Month: November 2018

Dungeons & Dragons Endless Quest: Into the Jungle

Dungeons & Dragons Endless Quest: Into the JungleDungeons & Dragons: Into the Jungle: An Endless Quest Book by Matt Forbeck, Various
Published by Candlewick Press on August 7th 2018
ISBN: 153620241X
Pages: 128
Goodreads
three-stars

In a new series of choose-your-own-adventure-style books, Matt Forbeck writes the Endless Quest series that take middle school readers through actual Dungeons & Dragons content in an adventure filled quest. Into the Jungle follows a dwarven cleric charged with finding a legendary adventurer, Artus Cimber, and the Ring of Winter he carries. The reader, as the cleric, must find their way through a jungle, racing against frost giants and zombies to find their quarry before the jungle gets them… There are many twists and turns that lead to success or failure. This series of books is particularly good for kids who are already hooked on D&D, kids who love this style of book, or both. It may be an excellent way to introduce readers to Dungeons & Dragons if they haven’t heard of it before, or to get those who are into D&D reading more books. Purchase wherever either is popular.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library.

three-stars

My Fangtastically Evil Vampire Cat

My Fangtastically Evil Vampire CatSurvival of the Furriest: My Fangtastically Evil Vampire Pet by Mo O'Hara, Marek Jagucki
Published by Feiwel & Friends on March 6th 2018
ISBN: 1250128110
Goodreads
three-stars

A humorous spin-off of O’Hara’s My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series, My Fangtastically Evil Vampire Pet brings crossover characters Mark, Geeky Girl and Fang, the sneakiest and most treacherous kitten around, back for another misadventure.  Away at “Eco-Camp” (secretly “Evil Camp”) Mark is looking forward to an epic summer of wielding his evil genius and honing new skills with his best friend Sanj. Despite a strict no pets allowed policy, Mark brings Fang along. Mark expects to team up with Sanj to win the summer Certificate of Evil but that is when all his plans fall apart.  Sanj double crosses Mark and steals their Evil Plans Notebook while teaming up with another camper. Mark is left to work with Geeky Girl and despite constantly ignoring her ideas or not giving her credit for clever traps, Geeky Girl continues to save Mark and Fang from getting kicked out of camp. Mark soon realizes that best laid plans often go awry and that new friends can be found in the strangest of evil places.  An extremely funny middle grade story that will draw readers in with its hilarious cover and ridiculous plot.

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook

three-stars

Here Comes Trouble

Here Comes TroubleHere Comes Trouble by Kate Hattemer
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on May 1st 2018
ISBN: 1524718467
Pages: 320
Goodreads
five-stars

Soren Skaar is a master prankster.  His exploits in his Minnesota elementary school are legendary.  Soren is at the top of his game and then the unthinkable happens.  His partner-in-crime and best friend Alex moves away at the same time that Soren’s New York City-slicker cousin Flynn comes to live with Soren’s family for a year.  Completely adrift without Alex, Soren starts the school year in a funk, only made worse when Flynn becomes instantly well-liked and popular. Even Soren’s two-year old tyrant of a brother Ivan loves Flynn.  While video chatting with Alex and reliving past glories, Alex suggests that Soren find a new pranking partner. Soren’s neighbors and classmates, triplet girls, are quickly enlisted and the practical jokes are once again underway.  Mix in hilarious dialogue among the Skaar parents, Ivan the Terrible’s epic outbursts, Soren’s sassy sister Ruth and her min pig Jim Bob and a homicidal rooster named Martha and you have all the makings for a middle grade book full of humor and heart.  Through it all, Soren learns that pranking has its time and place and that sometimes playing it straight can be more rewarding than a roomful of laughs.

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook

five-stars

Inside the US Army

Inside the US ArmyInside the US Army by Jennifer Boothroyd
Published by Lerner Publications on August 1st 2017
ISBN: 1512433918
Pages: 24
Goodreads
three-stars

Part of a new series of high interest nonfiction by Lerner, Inside the US Army, offers glossy color pages with large font to explain the basics of joining up and working in the military.  The photography captures the action and intensity of life in the service though the brevity of pages keeps the details to a minimum.  Readers looking for more in-depth or personal accounts of soldiers will be left wanting. Written at a 2nd or 3rd grade level, upper elementary readers will also find this quick and appealing.  The books include a useful appendix to demonstrate the type of normal gear worn while in service, a history of the US Army and a glossary. A good addition to nonfiction collections in need of more variety and appeal for emergent and new English language learners as well as students with an interest in the military.  

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook

three-stars

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly was Invented

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly was InventedPass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented by Tanya Lee Stone, Steve Salerno
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on July 17th 2018
ISBN: 162779168X
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

What a crooked and complicated history for a beloved board game!  Pass Go and Collect $200 shares the remarkable and overlooked story of Lizzie Magie, the brainchild behind the mega-successful game.  In the early 1900s, Lizzie created the Landlord’s Game in an attempt to remind humanity of its better nature, that the rich don’t need to get richer off the backs of poor tenants.  She even received a US Patent for her idea, a rarity for a woman, which represented the first patent ever for a board game. Lizzie tried selling her game to Parker Brothers but was unceremoniously turned down.  Years later, the Landlord’s Game continued to grow in popularity. People made their own boards and pieces and one man, Charles Darrow, even started selling his version of the board (similar to the iconic board played on today).  He became so invested in his work that he came to believe that he was a legitimate inventor himself. When he approached Parker Brothers, the time was ripe to acquire the rights. In a double cross that Lizzie never saw coming, she accepted $500 from Parker Brothers who then gave full credit and millions to Charles Darrow.  Pass Go and Collect $200 is a colorfully illustrated book with a fascinating history. For younger children with a knowledge of Monopoly, this would make a fantastic read-aloud while elementary-aged readers will enjoy racing through each page to find out if Lizzie ends up winning the ultimate game. End pages with trivia, Monopoly Math and an Author’s Note are also not to be missed.  Great addition to any nonfiction collection.

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook

five-stars

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair ScareThe Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare (The Princess in Black #6) by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale
Series: Princess in Black
Published by Candlewick Press on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 0763688274
Pages: 96
Goodreads
five-stars

Another entertaining, action-packed offering from the team of Shannon and Dean Hale for your emerging readers, BOY OR GIRL! Princess Magnolia is off to her first Science Fair with her project in hand and, thanks to Goat Avenger, a day off from monster fighting. The other projects at the fair are impressive and well-executed, leaving Magnolia feeling a little rattled at the simplicity of her poster about how a seed grows. Luckily for her (?!), a goo monster has found a home in the project of Tommy Wigtower, a volcano that just won’t blow. Princess Magnolia realizes that when the monster does show itself, the crowd is going to need some help wrangling it, so she quickly ducks under a table, emerging seconds later as her alter-ego the Princess in Black. Princess Sneezewort does the same, appearing as the Princess in Blankets (introduced in book 5 “The Mysterious Playdate”). With some encouragement from the monster-fighting Princess duo, and some help from the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar, the monster is unleashed. Pham’s vibrant, expressive illustrations gleefully capture the exploding, gooey monster and the smash-and-crash action of the attempts to restrain it. Turns out, that monster is just looking for a home and what better place to escort it than the goat pasture? Filled with wonderful strong girls who capably get the job done and exciting action hero lingo, book six in the series does not disappoint. The message that girls excel at science and that there is always room to push yourself to do better next time (Magnolia’s poster becomes a snack for the maw of the goo monster before she can present it and she vows that next year, she will come up with an even better project) at the same time supporting other girls in their success is fantastic (Magnolia cheers the loudest for the winner of the Science Fair and her cleverly-designed project). With the promise of more princess superheroes on the last page, book seven will be eagerly anticipated!

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

The Cardboard Kingdom

The Cardboard KingdomThe Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell, Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, Barbara Perez Marquez
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 5th 2018
ISBN: 1524719374
Pages: 288
Goodreads
five-stars

Take the collective imaginations of a neighborhood full of kids, add cardboard, and you’ve got the perfect summer adventure. Sell started this middle grade graphic novel with the invention of the Sorceress and then invited other storytellers to create a character for the Kingdom, which they did with style. When Sell added the gorgeous, full-color illustrations filled with movement and power, the Kingdom vibrated to life. Through each character, issues of bullying, burgeoning romantic feelings, alienation, identity, cooperation, compromise, and friendship are deftly woven into this engaging book. The beauty of this GN is that it can be read over and over and each time more details and nuance emerge.  As readers reach the end of the book, they will feel empowered to connect to their creative spirit and perhaps to find other, like-minded people to share their vision. There is magic in putting oneself out there, in engaging in pure play, and in building a world where everyone can participate. This book will fly off the shelves on its own, but if it needs any help, recommend to readers of Raina Telgemeier, Jenny Holm, and Svetlana Chmakova.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

A Frog’s Life

Published by Holiday House four-stars

A stunningly illustrated nonfiction picture book,   A Frog’s Life will be perused, poured over, and quoted from by primary grade students.  Both the text and illustrations are accurate and attractive.  Young readers will be entertained by these amazing frogs as they learn many facts such as favorite food and habitats.   The text offers simple science that is presented in fact sections and story like paragraphs.  Endangered frogs are examined and the index list the species that have been rescued. This book provides written and visual content that takes readers through the entire life cycle of frogs.

Several light shaded background pages allow for dark or light colored illustrations.  Each frog stands out or reseeds into its environment as in nature.  The last two pages are a bonus as they share the challenges of climate change and its effect on frogs.  This is a scientific offering that will be appreciated in primary classrooms and on library shelves.  School and public librarians should consider this attractive and educational book for their collections.

 

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian

four-stars

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Dont’s

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Dont’sBug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Don'ts by E.S. Redmond
Published by Candlewick Press on January 2nd 2018
ISBN: 0763689351
Pages: 80
Goodreads
three-stars

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Don’ts is an early reader drenched in humor.  Over the period of just one day Bug finds himself in many unfortunate situations, some that get him sent to the Principle and others that place him in the time out chair at home.  Redmond describes a young man with attention difficulties who never intends to misbehave yet his impulses lead to negative behaviors. This character is well defined and surely identifiable within any school.

The font is large and the vocabulary is perfect for second and third graders. Certainly the illustrations will resonate with young readers.  Adults may fell however that the teacher and mother are drawn in a very unflattering manner.   This reader takes exception with the identification of spiders and worms as bugs.  In this age of STEM it seems that the scientific identification needs to be correct, even in a fiction book

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, Maine

three-stars

The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness

The Dam Keeper: World Without DarknessThe Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness by Robert Kondo, Dice Tsutsumi
Published by First Second on July 10th 2018
ISBN: 162672427X
Pages: 160
Goodreads
three-stars

This is the second book in The Dam Keeper series. The illustrations are full of deep vibrant colors on beautifully thick paper pages. Together the creators, Konodo and Tsutsumi, created an Oscar-nominated short of the first book in the series and together they now created the second book. The story picks up at the end of the first story and is full of action, adventure, and lessons about friendship and bravery as Pig, Fox, and Hippo try to reach Sunrise Valley before the deadly black fog returns. This book will appeal to readers who have read the first book or seen the animated short but would be confusing for anyone who did not know the first part of the story; however, just looking at the beautiful artwork might be enough for some. Recommended for Grade levels 2-5.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School 

three-stars