Month: February 2023

A Library

A LibraryA Library by Nikki Giovanni, Erin K Robinson
Published by Versify on September 27, 2022
ISBN: 0358387655
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Many readers think of their local library as a wonderful building full of books, but for Giovanni’s character the library is much more. The character within these pages celebrates the existence of her special place to be free and to dream. Sparse lyrical sentences perfectly portray the emotion and imagination contained within a lovely picture book.

Several illustrations express the sense of space; behind the laundry, within the library, and on the street. The two-page spreads are especially significant as they reveal the loving relationship between the girl and her grandmother as well as the girl’s affection for the librarian. Colors range from pastel to bold shades of primary colors. Robinson wraps her character in a cherished colorful quilt that is sure to engage any reader. This book honors the author’s first librarian and acknowledges her importance. An author’s note reveals how the author views her own childhood summer library.

Media center librarians located in primary schools should purchase a copy of A Library. This book can be utilized in poetry units, displayed for Black History Month, and offered as a read-a-loud in primary classrooms.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired Youth Services Librarian

five-stars

The Lost Whale

The Lost WhaleThe Lost Whale by Hannah Gold
Published by HarperCollins on October 11, 2022
ISBN: 0063041111
Pages: 304
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The Lost Whale is a sensitive family story that goes beyond the maternal bonds of mother, grandmother, and child. When Rio’s mother falls ill, he is sent to America to stay with his grandmother whom he barely remembers. Feeling depressed and far-removed from home, Rio suffers a difficult transition before he makes a friend on the beach.  Although the title highlights White Beak the whale, this storyline expresses the power of love and protection offered by family and friends. Gold has written a book that is deeply sensitive to relationships as well as to the natural environment. With compassion and tender dialogue this novel is up to par with Gold’s previous work “The Last Bear”.

Budding naturalists and those who have experienced whale watching tours will love the ocean adventure. Readers are sure to cheer for the lost whale and to envy the love between humans and mammals expressed in this book. Librarians in middle grade schools and those in public libraries should add this title to their collections. Hand to readers who appreciate the underwater world of mammals and have dreams of swimming with a whale or dolphin.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired Youth Services Librarian

four-stars

Ghostlight

GhostlightGhostlight by Kenneth Oppel
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on September 6, 2022
ISBN: 0593487931
Pages: 400
Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Suspense, supernatural creatures, and a tight storyline make this newest novel by Oppel a winner. Gabe lands a summer job telling stories while taking tourist on tours of Toronto Island. This novel quickly reveals the underlying historical ghost tales of a long-dead lighthouse keeper and his daughter. Readers are introduced to two additional teen characters who add immensely to the storyline. Each have necessary talents which Gabe leans upon to solve the mysterious long-ago deaths . These three characters appear larger than life, and readers come to know their individual abilities and fears.

Oppel is one of a few authors who can portray ghosts as living creatures, giving them personality and emotion. While reading Ghostlight we come face to face with true evil and yet there is room for compassion. This story reveals the possibility of a human /ghost relationship that goes beyond our human experience.

A great, fast-moving ghost story that is a well-written, creative read. Add this to any middle school media centers or public library collection as librarians will delight in handing this book to middle grade readers.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired Youth Services Librarian

five-stars

Under Pressure

Under PressureUnder Pressure by Cory McCarthy
Published by HarperCollins US on February 1, 2023
ISBN: 0358362148
Pages: 208
Goodreads

Under Pressure is the second book in the near-future Sci-Fi trilogy about a group of friends from their school at the Tower of Power (ToP), who are trying to rescue their friend Grayson, who has gone missing. Grayson is the son of the creator of the largest tech company in the world, Bixonics, which fits people with their bionic enhancements. In their quest to find Grayson, the friends are rescued at sea and taken to New Atlantis, a world under the sea that is home to the Resistance who are secretly trying to take Bixonics down. This fast-paced novel is told from two perspectives: Jayla (she/her), a black tech expert who stays at New Atlantis and Leo (they/them) a white wheelchair athlete who has two moms and returns to ToP to hopefully be fitted for a rare aug. As they overcome several obstacles in their search for Gray, including new information about Gray’s parents and Bixonics, they learn to rely on themselves and each other. This book is appropriate for middle grade readers, especially those who enjoyed the first book in the series, Ace Takes Flight. This novel ends in a cliffhanger, which will no doubt entice readers to pick up the yet to be released third book in the trilogy.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

The Bridge Battle

The Bridge BattleThe Bridge Battle (The Lemonade War, #6) by Jacqueline Davies
Series: Lemonade War #6
Published by HarperCollins US on March 8, 2023
ISBN: 0358692997
Pages: 240
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The Bridge Battle is the sixth installment of the popular Lemonade War Series by Jacqueline Davies. Siblings Jessie and Evan each find themselves in new and uncomfortable situations. Jessie, a science nerd, is stuck in a summer day camp singing songs and making fairy houses when she’d rather be in the group building bridges. To make matters worse, her former bullies are part of her group. Evan, normally the popular leader in a group, is accidentally placed in a summer school class with older students. He witnesses bullying and feels guilty for not stopping it, and then feels even worse when he joins in the tormenting of a weaker student. Everything comes to a head when Evan and Jessie try to stop the bully from destroying the bridge Jessie plans to enter into a contest. Chapters alternate between the siblings, but the themes of right and wrong, bullying, and being yourself, are woven throughout this book.

This middle grade novel was well written. The main characters are well rounded and readers can feel their confusion and anguish as they are faced with difficult situations. The antagonists are appropriately cringeworthy and are authentic to the middle grade experience. Although this novel is part of a series, it definitely also works as a stand alone. It would be appropriate for middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction with a mostly happy ending or as a read aloud. This book explores some difficult topics such as bullying and learning challenges that could lay the foundation for some important discussions.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

A Child’s Introduction to Jazz: the Musicians, Culture, and Roots of the World’s Coolest Music

A Child’s Introduction to Jazz: the Musicians, Culture, and Roots of the World’s Coolest MusicA Child's Introduction to Jazz: The Musicians, Culture, and Roots of the World's Coolest Music (A Child's Introduction Series) by Jabari Asim, Jerrard K. Polk
Series: A Child's Introduction
Published by Black Dog & Leventhal ISBN: 0762479418
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This selection introduces the reader to the history of jazz music; how and where it originated starting with those who came over on slave ships. The music of each African region came together and blended with the music of Mexico and the Indigenous peoples and became a genre known as Jazz. It gives profiles of famous musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong, along with those who are not so well known, that made the genre what it is today. The author has given the reader a comprehensive history of Jazz and those musicians and instruments that have moved it along adding to and blending the music of each of the decades so that is a living and changing thing. Also offered in this book are downloadable links and QR codes so the reader can listen to the music and/or the instruments. This is a good solid addition to any library public or school that has patrons that love music. It can be used in both history and music units.

Reviewed by Kathy George, Retired Children’s Librarian

five-stars

The Dragon’s Promise

The Dragon’s PromiseThe Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes, #2) by Elizabeth Lim
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on August 30, 2022
ISBN: 0593300955
Pages: 484
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The second book in a fantasy duology, this novel picks up moments after the first, Six Crimson Cranes, left off. This writing style reinforces the epic, sweeping feel of the duology, but, full disclosure, it also means this book is not ideal as a stand-alone novel.

While the first book was loosely based on the Grimm fairytale The Six Swans, this 484-page novel is original. Shiori, the book’s heroine, promised her dying stepmother at the end of book one that she would return a dragon pearl – the heart of a dragon – to its unknown owner, and that is the focus of this tale. She is helped by her six brothers and her betrothed in her journey, as she battles dragons, demons, fellow humans and even the treacherous dragon pearl itself, to keep her promise. On the positive side, the story is engaging and the magical Asian setting is beautifully described. More critically, the book has a few too many distinct arcs, bringing Shiori to the point of certain death in an end-of-book kind of way multiple times, before she is saved and – lo! – sets off on yet another previously unknown leg of her journey, which at times felt a little…ho-hum, here we go again.

On the whole, the duology is an enjoyable tale for readers who enjoy epic fantasy with a little romance, Chinese folklore and mythology, or who enjoyed Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon trilogy as middle grade readers. This book on its own would be a harder sell for readers who are not familiar with the first; together they are telling a single tale.

Recommended to: libraries who purchased the first book will definitely want to add this one to the collection.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library

four-stars

Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School

Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic SchoolThe Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
Published by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen on May 17, 2022
ISBN: 006306023X
Pages: 400
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Sixteen-year-old Mexican-American Yamilet is starting over at a new school, and not just any school: a wealthy, mostly white, Catholic school outside the city that could not be more different than the city school she’s left. At her old school, Yami was outed by her (now ex-) best friend, a secret she managed to keep from her Mami, who she is sure would kick her out if she knew. At the new school, she’s determined to act “straight” and stay away from romance, keep her brother out of trouble, and work as much as she can to save money (in case Mami does find out, and she needs to survive on her own.) But then she meets Bo, a queer girl who is unabashedly out, and despite trying hard to ignore her feelings as they become friends, falls hard.

Yami is a vulnerable and very relatable character with a deep commitment to her family. The Mexican-American community around her is loving and strong, and at the core of her cultural identity; but at the same time the more intolerant religious beliefs held by the people she loves threaten her safety if her secret comes out. These deeper storylines ground the budding romance between Yami and Bo into a complex, layered novel with moments of humor and a sense of purpose. Yamilet begins the year often doubting her place in her family and even the world; but new friends and allies – and sometimes her own sheer force of will – help her figure out who she is in the best way possible. This is a debut work that feels very close to the author’s heart.

Highly recommend this to libraries looking to diversity their YA shelves.

Five stars/Cream of the Crop nominee

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library

five-stars