Month: December 2025

A Girl Walks Into the Forest

A Girl Walks Into the ForestA Girl Walks Into the Forest by Madeleine Roux
on June 10, 2025
ISBN: 0063284847
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeleine Roux 

 This empowering folktale-inspired horror showcases a strong main character who uses her feminine rage to redefine her role in the world. 

Valla, a girl known for her “extraordinary beauty”, is excited to finally leave her small village, meet her betrothed and live happily ever after. However, when her face is torn to shreds in the sinister Gottyar Woods on her journey, her preconceived chance at a new beginning and a happy arranged marriage quickly comes crashing down.  

Though the story lulled a bit in the middle, it overall was a quick read with fully fledged characters that students will enjoy both rooting for and against. Due to its depictions of violence and gore for some of the fight scenes, this book is best suited for high schoolers. Great for fans of The Hunger Games and The Grace Year, this is a must for collections looking for a fresh take on dystopian novels and dark fantasy.  

Reviewed by Hannah Doktor, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta

 

four-stars

Trash Truck: Trash Day

Trash Truck: Trash DayFormat: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
three-stars

Families with Trash Truck (book and Netflix) series fans will enjoy this leveled reader by Max Keane. The book is designated “My First I Can Read” book, meant for emergent readers to read with fluent readers (“shared reading”). The publisher promises “basic language” and “word repetition” and the book delivers on these fronts.

The story takes place on Trash Day and alternates between the experiences of Trash Truck and his friend Hank , a little blond boy with fair skin. Trash Truck (an anthropomorphized, friendly looking garbage truck) is very busy, going along his route, and caring for small creatures (turtles, rubber duckies, children retrieving balls from the road) along the way. Hank is trying to be patient as he waits for Trash Truck to arrive at his house, but the digitally created illustrations depict Hank getting more and more despondent

Meanwhile, seeing the children playing  makes Trash Truck realize he has forgotten to stop by Hank’s house. Trash Truck then goes to Hank’s house but Hank is not there. Trash Truck is disappointed, and then sad, but doesn’t allow his feelings to get in the way of his garbage collecting duties. He arrives back at the truck depot, to find Hank there. The friends decide to spend the afternoon building a robot (that picks up trash, naturally).

While adults might wonder why Hank walked to the truck depot alone, Trash Truck fans may imagine themselves enjoying an afternoon with their favorite municipal service vehicle. The digitally created illustrations are occasionally grainy, blurry, or peculiarly shadowed, but that will not discourage readers who can’t get enough of the adventures of Trash Truck and Hank. Recommended for library collections where television-based early reader titles are popular.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

three-stars

Molly, Olive, and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?

Molly, Olive, and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
five-stars

This is the fourth title in Catherine Rayner’s picture book  series around Molly (a rabbit), Olive (an owl), and Dexter (a fox). Young children (and adult readers) will appreciate the change in atmosphere that Rayner creates with words and expressive mixed media (watercolor and marker) illustrations as the friends navigate their way from the warm light of the setting sun through the feelings of worry and anxiety that the dark can bring.

There is a quiet, gentle tone to the text and pictures as the sun sets, and the everyday noises and sights of the daylit world. The tone and images shift into something less familiar and more sinister as the shadows lengthen and it gets darker and darker.

The three friends take turns getting worried, and then relieved at the realization that the mysterious sounds, shadows, and sensations are simply the ordinary things they see during the day. This would be a sweet story to read at bedtime, if it ended there. It becomes a better story as the friends are caught in a rainstorm. At first, the three are scared as they try to run from the feeling of something falling on  on their heads, and then the relief and delight that it’s actually just rain – nothing to be fear and an experience to enjoy.

They start seeing the night differently then, and Rayner transforms the shadowy, frightening landscape into something magical. The luminous illustrations and language bring the story depth, humor and real emotion, taking it beyond “don’t be afraid of the ordinary things in the dark” to “the quiet dark can feel magical”.  Highly recommended for picture book collections.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

five-stars

Hello, Tobi!

Hello, Tobi!Hello, Tobi! by Andrea Cáceres
ISBN: 1536222801
Genres: Animals, Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

There is no doubt from the brightly colored cover with a small and scruffy brown and black dog greeting the reader front and center, who Tobi is (his name tag is on his collar), and  how he makes friends (enthusiastically). Tobi and his human family ( a dad, mom and little girl; dad is light skinned and slightly scruffy, mom and little girl have light brown skin) are all are smiling and seem to invite the reader along for their daily walk in the park.

Along the way, they meet dogs and their families enjoying time together. With simple illustrations  and prose, Cáceres demonstrates that just as there are all kinds of dogs, there are all kinds of families that are loving, and worthy of love.  Digitally created, mixed media  (marker, crayon, collage) illustrations with scribblings that evoke the energy and joy that these families are experiencing together.  Families of different colors, different configurations (including “friend families”, which this reviewer found delightful), differing shapes, differently abled  — are all seen enjoying various activities together.

Tobi is friendly and welcoming to all these families, and the families return his affection. It’s an uncomplicated story that is open in its message of inclusion and toward our fellow humans (and their dogs). Highly recommended to read aloud  with Todd Parr’s The Family Book, at the beginning of the school year, when young children are learning that loving families are not all alike, and that is a beautiful thing.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

five-stars

Ballet Besties: Indu’s Time to Shine

Ballet Besties: Indu’s Time to ShineBallet Besties: Indu's Time to Shine by Paula Franco, Yasmine Naghdi
Series: Ballet Besties #2
Published by Candlewick Press on 9/9/25
ISBN: 1536243809
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

The friends of Shimmer and Shine Dance Studio are back in this second installment of Ballet Besties.  This time, the focus is on Indu, a shy girl who learns to use her voice to help herself and others.  The Shimmer and Shine kids are putting on another show, this time Cinderella.  To help inspire them, they take a field trip to see the ballet performed at a local theater.  Not wanting to miss out, but also not wanting to admit that she can’t afford the tickets, Indu forges her mom’s signature and lies about the money and goes on the trip with her friends.  After coming clean to her dance teacher and her mom and realizing that other kids also struggled to pay for their ticket, Indu suggests they create a scholarship so everyone can enjoy learning to dance, not just the rich kids.  Indu and her friends and their families put on an auction after their own performance of Cinderella, which they opened up to the public as an additional fundraiser.  

This novel for readers beginning their independence with chapter books, is ideal for kids who like dance or stories about friendship and perseverance.  Indu and her group of diverse friends support and encourage each other.  Readers will enjoy the black and white drawings throughout the book, as well as the ballet hand and feet positions found at the back of the book.  Libraries that have the first book in the Ballet Besties series will want to add this one to their collection, not only because it’s a fun series, but it addresses a common concern of affordability for extra curricular activities that many families have to navigate.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

three-stars

AJ Torres and the Treasure of Captain Greyshark

AJ Torres and the Treasure of Captain GreysharkAJ Torres and the Treasure of Captain Grayshark by José Pablo Iriarte
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 24, 2025
ISBN: 059370374X
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

AJ Torres and the Treasure of Captain Greyshark
By José Pablo Iriarte

When AJ and his best friend Jayden find a gold dubloon washed up on the shore after a hurricane they think they may have found the answer to many of their problems. Jayden’s mom is out of work and they may need to move for her to find a new job. AJ’s parents’ business if flailing. If they could find a hidden treasure that could solve all of their problems!

Plenty of adventure and anticipation follow the crew as they team up with a local ghost hunter, Andrea, and a charter boat captain, Gil, to head out in search of the treasure. Mishaps and misunderstandings and a crew of ghost pirates follow them as they search on and around Scream Island.

Ages 8-12 years
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

four-stars

Across the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe Horse

Across the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe HorseAcross the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe Horse by Darcy Whitecrow, Heather M. O'Connor, Natasha Donovan
Published by Candlewick on September 16, 2025
ISBN: 1536229458
Genres: Cultural / First Nations
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Across the Ice: How We Saved The Ojibwe Horse
By Darcy Whitecrow and Heather M. O’Connor; illustrated by Natasha Donovan

This story joins an Ojibwe family on a very special night. This is the night the Ojibwe horses are coming home to First Nations land. The children are so excited they cannot sleep so Nookomis retells the story to them to help them relax and sleep. The story is one of how the four remaining Objibwe horses had been driven across the ice to safety in Minnesota from Lac Le Croix to help begin a breeding program to save the native breed from extinction
This historical picture book is set with a tone of hope, joy, and excitement. Backmatter is provided.

Ages 4-8
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

four-stars

Books on Bikes

Books on BikesBooks on Bikes by Brizida Magro, F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks on September 2, 2025
ISBN: 0063285126
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Books on Bikes
By F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell; illustrated by Brizida Magro

Lia loves to read. She reads everywhere so goes and whenever she possibly can. Summer comes along and school is closed and the library is so far away limiting her access to books. One day in the park she happens upon a man on a bike pedaling around with free books and she is overjoyed. The only problem is he has many areas to cover to gift books. She gets the idea of people helping him and starts it off herself.

This book is a love story about reading and the culture of reading. Bibliographic material is included in the back of this book.

Ages 4-8
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

five-stars

Hogbert

HogbertHogbert by Briony May Smith
Published by Candlewick on November 1, 2025
ISBN: 1536245038
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Hogbert is the smallest hoglet in her family but is just as excited as her brothers and sisters to go into the forest with Mommy Boar looking for “truffles and treats” for the very first time! As they head out Mommy Boar tells her brood to stay close with warnings about the Big Bad Wolf.

Before Hogbert even has time to think his snout catches wonderful and distracting scents and his family has moved on without him! Just then he meets up with a little red squirrel who is on her way to visit her granny. They trundle on together nervously hearing crunches in the woods and scurrying to safety only to find a fawn in the underbrush. This threesome continues their fairytale-like search through the beautifully illustrated woods until they are together with their families once again.

This story is as sweet and charming as they come.

4-8 years old

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

four-stars

The Search For Our Cosmic Neighbors

The Search for Our Cosmic Neighbors (Hidden Wonders) by Chloe Savage
Series: Hidden Wonders
Published by Candlewick Press on September 30, 2025
ISBN: 1536247499
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Everyone wonders at one point or another if there is life “out there”, on other planets, in other galaxies. We stare at the sky and wonder.

Author and illustrator, Chloe Savage, takes us along on a trip into space with Captain Julie and her spaceship crew. Over the course of ten years they visit countless other planets without finding any other life. When they land on their last planet with plans to head back to Earth afterwards they seek and look and search under and over and lo and behold they meet a group of aliens. With their eyes opened to the wonders by this planet’s inhabitants will Captain Julie and her crew ever want to come home?

The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and add an ethereal quality to the book.

3-8 years old

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

three-stars