Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

Orris and Timble: Lost and Found

Orris and Timble: Lost and FoundOrris and Timble: Lost and Found by Carmen Mok, Kate DiCamillo
Series: Orris and Timble
Published by Candlewick Press on April 29, 2025
ISBN: 1536225304
Pages: 80
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Children's Beginning Readers, Farm Life, Nature
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Unlikely friends Timble the owl and Orris the rat suffer a sudden separation in this second book of a planned trilogy. i liked this book even more. than the first one. Each night, Timble visits Orris in the barn and listens to his stories. Orris is growing bigger and one evening Timble doesn’t show and Orris feels abandoned. When Timble  doesn’t appear the second night, his feelings turn resentful. When Timble finally does return and explains how he was lost, Orris heeds the slogan on the salvaged sardine tin, “Make the good and noble choice”,

As the Library Journal reviewer stated (and I could not figure out how to say it better), “DiCamillo’s short chapters and simple sentences, paired with Mok’s spare, sepia-toned, neatly drawn pictures of barnyard settings, will appeal to early elementary readers, and younger if shared as a read-aloud.” Children will relate to this tender story of hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and  forgiveness. Ages 6-8.

I know we usually don’t nominate a second book in a series for Cream of the Crop, but I am making an exception.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

The Tour at School!

The Tour at School!The Tour at School by Katie Clapham, Nadia Shireen
ISBN: 1536242985
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

SPOILER ALERT!!!! A truly funny picture book that does not skimp on all caps or exclamation points. This is a “how-to-give-an elementary-school-tour” from the perspective of a super-enthusiastic Tour Guide, as she leads an overwhelmed New Person around, from the bathrooms (with its amazing echos) to the playground (where students play “Tag-You’re It” and “Worldwide” Hairdressers”) and many other important locations in the school.

The guide is a young girl with dark brown skin and hair in two neat braids; her bright red glasses emphasize her expressions, and she has a lot of them. The tour recipient has a hoodie up, signifying his own feelings of anxiety. The mixed media collages are exuberant; vibrating with energy, humor, and cheekiness (readers will point out the poop emoji drawing in the bathroom).  The school looks like there is space for everyone in this diverse, friendly environment but the new person is clearly apprehensive.

As the tour is coming to a close, and the guide comes down from her excitement to realize the new person has gone missing, she puts herself in his shoes and realizes he is having an EMERGENCY, and she recounts her own story of being the new student, just a year ago. The new person removes his hood, two students connect, and thus begins a beautiful friendship. We never learn the names of the guide and the new person but we learn a lot about how to be a good friend to someone who needs one.

This would make an amazing beginning of year read aloud that will have students laughing and learning at the same time, and leading to good discussions about empathy and inclusion. Highly recommended for public and school library collections.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

five-stars

Costumes for Time Travelers

Costumes for Time TravelersCostumes for Time Travelers by A.R. Capetta
Published by Penguin Random House on May 27, 2025
ISBN: 1536233714
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Calisto (they/them) lives in Pocket, the town that all time travelers but one must pass through on their way to any other when. They love their town, their family, and their job at their grandmother’s shop, Costumes for Time Travelers. Despite Pocket being only a stop on the journey for most travelers, Calisto never wants to leave.

Fawkes is the exception to the rule: somehow, and nobody quite knows why, Fawkes can travel to any when without passing through Pocket. In fact, he’s never been there until now. When Fawkes and Calisto meet, it’s the first time for Calisto, but not for Fawkes, who has been dipping in and out of time for his entire life, and therefore already knows at least some of what the future has in store for the two of them.

Unfortunately, Fawkes doesn’t arrive in Pocket alone: he’s being chased by Time Wardens, who see time travel as an aberration that must be stopped, no matter who or what that will erase. Not only Fawkes himself, but all time travelers – and Pocket itself – are at risk.

Fawkes and Calisto must rush through whens and wheres from the modern Stanford campus to ancient Greece on a mad dash to save what they love. Including, it turns out, each other.

Costumes for Time Travelers is an engaging, original story that feels like a tumble thorough childhood – playful, magical, and just the right mix of fantasy, adventure, villainy and a touch of pure love. Calisto and Fawkes are likeable, complex characters and secondary characters are well thought out and three dimensional. The world-building is deftly developed. A beautiful cover makes it an eye-catching addition to the shelf.

Highly recommend for older MG and teen readers who love adventure, fantasy, good/evil storylines, and gentle romance.

5 stars/cream

– Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Cat Nap

Cat NapCat Nap by Brian Lies
Published by Greenwillow Books ISBN: 0062671286
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Magical Realism
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Brian Lies introduces a sleepy cat whose afternoon nap transforms into an epic journey through art, time, and history. A girl sits on the couch reading a book in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Egyptian Antiquities room while her cat dozes nearby. When the cat notices a mouse and dives after it, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Brian Lies creates a truly unique picture book that takes readers through the galleries of an art museum. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks—each re-created in its original media by Brian Lies. When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone and Kitten needs to find his way home? Of course he does with the help of some of his new “friends.”

