Category: Book Reviews

Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time

Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a TimeNya's Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda Sue Park, Brian Pinkney
Published by Clarion Books on September 3rd 2019
ISBN: 132878133X
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

Although similar to other picture books about African children having to walk to get water, this story adds suspense of the little sister falling ill during the walk. Set in Sudan, fictional Nya represents many real villagers’ struggles for safe drinking water.

Brian Pinkney’s signature sweeping, swirling full-color illustrations intensify the emotion and sense of the dry, hot land.

This could be paired with Christine Ieronimo’s “ A Thirst for Home” (2014); William Kamkwamba’s “Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (2012); Herb Shoveller’s “Ryan and Jimmy and the Well That Brought them Together (2006); or Susan Verde’s “The Water Princess” (2016). For libraries owning these titles, “Nya’s Long Walk” would be an additional purchase.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town.

four-stars

Experience Nature: How Time Outside Makes You Feel

Experience Nature: How Time Outside Makes You FeelExperience Nature: How Time Outside Makes You Feel by Jean C. Lawler
Published by Red Chair Press on August 1st 2018
ISBN: 1634403770
Goodreads
three-stars

Would you rather go to the mall, be outside with friends, or watch a movie at home? This initial question of the book clearly has one ‘right’ answer, as the two inside choices are not discussed at all. Organized into three chapters, nature is explained and the reader is encouraged to use their senses, explore, interact, and listen to their ‘inner voice.’

Special features include a Power Point, a Try It Out, and Moving On. Each of these only appears once but could have been repeated with additional ideas and points. 

Clear, crisp photos (some are full page, some are insets) invite the reader to try a small variety of outdoor activities; more examples could have been included. The brief index points readers to unusual topics such as ecosystems, human-made, and inner voice. Predominance of green borders and green tones help set the outdoors mood.

One of several titles in the “Experience Personal Power” series that includes topics such as “…Food You Eat…”, “…Your Media Choices…”, and “…Quiet Time…”

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town.

three-stars

Bug Off! A Story of Fireflies and Friendship

Bug Off! A Story of Fireflies and FriendshipBug Off!: A Story of Fireflies and Friendship by Cari Best, Jennifer Plecas
on June 25th 2019
ISBN: 0374380627
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

Let’s take a vote. How many of us think fireflies are bugs? Well…they are beetles, and beetles ARE insects, and bugs are insects, but fireflies and bugs are two different classes of insects. Confusing? It is to Maude, a newcomer in the neighborhood. She’s trying to make friends, and when she sees a poster advertising the Bug-of-the-Month Club, she thinks it’s the perfect way to meet other children and share her new passion for fireflies. However, it’s not at all confusing to club leader Louise, who rejects Maude’s bid for membership based on the fact that fireflies are NOT bugs!

The text weaves in basic information about bugs and lots of information about fireflies and how to create a firefly-friendly environment. It’s not preachy or dry – just the right balance to inform and entertain. The cartoonish, full color illustrations show mostly night scenes with the contrasting bright yellow fireflies and proportionately large white eyes of the children.

This book could be used to initiate a study of animal kingdom orders and classifications, but probably more useful as a how-to-be-a-friend’ story. Now, could we have a discussion about the terms firefly vs lightening bug?

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town.

five-stars

Amazing Origami Dinosaurs

Amazing Origami DinosaursAmazing Origami Dinosaurs (Amazing Origami) by Rob Ives
Published by Hungry Tomato (R) on January 1st 2019
ISBN: 1541542827
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

Fold and turn and push and rotate and… voila! A dinosaur! Directions and information about six popular dinosaurs and a prehistoric tree are given, along with basic origami strategies. 

The Contents lists the dinosaurs; the index lists topics such as legs, craft shop, fish, and vegetation.

Each set of directions are done in a different color origami paper with contrasting background colors with adequate white space – helps set each one apart. Each fold is numbered, some are completed on a two-page spread, others fill 3-4 pages.  A few facts about each dinosaur are also provided

Now, to find some origami paper…and a youngster to try these with!

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

four-stars

Just Like Us! Cats

Just Like Us! CatsJust Like Us! Cats by Bridget Heos
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on January 15th 2019
ISBN: 132879184X
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars

How are cats ‘just like us’? Young readers may find a few similarities, but many facts given are not connected to humans. Some pages have no mention of the comparison. The cartoonish illustrations that dominate the pages attempt to provide a little humor and are superimposed over a few photographs. Each two-page covers one topic, such as ‘Kittengarten’ or “Take Your Cub to Hunt Day’ with fact boxes that are quite text-heavy for younger readers, and most have an easy-to-read font but some are in another hard-to-read style.

An index or table of contents would be helpful. The verso page shows reading levels for Lexile (850), Guided Reading (T), Fountas & Penell (R), and the interest level (grades 2-6). “Say What” provides the glossary, and a helpful bibliography are included. This author has previously published Fish, Birds, Ant and Plants in this series. 

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

three-stars

Dinosaur Farm!

Dinosaur Farm!Dinosaur Farm! by Penny Dale
Published by Nosy Crow on June 4th 2019
ISBN: 0763699365
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars

“Dinosaur Farm!” by Penny Dale is a picture book that has different dinosaurs running a farm. The dinosaurs are plowing, building, digging, and picking things. What a busy farm! The illustrations are bright and busy. The text does not rhyme, but has a bouncing cadence, and a lot of onomatopoeia like “clatter,” and “rumble.”

The front and back papers identify various dinosaurs and farm equipment, though many kids will probably already be experts in both subjects. The book is aimed at kids age 3 to 6 and would make a fun read-aloud. The story itself is fairly basic, so this book is not a must-buy for your library collection, but if you have extra money in the budget, it would make a good additional purchase.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

three-stars

A Tale Magnolious

A Tale MagnoliousA Tale Magnolious by Suzanne Nelson
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 18th 2019
ISBN: 1984831747
Pages: 368
Goodreads
three-stars

Nitty Luce and Magnolious the elephant are meant to be together. Both are orphans; both are running away from a lonely past. After Nitty, on a whim, steals a pouch of gleaming seeds, she runs headfirst into Mags, who is about to be hanged for killing her trainer. The elephant senses Nitty’s compassionate nature and shields her from one of the many dust storms that have plagued the town for more than a decade. The runaways soon meet up with Windle Homes, a cantankerous farmer whose past has left him as lonely as Nitty’s and Mags’ past have left them. With the help of those magic seeds and some hard work, the three revive Windle’s farm, despite the dust storms, which have all but destroyed the little town. With the help of a cast of misfit characters, Nitty reveals the secret of those mysterious dust storms before the town is completely destroyed.

A charming adventure filled with misfit characters, who each find friendship and belonging in each other. There is humor and wacky adventure with a little bit magic rolled in. Dastardly deeds, fun wordplay and the story’s oddball caricatures make the romp clever and amusing. A good read for grades 4 to 6.

Reviewed by Kelly Greenlee, Prince Memorial Library, Cumberland

three-stars

The Athena Protocol

The Athena ProtocolThe Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif
Published by HarperTeen on October 8th 2019
ISBN: 0062849603
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-stars

The Athena Protocol

 

Jess is a member of an all-female group who provide protection to women who are being assaulted in any part of the world.  But, Jess has gone too far by killing Ahmed, one of the worst offenders and, thus, bringing scrutiny onto the group.  In order to keep the group hidden, Jess is told to leave.  But she knows that she has the high-level skills needed to save the women who are being kidnapped and held so that their physical organs can be harvested and used by wealthy Russians who can afford the price.

It took me a while to connect with Jess as a character.  With all the bravery and abilities that Jess had I didn’t accept that the others would have summarily told her to leave.  She ended up as the one who saved the group members as well as the kidnapped women.  One of the cool technological devices were contact lenses that could zoom in on things far away with the blink of an eye.

This book is recommended for grades 9-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

Biscuit’s Snow Day Race

Biscuit’s Snow Day RaceBiscuit’s Snow Day Race by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Pat Schories
Published by HarperCollins on October 1st 2019
ISBN: 006243621X
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

The silly puppy Biscuit is back in this Shared First Reader for children in grades preK-1.    Biscuit’s owner has plans to build a snow fort for her friends.  Biscuit looks like a helper with digging, “woof, woof” and finding the sleds “woof, woof”, but really Biscuit wants to go down the hill in a sled.  The layout provides a large font, 2-3 simple sentences and plenty of white space.  New readers will be successful due to the repeated “woof, woof” and the details of the illustrations.  Biscuit’s owner presents as white, but her group of friends represents a mix of cultures.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

Pete the Kitty goes to the Doctor

Pete the Kitty goes to the DoctorPete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor by James Dean
Published by HarperCollins on September 24th 2019
ISBN: 0062868330
Pages: 32
Goodreads
two-stars

Pete the Kitty has a bellyache.  He doesn’t have a fever so his Dad has him get some rest.  Pete the Kitty tries to play with his trains and paint a picture until Dad tells him to get dress.  Pete the Kitty is going to the doctor which scares him.  They wait in the waiting room; Pete gets checked out, receives a sticker and is sent home to rest.  The positives of this story are that Pete the Kitty is popular and this offering will support parents in explaining a trip to the doctor.  The doctor is female and Pete the Kitty has overcome his fear of going to the doctor.  Parents may also appreciate that this trip to the doctor did not result in medication being prescribed.  Unfortunately, the layout of the story has a few drawbacks.   The story line meanders in the beginning and Pete the Kitty doesn’t hear about going to the doctor until page 14.  New readers need the main topic of the story at the beginning for comprehension purposes.  For school age children, discussion may need to be made on why he needs to stay home from school and go to the doctor when he doesn’t have a fever, hasn’t thrown up or  broken out in a rash.    Even though it is cartoon logic and similar to the other Easy Reader Pete the Cat books, it seems out of place that the adult cats have clothes and Pete the Kitty is in pjs at home, but when he is told to “get dressed”, he only dons a scarf which is taken off at the doctor’s office.   Children wanting Pete the Cat books will probably think it’s “groovy”.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

 

two-stars