Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

This Baby. That Baby.

This Baby. That Baby.This Baby. That Baby. by Cari Best, Rashin Kheiriyeh
Published by Anne Schwartz Books on 2024
ISBN: 0593564634
Genres: Babies/Infants, Emotions & Feelings
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Two charming babies are growing up in urban apartments that face each other. In this adorable book, illustrated with acrylic & oil on paper, This Baby and That Baby experience similar but sometimes opposite activities in their daily schedules. They both eat, play, nap, and go out to the park with their parents. However, where This Baby goes to sleep easily and wakes up sad, That Baby is reluctant to nap and wakes up grumpy. Throughout the book, the boy’s mother and the girl’s father, each caregiving alone, are portrayed as loving, joyful parents. When they meet at the park at the end of the story, the babies recognize each other and play peekaboo together while the exhausted parents collapse on a park bench in the amusing final picture. With its gentle humor and positive attitude towards a range of emotions, this book would be a fun read-aloud for pre-school to first-graders.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

five-stars

Piper Chen Sings

Piper Chen SingsGenres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
five-stars

Phillipa Soo, star of Hamilton, writes about a young girl who loves to sing but is confronted with stage fright. Piper Chen sings and twirls through her days. When Mr. Harris, her music teacher, asks Piper if she’d like to sing a solo in the Spring Sing, she is excited at first, but later, she fears she’ll fail. Piper’s grandmother, Nai Nai notices that something is wrong. Piper explains and Nai Nai understands. She explains that she experienced “húdié” (Chinese for butterflies) at her first piano recital. “Now, when they greet me, I greet them back. ‘Hello, húdié. Ni hao.’” The night of the show, Piper feels the butterflies flapping their wings. She hums to herself, “Hello, húdié” and sings.

Soo and Pasquale Doran sensitively capture the joy of singing and the anxiety of performing. Parallels are drawn with other life challenges. Leng’s delicate, expressive illustrations capture Piper’s enthusiasm and uncertainty. Chinese words and culture are seamlessly woven into the story. Grandmother is central to the story but we are not really sure about her parents. The butterfly lesson gives readers a concrete way for addressing their own “butterflies.” Piper Chen and Nai Nai are Chinese American. Mr. Harris has brown skin. Share this book with everyone, but especially anxious children.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages

My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of LanguagesMy Mother's Tongues: A Weaving of Languages by Rahele Jomepour Bell, Uma Menon
Published by Candlewick Press on February 13, 2024
ISBN: 1536222518
Pages: 32
Genres: Languages, Immigrants, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Mixed-media illustrations give this book a textured appearance, as though every page should have the feel of woven fabric. The young girl who tells the story is very proud of her mother’s two languages. Malayalam from Kerala, India, was her native tongue, while English was the language the mother started learning when she was twelve years old. The family migrated to America, where the daughter was born and she, in turn, grew up speaking two languages like her mother: Malayalam at home and English in her American neighborhood. One of the girl’s aunts speaks four languages, so the girl reasons that she can talk to four times as many people. By the end of the book, the girl says she wants to learn “dozens of languages” and thinks “[h]aving a tapestry of tongues will be [her] superpower”.

This book is a beautiful ode to the immigrants’ experience of languages in the United States. Suggested reading age is 4-8 years old.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

five-stars

Brownstone

BrownstoneBrownstone by Mar Julia, Samuel Teer
on June 11, 2024
ISBN: 0358394740
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia is a coming of age graphic novel about a girl named Almudena who is forced to live with a father she’s never met for the summer as her mother heads off on a trip. Almundena’s hesitancy about this summer only increases when she discovers that not only is her father renovating his entire apartment building—and expects her to help—but he doesn’t speak any English. Almudena discovers she has a lot to learn about her heritage—she’s actually Guatemalan when she’s always thought she’s Mexican—and the world her father lives in. As she gets to know the people in her new neighborhood  she learns why her father is so focused on the renovation and that there’s more to family than she thinks. Readers will easily empathize with Almudena as she tries to navigate living in a construction zone, developing a relationship with an estranged father, and discovering her cultural identity. Many readers will find themselves in the characters from those who are biracial, LGBTQIA+, latino-American, or part of a blended family; representation is definitely a stand out feature of this book. Readers will also be drawn to the graphic novel format and especially how it compliments the characters’ struggle with communication due to language barriers, cultural differences, misunderstandings, and complicated feelings. Though the book explores complex ideas of gentrification, homophobia, cultural identity, and blended families, the authors are thoughtfully present these topics in an accessible way. This is a must read for teens and adults!*Recommending for cream — five stars!*Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

five-stars

The Elephant and the Sea

The Elephant and the SeaThe Elephant and the Sea by Ed Vere
ISBN: 0525580905
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

The Elephant and the Sea by Ed Vere is a simple, but beautiful, story about overcoming barriers and making room for those who are different. We start the story with Gabriel the Elephant who is now old and wrinkled, reminiscing about his time when he was a young elephant by the sea. He would run down to the beach and watch the lifeboat crew practice their rescues. Gabriel wanted to join in, but, “You’re a bit young, my boy. Come back when you’re older. Come back when you’re stronger.”

After dedicating himself to practicing, he comes back to the lifeboat crew where he discovers that he’s grown too large for their lifeboat. Gabriel knows that there’s only one thing he wants to do, so he collects driftwood and makes a plan to make his own boat. When the fishing boats and the lifeboat crew are caught in one of the biggest storms, there is a strong Elephant who comes to rescue them all. It’s Gabriel! And now Gabriel sits by the sea, an old elephant. “Not everyone knows how brave he’s been, but we do.”

With beautiful illustrations, and simple, but poetic, prose, Gabriel’s story is a lovely lesson on grit and gumption and going for what you desire in life. The author’s note at the back describes a memory on the shore of Cornwall where Vere lived for a bit that inspired the setting, Gabriel’s character, and his story on the wild waves. A five star bedtime story for ages 3-6.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

The Wrong Way Home

The Wrong Way HomeThe Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy
on April 2, 2024
ISBN: 0593650735
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

When Fern’s mother wakes her in the night and whisks her away from the only home she remembers, Fern becomes angry.  For the past six years, she has lived on The Ranch – a “sustainable futurist community.”  Fern enjoys the hard work and the mission of the leader of The Ranch, Dr. Ben, has instilled in its inhabitants.  They are working toward surviving war and global warming. What young Fern does not realize is that The Ranch is a cult.  Fern wishes to return and starts a plan on how to do so.  Yet, life outside does have its perks.  She comes to enjoy having a say in her life, making her own decisions, and making friends.  

While a book about a twelve year old who is a member of a cult makes red flags fly, the novel is exceptionally well written and handles this often trauma inducing topic in a way that is perfect for middle grade readers.

Reviewed by Heidi Kopishke, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME.

five-stars

Ariel Crashes a Train

Ariel Crashes a TrainAriel Crashes a Train by Olivia A. Cole
on March 12, 2024
ISBN: 0593644662
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Fiction, Young Adult
Goodreads
five-stars

With her best friend Leah taking off for the summer and her sister Mandy away at college, Ariel is left alone spending another summer working at Wildwood carnival feeling trapped in her own body and with her religious and emotionally detached parents.  Ariel is also trying to keep “the crocodile” at bay–the voice that compells her to push the old lady into traffic at the bus stop and to send the children’s train ride straight off its tracks. While she tries to hide her intrusive thoughts and odd behavior from her new friends and colleagues, Ariel reaches a tipping point and learns that the crocodile is really OCD and that it doesn’t have to control her life.

This novel in verse is a raw and gripping portrayl of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Being privy to Ariel’s inner turmoil is jarring at times but it is also honest which will speak to teen readers. In addition to mental illness, discussions of gender, religion, and race are interwoven into the story. It is ultimately about the journey to self-love, self-acceptance, and allowing yourself to find happiness. 

Grades 9-12

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

five-stars

The Boy Lost in the Maze

The Boy Lost in the MazeThe Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho, Kate Milner
Published by Candlewick Press on March 26, 2024
ISBN: 1536236411
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
five-stars

Set in London, 17-year-old Theo wants nothing more than to find his estranged father and develop a relationship with him. After finding inspiration in the story of Theseus and his journey to find his father, Theo decides to re-write the stories of Theseus into poems for his school assignment. The chapters alternate between the six labors of Theseus and the parallel experiences of Theo as he struggles to locate his dad. Interspersed are pieces of the Minotaur’s tale, with all three characters’ stories converging at the end where they reconcile with their pain and recognize where their journeys have brought them. 

This is a beautifully written novel-in-verse accompanied by black-and-white illustrations. Theo’s pain is palpable and the storytelling element of intertwining Theseus’ trials with his own is brilliantly done. Part of this involves giving readers a choose-your-own-adventure opportunity during some of the Theseus chapters where you can decide how he responds to the challenges he faces. It is a heartbreaking read as Theo navigates his personal labyrinth but ends on a note of hope and peace for him, his family, and his mythical friends. 

Grades 9-12

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

 

five-stars

The Secret Library

The Secret LibraryThe Secret Library by Kekla Magoon
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 153623088X
Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

In the wake of her grandfather’s death, 11-year-old Dally lives alone with her distant, business-focused mother on their huge estate. She misses the adventures she had with her grandfather, and, despite the many luxuries that come with her family’s wealth, is lonely. Then she discovers that he left her with something, after all: the Secret Library. Though the letter he left requested that she wait until she was 21, she impatiently solves the riddle of how to find it. The library houses every secret ever told in bound volumes, and patrons who “read” them travel through space and time to be a part of the moment a given secret is made. In this way, Dally begins – without her mother knowing – to trace back the many secrets of her own family, through the past two hundred and fifty years, that have helped shape who she is. She has no idea that in the process of discovering her past, she is also opening herself to an unexpected future.

Dally is Black, as was her deceased father; her mother and grandfather present white. There is LGBTQ+ representation as well as a realistic portrayal of race issues in the historical context of the times she travelled to.

This book was replete with magic, adventure, family secrets, and the unpredictable results of choosing to take opportunities. It felt wholly original, and had twists and turns that keep the reader fully engaged. Dally is a relatable, genuine heroine who readers will root for and be stricken to leave on the last page.

Short, engaging chapters make the book hard to put down. Highly recommend for middle grade readers looking for their next magical fix or rollicking adventure story.

5 stars/cream

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Buffalo Fluffalo

Buffalo FluffaloBuffalo Fluffalo (A Buffalo Fluffalo Story) by Bess Kalb, Erub Kraan
Published by Random House on January 2, 2024
ISBN: 0593564537
Genres: Animals, Humor, Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Buffalo Fluffalo has had Enuffalo! This is a fantastic story about learning to be vulnerable, written by Bess Kalb with illustrations by Erin Kraan. We start our story learning about our rough and tough buffalo character – anytime a friend comes by to offer him friendship, he repeats a rhyming mantra that scares them away. Kalb’s rhymes are comedic and enticing for kids to hear and read. At the crux of our story, a rain shower comes by to drench Buffalo Fluffalo’s “puffalo,”, and the animals see that he’s actually a small little guy. The friends, who saw through his big tough act, circle him with comfort and assure him, “you’re great how you are, no matter your size!”

A great message for all children, but especially for boys who are often bombarded with masculine ideals. Highly recommend for storytimes, since the rhyming and repetition is so engaging! Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars