Category: Cream of the Crop Nominees

Creep, Leap, Crunch!: A Food Chain Story

Creep, Leap, Crunch!: A Food Chain StoryCreep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story by Christopher Silas Neal, Jody Jensen Shaffer
Published by Alfred A. Knopf on 2023
ISBN: 9780593565520
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Soft, full-color illustrations accompany fun, rhyming text that builds the steps of a temperate deciduous forest food chain in a style similar to “The House that Jack Built”, starting with the rising sun and leading all the way up to the black bear. Along the way, all the animals appear to succeed in their food acquisitions, but then the book takes a fun twist and turns the tables. All the food gets away! The book concludes with a glossary. This book would be excellent for story times, and makes for a simple, exciting introduction to natural food chains. It is recommended for 4-8 year olds.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, Gorham Campus Library, University of Southern Maine

five-stars

Gather

GatherGather by Kenneth M. Cadow
Published by Candlewick Press on October 3, 2023
ISBN: 1536231118
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Ian is a resourceful, hardworking teenager who helps keep him and his mom afloat after she is injured at work.  Although their house is falling down around them, Ian is motivated to stay by a deep connection with their Vermont land.  Life at home for Ian is a roller coaster as his mom deals with addiction and poverty, but Ian has neighbors and people at school who rally around him and support him however they can.  Ian also has the love of his adopted dog Gather, his best friend and companion.  When life takes an unexpected turn, Ian and Gather must survive for a time on their own together.  The story is narrated by Ian and his voice is unique and compelling.  He uses foreshadowing in his storytelling, which helps the book maintain its pace.  Ian is such a likable character who readers can’t help but root for. He faces his hardships head on and his story is ultimately one of hope and the importance of a community gathering around people who need support.  Highly recommended for libraries with YA patrons.

 

reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars

Kozo the Sparrow

Kozo the SparrowKozo the Sparrow by Allen Say
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks ISBN: 0063248468
Genres: Animals, Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Seventy-six years ago, Allen Say rescued a tiny sparrow he named Kozo and he recounts the story in this beautifully illustrated picture book. Children will respond to both the threat posed by a group of bullies and the care and love that goes into raising Kozo. The ending is lovely and just ambiguous enough to encourage further discussion. An excellent book about kindness and the bonds it can create; make sure to read the touching author’s note.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

All the Small Wonderful Things

All the Small Wonderful ThingsAll the Small Wonderful Things by Kate Foster
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536225800
Genres: Animals, Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

In the middle grade novel All the Small Wonderful Things, Alex, an eleven year old living with autism, is sure that the way to become friends with the most popular kid at his school, and avoid future bullying, is to prove his worth by winning an award. Alex decides the best way to achieve his goal is to enter his dog Kevin in Australia’s best dog show, P.A.W.S. The novel follows Alex’s joys and struggles as he trains Kevin and hopes to make a true friend before the next school year.

Like most kids who are transitioning from elementary to middle school, Alex faces the familiar stresses of fitting in at school, developing friendships, and wanting to truly be understood. By experiencing the story first person through Alex, readers will be able to gain insight into how people with autism may interpret stimuli and make interpersonal connections. Neurotypical readers can feel empathy for Alex that may encourage social emotional connections with children whose neurodivergent experiences differ from their own. While everyone’s experience with neurodivergence will vary, readers with autism may be able to identify with Alex and the positive disability representation provided in the story.

All the Small Wonderful Things will appeal to elementary and middle grade readers who are interested in feel good stories with happy endings, friendship stories, and animal lovers.

Reviewed by Sarah Hartje, Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston

five-stars

The Girl From Earth’s End

The Girl From Earth’s EndThe Girl from Earth's End by Tara Dairman
Published by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 1536224804
Pages: 384
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Twelve years ago, the Orange Boat brought an unexpected delivery to Earth’s End, a forgotten corner of the Gardenia Isles archipelago. Neither of Henna’s papas expected to receive a baby in the mail. Henna loves everything about her life gardening with Papa Niall and Joaquim until Papa Niall’s resurgence of a terminal illness. Determined to save him, Henna embarks on a secret mission at St. Basil’s Conservatory, an elite horticulture boarding school where she hopes to find and steal  a heavily guarded nightwalker seed, a plant rumored to produce a miracle healing elixir.

Dairman builds a fantastical setting. P, Henna’s genderfluid friend, provides a comic element. Their roommate, Lora, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, enables the story to provide an awareness of barriers for physically challenged people. Care is taken to affirm all the multi-dimensional characters without being moralistic, concluding with a pragmatic, bittersweet ending. I would be remiss if I did not comment about the beauty of the book jacket and the floral pattern that edges the corners of each page. Recommended for grades 4-6, especially for anyone who enjoys gardening. Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

five-stars

Betty and the Mysterious Visitor

Betty and the Mysterious VisitorBetty and the Mysterious Visitor by Anne Twist, Emily Sutton
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536234869
Genres: Adventure, Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Betty’s favorite place in the whole world is a community garden behind her grandmother’s house. Betty and her grandma spend summers together gardening, picking fruit, and making delicious jam to sell at the local farmer’s market. One night, the garden is ransacked by a mysterious visitor – a badger that has learned where to find delicious treats, with plans to come back for more. Betty rises to the occasion, fashioning a scarecrow to scare away the badger and save the garden. This book is a delightful read and celebrates family, community, and nature. The illustrations are gorgeous and full of bright colors and charming details. The fruits of Betty’s garden are definitely “Cream of the Crop” worthy. Recommended for ages 4-7.

Reviewed by Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell
five-stars

What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon?: And Other Questions About Moths & Butterflies

What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon?: And Other Questions About Moths & ButterfliesWhat's Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon?: And Other Questions About Moths & Butterflies by Rachel Ignotofsky
Published by Random House Children's Books on July 20, 2023
ISBN: 059317657X
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

A companion book to What’s Inside a Flower?, which I believe was a Cream of the Crop book in 2022. This book is equally engaging, answering readers’ questions about caterpillars, moths, and butterflies. Unlike other books about lepidoptera, this one imparts much more information about what occurs inside the cocoon or chrysalis stage. It goes on to compare butterflies and moths, the differences between cocoons and chrysalis, and the importance of these insects are as pollinators. Particularly attractive are Ignotofsky’s signature graphics, stylized illustrations with flat colors and intricate details. Many pages could easily be stand-alone posters. Varied page design helps with the organization and makes the whole more absorbing. Different species pictured are labeled with the common name in tiny but legible uppercase lettering. A beautiful informational book that every library will want to have a copy.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz

The Boy Who Followed His Father into AuschwitzThe Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz by Jeremy Dronfield
on 01/17/2023
ISBN: 0063236176
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Adapted for younger readers from Dronfield’s adult version by the same name, The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz is a narrative account of the Jewish Kleinmann family, living in Austria during World War II. Fourteen-year-old Fritz and his Papa, Gustav, are taken to Buchenwald concentration camp where they endure innumerable brutalities. When Gustav is set to be transferred to Auschwitz, Fritz decides he cannot leave his dear father, and ensures they make the transfer together. Several chapters are dedicated to Fritz’s brother Kurt and his acceptance into America as a refugee. 

This is an excellent addition to middle school nonfiction collections serving as a necessary contribution to the record of Holocaust stories. The resilience, hope, courage, and love exemplified in the actions of the Kleinmann family in the face of such horrors is thought-provoking and powerful.

Dronfield provides readers with some background information about how this book came to be and his interactions with Kurt. An author’s note to parents and teachers, a timeline of events, a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and works cited are included. 

Grades 6-8

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

five-stars

Biology’s Beginnings

Biology’s BeginningsDiscovering Life’s Story: Biology’s Beginnings by Joy Hakim
Series: Discovering Life's Story
Published by Penguin Random House on September 12, 2023
ISBN: 1536222933
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Volume one of author Joy Hakim’s Discovering Life’s Story series, designed to explore human discovery as it applies to our own existence, as it was understood though the ages. For readers familiar with the format of her previous series’, they will find it similar and comfortable; chock full of colorful, relevant illustrations, sidebars that range from detailed and informative to irreverent (but still informative!) Hakim’s narrative style is conversational and always engaging. Chapters, and the sub-sections with them, are short enough to hold the interest of the reader, but long enough to give a satisfying amount of information. Source notes, bibliography, and a list of resources for further reading are all included.

Written for older middle grade readers and teens, this is an excellent and highly recommended addition to a library collection.

5 stars/cream

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

A Study in Drowning

A Study in DrowningA Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Published by HarperTeen on September 19, 2023
ISBN: 0063211505
Pages: 378
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Magical Realism
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Ava Reid’s YA debut is an atmospheric, dreamy fantasy that dances the line between what is real and what is believed to be real.

Effy Sayre is one of the highest scoring students ever to enter the Llyrian University, but, as a woman, she is not allowed to study literature, so she ends up in the Architecture college instead. Lonely and unhappy, she seeks solace in her well-worn pages of Angharad, Emrys Myrddin’s epic masterpiece about the love between a mortal girl and the bewitching – but malicious – fairy king. When Myrddin dies, a contest is announced to redesign his estate. A contest which Effy, a first-year architecture student, inexplicably wins. She travels far south, to the most distant reaches of the land, where she finds herself isolated by geography, superstition, and land-swallowing storms. Her host is the son of Myrddin, and it is clear he is harboring a dark secret. Effy’s only ally is a fellow student from the university, there with his own secret mission, of proving Myrddin a fraud. Together they peel back layer upon layer of the mystery behind Angharad, and, in turn, Effy herself, who it turns out had her own brush with the Fairy King as a child, and has been stalked by him ever since.

Drowning is in turns creepy, desolate, disturbing, deeply magical, and fascinating. Two threads to be aware of: there is an oft-referred to incident of abuse at the hands of a professor that happened just before the beginning of the story. Also, Effy’s mother believes she is mentally unstable and forces her to take meds to control her visions and anxieties – both of which she ultimately discovers to be real, and the result of her lifelong entanglement with the Fairy King.

Perfect for fans of fantasy that draws on dark magical themes while having one foot in a recognizable world, such as Melissa Albert’s Hazel Wood. A great addition to library shelves.

5 stars

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars