Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Boring
This was fine? I decided to read the ARC because Kirkus commented that it had some stereotypical depictions of characters of color, and I wanted to get a sense for myself before buying it. I'll agree that Mrs. Wahid in particular is a bit of a stereotype (ooooh she's from Indonesia and knows a near-magical amount about spices...) but nothing was so egregious as to put me off from reading it or purchasing it for the collection. This is definitely one with a strong sense of whimsy but no actual magic. The riddles were fun but they did start to drag after a bit. The pacing was a bit weird as well, where the first couple of weeks in Brooklyn are 90% of the book and then there's a whole second set of riddles that get solved but are just a short flashback. The whole "the plants taught me to grow roots" thing was pretty on the nose, even for middle grade. Still, I think the overall story is quirky and captivating enough that it will entertain kids and maybe even inspire them to learn some more about plants themselves.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A sweet middle grade read exploring friendship, nature and the benefits of adventure.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was not at all the book I was expecting to read but in a very delightful way! I was expecting Funke’s immersive magical worlds, but I stepped into a a gentle, whimsical story of real life magic.
When Caspia and her family venture to Brooklyn from Maine for their summer holiday so her dad can take a big construction job, Caspia is less than pleased to be leaving her friends and home. But then she finds a bundle of letters in the apartment they’re staying in between two sisters - letters giving one sister green riddles of plants that the other has to guess and embroider her response. Caspia sets about solving all the riddles, and through this journey meets loads of friends and starts to grow roots in Brooklyn.
This is a gentle coming of age story with a touch of mystery about adventure, history, changing friendships, first crushes, and lots of plant facts!
While the language/structure doesn’t push too much, I do place this at the upper end of middle grade solely on those “first romantic feelings” discussions, which are all very innocent and well handled.
I think this is a lovely story for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Nadine Jassat.
When Caspia and her family venture to Brooklyn from Maine for their summer holiday so her dad can take a big construction job, Caspia is less than pleased to be leaving her friends and home. But then she finds a bundle of letters in the apartment they’re staying in between two sisters - letters giving one sister green riddles of plants that the other has to guess and embroider her response. Caspia sets about solving all the riddles, and through this journey meets loads of friends and starts to grow roots in Brooklyn.
This is a gentle coming of age story with a touch of mystery about adventure, history, changing friendships, first crushes, and lots of plant facts!
While the language/structure doesn’t push too much, I do place this at the upper end of middle grade solely on those “first romantic feelings” discussions, which are all very innocent and well handled.
I think this is a lovely story for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Nadine Jassat.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This summer, twelve-year-old Caspia Turkel is spending eleven weeks in Brooklyn with her parents. A far cry from the rural Maine town in which Caspia has lived all her life, Brooklyn is intimidating with all its people, noises, and sights. On the first day in their temporary home, Caspia discovers a stack of letters from 1958, and each one holds a clue about a specific plant or flower. As Caspia works to solve the riddles from the letters, she is taken on adventures around her new city, exploring all the beauty and richness it has to offer and meeting friends along the way. This charming middle grade story is accessible both in its storytelling style and in the strategic use of imagery throughout the narrative. The plot is guided by the letters Caspia has uncovered, which serve as guideposts and stand out from the rest of the text, appearing as illustrations of letters amidst the traditional chapter designs. Additional images are interspersed within the novel, as well, offering readers a way to visualize Caspia’s experiences while also providing a visual respite from the text. Though the plot of Caspia’s faunal research is the primary focus of the novel, readers will appreciate the transformation Caspia undergoes in the process, becoming increasingly more confident in a place where she initially feels incongruous. Filled with engaging writing, memorable characters, and an interactive premise, this is a delightful addition to library collections for newly independent middle grade readers.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Thank you to DK Children and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
When I first saw the cover, the title and the name of Cornelia Funke I immediately assumed this was going to be a fantasy middle grade. Well it is a middle grade but a fantasy it is not. That however doesn't change that this is still a splendid book for kids.
Caspia is not going to be spending her summer the way that she wants to. With her friends in her little town, eating ice cream. What is she even suppose to do in a big city like New York? She feels like it might eat her alive. But when she finds a bundle of letters in the appartment that they are renting, a mystery starts that sends her through all the corners of Brooklyn.
This is just a very cute story about a young girl who gets uprooted out of her comfort. Her focus on the riddles and her curiousity makes her forget that she initially isn't comfortable. That way she makes some friends. She learns that you can put down root in more places than just one.
It will also perhaps make some kids curious about all the different plants and their historical applications as the riddles shared a lot about those kind of things. It certainly made Caspia interested. She even made her own window-sill garden.
I liked that her parents weren't non-existant in this story. They weren't constantly there, she was old enough to go out by herself. But they were apart of her life. They knew that she was out making new friends and being interested in plants. Her mom even went along to figure out if she could make a recipe with every plant that Caspia found.
Overal a fun middle grade story.