Category: Book Reviews

Honeybee

HoneybeeHoneybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, Eric Rohmann
Published by Neal Porter Books on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 0823442853
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This book follows the life of a single bee within the beehive. It so perfectly and easily explains the honeybee life cycle, from the various jobs the bees perform to how their bodies change as they age.

This book is gorgeous and informative without being bogged down with too many details. As a beekeeper, I still learned something new. The illustrations are simply stunning. When I picked the book up the first time, I thought the cover image was a photograph. Eric Rohman does a wonderfully detailed job depicting the bees and their lives. This book would be great for kids K-3rd grade.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Vote for Our Future

Vote for Our FutureVote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara, Micah Player
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on January 14, 2020
ISBN: 1984892800
Pages: 40
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The children of Stanton Elementary are ready to speak up for themselves! Kids can’t vote, so they’re talking to the people who can about why voting is important.

This book is perfectly timed with upcoming elections, and it does a wonderful job teaching kids about the importance of voting. The illustrations are colorful, inclusive, and complement the text well. A recommended purchase for all libraries to share with Pre-K through 2nd graders, though it would also be a great book to share with older kids paired with more detailed discussion about elections and voting.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

The Paper Kingdom

The Paper KingdomThe Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, Pascal Campion
on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 052564461X
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

When Daniel’s sitter cancels, he is forced to go with his parents to their night shift janitorial job. He expects to be bored, but his parents help engage him by imagining a world complete with kings, queens, and dragons.

I loved this book. It is a wonderful testament to family, imagination, and the power of kindness. More importantly, it touches on societal hierarchies when Daniel wonders why his parents have to clean up after other people. His parents encourage him, when he’s king of the paper kingdom, to be kind to everyone. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, and convey the emotions of the family. They’re engaging and add depth to the story. This book will appeal to Pre-K through 2nd grade readers.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Pearl the Magical Unicorn

Pearl the Magical UnicornPearl the Magical Unicorn by Adele K. Thomas, Sally Odgers
Published by Feiwel & Friends on January 7, 2020
ISBN: 1250235502
Pages: 128
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

Pearl is a magical unicorn, but she can’t seem to get her magic to work the way she wants. After several mishaps with humorous outcomes, she decides to be “just plain Peal” instead of Magical Pearl. On adventures with her friends, Tweet and Olive, she’s encouraged to believe in herself and use her magic for good.

This is the first in an early chapter book series about Pearl. The overall message is good, but the story just falls flat. There are more interesting ways to convey the same message. The illustrations are whimsical and black-and-white with pink highlights. There are also pink highlights throughout the text, though I can’t quite figure out why certain words were highlighted — it feels, and very well may be, random. Best for K-2nd grade readers. An additional purchase for libraries looking to expand their early chapter book section.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

Clue by Clue (Carmen Sandiego series)

Clue by Clue (Carmen Sandiego series)Clue by Clue by Catherine Hapka
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on May 7, 2019
ISBN: 1328553086
Pages: 144
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

This sequel based on the Netflix series is a fun, breezy adventure. Carmen and her sidekicks at ACME must solve the code that will lead them to a pirate’s treasure before her nemesis Tigress of VILE (Villians’ Internaional League of Evil) solves it. They race around the world sharing geographic facts along the way. Includes a decoder wheel embedded in the cover, this book is not recommended for library purchase as the binding is flimsy. Will be popular with fans of the show.

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

three-stars

Bigger, Badder, Nerdier (Geeked Out Book 2)

Bigger, Badder, Nerdier (Geeked Out Book 2)Bigger, Badder, Nerdier by Obert Skye
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on April 30, 2019
ISBN: 1627799419
Pages: 240
Genres: Humor, Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Billed as dystopia meets Wimpy Kids, Tip and his friends have discovered they possess mild superpowers (super burping, super hearing, super clapping, and turning things on/off with their mind) and they use these powers to save their middle school from the evil school secretary, Darth Susan. Formerly the AV club, Tip and his friends now go by LAME, or the League of Average and Mediocre Entities. The drawings are fun and there are some clever jokes along the way, e.g., the apocalypse was caused by the “fanatics” who hated the third installment of the popular Sand Thrower movies so much that they left the theaters and began destroying the Earth. The font is very basic and not graphical as readers might expect. This might be a change of pace for fanatical Wimpy Kid readers who want to try a new genre but with so many excellent graphical books and dystopian titles to select from, not highly recommended.

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

three-stars

Ryan Pitts: Afghanistan: A Firefight in the Mountains of Wanat (Medal of Honor series)

Ryan Pitts: Afghanistan: A Firefight in the Mountains of Wanat (Medal of Honor series)Ryan Pitts: Afghanistan: A Firefight in the Mountains of Wanat by Michael P. Spradlin
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on January 15, 2019
ISBN: 1250157110
Pages: 112
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Biography of Army Sergeant Ryan Pitts, awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan in 2008. Against all odds and injured, Pitts kept firing at the enemy and was able to keep the outpost he was defending from falling into Taliban hands. Several of his fellow soldiers were killed. Part of the Medal of Honor series. Includes a glossary, notes, and bibliography. Should be a welcome addition to upper elementary/middle school history collections.

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

four-stars

Aly Raisman: Athlete and Activist

Aly Raisman: Athlete and ActivistAly Raisman: Athlete and Activist by Anna Leigh
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on January 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541542614
Pages: 48
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
two-stars

This elementary-level biography of Aly Raisman, Olympic gold-medal gymnast and advocate for athletes who were sexually abused by the USA Gymnastics team doctor, gives a simple overview of Raisman’s life and Olympic accomplishments. The sexual abuse is only mentioned. A better purchase for middle school libraries might be Raisman’s memoir, Fierce.

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

two-stars

The Invasion of the Scuttlebots: Star Scouts 3

The Invasion of the Scuttlebots: Star Scouts 3The Invasion of the Scuttlebots (Star Scouts, #3) by Mike Lawrence
Published by First Second on November 12, 2019
ISBN: 1250191092
Pages: 192
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

In the third entry in the popular Star Scouts graphic novel series, Mabel, who has just “pupated” and had her “pu-party,”  is jealous of Avani’s new friend Pam. Avani and Pam, former enemies, had bonded in Star Scouts 2. Mabel’s jealousy leads to accidentally setting off “Scuttlebots” to attack Earth and spread rumors about Pam. The Scouts must work together to save Earth. This fun series of extraterrestrial scouting features colorful and creative artwork.

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

four-stars

Moon Mission: The Epic 400-Year Journey to Apollo 11

Moon Mission: The Epic 400-Year Journey to Apollo 11Moon Mission: The Epic 400-Year Journey to Apollo 11 by Sigmund Brouwer
Published by Kids Can Press on May 7, 2019
ISBN: 1525300369
Pages: 128
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A great addition to middle school astronomy library collections, this book details the historic 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon of Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins. Each chapter is organized into three sections with “stage two” detailing important scientists such as Wernher von Braun, Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Albert Einstein, whose contributions made the moon launch possible. Each chapter also includes a “solve the science mystery” sidebar introducing scientists like Edward Hubble, Michael Faraday, and Margaret Hamilton. Includes bibliography, index, and black and white photographs. As this was published in Canada, American readers will have to get used to large numbers written with spaces in lieu of commas, e.g., 35 575 feet for 35,575 feet.

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

four-stars