Happy Birthday, Maisy: Mini Edition (Maisy) by Lucy Cousins 
Can you believe that Maisy is 30?? This mini-edition, lift-the-flap and pull-tab book for little hands celebrates her birthday in typical Maisy style. If you’re a Maisy fan, what’s not to love?
Purchase for all your little ones!!!
Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison Whether you’re a music lover or civil-rights defender, you’ll find this inspirational overview of Aretha Franklin’s life a meaningful and inspirational read.
Narrative poetry is always a challenge, but here it works as smoothly and rhythmically as Franklin’s voice itself. Using the spelling out of words method, each two-line stanza is headed with an important word: B-L-E-S-S-E-D, G-I-F-T-E-D, V-O-I-C-E, etc. This book could only be improved with it’s own soundtrack and a few photos.
Illustrations (Frank Morrison) are big and bold, reflecting the big and bold influence of Aretha Franklin in real life.
Another book to add to your women, Black history, or music shelves for middle and upper elementary levels!
Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town
Nonstop by Tomi Ungerer It isn’t often that I see a picture book that reads like a dystopian nightmare but here we are. Ungerer is wonderful in that you never really know what you’re going to get when you open one of his books and in Non Stop you have no idea what you’re going to get page to page. A man named Vasco is apparently a straggler after what might have been a cataclysmic event that forced people to move to the moon. He is repeatedly rescued by his own shadow from tragedy. After he adopts a young creature named Poco, they both evade disaster and end up living in a cake. I absolutely love this book. It’s somewhat alarming with its references to climate change, isolation and pollution but it will present multiple opportunities to discuss these things that might be weighing on young children. The end is reassuring and even if no discussion arises, it’s a provocative story with striking illustrations.
Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath
The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlett The police chief’s daughter, Emma, is missing. She was last seen at Anna’s Run, a dangerous section of the local river. As the police work on the case, they focus on three teens: Claude the rebel slut, Avery the airhead cheerleader, and Gwen the vicious academic. The author keeps us on our toes, switching between third person accounts of each of the girls and diary entries, police interview logs, newspaper articles, and social media posts. The story feels fast-paced due to the constant switching of viewpoints, but we don’t start to discover any answers until very late in the book. But once we do, it’s a harrowing ride through to the surprising ending. With themes of sexuality, lgbt+, feminism, and relationships of all kinds, this is a revenge tale you won’t want to miss. Recommended for ages 14+.
Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library
Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0) by Angie Thomas Angie Thomas is back with another winner of a book with this prequel to The Hate U Give. This is the story of Starr’s parents. Maverick is a 17-year-old living with his mother in the Garden doing his best to get by while his dad is in prison and his mom works two jobs to support them. He’s doing okay in school, has a great girlfriend, trusted friends and family, and slings a little pot for the King Lords, his dad’s gang. His life changes completely when he finds out he’s the father of a 3 month old boy, conceived during a brief breakup with his girlfriend. Suddenly he’s taking full-time care of a baby, staying up all night, sleeping during school, and working after school to pay for baby supplies. Not too long after that he loses his best friend and cousin. This is an incredibly thought-provoking tale of the struggle between your past and your future, and decision-making and consequences. By the end, it’s easy to see that Maverick is well on his way to being the incredible and responsible father that he is to Starr.
Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library
Muted by Tami Charles Muted by Tami Charles
Denver and her bandmates are positively sure that they will be the next big thing. So, when they go to a concert of their absolutely favorite singer, Mercury Ellis, and he hears their voices and encourages them, that’s all it takes for two of them to be ready to follow Mercury anywhere. But soon his interest turns to control as he dictates their every decision in this excellent novel in verse. They are kept separated, must wear clothes he picks out, and are treated horribly in this book that seems like it was pulled from the news headlines. The narrative switches back and forth from what is happening to Denver with the concerts and being locked in her room, to Denver returning home on a plane with her father. The ending will positively shock readers. I was totally not expecting it. This book is recommended as a Cream of the Crop nominee .
Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland
Jane Goodall: A Champion of Chimpanzees by Gustavo Mazali, Sarah Albee This I Can Read selection looks at the life of Valerie Jane Louise Goodall. Using a straightforward, easy to understand text, novice readers are given a look into the early life of Jane Goodall and how she rose to become the spokesman and expert on chimpanzees. Large, colorful illustrations support the text with photos and more information about Goodall can be found at the end of the book. For the emergent reader, this is an excellent introduction to one of Dr. Leakey’s “trimates.”
Pair this with many picture books about Jane Goodall: Jane Goodall: Protector ofChimpanzees – Virginia Meachum, I am Jane Goodall-Brad Meltzer, Me…Jane- Patrick McDonnell, and The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours – Jane Goodall
consider for cream
grades K-3
Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray Maine
Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan A complex and compelling story that packs a lot of punch in 250 pages. Aimed at a middle grade audience, the book centers around three generations of a family living in a small village in what could be a Mexican or South American country. The men in the family are bridgebuilders and keepers of the stories of the guardians who help those seeking out a better life. Max dreams of being a fútbol star and playing on the national team like his Buelo, but when the matter of a missing birth certificate threatens his dream, his Papa sets out to the big city to see if he can find the important document. Max ends up caught up in the family legacy of moving “Hidden Ones” to safety and learns that his own mother, who left when he was a toddler, was once fleeing a dangerous life. She made the decision to leave Max in the hands of his father and grandfather and went off to seek Mañanaland, in the hope of securing the promise of a better, safer tomorrow for all of them. The growth and awareness that Max experiences is beautiful in Ryan’s capable hands and readers may not even realize the universality and timeliness of the story as our current news stories are still filled with people seeking their own Mañanaland where they can be safe from political persecution or terror from an aggressor. The adoration felt between the males in the Córdoba family and the loving way that they protect and then support Max is fantastic. Highly recommend.
Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth
Wondrous Rex by Emilia Dziubak, Patricia MacLachlan Grace spends a lot of time with her Aunt Lily as her parents are both doctors and busy much of the time. Grace’s Aunt Lily is a writer and has taught her the words a writer experiences as she writes her stories. Grace loves her aunt’s writing world, the words, the stories, the writing group her aunt is part of – she loves EVERYTHING about writing but doesn’t consider herself a writer even though her teacher sees the writer in her.
When Aunt Lily faces writers block, she puts an ad in the paper- “Writer of books needs an assistant, a coach, a helper, for inspiration and some magic!”
The next day Rex, the dog, appears at the door ready to take on the job. He is a magician’s assistant who is bored and sad, in need of a new assignment. He has come to stay. He has come to help both Lily and grace. He has brought some magic!
Maclachlan has, in this slim, simple volume, created a story with words of wisdom and a bit of magic. The reader will come away with a smile and the message that words are important and magical and are there for anyone to use and enjoy.
consider for Cream
Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public library, Gray, Maine
Grades 3-6
Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals by Katy S. Duffield, Mike Orodan With more and more interactions between animals and humans due to urban sprawl, animals are losing ways to migrate safely, be it across a road or a country. Author Duffield, upon reading an article about an underpass built specifically to aid and protect the endangered Florida panther, began to research other ways of safely delivering all sorts of animals from one area to another. World wide, crossings have been built – be they tunnels, bridges, and overpasses to aid and protect many kinds of animals . Duffield has partnered with illustrator Mike Orodan to bring this story to young readers and future engineers and animal activists.
Simple text with side bars for those wanting more information are found on facing pages of large vivid illustrations done with graphite pencils and adobe photoshop that draw the reader in. They are there watching elephants going through tunnels in Kenya, and Fairy penguins using tunnels in New Zealand, bridges for millions of red crabs to cross safely in Australia, and tight rope bridges for the Titi monkey in Costa Rica. Because of dedicated activists urging these crossings to be built, countless animals have been saved. Younger readers can “read” the information through these large vibrant , detailed illustrations.
This non fiction offering is both beautiful to look at and relevant and inspiring. It is a book much needed if humans and animals are to co-exist on this planet.
Pair it with Faraway Fox by Jolene Thompson and Wild Bridges and Buildings by Etta Kanter that explains how humans have borrowed various forms of architecture from animals to make life better and safer.
all ages can benefit from this book
Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray Maine
consider for Cream