I Wish You The Best

I Wish You The BestI Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
Published by Push on May 14th 2019
ISBN: 133830612X
Pages: 336
Goodreads
three-stars

This is another source for older teens who feel that they are nonbinary (male or female). The pronoun for nonbinary is plural them, they, their.

Ben comes out to their parents as nonbinary. It’s winter vacation and they’re thrown out of their house with only socks on.

Ben goes to a store that still has a payphone to call his older sister. Hannah has not spoken to them or their parents in 10 years. But she comes and brings Ben to her and her husbands’ home. Her husband is a high school teacher and is able to get Ben into his school.

Ben is  struggling with an anxiety disorder, Hannah gets Ben a theraipst. Ben tries to finish their senior year without being noticed. Ben meets a special boy Nathan. They (Ben) is an artist, but their world crashes when their parents show upat the art show…

Reviewed by Jeri Fitzpatrick GNGMS Gray

three-stars

The Ice Garden

The Ice GardenThe Ice Garden by Guy Jones
Published by Chicken House on February 26th 2019
ISBN: 1338285335
Pages: 272
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a story of magical realism for grades 3-5.  Twelve year old Jess has extreme photosensitivity to the sun which has kept her a fixture at the hospital, needing to be completely covered when venturing outside and isolated from school or friends.  She uses story writing as a way to escape her controlled existence.  Jess has two encounters happen that allows her to expand her closed in feelings and perspective that her disease creates.   The first encounter occurs during a regular visit to the hospital when Jess wanders into the room of Davey who is unconscious.  She seems to have an immediate connection to his situation and shares stories with him, in hopes that he can hear them, whenever she visits.   The second encounter provides the magic to the story when one hot summer night she reaches her breaking point and steals outside in the night.  While at the playground, she stumbles into an ice garden where she becomes a frequent visitor and makes a friend with an ice boy.  As their friendship grows, her disease and the connections with Davey also changes, although it remains a mystery how the ice garden existed.  Was it real?  Just a story?  A hallucination?   There were some jarring shifts in Jess’s location during the demise of the ice garden making the scene confusing.  The theme and Jess’s character will hold the interest of readers and Jones’ writing is lyrical and imaginative.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

The Bolds in Trouble

The Bolds in TroubleThe Bolds in Trouble by Julian Clary, David Roberts
Published by Carolrhoda Books (R) on May 7th 2019
ISBN: 1541500458
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-stars

This addition to The Bolds series is silly and fun while being somewhat edgy.  The theme of this title centers on a fox who is stealing food from neighborhood homes.  In their humorous and caring nature the Bolds invite the fox into their home and learn that he is both a bully and rude guest.   Although a fun read this series edition does not present a good role model for family or interpersonal relationships.

Readers will love Mr. Bold’s constant jokes which are bound to bring about some adult snickers as they read aloud at bedtime.   When read with an adult, the behavior issues can be discussed with second and third grade readers.  Clary’s illustrations provide half the fun as he dresses the characters and allows them to stand upright like humans.  Young fans of the series are sure to go  looking for this title on their library and local bookstore shelves.  Add to libraries who are collecting the series.

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

four-stars

The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me

The Birds, the Bees, and You and MeThe Birds, The Bees, and You and Me by Olivia Hinebaugh
Published by Swoon Reads on January 22nd 2019
ISBN: 125019265X
Pages: 304
Goodreads
two-stars

As the title suggests, this is a sex positive, activist laden story that covers all areas of safe sex practices including issues for the LGBTQIA teen.   Lacey Burke, seventeen-year- old violist, budding composer, and volunteer doula finds that the constraints of her abstinence-only sex education class at her high school demands her response.   Armed with a brochure she has created and the support of her mom who is a nurse, she provides complete sex education to girls who meet her in the bathroom with their questions.  As unexpected feelings among Lacey and her two best friends, Theo and Evita, start creating uncertainty, the school takes clear suspension action to her distribution of condoms and sex education brochures which jeopardizes the group’s college plans and friendships.   Unfortunately, the amount of safe sex discussions becomes information overload and hijacks the storyline.   The dialog between friends seemed unrealistically “sexually” educated at times and Lacey delivering her teen friends baby was over the top, with more information than necessary for an entertaining story.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

two-stars

The Secret of Zoone

The Secret of ZooneThe Secret of Zoone by Lee Edward Fodi
Published by HarperCollins on April 9th 2019
ISBN: 0062845268
Pages: 352
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a Fantasy for 3-6 grader readers who are fans of different creatures, different worlds and magic.  Ozzie, who feels neglected by his parents and lashes out at his guardian Aunt Temperance, finds himself in the fantastical and magically dangerous world of Zoone.  Zoone is the multiverse or connecting point, visualize a train station,  that allows magical creatures or citizens of different worlds to travel through doors to other worlds.   Ozzie finds himself befriended by a loveable blue Skyger named Tug and given the responsibility of being a porter at the busy transfer station on the eve of the important Wizard Council.   The fate of Ozzie’s Earth, known as Eridea in Zoone, hangs in the balance as the greedy and dangerous Crogus has been let out of isolation and with the help of a secret assistant plans to destroy Zoone.  Ozzie after many missteps and catastrophes finds his purpose in Zoone and is able to equate that awareness to his earth existence.  Most of the world building happens through an action driven plot.  The doors play a major role in the landscape, reminiscent of the many doors of Monsters, Inc.  The ending, although satisfying, sets itself up for a potential sequel.  Libraries will want to check their copies ordered.  The review copy and the copy owned by the reviewer’s library had various pages in the 200’s misplaced incorrectly.  A new copy was received in Aug 2019 and the mistakes were corrected.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

The Meaning of Birds

The Meaning of BirdsThe Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown
Published by HarperTeen on April 16th 2019
ISBN: 0062824449
Pages: 368
Goodreads
four-stars

The Meaning of Birds

 

Jess and Vivi had been in love for almost two years and meant everything to each other.  But Vivi passes away from complications of flu and asthma and Jess is stricken with grief.  In a before and after of Vivi’s death readers learn how the girls met, the impact of birds on their relationship, and how Jess pulls her life back together after Vivi’s death through being sent to an alternative school and working at a forge as a blacksmith.  She had been artistic but now sees how she can channel her artistic ability in another direction.  The relationship between the girls was so very positive with the parents being very accepting.  There are also other types of relationships between questioning teens, straight ones, and those who try to bully Jess and Vivi, as well as the methods that Jess uses to quell her anger.  This book is recommended for grades 9-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

Cog

CogCog by Greg Van Eekhout
Published by HarperCollins on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062686070
Pages: 208
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Cog looks like a normal twelve-year-old boy but he is actually a highly advanced robot, programmed to learn and share his knowledge with others. Cog lives with his creator and teacher, a well-meaning engineer named Gina, who unwittingly tells Cog that sometimes we learn by making mistakes. Cog decides to purposefully make mistakes to increase his learning and ends up getting damaged. When Cog wakes after being repaired, he learns that he has been taken away from Gina and locked in a room at the uniMIND Technology Corporation. Uncomfortable with the way he is being treated, Cog decides to escape. Along the way, Cog enlists the help of four more robots: ADA, his newly found sister, Proto, a dog, Trashbot, and Car. The five robots go on a funny and fast-paced adventure to find Gina and escape the evil uniMIND, all the while making a lot of mistakes and learning to work together. A clever and heartwarming science fiction early middle grade novel.

Reviewed by Kathy George, Gray Public Library

five-stars

Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince

Emily Windsnap and the Pirate PrinceEmily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince (Emily Windsnap, #8) by Liz Kessler, Erin Farley
Published by Candlewick Press on March 12th 2019
ISBN: 1536202991
Pages: 288
Goodreads
three-stars

The latest adventure of Emily Windsnap can be found here in book eight . After the cruise ship she and her family and boyfriend are on are overtaken by pirates Emily becomes entangled with the pirates (bad ones and good ones) in an effort to save Aaron. After bonding with the younger son of the Pirate King in their efforts to save Aaron Emily begins to question if she wants to cast aside her mermaid life to join her new pirate friends, especially the Pirate Kings youngest son Sam, or will she find a way to follow her own path and be true to herself.

Reviewed by Melissa Madigan – retired Youth Services Librarian

three-stars

Spin

SpinSpin by Lamar Giles
Published by Scholastic Press on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1338219219
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-stars

This book is about the music and the mystery. Kya and Fuse are the first people to find DJ ParSec after she has been murdered. Both girls had complicated relationships with their friend Paris (DJ ParSec) and now they must find out who killed her to clear themselves. Told through flashbacks and alternating, first-person narratives, readers learn that DJ ParSec is on the brink of making it big, but she has secrets to hide just as Kya and Fuse. Topics such as media bias and racism add thought-provoking content to the mystery. This book will find fans with readers of thrillers and the short chapters make this a good choice for reluctant readers, and the music references also make it a fine choice for music fans. With many references to rap artists like Biggie and Tupac (and even old-school Queen Latifah) this book will create a running playlist in the reader’s head. Edgar Award-winner and founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Lamar Giles, brings to life young, female, Black women in the world of hip-hop. The voices of Kya, Fuse, and Paris need to be on the shelves of all libraries serving young adults.  For Grades 8 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

four-stars

Curse of the Evil Librarian

Curse of the Evil LibrarianCurse of the Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
Published by Candlewick Press on August 13th 2019
ISBN: 0763694274
Pages: 336
Goodreads
four-stars

This is the third installment in the light-hearted, horror with humor Evil Librarian series featuring Cynthia (Cyn) Rothschild, theater set designer and demon-hunter extraordinaire.  It’s senior year and Cyn hopes she can relax and enjoy the auditions and rehearsals for the school’s production of Les Miserables.  All she has to do is support her boyfriend Ryan in his attempt to secure his dream role, or does she?  Nothing is clear cut for snarky, demon attracting Cyn, not even her friendship with the human loving demon Peter.  Cyn and the gang are called down to the demon realm and of course, Mr. Gabriel aka Evil Librarian has, for all “intense” purposes, escapes again.   Readers will want to start with the first book in the series to get the demon backstory.  Fans of the series will want to dive into this sinister and fun third production.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars