FINISHED: 
Martin, Ann M., and Laura Godwin. (2014). The Doll people set sail. New York: Disney/Hyperion.

[Review for ACL forthcoming...

And here it is:

The Palmer family is renovating their bedrooms while they are out of town, so all of the girls’ dolls are boxed up for safe storage… but the family also happens to be putting stuff into boxes that will be shipped overseas to an international charity.  It should come as no surprise that the box marked “ATTIC” with the dolls in it gets mistaken for one that should get shipped to the Allied Transatlantic Charities (or “ATC”, as is written on the boxes), and the dolls soon find themselves aboard a cargo ship.  Taking place just a few weeks after the events of their last adventure (The Runaway Dolls, Hyperion, 2008), which is briefly summed up at the beginning, the body of this installment involves the dolls setting out on search parties to find others who fell out of their box as it was being loaded onto the boat.  Plodding at times, with a few more dolls added to mix who really don’t add anything or have much to do (including Johnny-On-the-Spot who looks suspiciously like Woody from the Toy Story films [Disney/Pixar], and some mermaids and mermen who are desperate to “return to the sea”… even though they are plastic dolls…), this fourth installment in the Doll People series feels a bit thin with storylines that come across as forced.  A bright spot, however, is the fact that Brett Helquist has taken over the illustration duties from Brian Selznick, with Helquist adding a touch more texture which gives everything more depth.  Not the best in the series, but those who are invested will find something to enjoy here with characters that they have come to know and love.]

STARTED:
Balliett, Blue. (2015). Pieces and players. New York: Scholastic.

[This may be the end of this blog for the next year...  Newbery Committee rules stipulate that I can't review anything publicly that may be considered for the award.  I'll get clarification...]


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