Category: Book Reviews

Unfadeable

UnfadeableUnfadeable by Maurice Broaddus
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on April 19, 2022
ISBN: 0062796348
Pages: 288
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Bella “Unfadeable” Fades, a graffiti artist – and a kid, is on her own in her Indianapolis neighborhood. She spends her days scrounging for food, laundry money, paint supplies, and a place to charge her phone. Fortunately she has neighbors who look after her. When her neighbor hires her to investigate a gentrification project that seems to be spending a lot of city money with few visible results, she is determined to fight for the future of her neighborhood.

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

four-stars

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance

Maizy Chen’s Last ChanceMaizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Published by Random House on February 1, 2022
ISBN: 1984830252
Pages: 288
Genres: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Maizy and her mother spend the summer in Last Chance, Minnesota so they can help take care of her ailing grandfather. Maizy’s grandparents – who have been estranged from Maizy’s mom – own and run a Chinese restaurant and don’t understand Maizy’s mom’s career as a food stylist. Maizy can’t wait to get back to her life and friends in Los Angeles but she finds that she enjoys getting to know her grandparents and hanging out at their Golden Palace restaurant. Maizy’s grandfather shares the story of her great-grandfather Lucky who first ran the Golden Palace and how he got to Minnesota. She also learns how challenging it was to be a Chinese immigrant in the late 1800s/early 1900s when Lucky came to America. Maizy is curious about the photographs of young men in the restaurant office and learns about “paper sons” that came through Last Chance. The only pathway for citizenship for Chinese immigrants in the wake of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was to show proof that they were the children of US citizens of Chinese descent. It was fairly easy to purchase fake documents and thus become “paper sons” of US citizens. Maizy also experiences racism first hand  but unlike Lucky, she is able to confront it head on. Includes an author’s note with more historical information.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

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

five-stars

Moonwalking

MoonwalkingMoonwalking by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Zetta Elliott
on April 12, 2022
ISBN: 0374314373
Pages: 224
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This verse novel tells the story of two classmates who become unlikely friends in alternating poems of various styles written by two authors. It is set in the 1980s against the backdrop of the air traffic controllers strike, Poland’s Solidarity movement, and punk rock. Pie, an African/Puerto Rican-American is an aspiring artist who experiences discrimination and has to take care of his younger sister when his mother is unable. JJ and his family are forced to move into the basement flat of his Polish grandparents after his father loses his job. He too feels out of place as one of the only white students in his school. Raises interesting questions about discrimination and profiling, for example, Pie’s stepfather mistreats Pie because Pie’s father is African and JJ is placed in honors classes seemingly because he is white in a mostly black school.

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

four-stars

Healer and Witch

Healer and WitchHealer and Witch by Nancy Werlin
Published by Candlewick Press on March 22, 2022
ISBN: 1536219568
Pages: 304
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Sylvie comes from a long line of healers but her grandmother Sylvie seems to have more than just the power to mix herbs to soothe pain and illness. Sylvie starts to realize she may also possess the same power as her grandmother but her grandmother dies before she can teach Sylvie how to harness her power for good. When Sylvie tries to help her grief-stricken mother after her grandmother’s death, something goes awry. Sylvie sets off on a perilous journey to find a mentor who can help her reverse the damage she has done to her mother. Martin, the son of the local farrier follows her and together they must use their wits to survive not only the elements but dangerous people they meet along the way. Set in the 16th century France with strong female characters.

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

four-stars

Storm

StormStorm by Nicola Skinner
Published by HarperCollins on March 29, 2022
ISBN: 0063071681
Pages: 384
Genres: Horror
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Frankie’s parents were always reminding her she was born during a storm – especially when she’d lose her temper. When she finds herself alone – and dead – in her seaside cottage, she has to try to remember what happened. She falls into a century-long sleep and when she awakens to construction – her family home is being rebuilt as a museum – she encounters a living boy who can see her. Will his friendship be the key to her future and will she ever move on? A poltergeist story told by the ghost with some interesting twists and turns and a lesson on dealing with anger and extreme emotions.

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

 

four-stars

Only a Monster

Only a MonsterOnly a Monster (Monsters, #1) by Vanessa Len
Published by HarperTeen on February 22, 2022
ISBN: 0063024640
Pages: 416
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

While Joan is spending the summer with her beloved Gran and other relatives, her world is turned upside down when she realizes that not only is her family made of monsters that travel through time by stealing time from humans’ lives, her crush is a mythical hero whose entire purpose is to brutally eradicate her kind. After her first accidental time travel, Joan has very little time to learn the family secrets before her family is slaughtered. She bands up with a surviving monster from a rival family to try to travel through time, unlock the secret to changing an allegedly fixed timeline, and prevent the fight that takes her family from her. 

I like the premise of this book but the book itself had some issues. About halfway through I realized I had absolutely no idea who Joan is. The character is underdeveloped and, as a result, it’s had to get too invested in what happens to anybody. The minor characters are also undeveloped and all seem to be there just to advance the plot (although, a few of them start to get a little more well-rounded in the last quarter of the book). The other, bigger, issue for me was that, given that this will be a trilogy, it’s clearly heading in a love triangle direction between Joan and two other main characters. Neither one of them are decent options, and the romance between her and the hero/crush borders on violent. Joan can do better and it would have been so much more interesting to have her focus on her newly discovered power rather than her love life.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars

John’s Turn

John’s TurnJohn's Turn by Kate Berube, Mac Barnett
Published by Candlewick Press on March 1, 2022
ISBN: 1536203955
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
Every Friday, a kid gets up and does something in front of the whole school. Today is John’s turn, and he’s going to dance. When the classical music begins, some kids laugh and wonder how you dance to that music. John is brave. He dances and dances and smiles with his whole being. His classmates cheer.

This is a wonderful book. John is dancing ballet in front of his entire (presumably) elementary school. The watercolor illustrations do a wonderful job of conveying John’s emotions as they range from nervous to fearful to elated. This book celebrates the underrepresented dancers and all who choose to do something outside the box.

Recommended for readers 3 and up and for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Where the Sky Lives

Where the Sky LivesWhere the Sky Lives by Margaret Dilloway
Published by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen on March 8, 2022
ISBN: 0063047241
Pages: 336
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Tuesday is a neurodivergent kid who lives in Zion National Park with her park ranger mother, Dana. When things get stressful, Tuesday likes to look at the night sky, just like she did with her uncle Ezra before he died. When it becomes clear that developers are going to build houses on a large tract of land outside the park, Dana and her friend Carter set out to try to preserve the land. When they discover an endangered animal within the building site, they’re excited but then discouraged when it appears to not have made a big difference. They enlist the help of a social media influencer as well as the local community to continue the fight.

This is a light-hearted read that is perfect for advanced younger readers. It does touch on the subject of familial death with Tuesday’s uncle, but it isn’t overly traumatizing. Tuesday is quirky, smart, and fun, and many kids will relate to her. This is a wonderful addition to any library where realistic fiction is popular.

Recommended for readers 3rd grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Turtle of Michigan

Turtle of MichiganThe Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye
Published by Greenwillow Books on March 15, 2022
ISBN: 0063014165
Pages: 336
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
In this follow-up (but fine as a standalone) to The Turtle of Oman, Aref and his family have moved from Muscat, Oman and settled in Ann Arbor, MI. Aref is enjoying life in the US and is making a wonderful new community for himself, but he misses his Sidi, his grandfather, dearly. They write regular letters to each other, and this helps, but nothing beats an in-person visit.

This is a wonderful book for younger middle grade readers. It brings up issues of immigration, community, family, and finding oneself, but it does so in a way that’s appropriate for younger readers. While reading the first book provides some back-story, it isn’t at all necessary to have read it prior to this book.

Recommended for readers 3rd grade and up and for some advanced second grade readers.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Confessions of a Class Clown

Confessions of a Class ClownConfessions of a Class Clown by Arianne Costner
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on March 1, 2022
ISBN: 0593118707
Pages: 288
Genres: Humor, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars
Jack is the class clown. He’s always looking for that next joke, sketch, or video that’s going to get him more likes, follows, and interaction on social media. Despite having thousands of followers on his accounts, Jack finds himself with no real friends. When a prank video takes it too far and hurts a potential new friend, Jack realizes there’s more to life than likes and follows.

This is an engaging story about friendship and school social dynamics. There is a good deal of discussion about the role social media plays in the lives of middle schoolers and how the number of likes something gets really doesn’t matter. This is an easy read for fans of realistic fiction and would be great for more advanced younger readers.

Recommended for readers 3rd grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars