Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

Honeybee

HoneybeeHoneybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, Eric Rohmann
Published by Neal Porter Books on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 0823442853
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This book follows the life of a single bee within the beehive. It so perfectly and easily explains the honeybee life cycle, from the various jobs the bees perform to how their bodies change as they age.

This book is gorgeous and informative without being bogged down with too many details. As a beekeeper, I still learned something new. The illustrations are simply stunning. When I picked the book up the first time, I thought the cover image was a photograph. Eric Rohman does a wonderfully detailed job depicting the bees and their lives. This book would be great for kids K-3rd grade.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Packs

PacksPacks: Strength in Numbers by Hannah Salyer
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on January 28, 2020
ISBN: 1328577880
Pages: 46
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

What do you call a group of wildebeest? This book will teach you this and more. This beautifully illustrated picture book explores the different types of animal groups with one overarching message: we’re better/stronger together.

The book starts with several two-page spreads with just one word for the group of animals: packs, herds, etc. The book then gets more into detail about how different animals work together. It circles back to humans with the message that we’re better together. The colorful illustrations have visible brush strokes, are colorful and gorgeous. The text is brief but informative and appropriate for the age of the intended audience. My only complaint about the text is that it’s written as if the animals are speaking, and I don’t enjoy anthropomorphizing of animals in a nonfiction book. This book would be great for kids PreK and up.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Deathless Divide

Deathless DivideDeathless Divide (Dread Nation, #2) by Justina Ireland
Published by Balzer + Bray on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 0062570633
Pages: 560
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

This is the sequel to Dread Nation and I loved both books! Its so hard to find a refreshing new concept in YA novels lately but this series has it in spades. This book catches up with the main characters of the first book, Jane and Kate, with the addition of new faces, that, thankfully only add to the story instead of being a distraction. This is supposed to be the last book of the series but the author has left it open enough for there to be many more books set in this world. I also want to mention that 99% of all the characters are people of color and it’s such a nice change! I would recommend this for 9-12 grades.

Reviewed by, Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

Clean Getaway

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
on January 7, 2020
ISBN: 1984892975
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

I can‘t stop thinking about this book. A young boy embarks on what appears to be a benign road trip with his grandmother. As the story unfolds, however, some things seem out of place: his grandmother keeps changing their license plates, he’s pretty sure she didn’t pay for their dinner at a restaurant, and he definitely saw her steal some earrings. Why won’t she answer his dad’s phone calls? At the same time, she’s teaching him about his family history, Black history in America, and what it was like for her (a white woman) to be married to a Black man in the 60s.

Throughout this book, I couldn’t decide if it was a heartwarming story about family and Black history, or if I felt really uncomfortable because the main character’s grandmother was essentially kidnapping him. The more you read, the more it becomes apparent that it is both these things and more. There’s so much packed into this short novel, you won’t want to put it down. Best for 5th grade and up, this would be a great book club book.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

The Line Tender

The Line TenderThe Line Tender by Kate Allen
Published by Dutton on April 16, 2019
ISBN: 0735231605
Pages: 384
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

I find it interesting that the book is about death and sharks but the sharks don’t cause the deaths. Twelve-year-old Lucy Everhart is growing up in Rockport, MA with her dad and a close community of friends because her mother, a shark specialist, died when she was seven. Lucy and her friend/neighbor, Fred, are working on a field guide of native species as an extra credit assignment. Fred dies in a swimming accident. Allen has created an interesting story and a helpful model for how Lucy deals with her grief and relies on the support of the imperfect adults around her. The inclusion of women scientists is applauded, as is Lucy’s own budding interest in marine biology. A sketch of a different shark accompanies each chapter, reflecting Lucy’s own artwork.

Cream of the Crop
Note: I reviewed but did not receive this book.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

The Thank You Letter

The Thank You LetterThe Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera
Published by Holiday House on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 0823442500
Pages: 34
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

After her birthday party, Grace writes thank-you letters to her friends and family for her gifts. Even when a gift might not have been perfect (she receives a toy dog rather than a living pup and gloves that are too large), she’s thankful nonetheless. But when all the gift givers are thanked, Grace begins to write thank you notes to her teacher for teaching her to read and write. She thanks her cat and dog. She even thanks the sky for being blue. Soon she is receiving love notes from everyone in town. This is a sweet story (without being saccharin sweet) teaching about being grateful for the many wonderful things in your life. The illustrations are cute and clear and represent a diverse community. This book can be used to teach young readers about letter writing, (Who doesn’t enjoy getting a letter in their mailbox?) but most importantly about gratitude. Grace is aptly named as she demonstrates grace perfectly.

5 star

Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Reviews

SLJ – VERDICT A love story about kindness and gratitude that serves as a good reminder for the young and the young-at-heart.
Reviewed by Amy Shepherd, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Middleton, DE , Oct 01, 2019

 

five-stars

I Wonder

I WonderI Wonder by Kari Anne Holt, Kenard Pak
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 1524714224
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

“What do you wonder about when you look at the world?” This is the question asked of the reader by author KA Holt.  Pat Kenard’s illustrations dominate this picture book that has only a line or two of text on each page. The text either asks a question of the reader: “is my cereal afraid of my spoon?” or a statement of wonder: “I wonder if sandwiches get mad when you bite them?” As author Holt says,” some questions have easy answers, but most questions just make us wonder.” In the space of a day, the reader encounters all types of questions from- “do my toys miss me when I am gone, to What do clouds taste like?” The author reminds us of the unique workings of a child’s mind in looking at the world. Putting these queries into pictures, illustrator Pak Kenard adds to the wonder with large, soft, quiet illustrations that set the tone for the wonder a child encounters. They compliment the sparse text and let the reader take in the question or statement . This is a book that opens up all types of discussion and urges the reader to stop and look around them and ask those questions.

Good for ages K- 3.    Cream consideration

Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray

five-stars

How Do You Feel?

How Do You Feel?How Do You Feel? by Lizzy Rockwell
Published by Holiday House on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 0823440516
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

How Do You Feel? by Lizzy Rockwell is an outstanding books to help 3 to 5 year olds understand their emotions. The elegant and deceptively simple acrylic colored illustrations direct the viewers eye to the single young child who is experiencing the event on the opposite page. There is plenty for preschoolers to think about internally and lots for adults to talk about with children all of whom have strong feelings that they are trying to understand with different degrees of success. This is a quietly stated, direct “feelings” book with just one question per double page spread, such as “Do you feel sad?” With seemingly increasing behavior problems in schools, this book offers  a welcome, calm approach to talking about and thinking about one’s emotions. Highly recommended for both public libraries and primary level schools by Margy Soule, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, Maine

5 stars

Pet

PetPet by Akwaeke Emezi
Published by Make Me a World on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 0525647074
Pages: 208
Genres: Fantasy, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Imagine a world where parents do not have to worry because there are no monsters to harm their children. Hard to imagine, right? Well, in the city of Lucille, Akwaeke Emezi has built a world where the adults believe that they have cleansed their town of all monsters. Jam and the other children have been taught that there is nothing to fear. When Pet, a creature of vengeance, emerges from her mother’s painting, Jam is hesitant to trust him. Pet tells Jam that there is a monster in her best friend Redemption’s family and that she must help him find the monster. This powerfully imaginative story of friendship and identity will capture readers of all ages. Pet is published by Penguin Random House’s new imprint, Make Me a World, founded by Christopher Meyers, son of Walter Dean Meyers, which works to make all children’s stories visible and helps children struggle with the hard questions of life. This is author, Awaeke Emezi, a National Book Award “5 Under 35” honoree’s first Young Adult book. What a debut! Pet is a National Book Award Finalist and Stonewall Book Award Winner. Recommended for grades 6 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

Thirteen doorways Wolves behind them all

Thirteen doorways Wolves behind them allThirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
Published by Balzer + Bray on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062317644
Pages: 358
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This historical fiction novel with a paranormal twist is recommended for cream consideration. A Chicago orphanage is the setting in 1941 where a Sicilian-American teen named Francesca (Frankie) and her siblings are raised as their father abandons them by taking a new wife and moving to Colorado to better his financial situation.   Frankie fights to be independent of the painful and abandonment of her father through a brief, but poignant tryst with Sam who enlists and losses his life overseas.   This is historical fiction at its best with the added bonus of a ghost narrator.  The poverty of the times, the extreme pressures that females were placed under to survive and the race and cultural wrongs of the period are examined effortlessly through the vivid stories of  Frankie, the ghost and a variety of fleshed out secondary characters both human and spirit.  The book was a National Book Award 2019 Finalist.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

five-stars