All the Water on Earth

May 12, 2026

All the Water on Earth (CitizenKid, 29) by Madelyn Goodnight, Rochelle Strauss
ISBN: 1525310887
Goodreads
four-stars

All the Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss is part of the Citizen Kid series, encouraging children to be “global citizens.” The book is an informative and accessible resource on water, its uses, and its limits. I found it struck a good balance between hard facts (“Water is always on the move. It circles from Earth to the sky and back down again…over and over and over”) and inspiring wonder (“Imagine…the water you sipped today may be the same water a triceratops slurped!). Throughout the book we are reminded that “all the water on Earth is…all the water on Earth”). Lively illustrations and engaging text will keep young learners interested in the many ways water sustains our lives.

Appropriate for ages 4-8, All the Water on Earth would make a welcome addition to school and public library nonfiction collections. End matter includes more facts about water and conservation, questions for discussion, as well as book and website suggestions for digging deeper. Useful for units on water, conservation, pollution, and the environment.

Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library

Charmed and Dangerous

May 12, 2026

by Shelly Page
Published by Joy Revolution Pages: 266
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Format: Young Adult
three-stars

There is a LOT going on in Shelly Page’s Charmed and Dangerous, a lighthearted rom-com set in small town Fair Glen, where magic is a part of everyday life. The Bureau of Mystical Affairs, where high school senior Monroe Bennett is a Junior Recruit, oversees everything from enchanted objects (legal) to charms (illegal), like the love charm running amok at Fair Glen High. When the rogue charm causes flirtatious, popular girl (and Bureau Chief’s daughter) Iris to suffer a dangerous magical mishap, Monroe’s daring and romantically-charged rescue of Iris goes viral, launching the pair into a fake-dating scheme for varying motives. What follows is a pat romance plot that hits all the beats just when you’d expect them while also trying to manage the mystery behind the charm and some rather messy magical worldbuilding.

At times, the chaos of these competing ambitions gets in the way of the romance, which, despite increasingly didactic explanations about being real with the person one loves, still relies very heavily on physical attraction between two otherwise engaging Black, lesbian teens. The writing, peppered with today’s pop ephemera, leans toward the young end of YA, and its strongest elements – the mystery, diverse representation throughout, and Monroe’s struggles with her parents’ divorce – give readers plenty to love, even if the romance ultimately lacks a little magic.

Reviewed by Emily Ender, Oxford Hills Middle School Library, South Paris

Mungo on His Own

May 12, 2026

Mungo on His Own by Julie Benbassat, Matthew Burgess
ISBN: 006321671X
Genres: Picture book/animals, Animals, Emotions & Feelings, Nature
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Mungo on His Own by Matthew Burgess takes the reader on a young fox’s first journey into the forest alone. Still hungry after dinner, Mungo and his mother decide it’s time for him to venture out to find his own food at the red berry bush. The dangers of the forest are darkly illustrated as Mungo endures predators, or perhaps they are just trees that appear to be bears and owls? The reader is encouraged to decide for themselves. Mungo triumphs in his quest, and returns home enjoying his success and the beauty of his first snowfall.

The book is appropriate for ages 4-8 and encourages children to do challenging things, even if things may appear scary at first. The language is descriptive and poetic, without being too obtuse: “…wonders sometimes happen when we stand inside our fear on four feet, eyes sharp, breathing deep.” A young reader could appreciate a simple message of accepting challenges, while older readers could spend some time unpacking what it means to be brave when fear is strong, how imagination can cloud reality, and how to be “sharp” while “breathing deep.”

Recommended for school and public libraries. The book could be well used as a read-aloud while teaching about forests, winter, courage, imagination (with its occasional perils), and meeting challenges.

Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library

Lovely Recipe

May 11, 2026

Lovely Recipe: (A Graphic Novel) by Myra Rose Nino
Published by Random House Graphic ISBN: 0593180593
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Lovely Recipe” is a young adult graphic novel by Myra Rose Nino. Sofia needs help with figuring out how to cook her late grandmother’s recipe. She seeks help from her classmate Anna Marie, whose parents own a restaurant. They butt heads at first since they have very different personalities, but eventually a friendship and romantic relationship blossom. Themes about grief, family traditions, avoiding assumptions by putting yourself in another’s shoes are important and addressed well in this book. Characters and plot felt realistic. Illustration style was colorful and warm and added to the feel of the story. A recommended purchase for YA graphic novel collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

Some of Us Are Brave

May 8, 2026

Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi
Published by Quill Tree Books on 2/10/26
ISBN: 0063389533
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Summer is winding down in Houston and kids are enjoying the last part of summer before school starts, including playing soccer at the local rec club. Soccer is on the minds of Cody and Yasir, two boys competing for team captain. Mona is also at the field, but only because she is babysitting her little brother Omar while their parents are away. The kids try to focus on soccer, but the weather reports of tropical storm Harvey are becoming more concerning to those living in the low-lying areas of Houston. When Harvey makes landfall, Yasir, Cody, and Mona are driven from their homes and find themselves forced to survive the storm together. Cody, Yasir, and Mona were not friends before the storm, but they know their survival depends on them becoming a team. The situation is life or death, and the three older kids are able to help each other work through their fears, one step at a time.

Readers who enjoy realistic fiction with strong characters will enjoy this book. There is depth and growth to these protagonists. Mona and Yasir build their confidence and leadership skills and Cody decides to turn over a new leaf, leaving behind his bullying behaviors and disdain for foreigners that he inherited from his father. The chapters are relatively short and are told from the perspective of one of the older kids. Mixed in throughout the book are weather reports that are based on real weather reports Houstonians would have heard at the time. Readers might also enjoy learning about flood myths from different religions and cultures that are woven into the text throughout the novel. This book would be a great addition to libraries serving students in 4^th-7^th grade.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library