Month: October 2024

The Thirteenth Child

The Thirteenth ChildThe Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
on September 24, 2024
ISBN: 0593482581
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

As the thirteenth child of an impoverished family, Hazel’s birth was not cause for celebration.  Thirteenth children are promised to a god at birth.  Hazel’s parents decide to promise her to the god of Death.  Hazel waits twelve years for her godfather to arrive to take her away.  Twelve years of surviving on what scraps of life were left over once her other siblings had their share.  Twelve years of neglect.  And on her twelfth birthday, Death, who asks to be called Merrick, takes her away and bestows on her a gift of healing.  

Merrick has grand plans for his goddaughter.  Hazel becomes sought after for her healing gift.  When Hazel touches a person’s face, she will either see the cure or a skull meaning inescapable death.  The burden of her gift is to end the suffering of those who project the image of the skull.  Hazel’s gift sends her to the royal palace to save the king.  But after she sees a skull, she has to face the decision of breaking the rules and saving a beloved king or letting a spoiled prince take the throne.  Hazel has to deal with the burden of the decision of whether or not to defy Death and intervene with fate.  Her decision has consequences of which she was unaware and sets her life, and the future of the kingdom, on a perilous path. 

This YA fantasy novel is a gothic retelling of the Grimm fairy tale “Godfather Death.”  Themes include the burden of power and fate vs. free will.   While there is a secondary romantic plot line that avid readers will find predictable, it does add a necessary uplifting feeling.  Fans of dark fairy tales and strong female protagonists will enjoy this novel.  Appropriate for readers ages fourteen and up. 

Reviewed by Heidi Kopishke, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME.

four-stars

This Baby. That Baby.

This Baby. That Baby.This Baby. That Baby. by Cari Best, Rashin Kheiriyeh
Published by Anne Schwartz Books on 2024
ISBN: 0593564634
Genres: Babies/Infants, Emotions & Feelings
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Two charming babies are growing up in urban apartments that face each other. In this adorable book, illustrated with acrylic & oil on paper, This Baby and That Baby experience similar but sometimes opposite activities in their daily schedules. They both eat, play, nap, and go out to the park with their parents. However, where This Baby goes to sleep easily and wakes up sad, That Baby is reluctant to nap and wakes up grumpy. Throughout the book, the boy’s mother and the girl’s father, each caregiving alone, are portrayed as loving, joyful parents. When they meet at the park at the end of the story, the babies recognize each other and play peekaboo together while the exhausted parents collapse on a park bench in the amusing final picture. With its gentle humor and positive attitude towards a range of emotions, this book would be a fun read-aloud for pre-school to first-graders.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

five-stars

Steve: A Pretty Exceptional Horse

Steve: A Pretty Exceptional HorseSteve, A Pretty Exceptional Horse (Steve the Horse, 1) by Kelly Collier
Series: Steve The Horse,
Published by Kids Can Press on April 4, 2017
ISBN: 1525312995
Pages: 64
Genres: Animals, Children's Beginning Readers
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

In this early graphic novel Steve is a happy go lucky horse hanging with his best friend, Bob, the racoon. They’re having a typical day until Steve sees his first ever peacock. This glorious bird leaves Steve feeling rather ordinary and he goes off on a search to become extraordinary. After he finds a beautiful golden horn he begins wearing on his head he believes he has found the key to being extraordinary, but has he?
We can all relate to Steve and his desire to find our special place in this world, a way to stand out and shine in our own individual ways. This story shows the pitfalls that can happen along the way and how to work through the growing pains.

Perfect for ages 6-9

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes. Lewiston Public School, Elementary Librarian

four-stars

Maxine Gets a Job

Maxine Gets a JobMaxine Gets a Job by Alexandra Garyn, Bryan Reisberg, Susan Batori
on May 7, 2024
ISBN: 0593642910
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Apparently Maxine the Fluffy Corgi is an internet sensation with six million followers. However, I have never hear of her. In this book, Maxine is adorable and talented – she just doesn’t know what her talent is. She  searches the internet (Of course she does! She is an internet sensation after all.) about dogs with jobs: a lifeguard at the beach, a guard dog, a truffle sniffing dog, a sled dog, a racing dog. None of those jobs suit her. Then she realizes that they’re all doing what they love. What does Maxine love? Turns out the answer is a stand-up comedian! Based on the authors’ actual dog, Maxine is a winning protagonist who teaches a sound lesson. Batori’s digitally created illustrations of adorable cartoon pooches are delightful. This will be a hit at Story Time. The end page shows how to follow Maxine on Instagram.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Piper Chen Sings

Piper Chen SingsGenres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
five-stars

Phillipa Soo, star of Hamilton, writes about a young girl who loves to sing but is confronted with stage fright. Piper Chen sings and twirls through her days. When Mr. Harris, her music teacher, asks Piper if she’d like to sing a solo in the Spring Sing, she is excited at first, but later, she fears she’ll fail. Piper’s grandmother, Nai Nai notices that something is wrong. Piper explains and Nai Nai understands. She explains that she experienced “húdié” (Chinese for butterflies) at her first piano recital. “Now, when they greet me, I greet them back. ‘Hello, húdié. Ni hao.’” The night of the show, Piper feels the butterflies flapping their wings. She hums to herself, “Hello, húdié” and sings.

