Category: Book Reviews

Crouton

CroutonCrouton: One Cat's Adoption Tale by Kristine A. Lombardi
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Crouton is a shelter cat waiting for her forever family who finally finds a girl who wants to take her home. The story is told from Crouton’s perspective and flips the script on the usual adoption story by making Crouton the one who “adopts” the girl and is patient and kind with her new family.

Children who love animals will connect with this story and find it charming. Readers will love the typical cat behavior and giggle at the ways Crouton interacts with her new family. This would be a fun addition to any library serving young readers, especially those in Pre-K to 2nd grade who like animals. This was a four-star read for me.  Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

four-stars

Room to Breathe by Kasie West

Room to Breathe by Kasie WestRoom to Breathe by Kasie West
on January 6, 2026
ISBN: 0593897722
Genres: Romance
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
four-stars

Room to Breathe is a quick read, realistic fiction, and romance teen novel about Indy and Beau. Indy’s life has been imploding and her close friends—Beau, Caroline, and Ava—have no idea what’s going on because Indy’s mom has sworn her to secrecy. With no one to turn to, Indy starts acting out and her friendships fall apart. Then Indy and Beau find themselves locked in a school bathroom. Can they finally talk and repair their friendship or is this really the end?

West weaves a compelling and engaging story. There’s a mystery around what’s happening with Indy and what led to the fallout with her friends and suspense with how West tells the story by moving back and forth in time. There’s romance in the will they or won’t they between Beau and Indy, especially with the forced proximity trope of them being trapped in a bathroom together. At 260 pages, this one will be a great addition to any library that serves readers 13 and up who enjoy romance. It’s a quick read with compelling characters, an engaging storyline, and a heart-warming romance. This was a four-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

four-stars

I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata Emill

I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata EmillI Don't Wish You Well by Jumata Emill
on January 20, 2026
ISBN: 059381102X
Genres: LGBTQ+, Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
five-stars

I Don’t Wish You Well is a teen thriller with social justice themes. Pryce is an aspiring journalist in college who stumbles across a message board post expressing that the person the police said was responsible for the serial murders in Pryce’s town five years ago might actually be innocent. Intrigued, Pryce decides to investigate and start a podcast as a journalism project, but as he starts digging up old secrets, he realizes the consequences are very real, and the real killer might be after him.

School Library Journal suggests grades 10 and up, and I would agree with that age range; unfortunately, there are no content warnings at the beginning of this book. While some teens might be okay with murder and pick this up looking for a good mystery, they could be surprised by the heavy topics of sexual assault, abuse, rape, homophobia, and pedophilia that play a central role in the book.

Content warnings aside, Emill tackles many challenging topics with nuance and thoughtfulness. Themes of social justice, sports (particularly football) culture, privilege, race, intersectionality, sexuality, and coming of age are highlighted and make the reader think. There are also twists and turns the reader might not see coming and will keep them guessing. This would be a great addition to any collection that serves older teens and adults who love murder mysteries, serial killers, teens solving crime, or a page-turning read that you can’t put down. This was a five-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

five-stars

Don’t Eat Eustace!

Don’t Eat Eustace!Don't Eat Eustace by Lian Cho
ISBN: 006332184X
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

If you or your readers like dark humor, this one is for you! Don’t Eat Eustace is an early reader book that would be a good fit for students in first through third grade. In the story, Bear is fishing and catches Eustace, a fish, who pleads with Bear not to eat him. Bear agrees, though there’s some continuing tension where Bear talks about how hungry he is, and we’re not sure if he’ll change his mind. Bear’s lunch continues to be pushed back as he helps a shark and a heron. It seems like the story is going in a sweet direction and Eustace decides to go home, but then we see that the shark and heron they helped are now eating all of the fish, so Eustace decides to stay with Bear. Some kids will get a kick out of this story, but I think it’s pretty niche. The mention of Eustace having a girlfriend doesn’t seem age-appropriate for the level of text and pictures and all of the fish screaming and being eaten at the end will definitely be a turnoff to a fair amount of readers. I wouldn’t go out of my way to add this to my collection. The artwork is beautiful and the story is certainly unique, but I don’t think it has a very wide appeal. This was a two-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

two-stars

Animal Heroes: Supersquads!

Animal Heroes: Supersquads!Supersquads!: Animal Heroes by Heather Lang, Jamie Harper
ISBN: 1536217980
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is the latest in the series after the popular Super Moms and Super Dads books. In this one, we get to see how groups of animals (or squads) work together and use skills like communication to accomplish super things. The illustrations are stunning and engaging, just like the other books in the series, and the information is high-quality, engaging, accessible, and humorous. This will be a great fit for readers in grades K-4 and could apply to upper grades as a model for writing engaging non-fiction or sharing information about animals or other research topics. I would strongly recommend adding it to any collection that serves elementary-aged readers. This was a five-star read for me.  Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

five-stars

How to Hatch: A Gosling’s Guide to Breaking Free

How to Hatch: A Gosling’s Guide to Breaking FreeHow to Hatch: A Gosling's Guide to Breaking Free by Galia Bernstein, Sara Holly Ackerman
ISBN: 0593811062
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

How to Hatch: A Gosling’s Guide to Breaking Free by Sarah Holly Ackerman

How to Hatch is about the hatching process for goslings and balances scientific facts with beautiful and engaging pictures and manageable chunks of the process. Readers will appreciate learning about the process while also getting an inside peek into the inside of the shell. This would pair especially well with a biology unit, a unit on animals, or as a model for engaging non-fiction. This is a must-have book for libraries serving readers in grades 1-5 and is a five-star read for me.  Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

five-stars

To Walk the Sky

To Walk the SkyTo Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities – A Beautifully Illustrated History of Mohawk Skywalkers and Their Legacy by E B Lewis, Patricia Morris Buckley
on January 28, 2025
ISBN: 0063046970
Genres: Cultural / Native American, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Native Americans are widely known for their powerful connection to the Earth, however, this book sheds light on a different skill; their historical connection to the sky, and the man-made, steel structures that stretch up to meet it.

The book takes us through the history of a land deal made between the Mohawk tribe and the Dominion Bridge Company in exchange for the opportunity for Mohawk Natives to take jobs working for them. To the construction bosses’ surprise, the Mohawk Natives appeared comfortable atop the tallest beams and even delighted moving among them like tightrope walkers. These daredevils became famously known as Skywalkers.

This picture book is an important homage to the Skywalkers and the pride in their unique ability to defy gravity. It includes the devastating collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907 and the tragedy of the Twin Towers in NYC. These tragedies did not defeat their passion to walk among the clouds and we have a long list of important structures throughout the United States that are still standing strong and continue to be built today. E.B. Lewis’ watercolor illustrations add to the beauty of the book’s message. A great addition to any library’s non-fiction section. Recommended for ages 6-12

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

four-stars

Your Crown Shines

Your Crown ShinesYour Crown Shines: For Ketanji Brown Jackson and You – A Poetic Love Letter and Picture Book Celebrating Black Women Pioneers by Dare Coulter, Jessica Care Moore
ISBN: 0063311399
Genres: Inspiration, Biography/Autobiography, Cultural / African American
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars
Biographical/inspirational picture book, Your Crown Shines: for Ketanji Brown Jackson and You, by jessica Care moore, lights a fire under girls of color to dream big and reach high. We are reminded that “Being the first isn’t the easiest thing to do when there is no one else who looks like you.” True enough, but while the message is a crucial one, the text falls short of the glory the author wishes to convey upon Ketanji Brown Jackson. Some pages rhyme, some are free verse, and some prose, leaving the reader a bit uncertain on how to read each page. The illustrations are vibrant, featuring a young KBJ interacting with her family, her heroes, and lots of books. Most of the pictures include an element of text from the body of KBJ’s work in the Supreme Court, which is a nice touch.
The text and style of the book suggest it’s meant for ages 4-8, but they may need a brief explanation of KBJ’s accomplishments for the connection between “Ketanji Brown Jackson and You” to make sense to that age group. School and classroom libraries might consider adding it to their collections, especially for units focusing on the accomplishments of BIPOC, women, and others overcoming obstacles to achieve amazing things.
Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library
three-stars

Twin Tides

Twin TidesTwin Tides by Hien Nguyen
on December 9, 2025
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars

Vietnamese-American 18-year-old identical twins Caliste and Aria are completely unaware of each other’s existence. Unfortunately, they are brought together under tragic circumstances–identifying the body of their mother, who disappeared 14 years ago. Caliste and Aria get swept up in a tangled web of family secrets, betrayal, and generational trauma as they seek to solve the mystery of their mother’s death.

The story starts out strong with a promising premise and interesting main characters, including a river ghost bent on seeking vengeance against nefarious men. However, the dimension of said ghoul ends up falling flat, which pulls away a piece of the story’s tension. The dynamic between Caliste and Aria is sweet, although a little unrealistic–they trust and rely on each other quite quickly. There are also some unfinished and rushed plot points that I wish had been fully realized. However, the glimpse into Vietnamese culture and the immigration experience, in particular stemming from the Vietnam War, is appreciated and well done. The character development of Caliste and Aria overall is solid, and there are some genuinely chilling moments, which may be enough for mystery/horror fans to see past the book’s flaws. 

Grades 8 & up

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

three-stars

The Summer I Remembered Everything

The Summer I Remembered EverythingThe Summer I Remembered Everything by Catherine Con Morse
ISBN: 0593711424
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars

After being grounded for the summer for a bad grade, Emily Chen-Sanchez is not sure how she is going to survive, considering her best friend Heather is overseas, and she hasn’t spoken to her other best friend Matt in two weeks. Add in her mother’s thyroid cancer diagnosis and the fact that she can never live up to the standard set by her older sister, Emily is desperate to get out of the house. So when she sees a job posting to be a companion to an elderly woman, Emily jumps at the chance. The only problem is that Mrs. Granucci is showing signs of Alzheimers. When she accuses Emily of stealing a piece of jewelry, everything changes. 

Emily’s struggle to feel at home with her overbearing family and a sister who can do no wrong will be relatable to many teens. Undoubtedly, seeing an older person succumb to the tragedy of Alzheimer’s will be a scenario readers may be familiar with. Emily’s decision to reach out to Mrs. Granucci’s family about her illness, even though she promised not to, reminds teens that sometimes doing the hard thing is the right thing in the end. A gentle coming-of-age story with Asian-Latine representation. 

Grades 7 & up

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School. York

 

three-stars