Perry Kirkpatrick

The Nazi army has swarmed into France. Twelve-year-old Marie isn't aware at first of her pianist father's real role in the war, but now she must help him sneak intelligence past their country's invaders in The Art Contest by author Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick.

I appreciate stories that illustrate how sharp-witted and courageous humanity can be in dangerous times, and I really enjoyed this. It's a quick (but not rushed) read that conveys the gravity of a wartime situation but isn't super dark. show more And the perspective that goes into Marie's decision is nicely realized.

This is one of those stories I'd say is good for readers of any age. I know people sometimes think of short reads as "too little," but I'd say this is a great example of how I think of well-written short stories: just enough. show less

A certain tabby cat, currently a test subject at Caput Laboratories, has discovered she can read. Because she wants to be freed from the lab to go live a real cat life, and her initial plan horribly backfires, she'll need to attempt... The Great Lab Escape by author Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick.

Because I didn't come to this short story prequel with no knowledge whatsoever of The Kitten Files mystery series, not everything here was a complete surprise to me.

Nevertheless, I still found this show more quick read to be clever, exciting, a little heart-tugging, and even pretty adorable. And that's saying something coming from a dog fan who's never really been that into cats.

This is the kind of tale that can appeal to young and old, if you've got a taste for wholesome, imaginative adventure. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series. show less

Reading this gave me a feeling much like I had while watching the beginning of the original Planet of the Apes. (Not that this short story has apes in it, or anything.) I started to "feel it" in the last third of the story, and it's a pretty intriguing setup for more.

An allegory for the misfit artists, is it?

This quick, almost ethereal read was just the kind of lift this misfit creative needed today. A dose of "keep going" to keep me going.