Month: February 2019

Lucky Little Things

Lucky Little ThingsLucky Little Things by Janice Erlbaum
on July 24th 2018
ISBN: 0374306524
Pages: 288
Goodreads
four-stars

Do you believe in luck? What if you received a mysterious note that told you your luck had changed for the better? Emma receives just such a note and $20 one morning. The note says ten lucky things will happen to her in the next 30 days, all she has to do is make a list of the things she wants to happen and keep it a secret. Emma could honestly use some luck, middle school is full of social anxieties between boys and mean girls and the recent death of her Aunt Jenny. Then her closest friend, Savvy, begins to hang out with the cool clique leaving Emma behind. Emma is not feeling so lucky until things that seemed unfortunate begin to turn and create new opportunities. This book is full of charm and caring characters. Readers will reflect on their own luck and contemplate their own role in creating opportunities for themselves. This is a solid choice for the Tween audience. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

four-stars

A Stitch In Time

A Stitch In TimeA Stitch in Time by Daphne Kalmar
on June 19th 2018
ISBN: 1250154987
Pages: 256
Goodreads
five-stars

Set in Vermont in 1927, Dorothy (aka Donut) never knew her mother and becomes an orphan at eleven when her father passes away. Her Aunt Agnes from Boston comes to take care of her, but Donut learns that her aunt plans to eventually bring her to Boston to live. Still grieving her father’s death, Donut cannot imagine life without her friends from her small Vermont town. Donut is feisty. She speaks her mind and acts on her impulses. She is Scout Finch from a different time. Before Aunt Agnes can pack her up for Boston, Donut runs away, but after a few close calls she returns home to a worried and grateful Aunt. The interesting imagery of taxidermy is woven throughout the story which adds a level of symbolism for readers to ponder. Overall, this a quiet novel of friendship, community, and family. It will transport readers away to a simpler time. This is a  great novel for a small group or classroom read! Recommended for grades 5 and up.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

five-stars

Anna and the Apocalypse

Anna and the ApocalypseAnna and the Apocalypse by Katharine Turner, Barry Waldo
Published by Imprint on October 23rd 2018
ISBN: 1250318807
Pages: 272
Goodreads
three-stars

In television shows, movies, and books the adolescent high school experience is often a metaphor for all the horrors and pain of life. In the cult favorite, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” high school was the literal entrance to hell. This book provides a similar take on that experience. Anna has just turned eighteen and wants nothing more than to leave town after graduation, but she and her father have different ideas about where she will go. She tries to survive the monotony and frustration of her last year of high school when one day people in her town start to become zombies. With the background of the Christmas season, Anna and her friends and classmates attempt to save the town. There is blood, violence, bad puns, and plenty of dark humor. Readers will be laughing out loud, but there are also enough scares for everyone to keep the lights on when reading late at night. In Anna and the Apocalypse, Katherine Turner with Barry Waldo create an entertaining scenario of the end of the world based on the screenplay of the zombie Christmas musical movie of the same name. Recommended for grades 10 and up. 

Reviewed by Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

three-stars

Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across

ISBN: 9781250195890
Pages: 176
three-stars

Mary Lambert is the songwriter behind Grammy-nominated single “Same Love.” In this collection of poetry, she focuses on sexual abuse, mental illness, and body image. Readers will appreciate Lambert’s honesty; her anger and vulnerability are alive in the verse. Like Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey, readers will find these words to be a mirror, giving voice to their inner-thoughts and experiences. Lambert does not hold back; the heavier subject matter makes this book is for mature readers. Recommended for grades 10 and up. 

Reviewed by Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

three-stars

Sex Plus

Sex PlusSex Plus: Learning, Loving, and Enjoying Your Body by Laci Green
Published by HarperCollins on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 0062560972
Pages: 528
Goodreads
four-stars

If you have questions, this book has answers! Laci Green, known for her Sex Plus series on YouTube, has been involved in advocacy and sex education work since high school. Knicknamed, the “millennial Dr. Ruth, “ Green is a certified domestic violence advocate and has worked for Planned Parenthood. This book covers it all in a healthy, nonjudgemental, sex-positive tone that will appeal to young adults. There are eighteen chapters with titles like “Clitical” Thinking, Gender Identity, Your Sexual Debut, Safer Sex, Consent and Communication, Relationshipping, and Dating Violence. Green points out many times that she is not a medical professional, however, the book was fact-checked by two doctors and an expert on human sexuality. Resources are listed for each section at the back of the book, as well as an index. Graph, illustrations, and bullet points are used to highlight information and make the text very friendly for teen readers. This is book would be a welcome addition to the 613 section of libraries serving teens. As Green says, “Knowledge is pleasure.” Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

four-stars

The Opposite of Innocent

The Opposite of InnocentThe Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones
Published by HarperTeen on September 4th 2018
ISBN: 0062370316
Pages: 272
Goodreads
two-stars

Lily is a fourteen-year-old who’s been “in love” with her parents’ friend, Luke, since she was a little girl.  He’s coming back from overseas to stay with them for a while after two years away, and she hopes that maybe he’ll be able to see her as a woman now and not a girl.  Luke (age 29) does seem to return her interest, and seemingly innocent flirting leads to kissing, which leads to way more than Lily bargained for.  Sones’s novel in verse walks us through Luke’s seduction of Lily from inappropriate teasing to emotional abuse to rape.  This all takes place right under her parents’ noses.  There’s another adult in her life who makes remarks that seem to indicate that she knows what’s going on, but she never reaches out to Lily to help or step in to stop it.

While the book does an excellent job of showcasing how an older man could manipulate a young girl, it does miss the mark in a major way.  Sones gets exactly right many of the trademarks of pedophiles and emotional abusers, as well as naïve and obsessed teens.  But where she chooses to end the book is when Lily finally realizes that she needs to get help.  It’s great that Lily finally has that moment of clarity that she needs to go to someone else for assistance, but the reader is left not seeing how she does it, or the journey that she has to take to get out of the relationship.

The book is being touted as important and timely to the “me too” conversation, but for it to have any meaning in that regard, it needs to show how Lily got strong and fought back, and we aren’t shown any of that.  We do get a brief author’s note at the end stating that what Luke does to Lily is wrong and that when Lily asks for help, it starts a chain of events that will lead to Luke getting arrested and receiving punishment he deserves, which frankly, seems incredibly naïve on the author’s part.  That’s the goal, of course, but not always the outcome.  She does also include abuse organizations should readers recognize themselves in Lily’s situation and need to reach out for help.

Overall, though the book means well, I don’t think it accomplishes its goal, and I worry that it could do more harm than good.  I do not recommend this book for purchase.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

two-stars

One Day a Dot

One Day a DotOne Day a Dot: The Story of You, the Universe, and Everything by Ian Lendler, Bradan Lamb, Shelli Paroline
Published by First Second on April 17th 2018
ISBN: 1626722447
Pages: 40
Goodreads
four-stars

    ‘Evolution or creation?’ for beginners! This book takes the reader along a chronological journey from the first day a dot appeared in space right to the present when “these amazing creatures (humans) could make anything and learn everything.” Although the book leans toward evolution, it leaves the reader with the specific question, “Where did that first dot come from?” which could open the door for creationism.

    Cartoonish illustrations with predominance of blue tones are within a black border. Easy to read font in contrasting black or white is usually placed against solid background but occasionally is a bit lost on a planet or ocean scene. Text has irregular placement around each page, so reader needs to look carefully to get every sentence.

    The language is youngster-friendly, and allows for much thought and discussion if read by or with an adult. No names of animals or specific processes. Instead the author describes survival: “Instead of Catch the Light, the game was now called Eat or Be Eaten.”

    Librarians may decide not to attach the jacket, as the cover shows a distinctly different image! Front endpaper is solid blue, but the back shows a timeline. However, every epoch is shown equally spaced rather than in proportion.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School Library, Old Town

four-stars

Ella & Monkey at Sea

Ella & Monkey at SeaElla and Monkey at Sea by Emilie Boon
Published by Candlewick Press (MA) on August 7th 2018
ISBN: 0763692336
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

Ella doesn’t like good-byes, or sailing across the sea, or playing with other children on the ship, and gets grumpier and grumpier, especially during a hurricane. The reader is never told that Ella is disgruntled, instead, we read about Monkey and his fears. Gradually Ella shows her feelings by saying, “Me too.”  We read how Ella calms him and sings lullabys to him and finally uses Monkey’s crayons to draw sunshine pictures to cheer everyone up.

    Soft, simple illustrations help calm the reader through this upsetting experience. Lots of white space keep the focus on Ella and Monkey. Text has many short, direct sentences; longer sentences are purposely broken into appropriate sections. End papers begin with a Dutch countryside and end with the city skyline.

   This book brings the European immigration experience to the youngest of readers in a gentle, compassionate way. The time frame is vague, but it has an mid 1900’s feel to it. Buy this book for the immigration lesson if you have a need, but definitely buy it it as a wonderful, reassuring story showing ways children deal with fears and anxieties through their beloved favorite stuffed animals, regardless of where they are traveling or what they are doing.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School Library, Old Town

five-stars

Night Job

Night JobNight Job by Karen Hesse, G. Brian Karas
Published by Candlewick Press (MA) on September 11th 2018
ISBN: 0763662380
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

What better way to spend the night than with one’s dad at work! The strong father-son bond is felt during an ordinary experience that feels special as told by a boy. His father is a school janitor. They live in a small apartment. But they seem to make the best of it: they have each other and they have dreams.

    Soft, somewhat simple illustrations with lots of appropriate grayscales and shading for the night setting. Some double page spreads, some half-page panels framed by white thick borders that hold the text. Even though the father doesn’t speak, we feel he is glad to have his son with him.

    Great for discussing figurative language, first-personal narratives, but even better for providing youngsters an opportunity to think about everyday experiences that become special just because they got to spend time with an adult. This is also an excellent example of how some families have unusual routines.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School Library, Old Town

five-stars

Who Invented the Light Bulb?: Edison vs. Swan

Who Invented the Light Bulb?: Edison vs. SwanWho Invented the Light Bulb?: Edison vs. Swan by Susan E. Hamen
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on January 1st 2018
ISBN: 1512483214
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

    What are patents? Why are they important? What if someone in another country creates almost the same invention at the same time? These and other questions about inventions in general underlie this volume in the “Alternator Books” series. Readers are encouraged to think beyond basic facts to compare and contrast information and inventors in another way.

    The cover with its bright yellow text and facial photos of Edison and Swan set atop bodies preparing for a boxing match draw the reader’s attention to open this book and find out who won.

    Just the right amount of text for middle and upper elementary readers. Lots of photographs, drawings, fact boxes in a clear layout. Source notes, glossary, timeline, index and “Further Information” make this a solid non-fiction presentation. It’s unique format of “vs.” makes it a standout in the new wave of STEM books.

    Some of the explanations are simplified (such as vacuum pumps), and may be inadequate for advanced middle school students, but this is a great read for entertainment, or as an introduction to these inventors and the process of inventing.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School Library, Old Town

five-stars