Category: Book Reviews

What a Cold Needs

What a Cold NeedsWhat a Cold Needs by Barbara Bottner, Chris Sheban
Published by Neal Porter Books on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 0823441725
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

This singularly focused picture book, for readers ages 2-6, portrays the ebbs and flows of someone suffering from a pesky cold with precision.  From the red sore nose to the comforts of grandma’s chicken soup, Bottner captures the experience well.  Even after the young girl in the story has recuperated, the cold has found another victim in the multi-generational family.  The layout includes a variety of spreads that match the text and draw out the misery of a stuffy nose.  Sheban’s grey based colors provide the spot-on atmosphere of those feeling the effects of a cold, showing expression and the correct amount of sick weariness.  Pair this with Stead’s A Sick Day for Amos Mcgee as a perfect panacea for someone staying in bed due to a cold or a story time about health.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

 

four-stars

Lizzy McTizzy and the Busy Dizzy Day

Lizzy McTizzy and the Busy Dizzy DayLizzy McTizzy and the Busy Dizzy Day by Sarah Weeks, Lee Wildish
Published by HarperCollins on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 0062442058
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

Lizzy McTizzy is excited to be invited to a birthday party.  It is time to go, but she is unable to find one of her shoes.  A complete search of the house ensues from her bedroom and  up into the attic, “Ah-CHOO!.  She finally solves the problem by putting on a red boot she finds and shows up at the party with two different pieces of footwear.  She still feels proud because “you have to be you”.  Weeks rhyming text flows quickly and smoothly which assists the reader in making it sound like Lizzy is in a tizzy.  Wildish’s illustrations are bright and cheery. Lizzy, has a large, bright red fluffy head of hair and various expressions as she explores all the places that her shoe could be hiding. Perspective is shown during the search by distance and body proportions.  The children have somewhat larger cartoon heads and smaller skinny bodies.  The party goers at the party are  racially diverse.   The font is easy to read and varies from questions, to descriptions to interjections of emotion.  Lizzy McTizzy would “find” a place in any 2-6 year old story time.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is a Classic

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is a ClassicCilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic by Susan Tan, Dana Wulfekotte
Published by Roaring Brook Press on March 27th 2018
ISBN: 1626725535
Pages: 272
Goodreads
four-stars

Cilla Lee-Jenkins:  This Book is a Classic is the second book following the exploits of Cilla.  Cilla is a third grader from a biracial family who is an aspiring writer.  Cilla’s Auntie Eva is getting married, so she tries to make herself more Chinese in time for the wedding.  Cilla has other problems to deal with besides the wedding with learning how to be a good big sister, deciding what to do about her best friend also being friends with someone else, and liking animals despite Chinese people not liking animals (she thinks).  Readers will learn about Chinese customs and traditions along with some vocabulary in a fun interesting manner presented by Cilla. Cilla’s observant, curious nature provides a third grader’s look at the struggle of blending families/traditions/cultures, jealousy in friendships, and change.  The novel is interspersed with pencil sketches which bring an increased understanding to the situation on the pages. Readers from ages 7-10 who have a new younger sibling, are biracial, or who are aspiring authors may relate to Cilla and enjoy this book. Parents and teachers may find this a fun read aloud providing multiple opportunities to discuss family dynamics, being a good friend, stereotypes, and even literary devices.  Cilla is a positive role model with good morals who realizes that some changes can be nice.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School Department, Easton

four-stars

Courting Darkness

Courting DarknessCourting Darkness (Courting Darkness Duology, #1) by Robin LaFevers
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0544991192
Pages: 498
Goodreads
five-stars

This dark and lusty tale set in 1489 begins where the His Fair Assassins series ends with the same sharply drawn characters, passionate decisions and political betrayals that made the series popular with historical fiction fans.  Told in first person in alternating episodic chapters, Sybella and Genevieve are both trained assassins from the convent of Mortain, the god of Death, with different roles and gifts.  Sybella and her lover, Beast of Waroch, protect the Duchess of Brittany as she travels to France to marry King Charles in order to bring peace to the nations.  Sybella has the added burden of protecting herself and her two younger sisters from Pierre d’Albret, her dangerous brother, while trying to locate an ally in the French court whom she has never met.  Genevieve has been in deep undercover in the French court for so long without a message or instruction from the convent that she takes matters in her own hands for developing her gifts and finding her way to stay faithful to Mortain.  Poisons, sword fights, knives, arrows and the evil intentions of those hungry for power pulsate throughout this historical based romance.  Not recommending for cream of the crop due to this being a spin-off of the His Fair Assassins series and reading that series will enrich and explain many complicated plot threads and identities.  Due to the complex historical situations and the passionate love making, suggest for mature High School readers or new adult readers.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

five-stars

The Train to Impossible Places

three-stars

The Train to Impossible Places is being planned as the first book in a trilogy. It’s geared for middle school, and full of fun.

The Impossible Postal Express is run by trolls and starts out at Suzy’s house in the middle of the night. The adventures begin… the train takes you to  ocean-bottom shipwrecks, to Trollville, and into space.

Suzy  sneaking on board, but Suzy  finds that she is now the Deputy Post Master . She’s in charge of deliveries, and there is an evil woman who will try to stop her, Lady Crepuscula.

The package containing a talkig snowglobe tries to get  Suzy not to deliver him.  Frederick the boy trapped in the snowglobe knows about the evil  Crepuscula, and her plans  to take over the entire Union of Impossible Places. Now Suzi has to decide to protect Frederick or  her friends.

The story is a bit Harry Potterish with some similar magic, and references to England.

Reviewed by Jeri Fitzpatrick, GNG Middle School, Gray

 

three-stars

Ready For It

Ready For ItReady for It by Chusita Fashion Fever
Published by Imprint on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 1250133882
Pages: 160
Goodreads
four-stars

Ready For It by Chusita is a nonfiction book discussing sex and everything that goes along with it.  Chusita strives to cover a wide variety of topics a teen may have questions about ranging from how to know if someone likes you to how same gender couples have sex. Some of the other topics covered include male/female orgasm, attraction, dating, gender, masturbation, hook ups, breakups, kissing, oral sex, anal sex, and fantasies.  The book is laid out in clear, short sections with emojis and bright orange on every page. Comic strips, quizzes, rules, definitions, slang, and full page sketches are interspersed through the book providing information in a fun versatile manner. Adults will appreciate how Chusita offers many words of caution and advises readers to always have consent, use protection, and have fun.  Readers from ages 14-18 will find Chusita’s gender inclusive, nonjudgmental style relatable and find answers to many questions.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton

four-stars

Voyage of the Dogs

Voyage of the DogsVoyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout
Published by HarperCollins on September 4th 2018
ISBN: 0062686003
Pages: 224
Goodreads
four-stars

Lopside is a good boy! When he wakes up from hibernation, he and his pack quickly realize that the humans have abandoned their spaceship Laika. The “Barkonauts” quickly swing into action assessing the damage that led to the evacuation and getting a message back to Earth. They work hard to fulfill their mission of traveling to a distant planet. It will take all their wits and loyalty just to survive. This will be a big hit with dog lovers and maybe way to introduce science fiction to those that only read animal stories.

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

four-stars

Mostly the Honest Truth

Mostly the Honest TruthMostly the Honest Truth by Jody J. Little
Published by HarperCollins on March 12th 2019
ISBN: 0062852493
Pages: 272
Goodreads
four-stars

Jane and her Pop are like a matched pair of socks — it’s always just been the two of them. Except for the times when Jane has to live with a foster family while Pop goes to rehab. This time feels different though — Officer D takes Jane and her injured hand home with her. Officer D lives in Three Boulders, a communal living community where everyone eats together and lives in cabins presided over by 91-year-old Old Red. Will Jane and her Pop be reunited? What are the secrets of Three Boulders? A wonderful tale of redemption and resilience — and knowing when to ask for help.

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

four-stars

Chadwick’s Epic Revenge

Chadwick’s Epic RevengeChadwick's Epic Revenge by Lisa Doan, Natalie Andrewson
Published by Roaring Brook Press on June 26th 2018
ISBN: 125015409X
Pages: 288
Goodreads
three-stars

6th-grader Chadwick is hoping for an awesome final year of elementary school. He just needs to survive pranks played by his archnemesis Terry and try to get beautiful Jana to notice him. Chadwick spends the summer before 6th grade “creeping and lurking” trying to work his way into Jana’s circle which felt a little uncomfortable compared to the more overt pranks Terry pulled on Chadwick. As Chadwick plans his (epic) revenge on Terry, he starts to realize that he might not be the totally innocent victim and Terry might not be the totally evil bully after all.

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

three-stars

Snazzy Cat Capers

Snazzy Cat CapersSnazzy Cat Capers by Deanna Kent, Neil Hooson
Published by Imprint on September 18th 2018
ISBN: 1250143438
Pages: 224
Goodreads
four-stars

Ophelia von Hairball V takes pride in being the best cat burglar in the world. She fancies herself a feline James Bond. She works for the Furry Feline Burglary Institute (FFBI) and keeps sending back the inventors they send to work with her. When Oscar Fishgerald Gold (a goldfish of course) shows up and claims to be her partner, she has to try to ditch Oscar, avoid the Central Canine Intelligence Agency (CCIA), win the FFBI’s 5th annual “Purr-fect Heist Competition,” and avoid the sabotage attempts of her cousin Pierre von Rascal of Thievesylvania. Filled with fun illustrations and Ophelia’s aphorisms (“There will be times in life that aren’t fun. Try not to have too many of those.”), this will be a fun book for fans of humorous adventures and perhaps a next step for graphic novel readers.

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

four-stars