An irresistibly entertaining introduction to astrophysics.
A stellar confluence of comic episodes and cosmic information.
Robotics Ph.D., author, podcaster, and PBS Kids’ show creator Cham offers a straightforward and amusing guide to the universe through the eyes of a middle schooler. Copious cartoon vignettes and graphics ramp up both the instruction and entertainment. Oliver introduces himself as a normal 11-year-old, not always on task or even paying attention. One day in fifth grade, however, he became enthralled and motivated by space and decided to become an astrophysicist. Dr. Howard, the catalyst and his preternaturally patient ongoing mentor, is the scientist husband of his teacher. Folded into the science (along with groanworthy puns, helpfully indexed fart jokes, and bathroom humor) is a storyline about transitioning to middle school, where, happily, Oliver makes a friend in Evie, an artistic girl he creates planet cartoons with—along with the book we’re reading. In addition to brilliantly integrated comic moments—an escaped hamster, a run-in with the principal, a hypothetical chat with an alien—surprising plot twists add narrative pizzazz to a serious raft of data about the universe. Common experiences, like a road trip, sibling dealmaking, and Halloween scares, will make readers chuckle. Terms are defined in the text. A bonus spread supplies especially jaw-dropping data crumbs that will make a big bang in family dinner conversations. Oliver and his family have paper-white skin and black hair; Dr. Howard and Evie read Black, and Mrs. Howard appears white.
An irresistibly entertaining introduction to astrophysics. (resources, index) (Graphic nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781419764080
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Readers new to Gooseberry Park will hope they don’t have to wait another 20 years for the next book
Twenty years after the publication of Gooseberry Park (1995), Rylant returns with a sequel.
In the previous outing, the residents of Gooseberry Park coped with an ice storm; now, a drought threatens Stumpy the squirrel and her family, along with all the other animals. This spurs house pets chocolate Lab Kona and hermit crab Gwendolyn to devise the titular master plan to help their friends through the ecological disaster. Herman the crow—so smart that the rest of the crows have given up the annual chess match because they got sick of losing to him—works out a flowchart that involves a cat, a possum, a raccoon, 200 owls, and 20 packs of chewing gum. Murray the bat’s motivational-speaker brother puts his well-developed jaw muscles to work on the gum; Kona’s chocolate-Lab sincerity wins the unprecedented cooperation of 200 owls. Rylant writes with her customary restrained humor, creating with apparently no effort a full cast of three-dimensional furred and feathered characters. The story comes with lessons ranging from the overuse of fossil fuels to the peculiar magic of friendship, all applied with a gentle hand and a spirit of generous trust in the abilities of her readers to understand them. Her frequent collaborator Howard supplies lumpily humorous grayscale illustrations that augment the character development and give readers’ eyes places to rest.
Readers new to Gooseberry Park will hope they don’t have to wait another 20 years for the next book . (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: April 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-0449-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2015
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