Month: February 2020

The other, better me

The other, better meThe Other, Better Me by Antony John
Published by HarperCollins on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062835653
Pages: 272
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Lola has never known her father, but her mother has always been there for her. Her mom’s health declines, and Lola starts to feel the urge to find her father. A school writing assignment gives her the opportunity to do just that. How will this affect her, her mother, and their family? This is a short book, but it covers so many important topics — parental abandonment, econimic inequity, bullying, friendship, illness, death, and so much more. Despite the length of the book, it covers all these topics well and with grace. This book will appeal to many readers because there are so many opportunities for kids to relate. This is an excellent book for 4th-6th grade readers, and I’m recommending it for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Emmy in the key of code

Emmy in the key of codeEmmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido
Published by Versify on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 0358040825
Pages: 416
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Emmy is at a new school, and she’s trying to find her way. Both her parents are musicians, but she just doens’t love music the way they do. She does, however, find the music in math and computer science she’s started studying in school. Navigating new friendships, difficult bullies, and a love for a new subject, Emmy finds acceptance and friendship where she didn’t expect it. A combination of poetry, code, prose, and music, this is a fun and quick read that will appeal to many. Hand this to reluctact readers as the short amounts of text on some pages may make it feel like an easier read. Best for 4th-6th grade students, this is a great introduction to coding while simultaneously being an entertaining read.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Stardust

StardustStardust by Briony May Smith, Jeanne Willis
Published by Nosy Crow on February 12, 2019
ISBN: 1536202657
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

A little girl dreams of being a star, but she always seems to take the back seat to her older sister. No matter what she does or how hard she tries, her sister always seems to do it better and get all the attention. Her grandfather tells her a story about how the stars were made and how each star shines in its own way. This book attempts to encourage kids to be themselves and do what makes them shine. It just misses the mark. The story rambled too much, and the end is confusing, abrupt, and just doesn’t quite work. This book would be best for PreK-2 grade and would be best shared one-on-one.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

I knew you could do it

I knew you could do itI Knew You Could Do It! by Nancy Tillman
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 15, 2019
ISBN: 1250113776
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

This is a typical Nancy Tillman style book — whimsical, magical, colorful, vibrant illustrations combined with rhyming text designed to build up young children. The rhyming in this one felt pretty forced, however, and it just didn’t move me like I wanted it to. I was really hoping for a book to recommend to parents to help with kids’ confidence, and it just falls a little flat on that front. The illustrations are the best part of this book. There are several nods to classic fairy tales and fairy tale characters, and the colors are brilliant and crisp. This book would be best for PreK-2 grade and is best for one-on-one sharing.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

A fox found a box

A fox found a boxA Fox Found a Box by Ged Adamson
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 1984830538
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

One day, Fox found a box — only his box is actually a radio. Every day, Fox and his forest friends danced to the music from the box. One day, the box stopped singing. It was only then that the animals really began to listen to the music all around them in the forest.

This book has a good message about music appreciation, and it opens up opportunities for discussions about how music is everywhere.The colorful, simple watercolor illustrations support the story well and don’t distract from the overall message. This book would be best for Pre K – 1st grade, and would be a great read aloud. It would make a wonderful story time where you then make music with ordinary objects.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Raj and the best day ever

Raj and the best day everRaj and the Best Day Ever by Sebastien Braun
Published by Templar Books on April 9, 2019
ISBN: 1536205702
Pages: 34
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Raj and his dad are planning what’s sure to be the best day ever — a trip to the library, to the farm, the art gallery, a café, and finally a bus ride home. When they go to check out their library books, his dad realizes he’s forgotten his wallet. Raj is sure the day is doomed, but rather than letting this (and the now pouring rain) ruin their day, he and his dad get creative.

This book is a really great exploration of all the fun things you can do without spending money. I love the creativity that both Raj and his dad show in the ways that they check things off their list — making their own art at the park instead of going to look at pictures in a gallery, for example. The illustrations are brightly colored and very detailed. It’s the sort of book where you may discover some new witty illustration with each subsequent reading. I also love that the entire story is Raj and his father — it’s not as common as mother/child stories so it’s a refreshing and inclusive change. This book would be best for Pre-K – 1st grade and could be a good read aloud with an older group.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Where’s the astronaut?

Where’s the astronaut?Where's the Astronaut? by Ingela P. Arrhenius, Nosy Crow
Published by Nosy Crow on May 14, 2019
ISBN: 1536207527
Pages: 10
Format: Board Book
Goodreads
four-stars

Where’s the engineer? Here she is! Where’s the astronaut? Here he is! This simple board book will be loved by many babies and could be used as well for early readers. There’s gender and racial diversity in the people, and the animals and aliens aren’t immediately assigned a gender. The flaps are felt rather than the usual paper so they may hold up over time a bit better. The colorful illustrations paired with the brightly colored felt flaps will help to keep babies engaged while providing different textures as well. Definitely recommend this for anyone with a child who’s in the phase of flaps and exploring with touch.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Thurgood

ThurgoodThurgood by Bryan Collier, Jonah Winter
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on September 3, 2019
ISBN: 1524765341
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Winter and Collier join together for a biography of one of the greatest lawyers in recent history, Thurgood Marshall. From an early age, Marshall honed an ability to argue through discussions with his father who asked for evidence to back up his claims and his high school debate career. As a lawyer, Marshall is responsible for many of the civil rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s. Winter doesn’t hesitate to show that Marshall put his life on the line for these victories. Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations illuminate the different parts of Marshall’s life and often show movement. A back page gives a bit longer overview of Marshall’s life.

Reviewed by Samantha Cote, Windham Public Library, Windham

five-stars

Fairy Science

Fairy ScienceFairy Science by Ashley Spires
Published by Tundra Books (NY) on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 0735264252
Pages: 40
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Esther believes in the scientific method. All the other fairies believe in magic. Though Esther tries to show them the things she discovered through science, they still resolutely believe in magic. When a tree is wilting, can Esther show them how to really fix it?

Part of me felt like the book came down really harshly on believing in magic. However, in a day when people believe facts are optional, maybe in some ways we do have to come down harshly on what truth is. Additionally, how many fairy STEM books do you have? Especially with such cute fairies that have different shades of skin.

Reviewed by Samantha Cote, Windham Public Library, Windham

four-stars

Llama Destroys the World

Llama Destroys the WorldLlama Destroys the World by Heather Fox, Jonathan Stutzman
Published by Henry Holt & Company on May 7, 2019
ISBN: 1250303176
Pages: 40
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Llama Destroys the World is about a llama who overindulges in cake one day. This leads to his pants being too small, although he forces them on anyway, and when they rip, they create a black hole that sucks the universe through it. This, to me, sounds like a fat joke expanded into picture book form. The illustrations are colorful and simple. The llama doesn’t talk much beyond a few phrases such as “I am Llama!”  This book doesn’t deliver on its delightful title, although I must be in the minority, as the publisher has ordered a sequel.

Reviewed by Samantha Cote, Windham Public Library, Windham