Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

Stormy

StormyStormy: a Story about Finding a Forever Home by Guojing
Published by Schwartz & Wade on September 17, 2019
ISBN: 1524771767
Pages: 34
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This wordless book is simply stunning. It’s a story about a stray pup, a very kind woman, a fierce storm, and the pup finding a forever home. The illustrations are exquisite, detailed, and gorgeous. They’re laid out like a graphic novel and combined with several impressive full page spreads. It is a heartwarming story of patience, kindness, and trust. This book would be best for K-3rd grade readers. A gorgeous, well thought out story. Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Finding kindness

Finding kindnessFinding Kindness by Deborah Underwood, Irene Chan
Published by Henry Holt & Company on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 1250237890
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Kindness is…. This book is a wonderful tribute to kindness in many different forms. The text is short and simple and will keep the youngest kids engaged. The color illustrations are well detailed and add to the story — the first sentence makes no sense without the accompanying illustration. There is a widely diverse representation of people in the illustrations of this book but that isn’t the focus of the book. This is my favorite form of diversity in picture books — people just being people together in everyday life. I love books with a positive message about kindness, and this one hits the nail on the head. It’s best for Pre-K-2nd grade and would make a great read aloud. Pair with Kindness Makes Us Strong or The Kindness Book for an explosion of kindness. Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

The other, better me

The other, better meThe Other, Better Me by Antony John
Published by HarperCollins on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062835653
Pages: 272
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Lola has never known her father, but her mother has always been there for her. Her mom’s health declines, and Lola starts to feel the urge to find her father. A school writing assignment gives her the opportunity to do just that. How will this affect her, her mother, and their family? This is a short book, but it covers so many important topics — parental abandonment, econimic inequity, bullying, friendship, illness, death, and so much more. Despite the length of the book, it covers all these topics well and with grace. This book will appeal to many readers because there are so many opportunities for kids to relate. This is an excellent book for 4th-6th grade readers, and I’m recommending it for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

What the Birds See

What the Birds SeeWhat the Birds See by Sonya Hartnett
Published by Candlewick Press on December 10, 2019
ISBN: 1536208817
Pages: 208
Genres: Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

9 year old Adrian feels unwanted and alone. Taken from his mother, unwanted by his father, his recently widowed grandmother feels obligated to take him in. Living with his grandmother and an Uncle that hasn’t left the house since his accident, Adrian is pretty much left to his own. 

One day, he noticed that the house across the street has been rented and he sees a man and three children move in. Adrian befriends them in an odd way leading to a climax of the story that will leave the reader puzzling.

Recommended for grade 9 and up. Well written psychological fiction with its setting in Australia.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

Deadly Aim: The Civil War Story of Michigan’s Anishinaabe Sharpshooters

Deadly Aim: The Civil War Story of Michigan’s Anishinaabe SharpshootersDeadly Aim: The Civil War Story of Michigan's Anishinaabe Sharpshooters by Sally M. Walker
Published by Henry Holt & Company on July 30, 2019
ISBN: 1250125251
Pages: 304
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

Deadly Aim is a fascinating book about the Anishinaabe Native Americans that fought bravely, with many losing their lives, in the Civil War. Because of their hunting skills and precision marksmanship, the Odawas, Potawatomis and Ojibwes people decided to fight — was it for their freedom, potentially becoming enslaved themselves or to obtain equality no one is sure, but no matter their reason, the Anishinaabe felt that it was their duty and honor.

Well documented with time-period photos, copies of articles and military orders that follow through with the text. TOC, glossary, muster roll and appendices support the information and accessibility of this title.

Great reference book and general read for anyone interested in the Civil War and the Native Americans  involvement. Recommended for 7th grade and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

Fear of Missing Out

Fear of Missing OutFear of Missing Out by Kate McGovern
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on March 19, 2019
ISBN: 0374305471
Pages: 313
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Sixteen-year-old Astrid is on round two of her brain tumor and the outcome doesn’t look promising. There is a new clinical trial that she could try, but again, there aren’t any promises that it will succeed. But, Astrid is willing to look at alternatives, despite the questions her mother, her boyfriend and best friend have. Cryogenics sounds promising and she wants to make a field trip to Arizona and check out a facility that offers maybe a promise.

Well written, character driven and extremely emotional story of what questions are brought out about dying and the quality of life that is the primary focus. Recommended for grades 9 and  up.

Fans of The Fault in Our Stars and Everything, Everything will love this book. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

five-stars

Dreams From Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems

Dreams From Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in PoemsDreams from Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems by Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez, Margarita Engle
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on October 8, 2019
ISBN: 1627795316
Pages: 208
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Margarita Engle has once again come up with a wonderful book of poetry that describes the Hispanic History In this country. Divided into six parts that tracks the movement of the Hispanic people and their impact on colonization along with the impact the Spaniards had in coming into their world. At the start of each section is a brief introduction of the poetry that is within. Illustrations are black and white drawings that compliment the sections of history.

Recommended for grades 6 and up and a well addition to poetry and history shelves.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

five-stars

Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf

Stripes of the Sidestep WolfStripes of the Sidestep Wolf by Sonya Hartnett
Published by Candlewick Press (MA) ISBN: 1536208825
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Satchel’s world is dying and he refuses to admit it or even leave it. When his only friend, Leroy, moves out of town, that leaves Moke, Satchel’s dog, and Chelsea, Leroy’s sister who is an emotional wreck, as his only remaining friends.

Believing that Satchel has seen a Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger that has been extinct for hundreds of years, Chelsea tries to convince him that this could be their way out of their dying worlds. Together they both discover what is right for themselves and the directions they must go.

Well written with the setting in Australia. Represents the dying rural towns that can be found all around and the decisions that the people of these worlds have to make in order to survive. Recommended for grades 10 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

five-stars

Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of the “Children’s Ship”

Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of the “Children’s Ship”Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship" by Deborah Heiligman
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on October 8, 2019
ISBN: 1627795545
Pages: 304
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

During World War II, England had a program called the CORB (Children’s Overseas Reception Board) that took children away from the bombing to live in Canada, to return when the war was over. On September 13, 1940, 100 children with adult chaperones and other paying customers boarded and set sail on the SS City of Benares for Canada. Four days later, during the night when the children were asleep, a German U-Boat torpedoed the Benares. 258 people on board lost their lives; of the 100 children on board heading for safety, only 13 survived.

Very interesting and heart wrenching. Would be a great addition to World War II books that could be used for personal reading and research. Well documented with a list of passengers, crew and other essential personnel that perished/survived, TOC, a section about the survivors and their lives afterward, bibliography, endnotes and index.

Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

 

 

five-stars

Unpregnant

UnpregnantUnpregnant by Jenni Hendriks, Ted Caplan
Published by HarperTeen on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 0062876244
Pages: 320
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

What do you do when the pregnancy test comes back positive, the school weirdo is the one that knows your secret and to top it off, Kevin, the wonderful boyfriend, already suspected that you were pregnant, because he put holes in the condom for what reason — he didn’t want her to go to Brown in the fall!!

All of thing leads into a hilarious road to trip from Missouri to New Mexico, where Veronica can get an abortion and be back before her parents are any wiser and Bailey, she justs wants to Roswell. This novel wonderfully brings up topics that are difficult with a sense of humor and the respect of individual rights. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford high School, Biddeford.

 

Cream of the Crop

 

five-stars