Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

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

It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

ISBN: 0525582169

Set against the backdrop of Apartheid, It’s Trevor Noah is the young reader’s adaptation of Noah’s bestselling adult memoir, Born a Crime.  Born to a South African mother and a European father, Noah explains how he is “born a crime” because he is proof of a mixed-race relationship.  Each chapter holds vignettes from Noah’s childhood in South Africa, often leaning heavily on humor to tell his tales of mischief, scheming, and tragedy.  This book, which delicately adapts the often very mature adult memoir,  will have readers laughing out loud, thinking deeply, and crying by the end.  The book features excellent information in the back matter with a historical essay about Apartheid.  Recommended for grades 6 and above.

Reviewed by Noelle Gallant, Saco Middle School 

Stargazing

StargazingStargazing by Jen Wang
Published by First Second on September 10th 2019
ISBN: 125018388X
Pages: 224
Goodreads
five-stars

This graphic novel about friendship is based on an experience in Wang’s childhood. The main character, Christine, is struggling with living up to the expectations of her parents and many of these include stereotypical behavior in the Chinese American community: do well at math, play violin, always obey your parents and strive to be the best. But Christine is not great at math and she is just okay at violin. When she meets Moon, another Chinese American girl, she realizes that not all Chinese Americans are the same, nor do they have to be. Moon is relaxed and fun, she is a Buddhist, and she loves to draw and dance to K-pop music. Christine really likes Moon, but she is also jealous at the ease in which Moon seems to move through life. When her jealousy leads her to do something unkind, she must come to terms with her behavior. Adding to this is the fact that Moon is sick. Did Christine contribute to the illness with her unkindness? Will there be time to make it up to Moon? Wang layers in her message about the difficulty of being a good friend and the consequences of decisions we make with a gentle touch. Gorgeously drawn and colored, this graphic novel will be a hit with fans of Jenny Holms, Raina Telgemeier, and Shannon Hale.

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

five-stars

Glitch

GlitchGlitch by Sarah Graley
Published by Graphix on May 14th 2019
ISBN: 1338174517
Pages: 192
Goodreads
five-stars

Izzy can’t wait to play the new Dungeon City video game that she and her friend Eric have been waiting forever to come out. They are supposed to wait to play it together but Izzy just can’t and tries the game out. When she does, she actually enters the game. In the game she encounters a robot that tells her she is the hero they have been waiting for to save the Dungeon City, but the robot isn’t telling her everything. Great illustrations, terrific use of pronouns, and a sweet video game that the character actually becomes part of. So much fun as well as relatable for many gamers and non-gamers. Cream

Mary Lehmer, Youth Services Librarian, Freeport Community Library, ME

five-stars

Pippa by Design

Pippa by DesignPippa by Design: A Story of Ballet and Costumes by Claudia Logan, Chesley McLaren
on September 24th 2019
ISBN: 0374359563
Pages: 192
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a book about ballet, fashions and sisters. The story is about 2 sisters, both want to be the best at something- one a ballerina, the other a fashion designer. Sometimes they get along and other times the don’t, a sibling relationship many readers will identify with. It is filled with facts about ballets and costumes from the past as well as how the costume department in a ballet company works. Loads of illustrations are sprinkled throughout the book. At our library there are so many young readers that are looking for books about fashion and fashion designers that this one would be a fantastic book for them to try. It offers some history, a solid story and an area of fashion design that many may not have thought of. It also describes all the work that goes into designing a costume. Grades 4 and up. Cream

Mary Lehmer, Youth Services Librarian, Freeport Community Library, ME

five-stars

All the Impossible Things

All the Impossible ThingsPublished by Roaring Brook Press on September 3rd 2019
ISBN: 1250202868
Pages: 384
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Fantasy
Format: Board Book, Chapter Book Fiction
five-stars

Red (her real name is Ruby), is in foster care waiting for her mom, a drug addict, to get out of prison. Red is literally counting the days. Every foster home she has been in has not worked out and the anger she feels manifests it self in the wind, just like it does for her mom. She doesn’t want to get close to anyone, especially her new foster family because she wants to live with her mom, if she can just get her to change. But her new foster family seems different and she loves the animals there and begins to care for the them until things happen with her mom. Suddenly her wind begins to destroy things, and even threatens the new foster family she is beginning to love. This book is what I would describe as magic-realism. The wind piece adds so much to the story. The ending with her mom and the foster family, is so hopeful but still has many sad and real elements to it. And Tuck the tortoise on the farm, well, he is just a terrific character and readers will have him tugging at their heart strings just like he does to Red. Grades 5 and up. Cream

Mary Lehmer, Youth Services Librarin, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME

five-stars

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All SeasonsLion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas, Mercè López
Published by Millbrook Press (Tm) on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 1512498092
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

Haiku, a form of poetry made up of three lines : five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line. Author Salas has taken this form as an invitation to the reader to explore the four seasons – but with a twist! These haiku poems are riddle-ku and mask poems.Something non human narrates the poem and asks the reader to guess what the narrator is- that is a mask poem  and instead of the well known haiku form that describes something, a riddle -ku invites the reader to guess what object the poem is. Each page offers a riddle with large illustrations that reflect the season where the object can be found. the illustrations may be a bright sand pail found in summer or a snow globe on a gray-blue page that feels like winter.

There are many books of poetry available but there are some that are unique, that make a  school or library collection richer- this is one of those books.

Use with any poetry unit , units on the seasons, or just a mystery read aloud. Good for grades k – 6.

Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray Maine.

five-stars