Month: September 2021

Sisters of the Snake

Sisters of the SnakeSisters of the Snake by Sarena Nanua, Sasha Nanua
Published by HarperTeen on June 15, 2021
ISBN: 0062985590
Pages: 512
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

“Sisters of the Snake” by Sarena and Sasha Nanua (twin sisters) is a loose fantasy retelling of “The Prince and the Pauper” with two identical twins, Ria and Rani, separated at birth. Rani grows up in the palace as the princess while Ria lived in an orphanage and now survives life on the streets. The rulers of this land are snake speakers and have the magical ability to speak to snakes and share thoughts with a snake familiar. There were other magics in the past, but those have seemingly disappeared. Ria and Rani unexpectedly meet, switch places, and both discover secrets about themselves and their society.

A young adult fantasy adventure based in Indian culture, readers will enjoy this book for its themes of finding oneself and defying fate. The chapters switch between the two sisters’ viewpoints and is done very well; you can definitely tell that each sister is a distinct and separate person. The story seems a little slow at first and I wish that the magical history of the land was explained more, but this book is clearly set up for a sequel so hopefully this will be addressed in the future. For ages 12-17, this book is recommended for Young Adult collections where fantasy is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

three-stars

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo: The Battle of the Bards

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo: The Battle of the BardsRickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo Book 3: The Battle of the Bards by Ben Costa, James Parks
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on April 27, 2021
ISBN: 0399556206
Pages: 256
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

I have to admit: I was a little lost with what was going on in this graphic novel as it’s the third in a series and I have yet to read the first two. I got the sense that there was a lot of back story that would have been helpful but, to its credit, it was fun to read anyway! Rickety Stitch is a skeleton with a lovely singing voice who travels with a tiny glob of gelatin named Goo (my favorite character). In this book, they’ve teamed up with a group of actors and musicians and will be competing in the Battle of the Bards. Evil forces have other plans, though, and an unlikely cast of characters must work together to defeat them. This series is popular and is a good choice for middle and high schoolers.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski. Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

A Donkey Called Mistletoe

A Donkey Called MistletoeA Donkey Called Mistletoe (Jasmine Green #10) by Ellie Snowdon, Helen Peters
Published by Walker Books US on September 14, 2021
ISBN: 1536222453
Pages: 160
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

A Donkey Called Mistletoe

 

When the donkey, Mistletoe’s, owner must go into an assisted living facility our young heroine, Jasmine, volunteers to add Mistletoe to her menagerie.  This is another in the Jasmine Green Rescues series and Jasmine continues to take excellent care of her animals as readers learn the proper way to care for a donkey.  But actually letting a donkey into a health facility seems a bit strange.  Another thing that annoys me is using the expression “me and —” when the rest of the text is in proper English.  There are excellent illustrations which add to the text.  Animal-loving children will enjoy this series.  There is also a quiz at the end to see how much knowledge has been retained.  This is a fine series, but it’s not Cream worthy.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

Ducks Overboard!

Ducks Overboard!Ducks Overboard!: A True Story of Plastic in Our Oceans by Markus Motum
Published by Candlewick Press on September 28, 2021
ISBN: 1536217727
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

Ducks Overboard!

 

In 1992 a container ship filled with plastic bath toys was buffeted by waves and lost at sea.  This added to what was already a horrific problem of plastic waste.  In Markus Motum’s picture book a little lost yellow duck describes what he sees:  sea turtles stuck in fishing nets, a route that goes to Japan, Hawaii, South America, and the United States, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is approximately twice the size of Texas!  But, in the end there is hope with beach cleanup days and petitions to sign.  This book sheds a light on the problem of single-use plastic waste and how this problem must be attacked.  The illustrations are excellent.  What did concern me was that while many of the words are regular picture book size there are other informational words which are tiny and not very easy to read.  It is a book with a strong message.

 

Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

Sakamoto’s Swim Club

Sakamoto’s Swim ClubSakamoto's Swim Club: How a Teacher Led an Unlikely Team to Victory by Chris Sasaki, Julie Abery
Published by Kids Can Press on May 4, 2021
ISBN: 1525300318
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Sakamoto’s Swim Club

 

In the Hawaiian sugar plantations there are irrigation ditches in which children swim to cool off.  When a teacher, Soichi Sakamoto, sees them he sticks up for them using the ditches and soon becomes their coach.  Even without a pool they practice and train until a pool is built for them.  Soon the Olympics of 1948 arrives in which their own Bill Smith wins a gold medal and sets an Olympic record.  These swimmers were not well known, so this picture book is very valuable.

All the resources in the list included were from hawaiiswim.org which also shows that the so-called Three-Year Swim Club needs to be read about and shared over a large area.  The illustrations are vibrant and excellent.

 

Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

Never, Not Ever!

