this debut historical novel and tion of Portland, Oregon. series opener, Myscal Taylor is on his Prince (Culture Wars in British Litera- way to England in 1863, planning to share ture, 2012, etc.) and debut author Schaffer highlight the many his “Mormon faith,” when his estranged notable ways women have shaped Oregon’s largest city in this grandfather has him kidnapped and impressed into the Union informative book, part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Amer- Army as a substitute for a more favored relative. Taylor, who ica series. The authors’ aim was “to do our part to mend the feels little affinity for the United States government—he con- telling of Portland’s history,” which has traditionally focused on siders himself a citizen of Utah Territory, where his church’s men. In particular, they draw attention to the lives of Native community has been at odds with federal and military officials— Americans and other women of color. They begin with the “for- actively resists becoming a soldier until he is physically abused gotten history” of the city before the arrival of white settlers into compliance. As he goes through military training, he faces in the 1840s and continue through the post–World War II era open resentment from some of his fellow recruits but also into the present. Separate chapters cover women in the arts develops allies and impresses his colleagues with his marksman- from the 1890s onward (such as noted children’s author Beverly ship skills (“Handling firearms proficiently was as natural for Cleary) and women in politics from the 1920s to today. As with him as pulling on his boots in the morning. He had target prac- other volumes in this series, the emphasis is on historical pho- ticed, hunted, and engaged in numerous competitive shooting tographs, newspaper clippings, and other documents, which are matches common to frontier life”). And soon the new soldier accompanied by short captions. The result is a visually interest- learns about the horrors of war. Although the novel opens with ing but necessarily scattershot history. Still, the authors have Taylor at the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, this volume con- wisely chosen to concentrate on certain themes, such as the cludes well before that, leaving his full story to be told in future fight for women’s suffrage or women’s work on the homefront books. Polson does an excellent job of establishing Taylor’s during World War II, which helps to provide an overarching character and his outsider status in the conflict between the context to the text and images. In some cases, more details North and South, providing readers with a wealth of informa- would have been helpful in understanding the broader histori- tion about the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of cal events that provided the backdrop to the women’s actions. Latter-day Saints. Life in the military camp is presented with For example, a number of African American women who fought a similar level of detail, and readers will be left with no doubt for civil rights are admirably profiled, but a statement that Ore- about Polson’s extensive knowledge and research. (Backmatter gon’s 1953 law banning discrimination in public accommoda- includes a notes section and an array of sources.) The writing tions put it “a decade ahead of the nation in passing civil rights is less polished; characters often speak in awkwardly rendered laws” downplays the state’s troubling history of racial exclusion. dialect (“Ye will learn to stand in line and git shot with the rest Yet the authors are to be commended for their efforts to docu- of them like all good soljers do in a righteous fight”). But Taylor ment the experiences of a diverse group of Portland women. is an intriguing and compelling protagonist capable of sustain- Many of them seem ripe for a more in-depth exploration, such ing readers’ interest. While this volume is generally effective by as Lucy A. Mallory, a suffragist and writer whom Tolstoy once itself, with a coherent plot and character development, it is also called the “greatest woman in America.” clearly designed to lead readers to later books in the series, with While its visually focused approach doesn’t dig deep, a conclusion that is more of a segue than an ending. this book deftly spotlights lesser-known figures from A well-researched war novel that leaves many plot Portland’s past. points open for sequels.

198 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | Prindle displays fluent storytelling, rendering familiar history as a page-turner. booth’s confederate connections

BOOTH’S CONFEDERATE THE UNWINDING CONNECTIONS Gin’s Story Prindle, Sandy Rew, Juliana Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. Sophont Press (272 pp.) (256 pp.) $14.99 paper | Jul. 1, 2019 $24.95 | Mar. 20, 2019 978-1-73392-071-1 978-1-4556-2473-7 A novel sees a woman shunted This thorough appraisal of Presi- through time and space as two universes dent Abraham Lincoln’s assassination go to war. addresses the theory that John Wilkes Virginia Sun-Jones, a Korean Ameri- Booth was part of a multifaceted conspir- can who goes by Gin, is enjoying Christ- acy directed by Confederate Secretary of State Judah Benjamin. mas with her family in Nags Head, North Carolina. Unseasonable Prindle (Revolution II, 2012, etc.) begins with the 1864 Dahl- warmth has allowed Gin; her husband, Alan; their daughter, Grace; gren affair. After a failed Union raid on Richmond, Southern- and her son-in-law, Eric, to visit the beach for a picnic. When ers published documents found on Union Army Lt. Col. Ulric Gin catches an antique newspaper blowing in the wind, she Dahlgren’s corpse that mentioned a plan to destroy the city notes the publication date of March 28, 1827. She then proposes and kill Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Cabi- a toast, but it’s interrupted by a thunderstorm, during which net. Prindle sets aside the enduring debate over their authen- she finds herself mysteriously alone. She eventually meets a ticity but asserts that Benjamin, who directed the Confederate woman named Hope and learns that she’s been transported

Secret Service, believed them to be genuine. Prindle argues that to 1827. Strangely, Gin still possesses a pearl that she found on young adult Confederates were involved in a plot to kidnap Lincoln, spirit the beach before the picnic. This legendary Cintamani pearl him to Richmond, and ransom many prisoners, which then led grants her desires for dry, clean clothes and much more when to retributive schemes to decapitate the Union government. she asks to leave 1827 in search of her family. A sentience known Through 17 brisk chapters, the author sketches the Confeder- as the Quantum Opposable Singularity provides Gin with a ate officials, undercover operatives, and civilians who advanced dragon called Hangul to travel further in time. Gin, despite a the conspiracy. He tracks clandestine activities from Virginia limited understanding of the cosmos, has been chosen to com- to Maryland to Canada, connecting dots while adding detailed bat a disastrous Unwinding of the universe. Entities like Gola- context. Prindle effectively captures the complexity and chaos eth, who oversees the cosmic nursery, and Emperor Calaneris of the war’s final months: Battlefield losses mounted, Lincoln XXIII, who believes the cosmos is a labyrinth to be pruned, won reelection, Confederate desperation grew, and after Rich- strive to control the chaos as two universes clash. In this sci-fi mond fell, a kidnapping plot became untenable. Booth found series opener, Rew (Erenarch Academy, 2018, etc.) fans her fiery his own plot competing with another to blow up a portion of imagination consistently throughout this time- and dimension- the White House during a Cabinet session. Prindle identifies hopping adventure. Lines like “I have no eyes, but I can see the only official who could have authorized either plan, other wavelengths pulsing as if I still had an optic nerve they could than Davis himself: Benjamin, who escaped to England with travel” challenge readers to keep pace with genuinely alien tab- a fortune from the Confederate treasury. Prindle, an author leaux. Strange characters, such as alien physicists Benrus and of three novels, displays fluent storytelling, rendering familiar Ralff, have brightly sketched backstories that could carry their history as a page-turner. His abundant endnotes and synthesis own novels, contributing to the tale’s episodic feel. And while of obscure details ably reflect his 30-year avocation of study- “whole areas of space-time are being deleted,” Gin’s pearl and ing and lecturing about the Civil War as an independent scholar. other MacGuffins that can do virtually anything lessen the A retired justice of the peace, Prindle’s granular accounting of plot’s overall tension. Grounded revelations regarding Alan, the military tribunal, the executions of the conspirators, and Grace, and Eric provide the emotional signal that cuts through the legal aftermath showcases his full skill set and typifies his lots of Dr. Who–style noise. discerning approach. Throughout, he gives competing views A sci-fi romp that’s vast in scale yet thoroughly playful. their due and carefully supports his own. Prindle’s conclusion relies on an “unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence,” as he admits, but readers need not be wholly persuaded to find it worthwhile reading. A strong argument that deserves a spot in every Civil War buff’s library.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 199 YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE LOVE IS TOO HARD Planning for Life After the The Dating (Mis)Adventures Sale of Your Business of a Man With Autism Rowe, Marshall & Fitts, Jim & Weeks, John Scarantino, Louis Lioncrest Publishing (182 pp.) Self (116 pp.) $14.99 paper | $6.99 e-book $13.98 paper | $6.99 e-book May 2, 2019 Jan. 31, 2019 978-1-5445-0214-4 978-1-79544-021-9

Three financial advisers discuss the An autistic man shares dating lessons opportunities and challenges that arise and advice. when selling a business. In this often moving memoir and In this debut business book, colleagues Rowe, Fitts, and advice book, dedicated to his “soul mate,” debut author Scar- Weeks guide readers through the process of selling a privately antino shares his unique perspective as a person with a dis- owned business and transitioning to the next phase of life. The ability trying to find love. His frustration is palpable in the guide asks readers to make the process a multiyear one, begin- book’s touching, succinct introduction, in which he reflects ning to evaluate options and set expectations five or more years on the time before he was in a steady relationship: “I look at before the target sale date. While the book addresses the practi- guys everywhere with their girlfriends and wonder if that’ll ever cal aspects of selling a business—communicating with employ- be me,” he writes. Yet borne from his exasperation, loneliness, ees, building a transition team, managing cash flow—much of it and trial-and-error searching came illumination on the do’s and covers the emotional and psychological questions prospective don’ts of dating with autism. In straightforward, declarative sellers should consider: How will family members respond? Are text that’s devoid of decoration or extraneous exposition, the you selling in order to retire or to pursue new interests? How 20-something author combines stories of personal encounters do you stay happy and engaged when the business no longer with sage advice about dealing with shyness and depression, dif- demands your energy and attention? Excerpts from interviews ferentiating between flirting and platonic friendliness, manag- with financial and legal professionals, as well as stories from ing others’ perceptions of autistic people, and understanding the authors’ practice, illustrate the concepts presented here. inappropriate behaviors and social cues. Scarantino admits that The authors also discuss broader questions of intergenera- he made errors during his first relationship in college, which tional wealth transfers, and they urge readers to discuss finan- he says was hastily initiated: “I bought her some things that cial realities and expectations with children and other family some boyfriends wouldn’t buy for their girlfriends right away,” members who are likely to benefit from the sale. (This section he notes. He counsels readers seeking romance to look for is addressed primarily to readers with considerable wealth; the someone who “will love you for you,” and he also talks about families used as examples are distributing millions of dollars to proactively managing one’s own hypersensitivity (or marked their children.) Each chapter concludes with a series of ques- indifference) regarding sexual conversations or interpersonal tions to guide the reader’s decision-making process. The guide contact. Overall, Scarantino bares his soul with integrity and is concise but informative, with useful recommendations and humor throughout this book. Along the way, he encourages suggestions for further exploration, and the writing is unflashy readers to approach dating, both online and in person, with and easily comprehensible. Readers are left with a significant careful confidence and to appreciate both good and bad experi- number of actionable takeaways—in particular that selling ences, as “You never know where they can lead you.” Although a business is a long process involving self-knowledge and col- some of the commentary is repetitive, the author’s heartfelt laboration with many stakeholders and should be approached guidance is consistently well-intentioned, and this book will thoughtfully. Even readers whose businesses will not provide make an essential addition to autism-related libraries. multimillion-dollar inheritances will find the book’s framework Earnest and realistic romantic advice for readers on the a useful tool for approaching transition planning for a business autism spectrum. of any size. A thoughtful, informative guide to selling a business; reminds readers to weigh both the emotional and finan- cial impacts.

200 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | Simpson has an eye for naturally occurring patterns and structures, and he presents vivid mineral deposits and rock formations. earthforms

THRIVERS Dakota Access Pipeline protests while Iron Eyes’ contribution An LP Novel has a more poetic format (“Humanity’s dark legacy is hubris, Sheridan, Tom greed, folly / Yet we all possess an unconquerable spirit even if Streets Creations (240 pp.) we do not know it”), and Farndon’s words link art and activism. $11.99 paper | $7.99 e-book | Jun. 6, 2019 Simpson explains his approach to art (“I take special delight in 978-1-73217-582-2 exploring closer and smaller-scale formations that offer rich possibilities of compositions untethered to the formal, sky- A retired mixed martial arts fighter above-earth/water-below, landscape paradigm”) before present- and his college-student son indepen- ing his images, which feature titles only; captions providing dently strive to pull their family out of more information are collected in the final pages. The photos debt in the second installment of Sheri- are almost exclusively of the natural environment, although a dan’s (The Streets, 2018) series. few humans appear, as in one picture of a Hawaiian beach and Tonio Franco Sr., a former MMA champ, now coaches hope- another of Sardinia. The images include scenes from California, fuls at his gym, Brawlers, in New Jersey. But Brawlers can’t keep Quebec, Turkey, Mongolia, New Mexico, and Ireland. Simpson Franco, wife Julie, and their kids from being perpetually broke. has an eye for naturally occurring patterns and structures, and That’s why 21-year-old Tonio Jr. abandons his plan to teach and, he presents vivid mineral deposits and eye-catching rock forma- instead, majors in finance at Jersey State University. TJ also tions. He compares a particularly notable formation to Edvard interns on Wall Street, but a plum job opportunity doesn’t quite Munch’s painting The Scream, and it’s hard to deny the resem- pan out. Around the same time, Franco worries the gym will be blance. The captions are informative and will help geological even worse off after his star trainee loses another match. But novices understand how the shapes developed. They also offer

when Franco’s rival, Umar “The Beast” Basayev, boasts of having references to the works of other artists, and their placement young adult once defeated Franco, the 41-year-old retiree agrees to a rematch. in the book’s final pages effectively allows readers to process It could finally mean big money for his family, provided Franco the images separately. Although the environmentalist message wins. TJ, meanwhile, starts dating fellow university student is strong in the opening essays, Simpson’s later commentary Kamara Day. She wants to be a famous singer, which dovetails emphasizes natural beauty without reiterating the threat that it with TJ’s dream of someday owning the stage as a rapper. But faces, letting readers draw the connection themselves. he may have to abandon that dream in order to earn a white- A compelling collection of nature photography that collar salary. As in his earlier novel, Sheridan displays a knack conveys a clear message. for what he dubs “lyrical prose”—a narrative rife with wordplay and rhymes. TJ, for example, muses: “So then why did T…as he drank at the bar with G…think something even more uncouth? STILL LIFE Was there an even deeper Truth? TJ’s eyes started going REM A Personal Story of Loss as he heard REM.” The author’s distinctive writing, however, and Recovery doesn’t outshine the plot or cast. And while the novel contends Sutherland, Jeff with multigenerational anxieties, it’s consistently amusing. Sutherland House (250 pp.) Creative, poetic prose enhances an already potent fam- $17.68 | Oct. 2, 2018 ily drama. 978-1-9994395-6-9

A debut memoir recounts the diffi- EARTHFORMS culties of paralysis and grief. Intimate Portraits of Written using software that tracks Our Planet the movement of Sutherland’s eyes— Simpson, Joel essentially the only part of his body he can still control—this Photos by the author book tells the story of the massive, unanticipated, and seem- JSS Books (168 pp.) ingly intolerable changes that the author’s life underwent begin- $39.95 | Jan. 1, 2019 ning in the fall of 2007. It was then that Sutherland, a 41-year-old 978-0-578-21122-0 obstetrician with a wife and three sons, decided to see a special- ist about his left arm. The loss of strength and muscle twitching An impressive collection of geological photographs accompa- had led him to suspect it was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but nied by essays by the photographer and environmental activists. hearing it confirmed by a neurologist made it terrifyingly real. Simpson (Blues—By You, 1997) has collected more than He suddenly had an 80% probability of dying within the next 100 of his images of landforms from around the world. His five years, and even if he lived, he would lose the ability to move book, which is dedicated to the “Water Protectors of Stand- and speak. With time to prepare for the inevitable, he spent the ing Rock,” opens with essays from attorney Daniel Sheehan, next two years taking trips with his family and retiring from his activist Chase Iron Eyes, British author John Farndon, and pho- medical practice, making beautiful memories that were never- tography critic Lyle Rexer as well as Simpson’s own introduc- theless dampened by the looming disease. Then came the loss tion. Sheehan reviews the history and context of the 2016-2017 of more and more abilities until Sutherland could no longer

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 201 walk, eat, or even breathe on his own. Even so, he elected to grief—a literal one—that is unexpectedly reassuring. He comes continue living: to learn to accommodate the effects of the dis- off not as a prisoner of his own body but rather as a monk in ease and not let them rob him of a fruitful existence on Earth. a cell who has been granted a rare opportunity to observe a “This book deals with all kinds of change but it focuses on that world that few readers have the patience to see. With immense which we would prefer” to avoid: “change that occurs against humility, he questions many of the things that people assume our will,” writes Sutherland in his preface. “No one wants these are necessary aspects of the human experience, digging toward changes and still they come. When a negative change occurs, a deeper, kinder understanding of life. we have to choose how we will face it.” Then, in the spring of An affecting account remarkable both in its content 2016, a second unimaginable tragedy struck the author’s fam- and execution. ily: His oldest son and his girlfriend drowned while kayaking in the river behind the Sutherland home. The loss took the author—who had already given up so much—to the very edge DADDY DEAD of his endurance. Van Middlesworth, Julia Sutherland’s prose is measured and thoughtful, and his Serving House Books (322 pp.) accounts of fleeting moments are made all the more - heart $15.00 paper | $9.99 e-book breaking by his understated appreciation of them: “I remem- Feb. 26, 2019 ber the last time I cradled a newborn baby, and my last week in 978-1-947175-11-2 the hospital, strolling through the medical unit with a walker to keep my balance—recognizing the irony that my life expec- Young Zoe charms all in Van Mid- tancy was now shorter than that of most of the patients in my dlesworth’s debut novel about a very dys- charge.” The author is such a sympathetic narrator, and his functional clan. story is so mortifyingly tragic that readers will undoubtedly be Van Middlesworth gives her readers persuaded by the wisdom he draws from his experiences. The a memorable cast. Zoe King is a tough, work is by no means a fun read, but there is a serenity to his scarily perceptive kid through whose eyes we take in the story. “Knife” is her punk Revlon Doll who rides in her holster and gives advice. She is protective of her little brother, Willy, who is This Issue’s Contributors addled but a genius of sorts. “Daddy Dead” and “Mother Blind” # tells us what Zoe thinks of her parents—Daddy is especially no bargain—and then there is “Aunt Oink,” Mother Blind’s ADULT Maude Adjarian • Paul Allen • Mark Athitakis • Colette Bancroft • Joseph Barbato • Sarah Blackman younger sister, whom Daddy impregnates. He divorces Mother Amy Boaz • Jeffrey Burke • Catherine Cardno • Tobias Carroll • Lee E. Cart • Kristin Centorcelli • Ben Blind, marries Oink, then splits after their baby, Zuzu, falls to Corbett • Perry Crowe • Amanda Diehl • Bobbi Dumas • Daniel Dyer • Lisa Elliott • Chelsea Ennen her death out a window. And this is just a small sampling of the Kristen Evans • Mia Franz • Judith Gire • Amy Goldschlager • Michael Griffith • Janice Harayda Peter Heck • Natalia Holtzman • Jessica Jernigan • Skip Johnson • Tom Lavoie • Louise Leetch characters and the chaos they generate. Things are a bit hard Judith Leitch • Peter Lewis • Elsbeth Lindner • Karen Long • Georgia Lowe • Michael Magras to follow because we are never sure what really happens and Don McLeese • Gregory McNamee • Clayton Moore • Karen Montgomery Moore • Sarah Morgan Ismail Muhammad • Jennifer Nabers • Sarah Neilson • Liza Nelson • Therese Purcell Nielsen • Mike what—like an impromptu flight to Paris—comes from Zoe’s Oppenheim • Heather Partington • Deesha Philyaw • Jim Piechota • Margaret Quamme • Justin surreal imagination. We watch Zoe grow up while trying to deal Rosier • Michele Ross • Lloyd Sachs • Leslie Safford • E.F. Schraeder • Gene Seymour • Polly Shulman with all this. Eventually she gets into enough trouble that she Rosanne Simeone • Linda Simon • Wendy Smith • Leena Soman • Margot E. Spangenberg • Bill Thompson • Jessica Miller • George Weaver • Steve Weinberg • Joan Wilentz • Kerry Winfrey winds up in The New Jersey Training School for Girls (one of Marion Winik only three white girls there, an eye-opener). After a year or so, she earns parole. The End. Call it a story of survival. Van Mid- CHILDREN’S & TEEN Lucia Acosta • Maya Alkateb-Chami • Autumn Allen • Alison Anholt-White • Elizabeth Bird Marcie dlesworth, a much published writer, has undeniable gifts. Zoe is Bovetz • Linda Boyden • Nastassian Brandon • Christopher A. Brown • Jessica Brown wise and naïve and mesmerizing. Startling lines and imagery are Timothy Capehart • Ann Childs • Jeannie Coutant • Cherrylyn Cruzat • Dave DeChristopher • Elise on every page: “I want to shrink into my hand and run down all DeGuiseppi • Lisa Dennis • Andi Diehn • Luisana Duarte Armendáriz • Eiyana Favers • Amy Seto Forrester • Ayn Reyes Frazee • Omar Gallaga • Sally Campbell Galman • Laurel Gardner • Judith the paths on my palm.” Zuzu’s death causes “something invis- Gire • Carol Goldman • Melinda Greenblatt • Vicky Gudelot • Tobi Haberstroh • Julie Hubble ible like a blade of sad slicing us together.” There is love here, Shelley Huntington • Kathleen T. Isaacs • Darlene Sigda Ivy • Elizabeth Leanne Johnson • Danielle but hardly the tidy Hallmark kind. Zoe is a kid who works with Jones Deborah Kaplan • Angela Leeper • Peter Lewis • Kyle Lukoff • Meredith Madyda • Pooja Makhijani • Joan Malewitz • J. Alejandro Mazariegos • Jeanne McDermott • Kathie Meizner • Mary what she’s got, having little choice. No surprise, she dreams of Margaret Mercado • J. Elizabeth Mills • Cristina Mitra • Sabrina Montenigro • Lisa Moore • Katrina getting a pilot’s license. Maybe she will. We hope she will. And Nye • Tori Ann Ogawa • Sara Ortiz • Hal Patnott • Deb Paulson • Rachel G. Payne • John Edward fly away with Willy. Peters • Susan Pine • Melissa Rabey • Rebecca Rabinowitz • Asata Radcliffe • Kristy Raffensberger Amy B. Reyes • Christopher R. Rogers • Erika Rohrbach • Leslie L. Rounds • Katie Scherrer • Dean An unforgettable kid narrates this cracked, acerbic Schneider • Stephanie Seales • John W. Shannon • Lenny Smith • Rita Soltan • Mathangi Subramanian novel. Edward T. Sullivan • Jennifer Sweeney • Deborah Taffa • Pat Tanumihardja • Deborah D. Taylor Renee Ting • Lavanya Vasudevan • Angela Wiley • Bean Yogi

INDIE Alana Abbott • Kent Armstrong • Darren Carlaw • Charles Cassady • Michael Deagler • Stephanie Dobler Cerra • Steve Donoghue • Jacob Edwards • Megan Elliott • Eric F. Frazier • Justin Hickey • Ivan Kenneally • Mandy Malone • Jim Piechota • Matt Rauscher • Sarah Rettger • Walker Rutter-Bowman Jerome Shea • Barry Silverstein • Lauren Emily Whalen

202 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | Wisniewski’s tone throughout draws on an engaging mix of Christian spirituality and pet-owner optimism. trouble with a capital l-u-k-e

TROUBLE WITH A FUTURE PROOF CAPITAL L-U-K-E Reinventing Work in the Age Wisniewski, Lisa A. of Acceleration Westbow Press (172 pp.) Wu David, Diana $30.95 | $13.95 paper | $3.99 e-book Lioncrest Publishing (220 pp.) Nov. 7, 2017 $15.99 paper | $9.99 e-book 978-1-973606-55-0 Jan. 11, 2019 978-1-973606-53-6 paper 978-1-5445-1360-7

A memoir about a woman, her dog, A forward-looking blueprint for a and her God. more gratifying work life. Wisniewski (Nikki Jean, 2016, etc.) Entrepreneur Wu David’s (Hong Kong continues her series of faith-based remembrances that cen- ABC, 2011) business book offers sound strategies for coping ter on beloved dogs in her life. This tale recounts her adven- with the inevitability of change. The text targets senior profes- tures with a black Labrador retriever mix named Luke. She sionals, but it’s also appropriate for people just starting on their first saw the dog’s picture on a shelter website, right before career paths. The author divides her discussion into three parts Christmas 2005, when she was living with her grandmother (“Learn,” “Cultivate,” and “Maximize”) and first examines how and her beloved dog Nikki, and she felt an instant connection. globalization, disruption, and increased longevity are trans- She met the dog and brought him home with her—and she forming “the way people see the future of work.” Some content tried her best to navigate her grandmother’s initial resistance in Part I is futuristic, but it’s also grounded in realism, noting to the idea of adding a new canine to the household. That that, although workers may not be able to decelerate change, resistance was strong, at times, because Luke quickly proved they can become more agile, adaptive, and resilient. In Part II, to be difficult: “He did everything a dog should not do, was Wu David concentrates on experiential learning, urging people not good at listening, and certainly gave a different meaning to experiment, reinvent, collaborate, and find focus in various to the words canine companion.” He was afraid of thunder- ways. She provides numerous examples of people (including storms and firecrackers, but he was fearless and persistent herself) who’ve pursued experimentation and reinvention. A when it came to slipping out of the house and running around key underlying theme of this part is the importance of being the neighborhood or stealing food from tables, counters, and willing to take risks; for example, Wu David writes engagingly even the refrigerator. When the author embarked on an ambi- about strategies for pursuing new opportunities, as when she tious do-it-yourself program of home renovations, Luke was discusses the notion of “Slashers” (such as a “violinmaker/psy- a constant source of disruption—chewing on glass, dry wall, chologist,” a “pro-athlete/investor,” or a “CFO Company A/ oak trim, wood splinters, and part of a how-to book. These CFO Company B”). As a networker herself, the author is com- misadventures will be very familiar to any readers who’ve ever mitted to the idea of collaboration, and she writes about the had an active dog or who have read classic canine-centered subject authoritatively; her collaborative “exercises and action books, such as John Grogan’s 2005 memoir Marley & Me. steps” should be particularly helpful for those looking to find Wisniewski’s tone throughout draws on an engaging mix of greater value in teamwork. Part III considers the impact that Christian spirituality and pet-owner optimism. For example, one’s actions can have on one’s long-term career. Here, Wu as she looks back on her time with Luke, she also reflects on David proposes a new way of defining success, emphasizing the the wisdom of their pairing: “God knows what we need, how idea of finding one’s purpose. This is the most philosophical to deliver what we need, and when to deliver what we need to portion of the book and should inspire self-reflection. In clos- us.” This belief comes to the fore when Luke helps the author ing, the author asks a most intriguing question: “What would through grief following Nikki’s death. Most dog lovers will life…look like if we spent more time on what mattered most?” find such moments to be relatable and cheering. Her encouragement to do an “audit” of one’s personal and pro- A heartwarming tale of how owning a rascally dog can fessional lives may be intimidating to some, but the idea has teach deep lessons. merit. Overall, she offers compassionate advice, relevant exam- ples, and involving exercises. A thoughtful, insightful book that offers a calm voice in a turbulent business world.

| kirkus.com | indie | 15 july 2019 | 203 ENTREPRENEUR WEALTH interview. He covers an impressive run of instructional territory, MANAGEMENT MADE EASY from inheritance planning to the basic principles of investment Building Wealth Beyond strategy. Zhuang certainly accomplishes his aim to produce an Business and Life “easy-to-read book,” one that supplies a valuable primer not only Beyond Work on wealth management, but also on the entrepreneurial big pic- Zhuang, Michael ture that encompasses life beyond work. Occasionally, his coun- Lioncrest Publishing (214 pp.) sel is a touch banal: “You need to get the sense that an advisor is $14.99 paper | $6.99 e-book genuinely concerned about your well-being.” In addition, this is May 14, 2019 an introductory work, furnishing a general overview of the sub- 978-1-5445-0307-3 ject, versus an analytically exhaustive account. Still, the lucidity of the treatment and its reassuring tone of sobriety are sure to A guide targets entrepreneurs who appeal to entrepreneurs in search of guidance, especially those not only want to amass wealth, but also keep it. just starting their careers. According to Zhuang (Physician Wealth Management Made A clear and expertly concise manual perfect for busy Easy, 2017), entrepreneurs, given their characteristic overconfi- entrepreneurs. dence, obsessive desire for control, and willingness to embrace risk, are exceptionally vulnerable to the pitfalls of wealth management. Most business owners fall into the category of “lifestyle entrepreneurs,” Type A strivers who have mastered a marketable set of skills—like doctors and lawyers—but not the very different tasks of either managing a firm or wealth with a view to the long-term. The author’s principal goal is to explain what it takes to become an “enterprise entrepreneur” who establishes a comprehensive wealth management strategy that includes preparation for eventualities like retirement, incapaci- tation, and death. The part of the book devoted specifically to wealth management is subdivided into six sections covering key issues: wealth preservation, tax mitigation, asset protection, heir protection, charitable planning, and exit planning, an approach that spans the full life of an entrepreneur. Zhuang’s relentless focus is not only on the anticipation of challenges, but also the road from “labor to capital,” the path to comfortable, secure self-sufficiency. The author, an experienced financial adviser, strongly recommends hiring one and provides thorough instruc- tions on how to find a suitable one, including how to conduct an

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204 | 15 july 2019 | indie | kirkus.com | INDIE Books of the Month

THE GIRL PUZZLE SURVIVAL OF Kate Braithwaite THE FITTEST A story of grit and Jacqui Murray perseverance that A lavish historical will appeal to read- epic that balances ers interested in the details and history of women emotional impact. in journalism.

WRONG SIDE OF ATOMIC NIGHT young adult THE STORM Bruce W. Perry Bryna Butler A diverting who- An ardent super- dunit bolstered by natural tale with a a laudable, complex bundle of appealing, detective. electric characters.

THE PYONGYANG VALLEY OF SPIES OPTION Keith Yocum A.C. Frieden A taut, thoughtful An exhilarating thriller; third in a third installment series but also works of a consistently as a stand-alone. unpredictable and entertaining thriller series.

| kirkus.com | books of the month | 15 july 2019 | 205 Field Notes Photo courtesy Getty Images By Megan Labrise Photo courtesy Getty Images

“I just thought, it’s time, I owe it to my beloved readers. I can’t keep up this facade.” —E. Jean Carroll, author of the memoir What Do We Need Men For? in which she accuses President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, in the New York Times Photo courtesy Getty Images In memoriam, Judith Krantz, 1928-2019: “One thing about writing a book is that everything is under your control. You can’t be unpopular with your characters “It’s such an honoring for Native peo- because you are their God. You decide ple in this country, when we’ve been if they live or die. You decide if they get so disappeared and disregarded. married or don’t. You decide if they are And yet we’re the root cultures, over attractive or not attractive. And it would 500-something tribes and I don’t be an oversimplification to say that this know how many at first contact. is my vindication for my years of being But it’s quite an honor. I bear that unpopular. But it certainly helps a little.” honor on behalf of the people and —in conversation with the Los Angeles Times my ancestors. So that’s really excit- in 1990 ing for me.” —U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, a member “There’s this discussion that always goes on in speculative fiction about whether of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is the you write optimistic or pessimistic stories. Or whether we can have the opti- first Native American Poet Laureate in the honor’s 82-year history (on NPR) mism of the old days of Star Trek—this idea that we’re going to build a better future. And have we lost that? Can we get that back?...I always say that optimism and pessimism about the future really boil down to optimism and pessimism Submissions for Field Notes? about human nature. Are we going to destroy ourselves? Or are we going to be Email [email protected]. able to work together and fix some of the problems that we’ve caused?” —Charlie Jane Anders, author of The City in the Middle of the Night, says she personally believes, “It’s a little of column A, and it’s a little of column B,” at Huffington Post

“There are parts of our success stories that we always leave out. When we do that, we do a disservice to the people who come up behind us who are counting on us to tell the truths that make their path a little less confusing….I don’t want to be called a trailblazer unless I am leaving signposts along the way—that make it easier, less daunting, less isolating to the next generation of young women of color who are coming up through the ranks.” —Elaine Welteroth, author of More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), in Entertainment Weekly

206 | 15 july 2019 | field notes | kirkus.com | Appreciations: Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Half a Century Later

BY GREGORY MCNAMEE Photo Ltd./Ron courtesy Ron Galella, Collection Galella via Getty Images In the 1920s and 1930s, when the heat from Prohibition-era police crackdowns proved uncomfortable and the lingering effects of the Depression cut into the formerly staggering profits of old, crime syndicate figures from New York, Chi- cago, and other Eastern cities began to make their way west. One was a Sicil- ian-born New Yorker named Joseph Bonanno, who, in the 1940s, settled down in Tucson, Arizona, after having tried his hand at dairy farming in upstate New York and cheese making in Wisconsin. In Tucson, Bonanno—“Joey Bananas,” in the tough-guy lingo of organized crime—puttered around in his garden, growing tomatoes, providing grandfa- therly advice to the neighborhood kids, acting for all the world like a respectable citizen. It was an open secret what he had done on the other side of the country, all murder and mayhem, but Bonanno would have none of it. He said that he Mario Puzo in 1979 in Malibu came west because his son Salvatore suffered from ear infections, though, as a

local journalist put it, the move was really made “to avoid dying in New York of lead poisoning.” There was young adult something to that thesis, since the peace that Bonanno had brokered among the Mafia’s contending families was beginning to fray around the edges even as Bonanno protested loudly and angrily that there was no such thing as the “Mafia.” He did allow that there was something sort of like it, to which he gave the dignified name “The Tradition” in his 1983 memoir A Man of Honor, its very title an exercise in self-congratulation. A mob war broke out, whatever he wanted to call it, and Bonanno got out just about the time a New Yorker named Mario Puzo returned from World War II. Puzo landed work as a staff writer for smutty men’s magazines like True Action and Swank, churning out genre dreck, but he aspired to something more. Drawing on his own family’s past and his knowl- edge of what went on behind the scenes in Little Italy and on Long Island, he crafted a mob family saga called The Godfather, which appeared in March 1969 and, that summer, climbed its way onto the bestseller charts, where it remained for a very long time. Puzo’s book went on to sell 21 million copies, and a couple of years later it became an iconic film, with Marlon Brando in the title role, launching a franchise—and, not only that, providing a template for every Mafia tale attempted ever since,The Sopra­ nos notable among them. Hollywood found just the right director for the film in Francis Ford Coppola, who had experiences of his own to bring to it. The best thing that he did, it has to be said, was to lose parts of Puzo’s story that drifted off from the rat-tat-tat of Tommy guns into other matters, some clinically gynecological, where Puzo entertained a significant and strangely obsessive tangent. Joe Bonanno, on whom Don Vito Corleone was very closely mapped, wasn’t happy. Audiences were, and The Godfather, half a century on, is a central work of American popular fiction and, gravelly voice and all, a hallmark of our popular culture.

| kirkus.com | appreciations | 15 july 2019 | 207 THE LBYR RAVE REVIEW AND INTERVIEW

LBYR: After more than five years, “A welcome return what made you want to return to full of the right stuff.” The Mysterious Benedict Society?

—Booklist TRENTON LEE STEWART: A bunch of kids made me do it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society books are all about kids who can accomplish anything they set their minds to, so I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that when young readers who enjoyed these books insisted—in letter after letter, year after year—that I write another enjoy years of relative peace and one, they eventually accomplished safety and then embark on anoth- their goal. er perilous mission. In the mean- time they would naturally have They also had help from four espe- grown even more accomplished cially gifted children: Reynie, Kate, —Reynie would be even more ad- Sticky, and Constance remained ept at solving the most difficult close to my heart and were of- problems; Sticky’s vast knowledge ten on my mind. I wondered how would have grown even, well, vast- things were going for them as er; Kate’s physical prowess would time passed. I had some ideas, and now rival that of her secret-agent I wanted to write about them, but I father; and Constance—well, Con- was reluctant to send the Society stance would still be very, very on another dangerous adventure. contrary. Like Mr. Benedict, I wanted these special kids to enjoy the rest of They would all need one another their childhood in safety. more than ever. They would need to go on one more exciting adven- ISBN 9780316452649 Still, the more time passed, the ture. And they would just need me more I missed them. And one day to write it down. READY TO READ 9.24.19 it hit me: the passage of time was AVAILABLE IN AUDIO & EBOOK exactly the solution. They could

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BOOKS 9780316416863 HC 9780316380881 HC 9780316491068 HC READY TO READ 9.17.19 “[A] hilarious graphic novel.” Booklist Kirkus The Fosters meets —SLC SLJ The Great Gilly Hopkins