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Coman, Carolyn
4 Reviews
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Rob Shepperson.
With a mix of words and pictures à la Selznick's Invention of Hugo Cabret, the book follows heartbroken Hope as she searches for her little sister, abandoned by their neglectful parents. Although the premise is gripping (and the bookmaking gorgeous), the story reads a bit like imitation Dahl, and begins to bog down as it becomes both more fantastic and more didactic.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Rob Shepperson.
This sequel to The Big House finds Ivy and little brother Ray heading out on a summer road trip to Florida with their dubiously reformed swindler parents; their father plans to present a recently discovered, possibly fake ruby to a distant relative. Though slow to get going, the good-natured mystery has plenty of puzzling elements for readers to sort through.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Rob Shepperson.
While their parents begin a twenty-five-year sentence for embezzling from a children's charity, Ivy and Ray try to make the best of their comically gloomy situation when they are ordered by the judge to live with the charity's highly unpleasant founders. The arch gothic mystery is illustrated with inviting black-and-white art.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2005
(2)
YA
Berry's bitterness toward her dad has her pushing him away, even when she doesn't want to. On a trip to South Africa to attend a memorial ceremony for her murdered older sister, Berry and her dad are unable to comfort each other in this painful situation, and simple conversations turn into minefields. Most affecting is the dead-on portrayal of someone watching herself stuck in a pattern of behavior she abhors.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2001
4 reviews
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