Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Speak

SpeakSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson
on January 15th 2019
ISBN: 0374311250
Pages: 224
Goodreads
five-stars

The twentieth-anniversary edition of this powerful, exquisitely-written novel is not a must-buy if you already have a copy, but if your original copy is wearing out and needs replacement, this is a lovely edition to add to any library. The cover is stunning with an image of a human-shaped tree with black tape over its mouth and there is added content like a new forward by Ashley Ford, a poem by Anderson, and an afterword by Jason Reynolds addressed to his Young Brother. All boys should read this book as should all girls who have been or who might know someone who has been put into a position of powerlessness as should all parents of adolescents who will struggle to navigate the pitfalls of sex and consent and the social dynamics of high school. Melinda, who called the cops at the first party of the year, is shunned by her classmates for her entire freshman year. She falls into silence turning to art to try to reclaim her voice. When Melinda is threatened again she finally finds the courage to speak. Highly recommend for all teen collections.

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

five-stars

Beware the Night

Beware the NightBeware the Night (Beware the Night, #1) by Jessika Fleck
Published by Swoon Reads on March 12th 2019
ISBN: 1250154758
Pages: 320
Goodreads
three-stars

Beware the Night

 

Life is not easy for Veda.  She is with the impoverished Basso group who worship the sun and are at the lowest level, being below the Dogio group.  She has always believed that those who worship the dark and the moon are the evil forces, until she meets Dorian and learns that she may be the Lunalette for whom everyone has been waiting.  Nico has always been her best friend but he is now with the attacking Imperi forces who are at the top.  This book reminded me very much of The Hunger Games with battles, training on weapons, and people being sacrificed.  But even when there were evil plans being made and when Veda’s grandfather, Poppy, had just died Veda’s thoughts were with the Nico and Dorian triangle and the “butterflies” in her stomach as she tried to decide which man was for her.  This book is recommended for grades 7-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

Babysitting Nightmares: The Phantom Hour

Babysitting Nightmares: The Phantom HourBabysitting Nightmares: The Phantom Hour by Kat Shepherd, Rayanne Vieira
Published by Imprint on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1250156998
Pages: 224
Goodreads
three-stars

“The Phantom Hour” is the second book in the Babysitting Nightmares series by Kat Shepherd. Four best friends have already visited the Nightmare Realm and defeated the evil moon queen, but the supernatural still won’t leave them alone. Clio takes a babysitting job at an old house in town and starts being harassed by a ghost! She gets locked in the pantry after checking to make sure it was unlocked, hears mysterious thumps, and sees a picture fly in the air and smash in front of her. Clearly, something is going on!

Clio, Tanya, Maggie, and Rebecca work together to solve the mystery of the menacing ghost and find a way to get rid of it. Reminiscent of the Baby-Sitters’ Club Mystery series, four girls from different backgrounds use friendship, science, and research to defeat the supernatural. Aimed at ages 8 to 11, this book is a recommended purchase if you have a reader who enjoys mysteries, the supernatural, and strong girls.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

three-stars

Sparks

SparksSpark by Sarah Beth Durst
Published by Clarion Books on May 14th 2019
ISBN: 1328973425
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-stars

Preteens living in Alorria are tasked with caring for and bonding with an egg as they wait for the storm beast to hatch.   Within this society it is the young people and their dragon storm beast who control the  beautiful weather.  Readers will learn of political and environmental barriers to the truth as the well-defined characters  face both social injustice and climate change.  Twelve year old Mina is a fascinating youth, although shy Mina is intuitive and strong.   Relationships between students and one special teacher are tight, the characters respect each other and take pride in their own abilities and those of others.

Spark stands up for the somewhat quiet and exposes one girl’s journey to self-awareness.  Young readers will learn from the cast of characters as they enjoy a rollicking good read.  Public and middle school librarians will want to add this new title to their collections.  Gift to strong but quiet readers and fantasy lovers.

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

four-stars

The Weight of the Stars

The Weight of the StarsThe Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum
Published by Imprint on March 19th 2019
ISBN: 1250101638
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

The Weight of the Stars

 

Friendship is everything to the rag-tag group of students who have joined together under the leadership of Ryann.  So, it is no surprise when one of Ryann’s teachers asks her to befriend a new girl, Alexandria, who is prickly and hard to get to know.  When Ryann and her friends come to Alexandria’s house and see her staring at the stars from her roof, there is a series of events that ensue including Ryann being hit in the head and Alexandria falling and breaking her arm.  Ryann learns that watching from the roof is to try to communicate with Alexandria’s mother who is on a space mission that she undertook before she knew she was pregnant with Alexandria.  The girls become friends and then start a relationship.  What impressed me the most with these characters was their kindness towards each other.  They stick up for each other and understand their motivations.  Ryann has a brother who brought home his baby to live with him and Ryann and this is accepted.  Throughout most of the book the brother, James, doesn’t speak but his and Ryann’s love for each other is always there.  This book is recommended for grades 9-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

A Drop of Hope

A Drop of HopeA Drop of Hope by Keith Calabrese
Published by Scholastic Press on February 26th 2019
ISBN: 1338233203
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-stars

The title and the content of this book are just what is needed right now – Hope.   Calabrese offers a suspenseful and fantastically interesting book that is full of good people in a community with a lot of hurt in need of good deeds. This title offer hope, while expressing the wishes and dreams of students and adults.

A wishing well appears to be folklore but becomes the center of the storyline.  The author has weaved several stories into the plot that help to define the primary characters and other residents of Cliffs Donnelly.  Readers become acquainted with three unlikely friends, an astounding teacher, a mysterious deceased grandfather and a very special neighbor.  Each character seems plausible and human, they become instant positive influences on the reader.

The layout is fresh, chapters have several sections with subheadings.  Grade 4-6 readers will find the layout easy to follow and enjoy the peek at content that the headings provide.  This book should find its way to  intermediate school media centers and to public library shelves.

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

four-stars

Right as Rain

Right as RainRight as Rain by Lindsey Stoddard
Published by HarperCollins on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 006265294X
Pages: 304
Goodreads
five-stars

Twelve year-old Rain and her parents move from rural Vermont to an apartment in Washington Heights in New York City. As Rain adjusts to her new life in the city, she is harboring guilt associated with the death of her older brother along with a secret that she can’t share with her parents. Grief is also ripping apart her parents’ marriage. Rain’s father spends his days in bed isolated and depressed while her mother spends long days at work. Rain spends her free time exploring her new neighborhood where she is in the minority as one of the few white residents. When Rain is recruited by the track coach to run on the girls’ relay team, she begins to make friends and feel more at home. Stoddard weaves a lot of issues into the story including themes of grief, friendship, acceptance, family and community. The book eloquently captures the overwhelming feelings related to loss and how people deal with their grief in different ways. At one point the story teeters on the edge of becoming a “white savior” book where the white main character helps save the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood community center from demise, but the book ends up striking the right balance by the end. Give this book to readers who enjoyed Patina by Jason Reynolds and The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish. (Grades 4-6) Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Cathy Potter, Falmouth Middle School

five-stars

The Strangers

The StrangersThe Strangers (Greystone Secrets, #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 0062838377
Pages: 416
Goodreads
four-stars

Siblings Chess, Emma and Finn Greystone live in the suburbs with their mother. Chess is a bit more serious and reserved than his siblings. Emma spends her time solving math problems for fun while young Finn can be a goofball at times. When Emma notices twenty-three “weird things” in one day, she begins to worry that something might be wrong. That same evening,  the Greystones are startled when a news story details the kidnapping of three children in Arizona. The kidnapped children share the same names and ages as Chess, Emma and Finn. After hearing the news of the kidnapping, Mrs. Greystone mysteriously disappears leaving the children with another family in town. Out of concern for their mother’s safety, the Greystone children investigate the strange occurrences and are shocked by what they discover. The narrative switches from Chess, to Emma and Finn giving readers a sense of what each character is thinking and feeling. The blend of mystery, adventure and fantasy will appeal to many Haddix fans. A sense of excitement builds as the characters solve codes to help locate their mother. Margaret Peterson Haddix’s new middle grade series will keep readers guessing right up until the end. If you add The Strangers to your library collection, be prepared to buy the next book in the series when it hits shelves. (Grades 4-7)

Reviewed by Cathy Potter, Falmouth Middle School, Falmouth

four-stars

You Owe Me A Murder

You Owe Me A MurderYou Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on March 5th 2019
ISBN: 1328519023
Pages: 368
Goodreads
four-stars

Kim is stuck on a group trip to London with her ex-boyfriend, Connor, and his new girlfriend. Their flight is delayed and with no friends in the group, Kim’s wait in the airport is interminable. Then along comes Nicki. At first, Nicki is the friend and confidant that Kim needs to get over Connor. Nicki is an independent and ambitious Londoner but she has her own issues with her alcoholic mother. When Nicki jokes that they could help each other out by committing murder, Kim laughs it off. Then the trip has barely begun and Connor is killed. Kim believes she saw Nicki there just before it happened. In fact, Kim begins to see Nicki everywhere and she begins to wonder if Nicki was really joking about committing murder. Not only that, but Kim’s admission that she sometimes lies to make herself more interesting adds even more to this twisty plot. Readers will not know if they can trust Kim’s version of the events. Cook’s fast-paced, suspenseful novel is the YA equivalent of a Patricia Highsmith and Gillian Flynn book. Readers should be advised to settle in with a snack when they start this book because they will be unable to put it down! Recommended for Grades 8 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School 

four-stars

Searching for Stinkodon

Searching for StinkodonJudy Moody and Friends: Searching for Stinkodon by Megan McDonald
Published by Candlewick Press on April 9th 2019
ISBN: 0763699977
Pages: 64
Goodreads
three-stars

The newest title in the Judy Moody & Friends series brings together two beloved things, prehistoric animals and Judy’s younger brother, Stink, who has his own series of books. Titles in this series are aimed at emerging readers. With short chapters, large, clear font, and plenty of colorful illustrations (here done by Erwin Madrid in the style of original illustrator Peter Reynolds). After hearing of other backyard fossil discoveries, Stink is determined to find a Smilodon tooth in his backyard. Judy, worried for her brother’s sanity and the safety of her house as Stink digs more and more holes, decides to help matters by planting a shark tooth in the yard for him to find. Instead, Stink finds a different bone and readers who are paying attention will know that it is the bear claw lost by Stink months before. But Stink has forgotten he lost this bear claw and imagines his face on the cover of “Science Kid” thanks to his “amazing” discovery. The book may leave serious, science sticklers unsatisfied since a Smilodon tooth and a bear claw are not in the same time period, but it is a humorous read and one in which a kid has an idea, executes it, and is rewarded for his effort. Add to collections with other JM&Friends books or to those where Stink is a known and loved character.

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

three-stars