Soo and Pasquale Doran sensitively capture the joy of singing and the anxiety of performing. Parallels are drawn with other life challenges. Leng’s delicate, expressive illustrations capture Piper’s enthusiasm and uncertainty. Chinese words and culture are seamlessly woven into the story. Grandmother is central to the story but we are not really sure about her parents. The butterfly lesson gives readers a concrete way for addressing their own “butterflies.” Piper Chen and Nai Nai are Chinese American. Mr. Harris has brown skin. Share this book with everyone, but especially anxious children.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Don’t Trust Cats: (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog)

Don’t Trust Cats: (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog)Don't Trust Cats: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog by Dev Petty, Mike Boldt
on January 2, 2024
ISBN: 0593706781
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Chip the dog from Don’t Eat Bees is back with more “wisdom” to share, including some hard-won life lessons about cats. Chip advises that there are plenty of things we can trust but don’t trust cats: “Nohow, no meow.”  Boldt’s adorable wide-eyed pooch with a massive nose who enthusiastically rolls in muck, shreds the mail as it drops through a slot, and bounds up to a porcupine and then a skunk in expectation of meeting new friends will delight preschoolers. The comedy is implied rather than direct so probably best read as a lap book so you can discuss why it is funny. A sly-looking gray cat and an olive-skinned human family add comical background reactions to this hilarious canine.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Sunset of the Sabertooth

Sunset of the SabertoothSunset of the Sabertooth Graphic Novel (Magic Tree House) by Mary Pope Osborne
ISBN: 0593706005
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This is  Book 7 in graphic novel adaptation of “The Magic Tree House” series. It follows Jack and Annie on another treehouse adventure to the Ice Age. They learn about early humans, cave art, and animals of the time. “The Magic Treehouse” series translates into comics format better than most. This adaption stays true to the original but adds a colorful animation-like feel to the story. The nice thing about this series is it is for younger grade readers and is still educational. Many graphic novels for lower grades are just silly. A gateway book to reading the series or other beginning chapter books.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin

Warriors: The Prophecies BeginWarriors Graphic Novel: The Prophecies Begin #1 by Erin Hunter, Natalie Riess, Sara Goetter
on July 16, 2024
ISBN: 0063203871
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

An adaption in graphic novel form of the popular “Warriors” series by Erin Hunter. This book covers the first two “Warriors” books – Into the Wild and Fire and Ice. The second book in the series, scheduled to be published in April, 2025, will cover the third and fourth novels – Forest of Secrets and Rising Storm. 

Four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest for generations. The cats of ThunderClan are in grave danger from sinister ShadowClan. Rusty, an ordinary house cat, becomes ThunderClan’s new apprentice and must work extra hard to prove he can be a true warrior. As the chill of winter sets in, the cats of rival RiverClan grow restless, while WindClan is weak and facing threats from all sides.

Over 20 years old and this series still appeals to kids. This graphic take on the original story has  wonderful vivid artwork and delightful character interpretations. As can be expected, some of the details are left out of the adaption so you may want to recommend that readers read both. Cats engage in battles and wars. Some cats are left wounded and some die. Sensitive children might find the books too violent or sad.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

five-stars

My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages

My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of LanguagesMy Mother's Tongues: A Weaving of Languages by Rahele Jomepour Bell, Uma Menon
Published by Candlewick Press on February 13, 2024
ISBN: 1536222518
Pages: 32
Genres: Languages, Immigrants, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Mixed-media illustrations give this book a textured appearance, as though every page should have the feel of woven fabric. The young girl who tells the story is very proud of her mother’s two languages. Malayalam from Kerala, India, was her native tongue, while English was the language the mother started learning when she was twelve years old. The family migrated to America, where the daughter was born and she, in turn, grew up speaking two languages like her mother: Malayalam at home and English in her American neighborhood. One of the girl’s aunts speaks four languages, so the girl reasons that she can talk to four times as many people. By the end of the book, the girl says she wants to learn “dozens of languages” and thinks “[h]aving a tapestry of tongues will be [her] superpower”.

This book is a beautiful ode to the immigrants’ experience of languages in the United States. Suggested reading age is 4-8 years old.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

five-stars

Arboretum

ArboretumArboretum: Welcome to the Museum by Katie Scott, Tony Kirkham
ISBN: 1536235016
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
The latest edition of the Welcome to the Museum series is Arboretum with illustrations by the talented Katie Scott with writing by Royal Kew Gardens Arborist, Tony Kirkham.  Arboretum is an oversized children’s non-fiction book that celebrate the many different biomes on our planet, the vast variety of trees that populate them, and their extraordinary role they play in our ecosystem.

The first few pages introduce us to a color coded map of the Earth to show the different biomes; a page titled “What is a Tree?” showing the main components of what makes up a tree, “How Trees Communicate,” describing the complex root system that trees rely on to survive, and “The First Trees” describes the prehistoric trees that pre-date humans, and ones that still exist. The rest of the content in the book are specific trees and their habitats with stunning illustrations that show the intricate details of their trunks, leaves, branches, fruit, and buds.

The oversized nature of this book paired with the stunning illustrations and the curated words of Tony Kirkham is where this book really shines. The key-to-plate infographic is something that feels a bit disorganized, as do some other areas of the book, which might fatigue a young reader. The back cover notes that this book is meant for ages 8-12+, but I would argue that this book would work best for ages 10+. Otherwise, this book is strikingly beautiful and a real treasure for tree enthusiasts.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars