The Guinevere Deception

The Guinevere DeceptionThe Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White
Published by Delacorte Press on November 5, 2019
ISBN: 0525581685
Pages: 352
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

 

A Young Adult spin on the Arthurian legend. This book has received a lot of recognition from the Young Adult book community as of late. It may be because of this, that I was a little disappointed. Having the story be about Guinevere instead of Arthur was a nice change of pace, and I thought it was a great twist to turn Lancelot into a strong female character. The main love story between Guinevere and Arthur is just starting out in this book but you can tell the author will continue to grow that connection.  Unfortunately Lancelot isn’t introduced till the last 1/3 of the book, despite this, the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot has already set its hooks in me. I have no idea where the two of them will end up but I’m excited to find out. The writing style is unpretentious and flows well. Because of this I would recommend it for Young Adults ages 14-19 who struggle with reading.

three-stars

I, Cosmo

I, CosmoI, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak
Published by Walker Books UsS on December 24, 2019
ISBN: 1536207691
Pages: 192
Genres: Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

The dog doesn’t die! Unlike a lot of books that kill the animal in the end this one does not do that. Thank god! Told from the dog’s point of view this book explores the relationship between family members during a particularly trying year. At times some of the situations described can make one uncomfortable if only because they are achingly familiar to many of us. This book would be a great addition to any 5-8 grade classroom especially for children who are dealing with difficult situations at home.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

three-stars

The Burning Queen

The Burning QueenThe Burning Queen by Kathryn Lasky
Published by HarperCollins on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 0062693301
Pages: 336
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

Book two of this series falls prey to the curse of the dreaded sequel. This installment again focuses on our main character Rose as she travels between present day Indianapolis and 1553 Tudor England. What was bearable and somewhat cute in the first book becomes hard to bear in the second. The repetitive use of the phrase “you have such a way with words Rose” to address the fact that Rose is not blending into the historical time period and that people are noticing really starts to shock you out of the story. Though this book does do a great job of having inclusive characters and focusing on the relationship between peers I would skip adding it to a collection unless the first in the series circulated well.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

two-stars

The Big Book Adventure

The Big Book AdventureThe Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, Tim Warnes
Published by Silver Dolphin Books on September 4, 2018
ISBN: 168412378X
Pages: 32
Genres: Adventure
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Two friends, a pig and a fox, share their adventures they encounter in books at a Book Club in the root of an old tree. The most fun about this book is identifying the books by the illustrations in their described adventure. Some are quite easy to identify – Alice in Wonderland, Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan – while others are not so identifiable (at least to me). I was disappointed that the library was not featured as a source for their adventures, although the sharing of each others books was featured so they could share their adventures at the end.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

four-stars

16 Words: William Carlos Williams & “The Red Wheelbarrow”

16 Words: William Carlos Williams & “The Red Wheelbarrow”16 Words: William Carlos Williams and "The Red Wheelbarrow" by Chuck Groenink, Lisa Jean Rogers
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 152472016X
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The book will appeal to fans of Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet. It is a sparse biography about Dr. William Carlos Williams who created a new kind of poetry. He used ordinary words and images and did not follow rhythmic patterns. They didn’t even rhyme! It has lovely lush illustrations of the ordinary things Williams writes poems about. Fun to learn the back story about “the red wheelbarrow” and more information about an extraordinary man who wrote poems about ordinary things. I doubt kids will find it unless shared by their teachers.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

five-stars

Mine, Mine, Mine said the Porcupine

Mine, Mine, Mine said the PorcupineMine, Mine, Mine Said the Porcupine by Alex English, Emma Levey
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on January 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541541731
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
one-star

Tells the story of a porcupine who learns to share. Why a porcupine? Only because it rhymes with “mine” as far as I can tell. What kid is going to say, “Shall we play with this?” There are much better early readers and books about sharing.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

one-star

Princess Diana

Princess DianaPocket Bios: Princess Diana by Al Berenger
Published by Roaring Brook Press on July 16, 2019
ISBN: 1250168902
Pages: 32
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
one-star

A book from The Pocket Bios series. I am not sure kids still care about Princess Diana, and if they do, there are much better biographies. I am not a fan of the illustrations which make Diana appear slightly demented. The information is written at a much higher level than one would expect from the book’s format. The information is mostly factual, if a bit subjective.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

one-star

25 Fun Things to Do For Your Neighbors

25 Fun Things to Do For Your Neighbors25 Fun Things to Do for Your Neighbors by Eva Sassin, Paul Mason
Published by Hungry Tomato (R) on January 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541501365
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Some ideas to get readers thinking about others in their community Most ideas are traditional neighborly acts, such as wash a neighbor’s car, walk a dog, organize a block party, and clean up trash. Others are more creative, such as compare childhoods, offer library visits, and oil someone’s bike chain. Ideas 21-25 are grouped on one page, which is a shame because I thought they were some of the most productive ideas. Over all, fun ideas to get kids thinking about doing for others, and one of the most important of all – smile!

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

three-stars

Hack Your Backyard

Hack Your BackyardHack Your Backyard: Discover a World of Outside Fun with Science Buddies (R) by Niki Ahrens
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on January 1, 2019
ISBN: 154153915X
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Science experiments to do in your backyard, such as make your own compass, learn to tell the temperature from crickets, count the stars, and different color pigments that make up plants. Simple instructions and clear photos. QR codes lead to supplemental content. This book was created in partnership with Science Buddies, an organization focused on fostering STEM discovery through hands-on explorations.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

four-stars

The Miraculous

The MiraculousThe Miraculous by Jess Redman
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on July 30, 2019
ISBN: 0374309744
Pages: 320
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Twelve-year old Wunder Ellis became a “miraclologist” when he was five years old. He  documents the miracles he sees in the world in his journal. When his infant sister passes away, Wunder stops looking for miracles. With the help of his friend Faye and a strange old woman in town, Wunder will believe in miracles again. This fantasy story about loss and grief will strike a chord with some middle grade readers. However, the theme comes across in a heavy-handed manner and the pacing is slow at times.  (Grades 4-6)three-stars

Cathy Potter, Falmouth Middle School, Falmouth, ME