Month: May 2022

All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball

All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in BaseballAll Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball by Audrey Vernick, Cannaday Chapman
Published by Clarion Books on January 4, 2022
ISBN: 1328482979
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Sports
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The second person to do something is often forgotten though they face as much tribulation and as many difficulties. Author Audrey Vernick uses this point as the lens through which to tell the story of Larry Doby, the second Black man to be signed by Major League Baseball in the 1940s. Vernick walks the reader through Larry’s childhood as he dreamt of becoming a big-league baseball player at a time when there were NONE. After Jackie Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, Doby was signed by the Cleveland Indians. He faced much of the same backlash and racism and he persisted and while he was the second Black man hired, he still accomplished many firsts. The message of the book is that change can happen, and it can feel slow, and it can be painful, but we all need to be part of it and work for it. The illustrations by Cannaday Chapman have a layered, collage-like quality in a color palette perfectly suited to the time period. One page has Doby heading to bat with a quote about the difficulties he faced in terms of race relations in America and Chapman includes silhouettes of various sharks circling around him; a poetic touch that lifts the illustration to the next level. The inclusion of an author’s note and photograph of a poignant moment mentioned in the book are excellent.

For grades 1-5

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

No Bunnies Here!

No Bunnies Here!No Bunnies Here! by Tammi Sauer, Ross Burach
Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers on February 8, 2022
ISBN: 0593181352
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

An exuberant tale of a bunny trying to keep a wolf away from their friends for fear of being eaten up, when in reality all the wolf wanted was to join in the fun as a bunny fan. This book is busy. Busy with text, with illustrations, and with jokes. The bunny continues to be thwarted by weather, or just oblivious fellow bunnies as they try to continue the ruse that there are “no bunnies here’’ and the jokes and text are so layered on top of one another, that the meaning can get a little jumbled in delivery.
The wolf never speaks and we rely entirely on illustrations to infer his motivations, while the bunny seems to never stop talking. So, when the bunny finally runs out of excuses and asks the wolf why he is looking for bunnies, it is quite a relief. The wolf is just a fan? Well, then of course he can join in bunny festivities. Overall, a read that tries very hard to be funny and mostly succeeds.

For Grades K-1

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

three-stars

Not Enough Lollipops

Not Enough LollipopsNot Enough Lollipops by Megan Maynor, Micah Player
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on February 8, 2022
ISBN: 0593372565
Pages: 40
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

When Alice wins a raffle prize: a wagon full of lollipops, students in her school worry that there might not be enough to go around. Alice assures them there will be plenty of lollipops, but her classmates continue to explain why they deserve lollipops more than others. She has them line up and, sure enough, there are enough to go around. Will there be enough for everyone to get two, though? And the cycle continues. The illustrations in this book are delightful, sweet and colorful like the lollipops themselves; each expression on each child is evocative and unique. The font and speech bubbles, the way the pictures all fit together, make for an entertaining ride through the moral dilemma of ‘not enough to go around.’ Overall, a fun read that weaves in morality without becoming too heavy-handed.

For grades K-1

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised FreshmanRequired Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on February 1, 2022
ISBN: 0593309154
Pages: 336
Genres: Cultural / African American, Realistic Fiction
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Reminiscent of Netflix’s Dear White People, this book highlights black students’ experiences at a predominantly white Ivy League university. Savannah works hard, with the support of her mother, to get the grades and gain acceptance into Wooddale with a full scholarship. The first in her family to attend college, she knows she has a real chance at pulling out of poverty and finding meaningful ways to give back to her community.

Then she finds herself looking at the defaced statue of the school’s first black president. After watching the reaction of her fellow classmates, a kernel of activism begins to develop, and soon she is leading an anonymous social media campaign to denounce racism and call for change. 

The more Savannah and her friends learn about Wooddale and its history, the more they realize they are up against. Legacy families buying their children’s way in, reports of hate crimes swept under the rug, and a general mentality of white supremacy have stained the culture of the school for generations.

Is there anything that can actually be done? And at what cost to black students’ safety and educational experience?

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

four-stars

Gina and the Big Secret

Gina and the Big SecretHilo Book 8: Gina and the Big Secret by Judd Winick
Series: Hilo #8
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on February 15, 2022
ISBN: 0593379667
Pages: 224
Genres: Humor, Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

Hilo and friends are back in the continuation of the story of the robot who fell to Earth and became a real boy. Book 8 continues to focus on Gina who now has the power to save the planet from an unsettling new reality. As the book opens, readers see just how much has changed on the home planet and with confidence and XX and help from her friends, Gina takes big steps to set things right. The book ends on a cliffhanger that sets up Book 9. Winnick’s illustrations have movement and personality, his characters are expressive, and his colors pop. There is humor, adventure, magic, and interesting and wacky new alien robots to keep readers swiftly turning pages. This series continues is a delight and this latest entry does not disappoint. This is an automatic purchase for any school or public library and will appeal to readers from grades 2-8.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

Murder Among Friends

Murder Among FriendsMurder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime by Candace Fleming
Published by Anne Schwartz Books on March 29, 2022
ISBN: 0593177428
Pages: 368
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

In 1924, a murder trial captivated much more than just Chicago where it took place. 19-year-old Nathan and 18-year-old Richard were both part-time college students from wealthy families who kidnapped and murdered Richard’s 14-year-old cousin.  For no other reason than that Richard considered himself a master criminal and wanted to see what he could get away with, and Nathan wanted Richard to continue sleeping with him and seemingly had no morality.  Both boys, while having privileged upbringings, also suffered neglect and abuse by their families and those employed to care for them.  This will be discussed during the trial as their sanity is questioned. No agreement could be made by dozens of doctors who seemed to fit into two schools of theory: insanity is binary and the boys displayed understanding of what they did, or that sanity exists on a spectrum and the boys were somewhere on there as displayed by their lack of humanity.  Their guilt was never on trial, as upon being quickly suspected and brought in for questioning, they both admitted to the crime, differing only on which committed the murder and whose idea it was.  The trial was to decide whether the boys would be given the death penalty or life in prison.

As always, Fleming take a wealth of research and primary documents and turns them into a fully fleshed out and easily readable story. While the crime itself is difficult to read about, the machinations of the trial and the criminal system at the time are interesting. Back matter includes an afterword, notes, a bibliography, and an index. Recommended for ages 13+.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

four-stars

The Words We Keep

The Words We KeepThe Words We Keep by Erin Stewart
Published by Delacorte Press on March 15, 2022
ISBN: 1984848860
Pages: 400
Genres: Mental Health, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

After The Night on the Bathroom Floor where Lily found her sister, Alice, in a pool of blood, bleeding from her wrists, Lisy has taken it upon herself to hold her family together by being “perfect”–perfect grades, winner on her track team, not a care in the world. The reality is that Lily is breaking down on the inside, and some of it is making its way into her life. Panic attacks and self-harm increase. It only gets worse after Alice returns home from time in rehab with a bi-polar diagnosis. Unable to connect with “new” Alice and afraid of losing her again, Lily turns to new student Micah, her partner on a school project and a friend of Alice’s from rehab, to cope. Micah is a positive influence on Lily, but he has mental health troubles of his own to deal with. MIcah slips in and out of bouts of depression, anger, and  violence as he deals with bullying at school and his family history of suicide. Lily eventually reaches a breaking point and has her own brush with suicide. Luckily, her family, friends, and Micah are able to pull her back from the literal edge. In the end, everyone is getting the help they need.

The moral of this story is: you never know what’s going on in someone’s life and mind, and it’s important to ask for help when you need it.  Stewart handles depression, suicide, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, and self-harm with genuine and honest storytelling that so many teens will relate to. This book is a must purchase to help teens feel like they can talk about their own struggles and maybe even that they are not alone.

A few resources are shared in an author’s note at the end.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

five-stars

Cress Watercress

Cress WatercressCress Watercress by David Litchfield, Gregory Maguire
Published by Candlewick Press on March 29, 2022
ISBN: 1536211001
Pages: 224
Genres: Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Cress Watercress is a rabbit who lives with her family in a cozy warren. When her father doesn’t return home one night, her mother assumes the worst and makes the difficult decision to move Cress and her baby brother to Mr. Owl’s apartment tree, the Broken Arms. Cress has adventures with the Oakleaf family of squirrels and learns to avoid predators. This humorous and gentle animal tale is beautifully illustrated. By the author of Wicked. 

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King DayAin't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood
Published by Versify on January 4, 2022
ISBN: 0358387264
Pages: 128
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Kirkwood had a front-row seat to the civil rights movement growing up in Memphis in the 1960s. She marched for the striking Sanitation Workers, mourned after the assassination of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., and traveled to Washington D.C. to join the Poor People’s Campaign. Even as she started her career and family, she worked tirelessly to have a national holiday declared in honor of Martin Luther King. Written in verse with historic photos, this middle grade memoir includes a section on how a law is enacted and bibliographical references. A lot of information is packed into a quick read! Really good – but perhaps not quite cream?

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Baby Moses in a basket

Baby Moses in a basketBaby Moses in a Basket by Caryn Yacowitz, Julie Downing
Published by Candlewick Press on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 1536206091
Pages: 32
Goodreads
An age old story from the time of the Pharaohs , about a loving mother who saves her son by tucking him in  a basket and setting him afloat on the Nile river. This creative retelling utilizes poetic/rhyming text along with sumptuous watercolors and rich vocabulary.  The watercolor illustrations are lush , rendered in a rich palette with amazing details that draw you into each page. The pacing is spot on with the short stanzas that maintain a slow easy pace that allows readers to experience each curve of the Nile and root for the baby along with the protective animals watching over the child.

This timeless story  will appeal to children from ages 3 to 8.  A book that lends itself for a lap reading with a young child or as a transition into quiet time.  A strong introduction to our natural world with delightful visuals of unique animals in the world. Also, an overarching theme of love and comfort and the kindness and support of the natural world bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion.   A strong purchase for libraries.  Four stars

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library