Category: Book Reviews

Unicorn Academy Freya and Honey

Unicorn Academy Freya and HoneyUnicorn Academy #10: Freya and Honey by Julie Sykes, Lucy Truman
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 5, 2021
ISBN: 0593306295
Pages: 128
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

This is the tenth book in the Unicorn Academy series and the review copy was a paperback.  The 4-6 page chapters with regular illustrations places this book as a read for 2-4 graders who love unicorns and boarding schools.  In the Unicorn Academy world, students are paired with a unicorn their first year and bond with them to become guardians of Unicorn Island.  Freya and her unicorn Honey have not bonded yet.  This has created tension between them that Freya hopes to resolve by creating a mechanical unicorn to give to Honey for her birthday.  Various obstacles make it difficult for Freya to keep it a secret to surprise Honey and bond with her.  The topic is popular, but the writing relies on dialogue and quick one word clues for the setting instead of descriptions.  Readers may wonder what dorms are; how the magic works in the unicorn world, and where all the students get their party food.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Youth Services, Springvale Public Library

two-stars

The Accursed Vampire

The Accursed VampireThe Accursed Vampire by Madeline McGrane
on July 27, 2021
ISBN: 0062954350
Pages: 176
Genres: Fantasy, Humor
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

“The Accursed Vampire” is a middle grade graphic novel written and illustrated by Madeline McGrane. We follow the life of Dragoslava, a child vampire who uses They/Them pronouns and was cursed by a mean witch to do her bidding. Dragoslava makes friends with two other child vampires and has fun with them until the witch calls on him to retrieve her grimoire (magic book).

The artwork is beautiful and silly which helps keep the scarier moments a bit less scary. The themes of friendship and having a chosen family repeat throughout the novel as Dragoslava decides whether they would prefer to be cursed and be with their friends or remain uncursed, but hurt those that they love.

Written for kids aged 10-12, “The Accursed Vampire” is a welcome addition to any middle grade graphic novel collection.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

four-stars

Camp Time in California

Camp Time in CaliforniaCamp Time in California (Magic Tree House #35) by Ag Ford, Mary Pope Osborne
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 0593177460
Pages: 112
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

In this #35 hardcover edition of the popular magic Tree house series, Jack and Annie are chosen by Morgan to be artists that find themselves in Yosemite with John Muir during President Roosevelt’s time in office.  As they draw the wildlife, they encounter the last grizzly bear.  The tour ends with President Roosevelt agreeing to make Yosemite a National Park.  Ford’s black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.  An editing note:  the first illustration features Jack running to the tree house with a backpack on, while the text specifically says he forgot it.  Readers will notice.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Youth Services Librarian, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

Flying Paintings

Flying PaintingsFlying Paintings: The Zhou Brothers: A Story of Revolution and Art by Amy Alznauer, DaHuang Zhou, ShanZuo Zhou
Published by Candlewick Press on September 1, 2020
ISBN: 1536204285
Pages: 48
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This picture book biography, published in 2020, details the “beautiful and the terrible” of the world-renowned artists’ lives in a clear and engaging way.  Whether playing, fighting, creating or going their own ways, the two brothers carry with them the love and wisdom of their Po Po’s stories.  They lived through Chairman Mao’s oppression of their family’s bookstore and their own art to come together and begin a new journey of painting together.  The illustrations are rendered by the artists themselves which holds more meaning to the survivalist story.   The time frame and the content may be the focus of more high school level study, but this picture book provides a useful introduction to both the time period and the art that is accessible for grades 3-6.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Youth Services Librarian, Springvale Public Library

 

five-stars

Rise Up and Write It

Rise Up and Write ItRise Up and Write It: With Real Mail, Posters, and More! by Anoosha Syed, Nandini Ahuja
Published by HarperFestival on January 5, 2021
ISBN: 0063029596
Pages: 48
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This non-fiction picture book,  for readers in 3-6 grades, lays out the steps needed to community organize through the story of Farah Patel.  Farah wonders why there are no butterflies where she lives in the city. She does a casual assessment of her neighborhood and then contacts the mayor with a solution.  The steps to success require Farah and her enthusiastic friends to write a petition, attend a public forum, make slogan signs and create their own activist program.   Interspersed between the bright illustrations are large pockets that represent addressed envelopes that hold removable examples of each type of correspondence, signs and buttons that Farah uses throughout the book.   Useful for letter writing curriculum, community issues and civic units. Libraries will need to evaluate if the book’s loose pieces will hinder circulation.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Youth Services Librarian, Springvale Public Library

five-stars

My Red Hat

My Red HatMy Red Hat by Rachel Stubbs
Published by Candlewick Press on February 2, 2021
ISBN: 1536212717
Pages: 32
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

My Red Hat is a simple, sweet story that is about a grandfather that passes down his red hat to his granddaughter. The reader is taken upon a journey of what the hat will bring or offer to the young girl.  The hat offers protection from natural and human elements that the world brings;  an extension of her grandfather’s love and protection. An object that will hold memories and dreams.

The book is illustrated in the same muted colors of grey, blue with splashes of red on each page.  The duo is almost on every page of this book together except a few. These few pages are where the child is off exploring the world by herself while wearing the special hat.  In closing, she returns home to her grandfather; the illustration almost identical to the very first one in the book.  However, now as the new owner she wears the hat.   The message one can take away is that you can and must go out into the world and encounter many things, but home and family  will always be there for you.

This would be a lovely book to read in a story time setting or to young children in school.

 

Reviewed  by Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library , Westbrook

three-stars

The House That Wasn’t There

The House That Wasn’t ThereThe House That Wasn't There by Elana K. Arnold
Published by Walden Pond Press on March 30, 2021
ISBN: 0062937065
Pages: 288
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Alder lives a quiet life in LA with his mom until the new neighbors move in and cut down the massive oak tree between their houses to make room for a renovation. On top of that, Alder’s best friend has found a new best friend. Strange coincidences seem to draw him closer to his new neighbor — also named for a tree. Oak and Alder adopt sibling kittens and both have unusual items that their fathers purchased in an oddities store in Seattle. While the coincidences might feel a little far-fetched, the story at the heart is tender and all about the importance of family. Give this book to fantasy/magical realism upper-elementary/middle school readers. 

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

four-stars

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small TownEveryone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
Published by Random House/Lamb on April 20, 2021
ISBN: 1984892592
Pages: 208
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Short Stories
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

These interconnected short stories weave through the lives of teens in the west from Colorado to Alaska. From an imaginary mermaid friend to help a girl cope with tragedy to a young firefighter who rescues a cat and gets a haircut in return to a girl who takes on an abusive priest in a unique way, these stories set against a backdrop of forest fires demonstrate the resilience of the (young) human spirit. These beautifully-written YA stories are suitable for upper middle school and up.

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

 

 

five-stars

The Thief of Worlds

ISBN: 9780385392518
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
three-stars

The Thief of Worlds

 

Hurricane was named for the storm, and now that the wind has been stolen his mother is suffering in the hospital and is close to death.  Because of Hurricane’s connection to the wind he is chosen to find the thief and return the horn of the wind.  Not only has the wind been stolen but also water and independence.  Through friendships with a cat-like creature, and a frog-man and depending on others the twelve-year-old Hurricane saves the day and the other creatures.  Bruce Coville has written another epic fantasy with grand world building.  He is an excellent author of many types of books for middle grade aged students.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

Yorick and Bones: Friends by Any Other Name

Yorick and Bones: Friends by Any Other NameYorick and Bones: Friends by Any Other Name by Hermione Tankard, Jeremy Tankard
Published by Quill Tree Books on May 11, 2021
ISBN: 006285433X
Pages: 160
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars

Yorick and Bones:  Friends by Any Other Name

 

The father and daughter duo of Jeremy and Hermione Tankard have written their second graphic novel based on Shakespeare’s plays and characters as Yorick and Bones attend a costume party.  The drawings are excellent and the plot provides an introduction to a study of Shakespeare for elementary or middle school age students.

Knowing the characters and the plays will help in understanding the humor.  It can be read in less than an hour.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars