Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

The Good Girls

The Good GirlsThe Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlett
on December 1, 2020
ISBN: 0062943103
Pages: 368
Genres: Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

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

five-stars

Concrete Rose

Concrete RoseConcrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0) by Angie Thomas
Published by Balzer + Bray on January 12, 2021
ISBN: 006284671X
Pages: 360
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

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

five-stars

Muted

MutedMuted by Tami Charles
Published by Scholastic Press on February 2, 2021
ISBN: 1338673521
Pages: 400
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

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

five-stars

Jane Goodall: Champion of Chimpanzees

Jane Goodall: Champion of ChimpanzeesJane Goodall: A Champion of Chimpanzees by Gustavo Mazali, Sarah Albee
ISBN: 0062432796
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Goodreads

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

MañanalandMañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Published by Scholastic Press on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 1338157868
Pages: 247
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

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

five-stars

Wondrous Rex

Wondrous RexWondrous Rex by Emilia Dziubak, Patricia MacLachlan
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 17, 2020
ISBN: 0062940988
Pages: 88
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

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

five-stars

Crossings :Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals

Crossings :Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary AnimalsCrossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals by Katy S. Duffield, Mike Orodan
Published by Beach Lane Books on October 13, 2020
ISBN: 1534465790
Pages: 48
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

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

five-stars

Summer We Found the Baby

Summer We Found the BabyThe Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest
Published by Candlewick Press on August 4, 2020
ISBN: 0763660078
Pages: 192
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Known for her picture books: the Baby Duck series, the Reader and  its companion books: When Grandpa Met Charlie and Charlie’s First Night , Amy Hest has written family stories that are heartwarming and tug on the emotions of the reader. This chapter book is no exception. The setting: Belle Beach, Long Island during World War ll. The characters: summer residents, Julie and her younger sister Martha with their widowed author father, year round residents:  Bruno Ben-Ellis, his parents and his brother Benjamin Ben- Eli fighting in the war, an abandoned baby and Eleanor Roosevelt.

On the day of the library party, Julie and Martha want to be the first ones there, hoping to get their picture taken for the local newspaper. As they approach the library steps, they find a basket with a baby  in it! Julie, without hesitation , picks up the basket and heads down the beach. Told in the voices of the 3 main characters, the reader is given their backgrounds and how this baby influences the choices they make as the story continues.

This slim, simple story is rich in the feelings, thoughts and emotions of both the characters and the time period the story is set in.  It is a book to be shared with readers who enjoy books with these attributes.

grades 3-6                                                                Consider for Cream

Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public library , Gray Maine

five-stars

You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People

You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the PeopleYou Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People by Elizabeth Rusch
on March 31, 2020
ISBN: 0358176921
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

You Call This Democracy? is an accessible examination of America’s government. Rusch tackles this topic in a measured  yet impassioned voice and makes clear that while we do enjoy many important freedoms in the United States, our democracy is broken and we have the power to change it.

Twelve chapters cover issues such as gerrymandering, money in politics, voter disenfranchisement, and more. Examples of these issues are representative of both sides of the aisle giving balance to otherwise polarizing topics. Graphics help to break up the text and provide strong visualization of heavy information. Each chapter ends by telling teens what they can do to take action, allowing this book to not just teach, but to inspire our young citizens to get involved and make real change. Sections for further reading and source information are included.

Recommended for grades 6 and up.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop.

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

five-stars

Measuring Up

Measuring UpMeasuring Up by Ann Xu, Lily LaMotte
Published by HarperAlley on October 27, 2020
ISBN: 006297386X
Pages: 208
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
Cici and her parents have left Taiwan to move to the U.S. for a chance to give Cici a “better life”. But Cici has left her beloved grandmother, A-ma, behind, and is feeling sad and disconnected. She does make a few good friends in America, but she misses much about her old life, her grandmother most of all. When a multi-week cooking contest offers a cash prize, Cici hopes to turn her love of and skill at cooking into the money to bring her grandmother to the U.S. for a visit. Cici is partnered with an American-born girl whose father owns an Italian restaurant. The two find great success and advance far into the contest. When they are separated, Cici has to trust her own cooking instincts and flair for spice. A heartwarming story that offers a character who is unsure of herself, but who finds her feet and earns her well-deserved hug from A-ma. LaMotte deftly weaves many of the microaggressions felt by Asians into regular school day interactions. The illustrations could have been a little sharper, particularly those depicting food ingredients, but the colors are vibrant and complement the story well. For readers in grades 4 and up.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth