Category: Book Reviews

Emily Writes: Emily Dickenson and Her Poetic Beginnings

Emily Writes: Emily Dickenson and Her Poetic BeginningsEmily Writes: Emily Dickinson and Her Poetic Beginnings by Christine Davenier, Jane Yolen
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 1250128080
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The author imagines what Emily Dickenson’s early childhood was like growing up with a mother who often took to her bed in the afternoons and a stern father who only read on Sundays. Emily had a younger sister and an older brother. She was fascinated with writing, words, and nature. The colorful ink and watercolor illustrations add to the charm of this well written story. The author’s note offers much information about Emily and her family. After the author’s note there are short samples of Dickenson’s poetry and a bibliography. Yolen’s work about this famous American poet is creative and inspiring. Recommended for ages 5-8.

Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

four-stars

A Pinch of Magic

A Pinch of MagicA Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison
Series: Pinch of Magic #1
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on February 7, 2019 U.K. /U.S. August 2020
ISBN: 0358193319
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is such a wonderful story. It is so well written from the beginning to the end. There are three sisters who live with their grandmother on the Isle of Crowstone. A family curse looms over them. They are not able to leave their island home. If they leave, they will die. Each sister is her own person with her own strengths and weaknesses. Betty is adventurous, Fliss, the oldest, is beautiful and flirtatious, and Charlie is full of energy and surprises. The grandmother is caring and intriguing. She makes frequent visits to the prison and has tried to protect her granddaughters. Betty is determined to get to the bottom of things. The three sisters make a great team on their quest to break their family curse. I highly recommend this fairy tale like story of full adventure, magic, and mystery. This is the first of three in The Pinch of Magic series originally published in the U.K.

Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

five-stars

Albie Newton

Albie NewtonAlbie Newton by Ester Garay, Josh Funk
Published by Sterling on May 1, 2018
ISBN: 1454922583
Pages: 26
Goodreads
five-stars

Albie Newton has a very specific and important audience: siblings, classmates and parents of children with asynchronous development and it’s definitely time we have a book like this. For those living and learning with gifted children there will be an instant recognition of the difficulties involved in the uneven levels of maturity. I love that the book addresses how frustrating it can be for classmates to experience this but there’s no judgement involved and they all realize that he’s working toward something amazing. And even if it doesn’t resonate on the development level, kids will enjoy watching Albie misbehave and create machines at the same time.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Gamayun Tales I

Gamayun Tales IGamayun Tales I by Alexander Utkin, Lada Morozova
Published by Nobrow on March 10, 2020
ISBN: 191062067X
Pages: 184
Genres: Folklore
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

This book is fabulous. I tell everyone who asks about graphic novels to borrow this; I can’t stop gushing about this series. This collection holds three previously released graphic novels: The King of Birds; The Water Spirit and Tyna of the Lake. I can’t even begin to describe how beautifully it’s illustrated, and I would rate it five stars on the illustrations alone, but it also weaves three traditional Russian folktales together seamlessly. I would add a star if I could for the domovoy character, Fyodor. It’s accessible enough for fourth graders but sophisticated enough for high school so anyone looking to teach Slavic mythology should have this.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

You Were Never Here

You Were Never HereYou Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock
Published by HarperTeen on October 20, 2020
ISBN: 0063002515
Pages: 400
Genres: Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
Cat has been sent back to her tiny Canadian hometown for the summer by her dad following an as yet unknown to us event in NYC.  She hasn’t been there since she left after sharing a kiss with her best friend, Riley, and seeing his deepest fear.  Turns out  Cat can see people’s fears and desires when she touches anyone’s skin.  She discovers that Riley has been missing for 3 months, and his brother assumes he’s dead.  His brother knows  Cat’s secret and asks her to help him solve the mystery.  Peacock sets us up for a well-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns and a surprising ending.  Not just a mystery, Cat takes us along with her as she learns self-acceptance and forgiveness.  Recommended for grades 7+.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

five-stars

A Place at the Table

A Place at the TableA Place at the Table by Laura Shovan, Saadia Faruqi
on August 11, 2020
ISBN: 0358116686
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Elizabeth and Maddy have been best friends forever, but when Sara joins their school and their after-school cooking club, things get a little more complicated. Sara is Pakistani, and her mother is newly teaching the cooking class. When Maddy ditches Elizabeth for someone new, Elizabeth and Sara become good friends, though not without some bumps along the way. Maddy and her family make some pretty awful and racist comments toward Sara and other Middle Eastern families, and Elizabeth feels unprepared to effectively confront Maddy. Throughout all the racial conflicts, Sara and Elizabeth are trying to come up with the winning and most original recipe for a local cooking contest. How will Elizabeth navigate the turbulent waters of racism with someone to whom she used to be very close?

This book is a quick read and will appeal to many young readers. The cooking references will delight fans of the myriad cooking shows, and the friend trouble/drama will resonate with middle grade readers everywhere. The discussion of immigration and racism is well done though the conversations feel a bit forced and unrealistic. Overall, it’s a good book, and I would recommend it for middle grade collections.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Carmen Sandiego: The Chasing Paper Caper

Carmen Sandiego: The Chasing Paper CaperThe Chasing Paper Caper by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published by Etch/HMH Books for Young Readers on October 6, 2020
ISBN: 0358380189
Pages: 144
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars
Carmen Sandiego works to stop thieves, but most of the authorities think she’s still up to no good. Here, she’s trying to thwart an attempted theft of the Magna Carta when she encounters the thief — an origami master who quickly creates and deploys throwing stars at will. Will she be able to stop the thieves and get the Magna Carta safely back to the museum? This short graphic novel based on a Netflix series is a fun, quick read. The story moves quickly, there is some dry humor, and the plot flows well. There isn’t a ton of text so this would be a great book for struggling or newer readers who may feel overwhelmed by large swaths of text. The art is clean, crisp, not overly detailed, and definitely moves the story along. Recommended for 3rd grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

The Longest Night of Charlie Noon

The Longest Night of Charlie NoonThe Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge
Published by Delacorte Press on August 4, 2020
ISBN: 0593173082
Pages: 176
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars
Charlie, Dizzy, and Johnny in the heart of the woods when night suddenly falls, and they find themselves trapped in night and in a nightmare. Time seems to be playing tricks on them, there is danger around each corner, and nothing is what it seems. Will they find their way out? Will night ever end?

This book is well written, but the plot is just confusing. Things don’t seem to flow easily together, and it’s easy to get lost. The characters are fairly well developed and the relationships between them can be complex at times. There is a section called “The Science of The Longest Night of Charlie Noon” at the end which delves into real science about morse code, secret codes, and more. Recommended for 4th grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Goodnight Veggies

Goodnight VeggiesGoodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray, Zachariah OHora
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on March 10, 2020
ISBN: 1328866831
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars
This is a sweet bedtime story for young readers. It goes through the garden and tucks in many vegetables. There are numerous word plays that will be lost on kids (potatoes shutting their eyes, corn covering their ears, etc.), but adult readers will enjoy it. The illustrations are high color and include happy, sleepy looking veggies. Throughout the book, there’s an earthworm exploring the garden soil and smiling at the veggies. A sweet story good for expanding and updating the bed time story selection. Recommended for readers 2 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Silli’s Sheep

Silli’s SheepSilli's Sheep by Louis Thomas, Tiffany Stone
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on August 4, 2020
ISBN: 1984848526
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars
Silli lives in a meadow, which is great when the weather is nice. When a cold gust of wind blows in one day, Silli decides he needs sheep to make wool to help keep him warm. He searches far and wide for sheep, and he finally finds some. They’re not interested in moving to where Silli lives (spoiler alert: the sheep are actually rocks), so he carries them to his mountain top home. He soon realizes he needs more and more sheep to make a circle around him to keep him warm.

I can’t quite grasp the purpose of this story. The illustrations are fun and colorful, but the story feels forced. It isn’t terribly funny, doesn’t carry any major philosophical life message, and just feels strange. There are certainly better picture books out there. Recommended for readers 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars