Rappy and His Favorite Things by Dan Gutman, Tim Bowers The kids in Rappy’s class have to write a poem. Rappy doesn’t think he’s a poet and won’t be able to do it. But when he realizes that rap is same as poetry, he gets into it. Kids that enjoy rap will like this one, Guided Reading Level k.
Ages: 4 and up. Mary Lehmer, Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine.
The kids in Rappy’s class have to write a poem. Rappy doesn’t think he’s a poet and won’t be able to do it. But when he realizes that rap is same as poetry, he gets into it. Kids that enjoy rap will like this one, Guided Reading Level k.
Ages: 4 and up. Mary Lehmer, Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine.
Pete the kitty has the hiccups and he doen’t like it. Everyone tries to help him get rid of them but it’s his mom that ends up saving the day. Funny ways that some kids might have tried to get rid of the hiccups. Bright drawings and large text will work well for young readers. Readers of Pete the Cat will be drawn to this one. Guided Reading Level F is on the back of the book.
Ages: 4 and up. Mary Lehmer, Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine.
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Spring Smiles by Kallie George, Oriol Vidal 
Poor dinosaur is sneezing at everything. He is getting sad but when the rain arrives and makes puddles, he gets to play without sneezing and is happy. Silly story that will appeal to young children. The dinosaur drawings are adorable and his sneezes silly, a great combo. Large text and the Guided Reading Level E on the back are very helpful. A solid story for a level E reader.
Ages: 4 and up. Mary Lehmer, Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine.
Biscuit Loves the Park by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Pat Schories Biscuit is playing in the park but all of a sudden he disappears. But not to worry he is with the other pups in the park. A sweet early chapter book. The illustrations captures the fun, gentleness of the story. The lettering is large and easy to read for a new reader. The back of the book gives the Guided Reading Level E making it clear for readers and others looking for that information.
Very Good. Ages 4 and up. Mary Lehmer, Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME
I Like My Bike by Antongionata Ferrari 
Different animals and people like the vehicle they ride in. For some it’s a car ,others a truck and still others a bike. The text repeats to make it easy for a new reader. The illustrations pull the reader in and give clues as to what the new word might be. A fun book that has a bit of humor in it and great illustration as well. On the front and back is the Guided Reading Level A which is really handy. Perfect choice for new reader.
Cream. Ages 4 and up. Mary Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME
“Pete the Cat’s Giant Groovy Book” is a collection of nine previously published Pete the Cat early reading stories. The collection starts with five stories at the “My First” beginning reading level, and then goes on to four “Level 1” reading level stories.
I enjoyed the fact that between the two reading levels, there’s a special page with Pete telling the reader, “Groovy job! You’re moving on to Level 1,” and at the end of the book he says, “Congrats! You’re a cool reader!”
James Dean is the writer and illustrator and gives Pete the Cat bright artwork and short, fun stories. I wouldn’t consider this a must-buy for a library, especially if you already have the nine stories that are included, but it would be a good purchase for an individual child who is learning to read. Aimed at children in preschool to third grade, getting to read through a “big book” and getting encouragement from Pete himself is pretty fun.
Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.
Mr. Posey's New Glasses by Ted Kooser, Daniel Duncan “Mr. Posey’s New Glasses” follows an older gentleman who has become bored with everything. Nothing is new and exciting anymore. His friend Andy, a kid who lives next door, is outside playing with his dog, Parker. Mr. Posey notices that Andy and Parker never seem to be bored. He decides he needs to get new glasses in order to make his life more exciting. Andy and Parker come along. They go to a thrift store and he tries on different types of glasses. The glasses change things, but not in the way he wants: star-shaped lenses only show the night sky and circular lenses make him feel like he’s spinning around!
You can tell that the book was written by a poet (former U. S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser) because the descriptions are beautiful. The thrift store they go to is described as smelling like rose petals that have been kept in a shoe, and when he puts on the star glasses he hears an owl “hoo-hoo-hooing” faintly in the dark. The illustrations by Daniel Duncan are both funny and gorgeous and add to the descriptive text.
Written for ages six to nine, “Mr. Posey’s New Glasses” shows that sometimes all you have to do to make things seem exciting is to just look at things as if they are new, change your outlook (and clean your glasses)! A cute and fun book, but not necessarily a must-buy for your library.
Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.
The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow, Steven Salerno “The Crayon Man,” written by Natascha Biebow and illustrated by Steven Salerno, is a picture book biography of the inventor of Crayola crayons. Biebow gives a thorough explanation of Edwin Binney’s pursuit of the perfect crayon without inundating the reader with too many details.
Binney starts by inventing a new kind of gray slate pencil, and then a less dusty chalk, and a black wax crayon. The crayons of the day were large, broke easily, and too expensive, so Binney experimented until he was able to create the perfect colorful crayon.
The illustrations are beautiful. They are extremely colorful and detailed, but don’t overwhelm the reader or overtake the text. The text is made up of short sentences and is almost lyrical without rhyming. There is a bibliography of primary and secondary sources at the back of the book and historical photos of Binney. They also included a brief photo essay of how crayons are currently made in the factory.
Aimed at children aged six to nine, “The Crayon Man” is a well-written and beautiful biography of the inventor of Crayola crayons. I would say that it is a must-buy if you have a children’s biography section or know a kid who loves coloring and might be interested in how their crayons came to be.
Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.
Together at Midnight by Jennifer Castle Kendall and Max once had a very brief but very memorable kiss. Max, at the time, was dating Eliza and in his heart of hearts knew his relationship was doomed. Fast forward six months to snowy New York City days before New Year’s Eve. Max has deferred his first year at college due to a misplaced sense of responsibility to Eliza. Kendall has just returned from a semester abroad and absolutely not ready to re-enter real life. Kendall and Max accidentally bumped into each other and witness a very ugly and public argument between a man and a woman. The woman, in an attempt to break away from the man, runs into the street and is hit by a bus. Kendall and Max are shell shocked and horrified that they watched the argument and did nothing to help the woman. Sitting over coffee and sharing their collective guilt, their waitress overhears them and challenges them to complete seven random acts of kindness and to come back on New Year’s Day to share the results with her. Kendall and Max are initially unenthused with the project but find that opportunities abound once they open their minds to breaking the bystander cycle. Friends and family are peppered throughout Kendall and Max’s quest, most importantly Max’s grandfather who is grieving the death of Max’s beloved grandmother. Rather unsurprisingly, Kendall and Max do share a second kiss though the story stops short of providing all the makings of a perfect ending. Readers are left able to decide how they think the story ends. A nice romance to add to high school shelves.
Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook