Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

Ten Little Rabbits

Ten Little RabbitsTen Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak
Published by Harper ISBN: 006264467X
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Maurice Sendak’s delightful trademark illustrations decorate each page, telling the story of a young magician and his eponymous rabbits with minimal words and numbers. Young children will certainly giggle, and even count along, as he first makes rabbits appear from his top hat, one by one, and then, thoroughly overrun by rabbits and looking quite vexed, he makes them vanish, again one by one.

Fans of Sendak, and especially his Nutshell Library books, will find this familiar. Sure to be a favorite! Highly recommend.

Five stars/Cream

Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library

five-stars

Tree. Table. Book.

Tree. Table. Book.Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry
ISBN: 006329950X
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

What a lovely story! Eleven-year-old Sophia Henry Winslow is good at telling stories but learns that you have to put in feelings to make a really good story. This story is about friendship. It’s about sadness. It’s about dementia. It’s about the heartbreaking memories of a young Jewish girl in Poland during WW II. It’s about fixing those people in this world who don’t understand and accept people who are different. All this packed in a less than a 200-page book told in a child’s voice and perspective. Lowry is masterful in the telling. She is able to put herself beautifully into the characters of both 11-year old Sophie and her 88-year old neighbor Sophie Gershowitz and their very special friendship. There were many quotes that spoke to me, but this one was my favorite:

“I had told Sophie Gershowitz that I always got the dates right, on history tests, always got As. That was true. But I had never really got it, never understood history, how things fit together, because I needed someone to tell me the stories not of politics and dictators, but of berries and bunnies and books. Of how things are lost, and what that means and how it hurts.”

Cream of the Crop nominee

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

five-stars

Not Quite a Ghost

Not Quite a GhostNot Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
Published by Walden Pond Press on January 16, 2024
ISBN: 0062275151
Pages: 277
Genres: Magical Realism
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Middle School is off to a difficult start for Violet.  Her friend group is changing and her attic  bedroom with the ugly wallpaper in the house her family just moved into appears to be haunted.  Adding to this stress is the fact that Violet is sick and no one can figure out what’s wrong with her.  She gets weak easily and no matter how much she rests, she is always exhausted.  It lasts so long that some of her friends and even her doctors believe she is making it up.  The sicker she gets, the more her bedroom haunts her.  As Violet works to figure out what is wrong with her and how to expel the spirit from her room, she learns important lessons about who she is and what it means to be a friend.  In addition to friendship, this book explores living with invisible illness, blended families, and perseverance.  Violet and her friends are white, but her stepdad is Black.  There is also LGBTQ representation as her new friend Will has two dads and the sibling of another friend uses “they” pronouns.  This coming of age story would be a great addition for libraries with middle grade readers.  Violet is an authentic, likable character who navigates the inevitable ups and downs of middle school with some hiccups.  The novel isn’t action packed, but readers will care about Violet and will want to know what is wrong with her and the gentle ghost story adds a little suspense to the plot. 

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars

Gnome and Rat: Time to Party!

Gnome and Rat: Time to Party!Gnome and Rat: Time to Party!: (A Graphic Novel) by Lauren Stohler
ISBN: 0593487869
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Gnome and Rat: Time to Party is the second graphic novel in a series that celebrates friendship. The eponymous duo are best friends and housemates. Rat is a problem solver with common sense; Gnome is a “big-ideas” guy, whose enthusiasm for his plans sometimes lead to hilarious mishaps. The writing and visuals are funny, clever, and play off each other nicely. In this outing, the friends celebrate each other: Gnome’s birthday (the big 133!) and Raturday. These friends communicate and strive to understand each other, setting up a wonderful dynamic. 

The rapport between the two main characters is lovely, with a playful yet sincere tone that reminds me of Frog and Toad. There are short, simple chapters. Readers who, like me, are picking up a graphic novel for the first time may miss some of the more nuanced humor because there’s a lot going on in some panels. The illustrations are charming, carrying the story in harmony with the text. It is funny without being crude, though occasionally cheeky.

Kids (5-10) will love this graphic novel series. Highly recommended for school and public libraries alike.

Reviewed by Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS, Young School Librarian, Saco

five-stars

Built to Last

Built to LastBuilt to Last by Dan Santat, Minh Lê
ISBN: 0593569172
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

“Built to Last” by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat showcases two boys who become friends on accident – when their thoughtfully built creations are destroyed with a small bump. They decide to start collaborating on their builds, with each one getting bigger and better than the last. However, as even their most resilient creations get tested and destroyed, they realize they have built something even more valuable – their friendship. The storyline is simple and heartwarming. The illustrations are amazingly detailed, celebrate the Asian American experience, and exquisitely depict the intertwining of the imaginary and real worlds coming together with each build. Highly recommended for any picture book collection, and for ages 5-7 (Kindergarten to 2nd grade).

Reviewed by: Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell

five-stars

Invisible Son

Invisible SonInvisible Son by Kim Johnson
on June 27, 2023
ISBN: 0593482115
Genres: Suspense
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Set in the year 2020, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest, 17-year-old Andre Jackson returns to his grandparent’s house, after a two-month stint in juvenile detention for a crime he didn’t commit, with an ankle monitor and a question hanging over his head–where is his best friend Eric Whitaker? The Whitakers are a white family that lives next door, who adopted Eric and his sister Sierra (who also happens to be Andre’s longtime crush) as well as a Hispanic boy named Luis. While the Whitakers have been instrumental in helping Andre and his family through his incarceration, Andre can’t shake the feeling that there is more to their story that Eric simply “ran away.” This slow-burn thriller tackles gentrification, racism, privilege, the juvenile criminal justice system, and transracial adoption–dropping hard truths into readers’ laps and giving them plenty to chew on. Fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas won’t want to miss this. Highly recommended for grades 9-12.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop. 

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

five-stars

What It’s Like to Be a Bird (Adapted for Young Readers): From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing and Why

What It’s Like to Be a Bird (Adapted for Young Readers): From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing and WhyWhat It's Like to Be a Bird (Adapted for Young Readers): From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing--What Birds Are Doing and Why by David Allen Sibley
Published by Delacorte Press on Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780593430187
Pages: 208
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This gorgeous, fact-filled book opens with general information about wild birds, then goes into accounts of individual bird species. Most entries are two pages, but some specific topics receive more detailed illustrations and text (ex. the nesting cycle of Robins). This oversized edition includes one beautifully detailed, full-page illustration for each bird, with smaller illustrations included to depict other typical behaviors described in the text (ex. flight, variations in plumage, etc.). Text for each species lists common traits, but also includes information uniquely applicable to each bird. Based on Sibley’s adult version of the same title, this book contains entries for a wide range of North American birds, including woodpeckers, cardinals, eagles, turkeys, gulls, loons, and many more, all made easily accessible to younger readers.

While this book is suggested for readers 10-12 years of age, I think it holds appeal for bird-lovers of all ages. This book does for birds what National Geographic’s 2-volume Book of Mammals does for world mammals, providing hours of potential entertainment. What It’s Like to Be a Bird is an excellent resource for information on specific bird species, but is also a fascinating book for general browsing. Highly recommended.

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

five-stars

What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing and Why

What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing and WhyWhat It's Like to Be a Bird (Adapted for Young Readers): From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing--What Birds Are Doing and Why by David Allen Sibley
Published by Delacorte Press on 10/3/23
ISBN: 0593430182
Pages: 171
Genres: Animals
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

The young reader’s edition of Sibley’s 2020 adult book What It’s Like to Be a Bird, this book is shorter and includes more facts about what birds do than how to identify birds. The book includes the most common or familiar in the continental US and Canada and can be read from cover to cover or browsed casually in any order. The book starts with an Introduction that includes generic bird information then jumps into the pages describing each bird. Sibley warns that the book is not complete; that it covers the topics that he has found most intriguing while researching birds over the years. Sibley’s illustrations are stunning and the detail for each bird is enaging and insightful. The one flaw in the book is that is does not include an index or a table of contents listing the included birds, but this seems intentional as Sibley does not intend for this to be a research book, but one to be flipped through and savored. Young bird enthusiasts, or those just foraying into the birding world will appreciate this beautiful book.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Middle School

 

five-stars

That Flag

That FlagThat Flag by Nikkolas Smith, Tameka Fryer Brown
Published by Harper on January 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780063093447
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Keira and Bianca, two best friends, live across the street from each other but are never allowed to visit each others’ homes due to the Confederate Flag flown by the white girl’s parents. The Black parents see the flag as a “symbol of violence and oppression” while the white parents claim it is a “celebration of courage and pride”. The girls maintain their friendship until their class takes a field trip to the Southern Legacy Museum where Keira finally starts to learn why her parents are so opposed to That Flag. Keira starts to avoid Bianca when the white girl completely fails to acknowledge the revelations of the museum. A tragic, racially motivated shooting in the community finally causes the white family to reconsider their beliefs enough to remove the Confederate Flag from their home.

The author admirably conveys the weight of the issues while avoiding a feeling of heavy-handedness. I particularly appreciate that instead of a “happily ever after” ending, there is a much more realistic attitude of cautious hope between the two girls. This book is highly recommended as a great conversation starter. Intended for ages 6-10.

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

five-stars

Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day

Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every DayHidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott
Published by Random House Graphic on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9780593125366
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

“A hidden system is something we don’t notice until it breaks.” In a thoroughly understandable combination of text and graphics, Dan Nott does an amazing job of explaining exactly how some of the major infrastructures of our world work. Utilizing a 9-panel spread on most pages, with occasional full-page depictions of major ideas, the author covers the history, components, and possible futures of three major systems; internet, electricity, and water, in an engagingly accessible manner.  In the final section, Nott encourages the reader to understand these systems more deeply in order to reimagine them in a more environmentally and equitably balanced format. The book ends with Author’s Notes & Acknowledgments and a Selected Bibliography. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a simplified explanation of the hidden systems of our world.  (All ages)

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

five-stars