NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Pierce Cravens embraces the youth, innocence, and passion of 9-year-old Julian, a boy with heart and a heart condition. The verve of Cravens’s reading captures the positive nature of a boy who emphasizes his love of astronomy and downplays his fears. Julian is courageous—he’s not afraid of befriending the grouchy elderly neighbor who threatens the success of his mothers’ B&B. Living with the knowledge of his potential early death, he calls himself a “uni-sensor”; he believes he receives information from the universe. His love of science leads him to periodically note “Facts and Random Thoughts” (FARTS), which are signaled with a metallic sound that suggests reaching beyond the known world. Balancing the elements of magical realism in this story, Cravens makes Julian’s relationships very real. S.W. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
09/04/2017
Inquisitive and kept sheltered, nine-year-old Julian is drawn to his elderly new neighbor, Mr. X., after he moves to Maine with his mother, stepmother, and older sister to open a bed-and-breakfast. As Julian chips away at Mr. X’s curmudgeonly exterior, the two strike a bargain: if Julian faces his fear of swimming, Mr. X will adopt a dog. Julian’s self-proclaimed “uni-sense,” an extrasensory connection to the universe and those around him, and belief that he’ll become part of the star Sirius after his death highlight his singular way of looking at the world. Julian is wise, thoughtful, and confident in his knowledge of human nature and science (especially astronomy), which he shares with readers in “FART!” sidebars (standing for “facts and random thoughts”). Julian is aware that his enthusiasms are not always well received (“People think I’m weird, which I’m not, I just think about stuff a lot”), but readers will fall for his candidness. His relationships with Mr. X and his tempestuous older sister, Pookie, are sensitively depicted, showcasing the growing understanding among these memorable characters. Ages 8–12. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Mockingbird:Winner of the National Book Award"Allusions to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the portrayal of a whole community's healing process, and the sharp insights into Caitlyn's behavior enhance this fine addition to the recent group of books with narrators with autism and Asperger's." —Booklist"A valuable book." —School Library Journal"A strong and complex character study." —The Horn BookPraise for Seeing Red:*"A powerful indictment of injustice of all forms and an equally powerful and dramatic demonstration that young people, by taking individual action, can actually change history. This is an important book that deserves the widest possible readership." —Booklist, starred review"This thought-provoking book will be a valuable addition for any library." —Library Media ConnectionPraise for The Badger Knight:*"The integration of historical facts into the text is seamless; readers will leave knowing a sturdy amount about England and Scotland in 1346 but won't even notice how much they are learning, as it is all so cleanly embedded into Adrian's gripping, often harrowing, adventures." —BCCB, starred review"Her skillful rendering of medieval life-its smells and limitations and ignorance-is reminiscent of the best from Kathryn Cushman or Avi's Crispin novels." —Booklist"The medieval-era mud and dung, as well as a scene of graphic battle violence, should captivate readers seeking total immersion in a distant, yet vibrantly imagined era." —Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
08/01/2017
Gr 5–8—Nine-year-old Julian is an unusual kid. He's seriously obsessed with space, he has friends in alternate universes, he wears a life preserver at all times to feel safe around water…and he sometimes has the magical ability to know what others are thinking. In an energetic inner monologue interspersed with physics facts, he tells the story of his family's move to rural Maine and their growing connection with an elderly man. The protagonist, his 14-year-old sister Pookie, their mom, and their stepmother Joan have left Washington, DC, behind for the slower pace of owning a lakeside bed-and-breakfast. Their loving family is going through a rough time: Pookie snarls with chronic teenage resentment, Julian's behavior is so extreme that his uber-anxious mom wants to homeschool him to avoid further bullying; his parents also worry about his mysterious health issues. When their retired neighbor sends a lawyer over because their new bed-and-breakfast addition illegally blocks his water view, Pookie decides the best way to lower the collective stress level is for Julian to befriend "Mr. X" next door and convince him to drop his lawsuit. The resulting interactions lead to a happy ending that changes everyone's lives. Julian's distinctive narration, awash in supernatural perceptions as well as a nine-year-old's natural misconceptions, is a tour de force on par with that of Ted Spark in Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery and Salamanca Tree Hiddle's journey in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons. VERDICT Touching contemporary magical realism, with a final twist that truly surprises.—Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT
NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Pierce Cravens embraces the youth, innocence, and passion of 9-year-old Julian, a boy with heart and a heart condition. The verve of Cravens’s reading captures the positive nature of a boy who emphasizes his love of astronomy and downplays his fears. Julian is courageous—he’s not afraid of befriending the grouchy elderly neighbor who threatens the success of his mothers’ B&B. Living with the knowledge of his potential early death, he calls himself a “uni-sensor”; he believes he receives information from the universe. His love of science leads him to periodically note “Facts and Random Thoughts” (FARTS), which are signaled with a metallic sound that suggests reaching beyond the known world. Balancing the elements of magical realism in this story, Cravens makes Julian’s relationships very real. S.W. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-07-02
Nine-year-old Julian is gifted both emotionally and intellectually, but these assets come at a sometimes-distressing cost.He, his 14-year-old sister, Pookie, and his two moms, Mom and Joan, all apparently white, have just moved to rural Maine to open a bed and breakfast—and also to get Julian, who has a heart condition, out of a difficult school environment. He's tormented by anxieties, nightmares, Mom's severe overprotectiveness (somewhat offset by Joan's more relaxed parenting style), and especially by their deteriorating relationship with Pookie, who seems always to be angry these days. He manages to cope by immersing himself in his passion, astronomy. After a neighbor threatens to sue the family over an addition to their new house, Julian befriends the elderly, grieving white man, bereft after his wife's death. In return, "Mr. X" decides to help Julian overcome his paralyzing fear of swimming. Julian gently narrates this immersive tale, Erskine employing Julian's "uni-sensor" abilities (a quasi-magical, extrasensory connection with others) to reveal richly nuanced characters. It's only near the conclusion that he discloses just how extraordinary his bond with others can be. Julian's Facts and Random Thoughts ("FARTS," natch), represented as sidebars in his handwriting, add insight into the boy's psyche but also provide fascinating tidbits of trivia. A timeless and affecting, slightly paranormal exploration of familial attachments. (Fiction. 11-14)
