Category: Book Reviews

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for KidsAncestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Andrea L. Rogers, Art Coulson, Brian Young, Carole Lindstrom, Christine Day, Cynthia Leitich Smith, David Alexander Robertson, Dawn Quigley, Eric Gansworth, Erika T. Wurth, Joseph Bruchac, Kim Rogers, Monique Gray Smith, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tim Tingle, Traci Sorell
Published by Heartdrum on February 9, 2021
ISBN: 0062869949
Pages: 320
Genres: Short Stories
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

An anthology of short stories and poems themed around an intertribal powwow, written by major Indigenous authors including Joseph Bruchac, Carole Lindstrom, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Traci Sorell, this book is a must-buy for every collection. The stories and poems all revolve around the theme of community. Some are humorous, some more serious, but all of them celebrate Native culture.

I also really appreciated the various glossaries at the back of the book that defined words from various Nations, including Cree, Choctaw, Navajo, and Ojibwe. The author bios and notes at the end of the book add to the collection, really emphasizing the fact that this book is something special and that the publishing industry should be doing more to promote Indigenous authors.

Written for kids aged 8 to 12, though teens and adults will enjoy it as well. If this middle grade book is not already in your collection, I highly recommend getting it!

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

five-stars

Zara Hossain is Here

Zara Hossain is HereZara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan
on April 6, 2021
ISBN: 1338580876
Pages: 249
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Zara Hossain is Here

 

Zara Hossain is living with her kind and accepting family in Corpus Christi, Texas after having moved from Pakistan when she was only three years old.  She and her family have done everything right and followed all the immigration rules, but still have not gotten their green cards.  Their situation becomes much worse when Zara has an altercation with a boy at school who dislikes her for being Muslim.  The parents become involved and there are charges of trespassing and a shooting.  The United States isn’t what her parents had hoped for and they eventually plan to move to Canada.  Zara is also bisexual so considering returning to Pakistan would have had serious consequences.  This book gives the perspective of an immigrant who is targeted for what isn’t her fault but who has wonderful parents and great friends who stick by her throughout.  It is recommended for Young Adults.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

Rebel Daughter

Rebel DaughterRebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann
Published by Delacorte Press on February 9, 2021
ISBN: 0593125819
Pages: 400
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Rebel Daughter

 

In this historical fiction book set in the first century of the Christian Era the author, Lori Banov Kaufmann, has heard about a 2,000-year-old tombstone belonging to Claudia Aster who is mostly known as Esther in this book, and is fascinated by it.  Many of the characters were real people whom the author learned of by reading one of the main character’s, Josephus’s, autobiography.  The plot follows Esther from fourteen to nineteen-years-old and her family and relationships with Josephus and finally with her one true love, Tiberius, who ultimately frees her from slavery and marries her.  Sadly, they only have six years together as she dies at twenty-five in childbirth.

The book is often very graphic and true to what the lives of both the upper Roman class and the slaves lived through, whether it was excrement on the roads or the torture or sexual exploitation endured.

The depth of research of the author is evident although the plot seems as though it could have been whittled down in places.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

A House for Every Bird

A House for Every BirdA House for Every Bird by Kaylani Juanita, Megan Maynor
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on February 16, 2021
ISBN: 1984896482
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

After carefully drawing all sorts of houses for various birds to live in , frustration mounts for the artist when the (also drawn) birds reject their houses and choose others based on their personalities. How dare they? After hearing the birds out, the artist comes to terms with the fact that you can’t decide what someone might like just because of the way they look. This is a good book about withholding assumptions until you really get to know someone and the illustrations add a lot of humor.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski. Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast

Hard-Boiled Bugs for BreakfastHard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems by Jack Prelutsky, Ruth Chan
Published by Greenwillow Books on January 19, 2021
ISBN: 0063019132
Pages: 144
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is another terrific poetry book by Jack Prelutsky. The poems are funny, rhythmic, easy to connect with, and fun to read out loud. Each one has a gentle illustration by Ruth Chan and they work well with the good-naturedness of Prelutsky’s poems. Like his other books, this is a great addition to any classroom or library and an excellent choice for a poetry unit or reading aloud to younger grades.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

The Girl From the Sea

The Girl From the SeaThe Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag
Published by Graphix on June 1, 2021
ISBN: 1338540572
Pages: 256
Genres: Romance
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

Fans of Ostertag’s Witch Boy series will be very happy with this new graphic novel. Actually, just about anyone would be happy with it because it’s a perfect middle school to teen romance that combines selkie mythology with a teen who is reluctant to let her friends and family know that she is gay. Great character development, beautiful and clever illustrations, plenty of friend drama, some boating action, and a heart-straining but satisfying resolution make this hard to put down. Suggest this for fans of Noelle Stevenson and Kat Leyh.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Power Up

Power UpPower Up by Darnell Johnson, Sam Nisson
Published by Etch/Clarion Books on February 23, 2021
ISBN: 035832565X
Pages: 224
Genres: Adventure
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

This gaming-intensive graphic novel for middle schoolers might appeal to reluctant readers who love video games. Miles and Rhys are two 11 year olds who unknowingly attend the same school by day and join forces to fight as giant robots (and best friends) after school. There is some bullying drama and the novel lightly touches upon exclusion and behavioral issues, but for the most part, it’s all about the video game sequences. The two main characters and their families are likable and the story is engaging, even if you’re not a gamer.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Blackout

BlackoutBlackout by Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Dhonielle Clayton, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Quill Tree Books on June 22, 2021
ISBN: 0063088096
Pages: 256
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

During the 2020 pandemic, author Dhonielle Clayton was inspired by the world’s metaphorical blackout to create a series of stories about a literal blackout in NYC featuring black teens in varying romantic situations. Clayton reached out to fellow writers Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Toon to help write the stories. While each story features its own characters in differing locations, the theme throughout is life at an unexpected standstill and self-realization. The authors do a great job of creating instances that tie all the stories together, like some characters know each other, and most of them are attempting to get to a party in Brooklyn, while keeping each story a standalone (with the exception of Jackson’s piece which is told in 5 separate acts). While each author has their own voice, the differences between stories are never jarring and flow smoothly together.  All in all, the authors have created a book full of black joy and possibility.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

five-stars

Ghosted

GhostedGhosted by Michael Fry
Published by Clarion on January 19, 2021
ISBN: 9780358269618
Pages: 272
Genres: Humor, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

It is difficult when your best friend dies, but when he reappears as a ghost, that’s when life gets strange and really confusing.  Larry’s best friend, Grimm dies while rescuing a cat in a tree during a lightening storm. Grimm is in limbo and it is up to Larry to figure out how to help him cross over to the other side.  Together, they brainstorm many ideas  on how to get Grimm to transition on.   Would  completing their ‘’Totally To-Do bucket list” that was cut short when Grimm died be the answer?   Is he hanging on due to unfinished business on this list?

The story carries the reader through the various pranks on this list that both boys thought up in happier times.  Some are crazy like taking a bath in spaghetti while others are scary like kissing a girl.  Grimm (in ghost form) encourages, teases and taunts Larry  as he completes the various tasks all alone.   Along the way,  Larry is confronted with dealing with grief, loneliness and courage.  He learns about himself as a person and aspects of Grimm that he was not  aware of when he was alive.  All alone without his best friend,  he learns to make new friends.  Surprisingly, in people he never would have befriended before.

This is a fun story that has illustrations similar to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ books.  It is a book that is good for tweens and boys may identify with the two characters and the pranks they carry out.  It addresses the difficult topic of death of a friend in a light hearted  yet caring  manner.

Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

three-stars

The One Thing You’d Save

The One Thing You’d SaveThe One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park, Robert Sae-Heng
Published by Clarion Books on March 16, 2021
ISBN: 1328515133
Pages: 72
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The big question is – What would you save if your home were on fire?  If you only take one thing, excluding your family and pets and if  the size and weight didn’t matter.  What would you choose? This is the question a teacher poses to her classroom. It is interesting to read what each student feels is  valuable to rescue and how they arrive at their decisions. Some choices are sentimental while others are practical. The class argues over choices, some change their minds, and some discover things about their peers that they never knew before.  It is a thought-provoking book that makes the reader think of what they might too save in this situation.

This book is written in verse that is inspired by the Korean poetry form- “Sijo”. Classic Sijo has three lines of thirteen to seventeen syllables. It is a small, easy-to-read book with many pictures. Regrettably, I wish the illustrations were done in color.   However, there are many illustrations to compliment the text which is nice.  This would be a good book for teachers to read with children in a classroom environment.

It is appropriate for ages 8-12 and is a book that would definitely inspire some meaningful conversations afterward.

Reviewed by Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

four-stars