Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

What If I’m Not a Cat?

What If I’m Not a Cat?What If I'm Not a Cat? (-) by Kari-Lynn Winters, Kelly Collier
Published by Kids Can Press on June 6, 2023
ISBN: 1525305530
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Donkey thought he was a cat! He lived with cats, behaved like a cat, and the other cats accepted him. He was happy. However some things are not quite right. Donkey has an existential crisis when farmer says something that makes her question who she is. And it causes the other cats to question who they are. This book is hilarious and the humor is spot-on for young children. The illustrations are adorable, funny, and depict each cat’s personality. Speech bubbles compliment the text. Sure to be a story-time crowd-pleaser, this picture book could lead to discussions about identity and inclusiveness. At the end, one cat sums it up perfectly, “What does it matter? Donkey’s just Donkey.” Donkey has a different conclusion, but I don’t want to spoil it for the readers.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

The Labors of Hercules Beal

The Labors of Hercules BealThe Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
Published by Clarion Books on May 23, 2023
ISBN: 0358659639
Pages: 352
Genres: Humor, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Hercules Beal has been given a tough assignment at his new school: to duplicate the feats of the mythological Hercules in his small Cape Cod town and write reflections on each one. At first this task seems daunting, but with some ingenuity and help from a few friends and neighbors, he is able to chip away at the twelve labors. As he reflects on his completed challenges, Hercules experiences a year of tremendous growth and healing after the death of his parents in a car accident. Hercules becomes an important member of his school and a valued member of his community, so when he needs help he is surrounded by a network of friends and neighbors who lift him up.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars

As Brave As a Lion

As Brave As a LionAs Brave as a Lion by Erika Meza
Published by Candlewick Press on May 16, 2023
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

As Brave As a Lion by Erika Meza is the story of a young girl and her lion companion who helps her be brave. She lists all the ways the lion helps her, and then the reader goes on an adventure where our protagonist climbs the tallest slide but is too afraid to go down it. She looks to her lion for comfort, but he is scared too! So she decides to be brave for both of them. This book is a charming and sensitive look at facing your fears and figuring out what it means to be brave. The illustrations are bright and gorgeous and each of the characters are dynamically drawn and enjoyable to follow throughout the story. This is a great addition to any collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

Let’s Go Puddling

Let’s Go PuddlingLet's Go Puddling! by Emma Perry, Claire Alexander
Published by Candlewick Press on April 25, 2023
ISBN: 1536228494
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Let’s Go Puddling is a fun onomatopoeic picture book about the joys of a rainy day. A group of small friends (accompanied by their caregivers) race to jump in puddles and enjoy the rain. The illustrations are mixed media with a diverse cast of characters, and both text and illustrations support each other in the telling of the story. A worthwhile addition to a picture book collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

My Friend, Loonie

My Friend, LoonieMy Friend, Loonie by Nina LaCour, Ashling Lindsay
Published by Candlewick Press on March 28, 2023
ISBN: 1536213934
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

My Friend, Loonie is about a young girl who befriends a yellow balloon and takes Loonie with her everywhere she goes, using it as a security blanket of sorts. When the balloon inevitably drifts away, she is sad but with the help of her two moms, she plants a flower to remember Loonie and begins to find yellow everywhere she looks. The prose is sweet and will ring true for any caregiver who has had to accommodate for the odd friends their children find. The illustrations are where this book shines however; the colors are vibrant and eye-catching and when the balloon disappears, the artist weaves in the color yellow more and more as the book continues. A worthwhile addition to any collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

How to Write a Poem

How to Write a PoemHow to Write a Poem by Deanna Nikaido, Kwame Alexander, Melissa Sweet
Published by Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins ISBN: 0063060906
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A visually gorgeous book that invites readers to immerse themselves in colorful, poetry-making experiences through wordplay and art. Sweet’s collage illustrations and hand lettering exists symbiotically with Alexander and Nikaido’s text, blurring the line between written art and visual art, giving each page both words to ponder upon and endless artistic details to contemplate. A pitch-perfect introduction to all that poetry can be.

Easy to put in the hands of young children who enjoy looking at books on their own, and for families to read aloud; could also be used in a story hour paired with collage crafts. Highly recommend.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Unseen Jungle

Unseen JungleUnseen Jungle: The Microbes That Secretly Control Our World by Eleanor Spicer Rice, Rob Wilson
Published by MIT Kids Press on May 2, 2023
Pages: 176
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A fun and fascinating look at the microbes that surround us in our homes, our yards, our food, and yes, our bodies. Conversational and humorous in tone, with colorful cartoon drawings throughout, this book is informative as well as entertaining. The chapters are short, the language is accessible, add in some occasionally creepy and gross details and you have high appeal for the upper elementary set. Interviews with scientists are interspersed and suggestions for further reading and a bibliography are included at the end of the book. 

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Grades 3-6

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

four-stars

The Book of Turtles

The Book of TurtlesThe Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery, Matt Patterson
Published by Clarion Books on May 2, 2023
ISBN: 0358458072
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

While Sy Montgomery is renowned for her “Scientists in the Field” series, this nonfiction science book about turtles is not part of that series. The fact-filled text is engaging and the “Celebrity Turtle Profiles” features some of the world’s most famous turtles, including Myrtle, the 90-year-old, 550-pound green sea turtle at the New England Aquarium in Boston. The book concludes with some of the dangers turtles face and how we can help. Patterson’s highly detailed illustrations are accurate and life-like. I recommend this book for all ages. I guarantee you will learn something new about turtles. However, a book for adults Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by the same author and illustrator duo will be published in September. The first sentence of the book is brilliant – “Sometime around 240 million years ago — about the time of the first dinosaurs, and 9 million years before the first crocodile — the shell invented the turtle.” It goes on to report that the shell, composed of 60 joined bones, makes a turtle a turtle.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Nic Blake and the Remarkables

Nic Blake and the RemarkablesNic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy (Nic Blake and the Remarkables #1) by Angie Thomas
Published by Balzer + Bray on April 4, 2023
ISBN: 0063225131
Pages: 354
Genres: Adventure, Cultural / African American, Fantasy, Folklore, Humor, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A super fun trilogy-kicking-off novel that draws from African American history and folklore, classic fantasy adventure stories and current issues seamlessly, all while subversively riffing on modern fantasy tropes. Nic Blake has been raised by her single Black father outside of the magical community where most other Remarkables live. On her twelfth birthday, she asks – again – to be taught how to use the Gift, but as has happened every year, he puts it off. However, a chance encounter with her favorite author cracks open her world, and it turns out her dad was keeping more than just magical instruction from her – he was keeping her hidden from her whole large, powerful family and the world they inhabit. Worse, he’s accused of a crime she knows he did not commit, and it’s up to her, her newly discovered Remarkable brother, and her best friend PJ (an Unremarkable) to figure out how to save him – before it’s too late.

This book was nonstop enjoyment, full of action, suspense, tension, magic, sci-fi, silliness, and plot twists. At the same time there is a grounding in reality: the entire cast is Black, and readers confront real issues of racism, as seen through Nic’s brother, Alex’s, eyes. Having grown up in the Remarkable society, Alex has no concept of why Black people are treated differently in her world, while for Nic and her friend PJ, they have learned how to navigate that reality, and the resulting commentary is both critical and sobering. Supporting cast are well defined and likeably flawed, which provides depth to the primary storyline.

This is an easy book to highly recommend. It’s a unique, engaging and clever adventure that will keep the reader hooked, all with Thomas’ trademark wit and fierce, character-driven writing. For patrons who love audiobooks, the recorded version is excellent.

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

You Are Here: Connecting Flights

You Are Here: Connecting FlightsYou Are Here: Connecting Flights by Ellen Oh
Published by Allida/HarperCollins on March 7, 2023
ISBN: 0063239086
Pages: 251
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Short Stories
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Twelve intertwined short stories written by and about Asian Americans, set in an overcrowded Chicago airport during the height of the COVID pandemic. A combination of stormy weather and an incident at TSA, which occurs in the first story, create delayed and cancelled flights, and tempers among many travelers run high.

Each chapter follows a different young person as they navigate their identity as being Asian and American through scenes of both subtle and overt racism. The beauty of the interwoven stories becomes apparent as main characters from one pop into another: often with just a glance or a smile, but all the same, providing solidarity and support to other kids who are otherwise strangers, when they most need to know that they are not alone.

A really wonderful read from an amazing group of authors. The seamless connections between stories made the whole flow perfectly; but the twelve distinct voices gave every character their own unique identity. An easy book to put in readers’ hands.

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars