Juniper Berry

by M. P. Kozlowsky, Erwin Madrid (Illustrator)

Overview

Be careful what you wish for.

Young Juniper Berry knows her mother and father aren't the same people they used to be. Of course, they're no longer struggling actors—they're now the most famous movie stars in the world. But it's more than that. She can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right with them. And one rainy night, in the shadowy and sinister woods behind their mansion, she discovers she's right.

Now, it's up to Juniper to overcome her own demons in order to save the ones who couldn't.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061998706
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	227
Sales rank:	793,525
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

M. P. Kozlowsky is the author of Juniper Berry. A former schoolteacher, he lives in New York with his wife and two daughters.

Editorial Reviews

In a story at once harrowing and touching, Kozlowsky enlivens the narrative with a deft hand, melding imagery that recalls the work of Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, and Hans Christian Andersen...This compelling read promises to draw reluctant and avid readers alike. — ALA Booklist

The quirky plot (who knew brightly colored balloons could represent such dire consequences?) is nicely accented with a slightly out-of-time feel...Kozlowsky wisely builds toward a rich and complex climax worth these often-splendid characters. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

In a story at once harrowing and touching, Kozlowsky enlivens the narrative with a deft hand, melding imagery that recalls the work of Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, and Hans Christian Andersen...This compelling read promises to draw reluctant and avid readers alike.

ALA Booklist

The quirky plot (who knew brightly colored balloons could represent such dire consequences?) is nicely accented with a slightly out-of-time feel...Kozlowsky wisely builds toward a rich and complex climax worth these often-splendid characters.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

The quirky plot (who knew brightly colored balloons could represent such dire consequences?) is nicely accented with a slightly out-of-time feel...Kozlowsky wisely builds toward a rich and complex climax worth these often-splendid characters.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Kozlowsky's debut novel is a murky mix of family drama, horror fantasy, and inspirational tale. Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry once had a cozy, love-filled life with her struggling actor parents but, with their ascent to stardom, they have become cold and zombielike, leaving Juniper lonely and confused. Intelligent, thoughtful, and ever optimistic about winning back their love and attention, Juniper spends the first third of the book trying to understand what has changed her parents—readers will quickly pick up ominous hints that there is something otherworldly about the celebrity Berrys ("Mrs. Berry's teeth were bared, her nostrils flared, and her eyes were dark")—and the balance combating the evil yet enticing forces that have overtaken them. She soon gains a sidekick, equally lonely Giles, whose parents have succumbed to the same power. Although filled with requisite horror elements—thick forest, sinister tree, screeching raven, terrifying/tantalizing underworld lord—the novel fails to inspire page-turning terror. Despite her emotional and ethical struggles, Juniper remains a flat character, making it difficult for readers to care deeply about her fate. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

The quirky plot (who knew brightly colored balloons could represent such dire consequences?) is nicely accented with a slightly out-of-time feel...Kozlowsky wisely builds toward a rich and complex climax worth these often-splendid characters.

The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

Gr 4–6—Juniper Berry misses the days when her parents were less famous. They have become two of the most recognizable actors in the world, and the 11-year-old rattles around their mansion with only her dog for company. Even when her mother and father are home, they are too preoccupied to act out the plays that she writes for them. When Juniper meets a boy wandering around the grounds, he tells her he has noticed a similar withdrawal in his parents and believes the adults' strange behavior is linked to a mysterious tree on Juniper's property. As she and Giles explore the tree more thoroughly, they find a hole in its base and a staircase. They discover an underground lair that is the home of Skeksyl, a shadowy creature that trades in special balloons. Those who agree to breathe into one will have their innermost desires fulfilled. As the children are drawn deeper into the eerie world, they realize that their parents have fallen victim to Skeksyl's temptations and must find a way to reclaim their souls and restore the unity that their families once enjoyed. While Kozlowsky's imagined world is an original one, readers are never truly drawn in as events unfold, and even the main characters come across as flat and unappealing. Lyn Gardner's Into the Woods (Random, 2007) and N. D. Wilson's "100 Cupboards" trilogy (Random) are better choices for fantasy lovers who enjoy themes of the importance of family. Full-page, atmospheric illustrations appear throughout.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

School Library Journal