Never, Not Ever!Never, Not Ever! by Beatrice Alemagna
Published by HarperCollins on July 13, 2021
ISBN: 0063076497
Pages: 48
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is an adorable book about a young bat’s refusal to go to school. Pascaline watches as all the other animals head off to the first day off school while insisting that she will never, not ever go. In a twist a magical realism, Pascaline’s emotions shrink her parents who she then hides under her wings and, feeling newly confident, brings them along. Once there, Pascaline realizes she wasn’t the only bat who was struggling with the first day, although she is the only one with tiny parents secreted away who embarrass her all day and force her to see that maybe physically toting your parents along isn’t the best tactic to take. This is a funny, beautifully illustrated book that would be great addition to any collection and would be perfect in a display of first day of school/back to school books.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Influence

InfluenceInfluence by Lilia Buckingham, Sara Shepard
Published by Delacorte Press on January 5, 2021
ISBN: 0593121538
Pages: 368
Genres: Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“Influence” is a collaborated venture by Sara Shepard, who has written the “The Pretty Little Liars” and the “The Perfectionists” series and Lilia Buckingham,  a 17 year old writer, actress, dancer and student.  It is the story of four teenage female influencers, Jasmine Walters-Diaz, Fiona Jacobs, Delilah Rollins and the not to be crossed- Scarlet Leigh.

The life of a social media influencer is a competitive life. Where showing perfection to your fan base is a must. Who you are seen with and where, who you date and how many sponsors you have and how many likes you get on a single post is your life.  The reigning queen is Scarlet Leigh, a force not to be reckoned with. She is perfection.  Fiona is a girl with a secret from the past that haunts her and suffers from OCD.  Jasmine grew up as a child star and can’t break free from that image.  Delilah, is new to the game of being an influencer, having just moved to LA from Minnesota.

The story addresses sexuality issues, peer pressure, having OCD and so much more. It begins as a story about being an influencer but takes a turn into becoming a mystery of whodunit?  A captivating story that addresses the world of being in the public’s eye at all time whether by choice or not.

This would be a good addition for any YA collection and for teens that enjoy realistic fiction. There are so many twists to this story that it easily holds the reader’s attention.

Reviewed by, Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

 

four-stars

The Beekeepers

The BeekeepersThe Beekeepers: How Humans Changed the World of Bumble Bees by Dana L. Church
Published by Scholastic Focus on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 1338565540
Pages: 320
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Dana Church has done a tremendous amount of research on bumble bees–and has never been stung once!  She is intent on saving the bumble bees from extinction because of their use as pollinators in order to bring us fruits and vegetables.  She understands their motivations and tells the readers about the vast amount of past knowledge she has learned from other scientists. There are diagrams, photographs, and drawings, but they are often difficult to see because of being in black and white and fuzzy.  People are blamed because of their use of pesticides and we are made to realize that not using pesticides could be better for crops, as well as the bumble bees.  This book should win many awards because of the quality of the research, the many sources used, and the easily accessible style.  It is Cream worthy.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring Oceanside High School  Rockland

five-stars

OH MY GODS!

OH MY GODS!Oh My Gods! (OMGs #1) by Insha Fitzpatrick, Juliana Moon, Stephanie Cooke
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on January 5, 2021
ISBN: 0358299519
Pages: 208
Genres: Folklore, Humor
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars

“Oh My Gods!” is a middle grade graphic novel written by Stephanie Cooke and Insha Fitzpatrick, and illustrated by Juliana Moon. The story follows Karen, a teen who lives with her mother in New Jersey, but then has to go live with her dad in Greece on Mount Olympus. Her father, who goes by “Zed,” is actually Zeus and Karen’s new classmates are actually gods and demigods. The story turns into a mystery when someone is turning students to stone and Karen is the prime suspect.

The artwork is bright and the style is reminiscent of Lumberjanes or Giant Days. The story itself is fairly short. Character development is a bit weak and it’s hard to suspend disbelief that Karen takes so long to figure out that she’s going to the middle school of the Greek gods. The mystery gets wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. Despite its flaws, it is a fun and quick read and will probably be enjoyed by middle school readers. Written for ages 9 – 12, “Oh My Gods!” is not a must buy for your graphic novel collection, but consider as an additional purchase.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

three-stars

The Little Things

The Little ThingsThe Little Things by Emma Dodd
Published by Templar Books on September 14, 2021
ISBN: 1536220019
Pages: 24
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

The Little Things by Emma Dodd tells the story of all the little things that matter in life. The story revolves around a giant panda and its baby. The kind message that is portrayed throughout this short book is of all the simple things in life to be grateful for. From starting each new day with kisses to watching the clouds float by, to being helpful and kind to others.

In similar fashion with this author’s other books, there is a strong message of gratitude and being loved for just being you.  This is a colorful book with copper metallic accents in a few of the illustrations. The text is done in a rhyming pattern that makes the book fun and easy to read and hear.

This book is appropriate for a child 2-5 years old. It has a nice feel-good message; however, it would not be a first pick to add to a collection. Would make a lovely book to gift to a new parent.

Reviewed by Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

three-stars