Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

Summer of ’69

Summer of ’69Summer of '69 by Todd Strasser
Published by Candlewick Press on April 9th 2019
ISBN: 0763695262
Pages: 384
Goodreads
five-stars

Todd Strasser relives and shares with the reader his experiences as Lucas Baker, a newly graduated high school senior, who just wants to spend the summer hanging with his friends doing plenty of acid and smoking weed and best of all — Woodstock Music Festival. But as series of mishaps leads him to bad acid trips, testing his faithfulness to his girlfriend Robin, who happens to be in Canada for the summer, his parents separation and the worst of all — the draft. Vietnam was in full swing and the only way a healthy young male didn’t goto war was to be in college, which unfortunately, Lucas found out that he wasn’t accepted to college and way too late to do anything about it.When  Lucas finds this out he meets with a conscientious  objector counselor to figure out ways to avoid being drafted; other than escaping to Canada as many did, go to jail for refusing to be drafted or maim himself.

Despite the time span, many teens will relate to issues in this book — relationships and friendship, politics, families, road trips and much more and even more so for those that find the 60s interesting. Recommended for grades 10 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution

Fat Angie: Rebel Girl RevolutionFat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo
Published by Candlewick Press on March 5th 2019
ISBN: 0763693456
Pages: 352
Goodreads
five-stars

Fat Angie:  Rebel Girl Revolution

 

Angie is horribly teased, taunted, and physically abused at school.  At home her mother wishes Angie had died instead of her “perfect” sister.  But when Angie meets her sister’s fiancée at a celebration of her life and he gives Angie a postcard with a list of the places in Ohio her sister wanted them to travel to together, Angie knows that she is supposed to go on a journey.  Going with her are her former friend, a girl called Zeke, and the best friend of her tormentor at school.  The road trip is some of the best writing and experiences ever, especially having the description of a Men’s Room at a gas station and Angie singing with a punk girl group.  Angie is depressed because of her weight, being gay, and lack of social skills.  But, after the road trip, she begins to accept herself, although her relationship with her mother never improves.  There is not a perfect ending, but it is much more realistic.  There is excellent writing which mirrors the mind of a high school student:  “too-many-tabs-open-in-her-mind”, “Feminine Female products”, and “Pinterest lies, Angie”.  It is the sequel to Fat Angie but it isn’t necessary to have read it first.  This book is recommended for grades 9-12 and for Cream of the Crop.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

five-stars

Watch Hollow

Watch HollowWatch Hollow by Gregory Funaro
Published by HarperCollins on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 0062643452
Pages: 320
Goodreads
five-stars

A mysterious man shows up to Lucy’s dad’s clock shop just as they were closing with an offer that her dad, Mr. Tinker, can’t pass up — money that will help make Lucy, her brother Oliver and her dad’s lives better. According to the stranger, he can’t move into the house unless the clock is working and the only one that can fix it is Mr. Tinker. Once the clock is fixed, the house will have power to run. Not long after  Lucy and her family arrive, strange things start to happen and small animal figures that look like they belong in the clock wake up and start talking to Lucy.

An exciting interesting twist to the supernatural with talking clock animals, a evil being in the woods, which by the way are slowly making their way to the house each day. Not scary. Recommended for grades 4-7.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of The Soviet Union in World War II

A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of The Soviet Union in World War IIA Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II by Elizabeth E. Wein
Published by Balzer + Bray on January 22nd 2019
ISBN: 0062453017
Pages: 388
Goodreads
five-stars

Fans of Elizabeth Wein’s  Code Name Verity will enjoy A Thousand Sisters. Wein introduces to the reader to  3 Soviet regiments that were manned by female volunteers to fly combat missions for the Soviet Union during World War II. Wein tells about their ambitions, duty to country, their daily lives along with the  horrors and successes of their combat missions. Most of these women were in their late teens and early twenties and many did not survive. The black and white photos in the book are of various individual women that are mentioned and of their regiments and comrades . This book would be considered a collective biography.

You  might want to pair this up with Kathryn Lasky’s Night Witches: A Novel of World War II, as the nickname Night Witches was given to these female pilots as they drop bombs during the middle of the night on unsuspecting German soldiers. Included is a TOC, bibliography, author’s notes and an easy to use index. Source notes are also provided.

Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

Orange for the Sunsets

Orange for the SunsetsOrange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 0062795295
Pages: 336
Goodreads
five-stars

Asha and Yesofu are best friends. They have grown up doing everything together even though Asha comes from a wealthy Indian family, who Yesofu’s mother and brother work for and Yesofu who is an African, that works in the fields with his father. This is a tale of friendship and racism that revolves around President Idi Amin’s take over of Uganda. In 1972, Amin set in motion the expulsion of all Indians from Uganda so that Africa could be returned to the Africans.  Whether Indians were Ugandan citizens, of which many were, they were required to leave or face dire consequences.

This is a well written historical fiction of a time in Uganda’s history that pitted friends, family and a country against each other.  Told in alternating perspectives between how Asha, who doesn’t feel that their friendship is wrong and Yesofu, who is torn between friendship and the right thing to do.  In the back of the book is a timeline for the “Countdown to the Expulsion” and the Author’s Notes there is historical background information provided.

Recommended for grades 4-7.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

Hey, Water!

Hey, Water!Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
Published by Neal Porter Books on March 26th 2019
ISBN: 0823441555
Pages: 48
Goodreads
five-stars

Hey, Water! gives a broad introduction to water including the places it can be and the forms it can take. The story is written as if speaking directly to water. It is like a letter written to water itself thanking water for being there and doing things for the Earth. It introduces areas related to the science of water for children to be inspired about. The layout of the text includes a large vocabulary word that ties in to the illustration on every page along with the text in sentence format.

The illustrations are simple with bright colors and textures that highlight the water theme. Blue is used frequently but other bold colors are interspersed throughout. The illustrations complement the text through connecting to both actions of the story and highlighted vocabulary words.

Hey, Water! Would be appropriate for toddlers or preschoolers. It is simple enough to read out loud so it would be great for storytimes. The adjectives and motions in the story create engaging dialog for young children.  This title would be useful as a way to share a non-fiction title that is approachable and introduce science topics to younger children. It would be helpful to students who would like to learn more about the things water can do.

The back of the book has reference materials for learning more about water. These focus on the specific concepts of “water forms”, “the water cycle”, and “conserving water” with greater detail. A bibliography is also provided to reference outside materials for research and experiments. These sections could be helpful for a teacher putting together a lesson plan or very young students doing basic research.

Reviewed by Kathleen Powers, Winslow Public Library, Winslow, ME

five-stars

I Like My Bike

I Like My BikeI Like My Bike by Antongionata Ferrari
Published by Holiday House on January 15th 2019
ISBN: 0823440974
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

Different animals and people like the vehicle they ride in. For some it’s a car ,others a truck and still others a bike. The text repeats to make it easy for a new reader. The illustrations pull the reader in and give clues as to what the new word might be. A fun book that has a bit of humor in it and great illustration as well. On the front and back is the Guided Reading Level A which is really handy. Perfect choice for  new reader.

Cream. Ages 4 and up. Mary Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME

five-stars

The Black Coats

The Black CoatsThe Black Coats by Colleen Oakes
Published by HarperTeen on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 0062679627
Pages: 376
Goodreads
five-stars

The Black Coats are secret organization of women that was founded to exact a vigilante type of justice upon men who have abused women. Thea is grieving the murder or her cousin, her best friend when she receives an cryptic clue that leads her to The Black Coats. She joins to seek closure to her grief, but discovers that things aren’t exactly as they appear to be.

Action packed with an air of gothic mystique and romance. Excellent and strong female characters with a powerful message on justice. Recommended for grades 8 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

The Field Guide to the North American TeenagerThe Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
Published by Balzer + Bray on January 8th 2019
ISBN: 0062824112
Pages: 372
Goodreads
five-stars

In steps Norris Kaplan straight off the plane into the Austin, TX  air. Not that a boy from Canada would complain much about the heat and humidity that is by the way — not to be found in the land of the North. Norris’s mother got a professorship at the University of Texas and as far as the eye can see  — it Longhorn country!

Norris is cynical and way to smart for his own good. Many times he has been warned about what comes out his mouth and sure as shootin’ the first day of his new high school is well — against him. Norris has a way of cataloguing everyone that he meets as a way to amuse himself. Things do change though when his mother posts a “friendship” flyer on UT’s campus and in walks Liam who helps steer Norris into a better place.

A great guy read. Witty and quite humorous. Each chapter is set up as you would see it in a field guide with  identifying characteristics, habitat, mating habitat, etc. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

On the Come Up

On the Come UpOn the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Published by Balzer + Bray on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0062498568
Pages: 447
Goodreads
five-stars

Set in the same neighborhood where readers met Starr from The Hate U Give, On the Come Up tells the story of Bri – an aspiring rapper waiting for her chance.  Bri’s father was a rising star when he was fatally shot in a gang-related incident when Bri was a toddler, leaving Bri along with a mother who struggles to make ends meet and a brother who is determined to end up anywhere else but in a gang.  After a rap battle victory in “The Ring,” Bri feels like this is her chance, not only to help her mother pay the bills, but also to make it as the star her father never became.

Angie Thomas masterfully shares Bri’s inner thinking, especially scenes in which Bri brainstorms, crafts, and raps off the cuff, and readers will delight in the audiobook version of this text to hear the lyricality of Bri’s music. On the Come Up is a story of overcoming obstacles, and fighting for what’s right, persevering, with a creative ending that will leave readers turning the page and imagining with Bri.  Recommended for grades 8-12.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Review by Noelle Gallant, Saco Middle School

five-stars