Month: February 2020

Truckus Maximus

Truckus MaximusTruckus Maximus by José Garcia, Scott Peterson
Published by First Second on October 15, 2019
ISBN: 1596438142
Pages: 288
Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

Alternate history setting, the Roman Empire is alive and well and instead of having the gladiators in the arena, there is high-octane auto racing. Truckus Maximus is only a few races away from winning his freedom and that of his team mates, but with ever changing race rules , hazards and the Empire making the calls, he and everyone on team Apollo are on edge.

Illustrations are sketched, inked, colored and lettered in Photoshop, which are anime inspired. They are bold and eye catching and stay along the theme of the text. Action packed and fast paced, fans of anime, racing and Roman history will find this graphic novel exciting.

Recommended for grades 8 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

five-stars

Unpregnant

UnpregnantUnpregnant by Jenni Hendriks, Ted Caplan
Published by HarperTeen on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 0062876244
Pages: 320
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

What do you do when the pregnancy test comes back positive, the school weirdo is the one that knows your secret and to top it off, Kevin, the wonderful boyfriend, already suspected that you were pregnant, because he put holes in the condom for what reason — he didn’t want her to go to Brown in the fall!!

All of thing leads into a hilarious road to trip from Missouri to New Mexico, where Veronica can get an abortion and be back before her parents are any wiser and Bailey, she justs wants to Roswell. This novel wonderfully brings up topics that are difficult with a sense of humor and the respect of individual rights. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford high School, Biddeford.

 

Cream of the Crop

 

five-stars

Samuel Morse, That’s Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code

Samuel Morse, That’s Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse CodeSamuel Morse, That's Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code by El Primo Ramon, Tracy Nelson Maurer
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on June 25, 2019
ISBN: 1627791302
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Samuel Morse is most often associated as being the inventor of the Morse code.  However, this biography shares with us how much more he accomplished. His first forays into inventing were failures, so he turned to his other love: art.  During his time in Europe, he noticed the telegraph system in France and spent his return voyage sketching out his own telegraph system. Early versions were not successful, but he finally got a working device.  Not only did he invent the code, but he created the means for it to be used as a communication tool. This book is a very approachable tale of this story, which makes connections to current day. Back matter includes a timeline of Morse’s life, additional facts, a bibliography, and an author’s note.  Recommended for ages 5-8.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

four-stars