Format: Chapter Book Fiction

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

The Spaces Between Us

The Spaces Between UsThe Spaces Between Us by Stacia Tolman
Published by Henry Holt & Company on July 23rd 2019
ISBN: 1250174929
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-stars

The Spaces Between Us

 

Serena and Melody Grimshaw have been best friends forever.  This book examines that friendship and, when Melody is murdered in the end, the feeling Serena has that her life is now without meaning.  This book follows the lives of two girls who are starting their senior year in high school and wanting desperately to leave their failing factory town in New York state.  Readers learn about the girls’ family members and the prejudice that has always stung Melody because her family are considered trash.  Along the way there is the Homecoming dance, a stint as a cheerleader, and a trip across country that Serena takes to attempt to save Melody from a horrible boyfriend who has hired her out as a stripper.  Just when it seems that the boyfriend may be finally out of her life she first returns to him and later he follows her from California to Nevada where he strangles her.  As a background to all this drama Serena is studying upward mobility and is interviewing many people along the way in order to fulfill an independent study requirement for a Western Civilization class she had failed.  This is an excellent realistic fiction book that reads very quickly and is recommended for grades 9-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

Comics Will Break Your Heart

Comics Will Break Your HeartComics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks
Published by Roaring Brook Press on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 1626723648
Pages: 340
Goodreads
three-stars

Best known for her graphic novels, this YA novel is Hicks’s first foray into prose and though it is a bit uneven, it is an engaging read. The story is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet retelling  set in rural Canada and steeped in comic-book lore and lingo, which will appeal to readers who geek out at the thought of the newest superhero movie. The warring parties were the two grandfathers of the Kendrick and the Warrick families, co-creators of the Tomorrow Men comics. After a long legal battle, the Warricks now control the franchise, which has brought them fame and fortune and is about to launch a new movie. The Kendricks live in sleepy Sandford and scrape by.  High school junior Mir Kendrick wants out of Sandford and wishes that her grandfather had not lost his legal battle and that her mother had not taken a paltry monetary settlement after the death of her father to walk away from the Tomorrow Men. Handsome bad boy Weldon Warrick has been sent from Los Angeles to Sandford to live with his aunt and uncle while his father pours all of his attention and energy into the upcoming movie. The teens meet in a comic book shop, of course, and Mir saves Weldon from a beating at the hands of some local bullies.  The two feel an attraction and, in awkward teen fashion, wend their way toward one another. The romance is palpable, but only ever manifests in hand-holding and a flirtatious swimming scene thereby making this book suitable for an older middle school audience that enjoys some romance in their realistic fiction. The parents in the book are supportive and sage and unlike the Montagues and Capulets do not forbid the romance, only Weldon’s aunt warns him to stay away from the Kendricks for fear that they will hold him accountable for his grandfather’s actions. This worry is never keenly felt by the reader. In fact, the ending bends all rules of realism to give the reader a sweet, heartwarming ending. Not a must-buy but with some possible name recognition of a favorite graphic novel author, a catchy cover, and a known literary tie-in, this book is sure to circulate.

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

three-stars

How to Make Friends With the Dark

How to Make Friends With the DarkHow to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
Published by Delacorte Press on April 9th 2019
ISBN: 1101934751
Pages: 421
Goodreads
four-stars

Darkness can mean a multitude of things and this title seems to incorporate everything attached to the lack of light.  What appears to be a controlling yet loving bond between mother and daughter is suddenly lost when Tiger’s mother passes away. Complicated by the lack of relatives and a recent fight Tiger is left in a horrible reality and psychological situation.

This book pulls on the heart strings and requires that a box of tissues be on hand. Tiger is a teenager who is living marginally in economic terms yet she knows love.   What society does to her is probably more real than readers will want to believe.   We all need to be aware that mental illness exist all around us and that we need to hold out a hand. Thanks to Glasgow for a revealing look at the child welfare system and the effect it has on our children. Add to high school and public library shelves.  Offer to social workers and physicians who work with depressed teens.

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

four-stars

Pretend She’s Here

Pretend She’s HerePretend She's Here by Luanne Rice
Published by Scholastic Press on February 26th 2019
ISBN: 133829850X
Pages: 337
Goodreads
five-stars

Mega-bestselling author Luanne Rice returns with a ripped-from-the-headlines story of a girl who is kidnapped by her friend's family.Emily Lonergan's best friend died last year.
And Emily hasn't stopped grieving. Lizzie Porter was lively, loud, and fun -- Emily's better half. Emily can't accept that she's gone.
When Lizzie's parents and her sister come back to town to visit, Emily's heartened to see them. The Porters understand her pain. They miss Lizzie desperately, too.
Desperately enough to do something crazy.
Something unthinkable.
Suddenly, Emily's life is hurtling toward a very dark place -- and she's not sure she'll ever be able to return to what she once knew was real.
From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a breathless, unputdownable story of suspense, secrets -- and the strength that love gives us to survive even the most shocking of circumstances.

Pretend She’s Here is a modern thriller which is based on a true story. Rice brings the story to an immediate climax with the kidnapping of Emily by her best friend’s parents. This is a story of loss, love, grief and intimidation. With the exception of Mr. Porter, most of the characters are compelling and on the edge of believable. Although it is hard to image such horror, situations like this do exist and evil actions like those of Mrs. Porter have been seen in our society.

This book will be well received by teens who are interested in relationships and BFF friendships. It also would make an excellent mother daughter or woman’s book group title.   The depth of feelings exhibited makes the read compelling. Compassion and fear dominate the feelings that go beyond expectations.   Add this to middle and high school media centers and to the YA collections in public libraries.

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

five-stars

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana AliThe Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
Published by Scholastic Press on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1338227017
Pages: 336
Goodreads
five-stars

Rukhsana is afraid of the consequences of being a lesbian in an extremely conservative Muslim family. All she wants is to graduate and go to Caltech with her girlfriend, Ariana. The day that her mother catches her kissing Ariana leads to her being taken to Bangladesh and being forced into a marriage that she has no interest in. To be gay in her culture is a sin and in Bangladesh, many have been beaten or even killed.

Khan brings attention to the cultural diversity that many Americanized children of immigrant families deal with, such as arranged marriages and family obligations that their peers don’t understand. Culturally, LGBTQIA and religiously diverse and emotionally intense. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

five-stars