Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

The Tall Man and the Small Mouse

The Tall Man and the Small MouseThe Tall Man and the Small Mouse by Birgitta Sif, Mara Bergman
Published by Candlewick Press on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 1536201685
Pages: 32
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction in Verse/Poetry, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

“The Tall Man and the Small House” is a delightful, imaginative picture book for ages 4 through 8. A very tall man lives in a tall house. But so does a very small mouse. And, the two never seem to meet. The tall man is good at fixing things that are at a very tall heigth and the  small mouse is very good at collecting small “missing” things.   However, one day the tall man encounters a problem that he cannot fix.  He does  not know “how to fix the clock that wiould not tick and would not tock.” That night the very small mouse happened to fall asleep on the  tall man’s long boots, and was discovered in the morning when that tall man woke up.   The tall man  saw all of his  missing  things.  The tall man’s heart began to sing. “Mouse,” he said, “you’re clearly clever, small and nimble. I wonder whether I may possibly borrow you, I’ve a most important thing to do.”

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!

The tall man said,  “we may be two of a different kind, but both of us can fix and find.  I’m your friend and you are mine.”

Soft toned pastel illustrations with detail and expression.This book can be used when discussing friendships and also when pointing out the fact that although we may all in some ways be  different, we each have our strengths and talents.  These, joined together,  may indeed allow one (or two)  to accomplishsh many things.  And friendship may be the best thing of all.

 

five-stars

Kiss Number 8

Kiss Number 8Kiss Number 8 by Colleen A.F. Venable, Ellen T. Crenshaw
Published by First Second on March 12th 2019
ISBN: 1250196930
Pages: 320
Goodreads
five-stars

Mads feels pretty good about her life at the moment. Between church with her family, baseball games with her dad, and school with her best friend Cat, high school is going pretty well. Plus, Mads has kissed seven different people. They’ve all been okay so far, but she doesn’t really get the fuss until she realizes that she doesn’t want her eighth kiss to be Adam, her neighbor with an obvious crush on her. She wants it to be Cat. Add to that a family secret that her dad has been hiding, and Mads’ good life has just become seriously messy.

Venable crafts an emotional, realistic story of a girl discovering who she is, how to deal with changing relationships, and finding her place in the world through both familial relationships and new friendships. Chenshaw’s pen-and-ink style illustrations bring to life the emotions of each character, drawing the reader along. Together, they explore themes of sexuality, identity, trust, and belonging. A fantastic choice for all middle and high school collections.

The epilogue strikes a particularly poignant, hopeful, and resonant note that will stay with certain readers for a very long time.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library.

five-stars

Anything but Okay

Anything but OkayAnything But Okay by Sarah Darer Littman
Published by Scholastic Paperbacks on September 3rd 2019
ISBN: 1338177583
Pages: 352
Goodreads
five-stars

This is great for high school mature audiences. It’s also a great look into city life.

Stella and Farida are best friends  but Stella has “white girl” glasses and really doesn’t understand how hard it is for Farida to fit into American society. Farida was born here, but she is Muslim.

Stella’s brother, Rob<  came home from a tour with the US Marines in Afghanistan. He is paranoid and angry.Then his best friend from the same division killed himself. The war has the same effect as the Vietnam war, no heros and help is hard to get.

Stella thinks she can help him by getting him out of the house. She  didn’t know going to the movies and a food court would freak him out. He sees a person of color being bullied, he steps up to defend a weaker person (like he was taught in service). He breaks the bully’s nose, it was videoed and it goes viral.

Stella decides to run for class president, but everyone thinks her brother is crazy and should go to jail. They spray paint their home, and the Amvets come to help clean up the mess.

Stella’s history teacher asks, “…what do think makes a patriot?” For a school project. Both of Stella’s parents were in the Army.

Reviewed by Jeri Fitzpatrick, GNG Middle School, Gray

five-stars

Goodbye, Mr. Spalding

Goodbye, Mr. SpaldingGoodbye, Mr. Spalding by Jennifer Robin Barr
Published by Calkins Creek Books on March 26th 2019
ISBN: 1684371783
Pages: 272
Goodreads
five-stars

Take me out to the ballgame, to any ball park, in any city and this reader is happy.  Barr’s first middle age novel is a winner for any age reader who loves baseball and especially for those who appreciate the history of American’s favorite sport.  All of the characters show their love of the game but more important is their place within the family and community.   Jimmy and Lola have a friendship that is built on mutual respect and caring, something not frequently found in a relationship of a 12 year old boy and girl.  Relationships of family members, neighbors and classmates feel honest and valued.  This book brings to life some of the issues during the Great Depression and how it affected those who loved the game of baseball.  The old photos and Author’s Notes are an added bonus.

Add this to all middle school media centers and to public library collections.   Goodbye, Mr. Spalding is an excellent choice for students assigned the genre of historical fiction.  It is also going to gain a following with preteen boys and girls who adore our favorite American pastime.

 

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME

five-stars

Ruby and Rufus Love the Water

Ruby and Rufus Love the WaterRuby & Rufus by Olivier Dunrea
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on March 19th 2019
ISBN: 0547867603
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

“Gossie & Friends” move over and make room for “Ruby & Rufus”! If you enjoy the water every day, what do you do when it freezes over? You discover the joys of playing on the ice!

Dundee’s signature small format with yellow & red illustrations extend the short sentences, which are perfect for beginning readers.

Great for teaching preschoolers how to make the best of unexpected circumstances and possible disappointment. This book and message are just too cute not to have in your collection!

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

five-stars

Look Up With Me

Look Up With MeLook Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars by Jennifer Berne, Lorraine Nam
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0062844946
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

Featuring beautiful cut paper illustrations, this picture book biography of Neil deGrasse Tyson is a love story to both him and our universe.  The book opens with vivid blue endpapers featuring constellations and a young Neil cutting out stars. It then features an introduction from the featured man himself.  Neil encourages us all to “never stop being a kid.” We learn how Neil first fell in love with the sky at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, and continued his education by dragging his telescope up to the roof of his building.  He gave his first lecture at the age of 15. After a life of passionate learning and working hard, he became the director of the very planetarium where he first discovered his love for the universe. There is an illustrated page of quotes from deGrasse Tyson that shares facts about space.  The back matter includes an author’s note about her personal connection to deGrasse Tyson and a glossary of space related terms (not all of which were used in the book). The book ends with the same blue constellation page, but this time young Neil is naming them all. This is a must-buy for all public and elementary school libraries. Recommended for grades K-2.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

five-stars

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