A page-turning cat and mouse chase, an introduction to famous works of art throughout history, an epic adventure story, and a homecoming. Back matter includes information about how each of the illustrations in the book was created, notes on the original artworks featured in the book, and an afterword inviting young readers to make, create, and build things. A masterpiece for reading at story time, perusing on your own, or sharing 1-on-1 with someone of any age.

Nominated for Cream

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Smelly Peggy

Smelly PeggySmelly Peggy by Helen Stephens
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536235725
Genres: Animals, Family, Humor, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Pie is the little girl narrator of Smelly Peggy who wants to tell us ALL the naughty things that Peggy, her little pup, gets into. Pie asks questions of the reader, “You think that’s naughty? Just guess what Peggy gets into next!” Putting her bum on Dad’s face in the mornings, knocking the family out with a big stick, rolling in stinky seaweed & seagull poop, rubbing into the carpets! But do we love her? Of course we do! With just the appropriate amount of silly & stinky humor and precious illustrations, Smelly Peggy will be every family’s favorite new picture book about the family dog. Recommended for ages 3-7.

Cream of the Crop Nominee

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Light: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our World

Light: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our WorldLight: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our World (Spectacular Science) by Ana Sanfelippo, Dr. Jess Wade
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536243639
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This joyous exploration of all things light is sure to make an impression on anyone interested in learning about the science of both natural and manufactured light. Vibrant illustrations energize a book that is extremely informative but never gets bogged down with too many details. From rainbows to nuclear reactors, Light explains the science of illumination in a concise, accessible manner. An excellent choice for classrooms and readers wanting to learn more about the intricacies of light in its many forms.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and LuliThe Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser
Published by Addila on September 16, 2025
ISBN: 006328443X
Pages: 420
Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Historical fiction of two seldom-written about intersections of time: the trade routes in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) and the New York’s Depression-era Chinatown. The book uses two young people living in each of these eras to incorporate the themes of history, art, and poetry. The story of Han Yu, who lives in Chang’An during the Tang Dynasty, provides a glimpse into life and travel during the time of the Silk Road trading routes, and Luli, who lives in Chinatown in the 1930s, provides history into living with the financial insecurity and fear of losing your home and livelihood. Both timelines involve suspense as you wonder if the main characters will survive and triumph over nefarious forces.The alternating stories keep the reader on the edge of their seat to figure out how and where they will intersect, and they do in a wonderful manner. 

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Elementary School

five-stars

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True StoryThe Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf, José Pimienta
on October 7, 2025
ISBN: 1536217433
Format: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Companion of sorts to Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom. This middle-grade graphic novel tells the true story of Lake Peigneur and the day it suddenly drained when an oil drill met an underground salt mine. Thankfully no one was hurt but a lot of lives were upended as a result. In 1980 a Texaco oil drill in the middle of Lake Peigneur hit the active underground salt mine below the lake and water quickly rushed in. All the miners were able to evacuate the mine just in time because the (very slow) elevator could only hold so many men at a time. The lake drained over a period of 3-5 hours and refilled within 48 hours leaving a path of devastation. Give this to readers after they’ve read Junius Leak so they can learn more about the real story of Lake Peigneur.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom

Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of DoomJunius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom by Allan Wolf
ISBN: 153621745X
Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This middle grade book is narrated by Lake Peigneur itself, this is the story of pirates and buried treasure and the real-life drilling accident on Lake Peigneur in Louisiana in 1980. Junius is shipped off to stay with his Uncle Spot on a houseboat on Lake Peigneur. His parents are headed to a retreat to work on their marriage. Junius suffers from what his mom calls “leaks” which are noises he makes when he gets anxious. He also loves water of all types – lakes, rivers, ponds – and has written a book about waterbodies. Ironically, he is afraid of being in the water or in a boat on the water. It turns out that the lake and the town have a lot of mysteries and Junius is able to uncover some big secrets. This is based on a real event – the Lake Peigneur drilling accident of 1980. Includes lots of Lousiana cultural details, including “whirling dervish” dancing. Readers will also enjoy The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story. 

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Cry Out Loud

Cry Out LoudCry Out Loud: (A Graphic Novel) by Tara O'Connor
ISBN: 0593125533
Genres: Horror
Format: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Goodreads
five-stars

This graphic novel is set on a remote island in Ireland and the illustrations perfectly complement the creepy horror story. When Nell is suspended from school, her mother ships her off to distant relatives in Northern Ireland whom she’s never met. Nell soon learns that there is a long-time ritual sacrifice being planned to keep Banshees at bay and she is at the center of everything. Nell meets a ghost and somehow travels back in time. She learns about (and meets) more family members – including her mother as a young girl. She also learns why she is at the center of a family ritual to keep banshees at bay. Will Nell find a way to break the cycle? This suspenseful graphic novel is perfect for mature middles schoolers and YA readers.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars