Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Where the Heart Is

Where the Heart IsWhere the Heart Is by Jo Knowles
Published by Candlewick Press on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 1536200034
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-stars

Reminiscent of a Judy Blume novel (the ones for older middle grade readers), this book feels like you’re looking into the life of a friend who is struggling but doesn’t know how to talk about it.  It is intimate and honest, inspiring and raw. Thirteen-year-old Rachel is on the cusp of leaving her childhood behind, from getting a job to exploring her sexuality to coping with major financial hardship in her family, she is dealing with so many emotions and thoughts. Knowles deftly handles the awkward, challenging time of adolescence when things seem to change, when friendships threaten to shift and things that didn’t matter before, matter now (a one-piece bathing suit vs. a bikini, for example).  And when the reality of your home life becomes something you have to “handle” with some measure of maturity. With searing honesty and wry humor (sister Ivy is a hoot), the story covers one life-altering summer when Rachel struggles to define the definition of home.  Recommend to readers of The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin or Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt. Follow up titles if a reader likes this one: It’s Not the End of the World, Tiger Eyes, or Blubber by Judy Blume.

Recommended for grades 6-9

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

four-stars

A Long Line of Cakes

A Long Line of CakesA Long Line of Cakes by Deborah Wiles
Published by Scholastic Press on August 28th 2018
ISBN: 1338150499
Pages: 288
Goodreads
four-stars

Gr 4–6—The Cakes are a family of itinerant bakers. They move from place to place  and 11 year old Emma Alabama Lane Cake doesn’t like it. She is tired of making friends only to have to leave them behind when her father decides it’s time to move to the next town he feels needs their baking services.

This time though Emma feels that there’s something special about this town.

Even though she longs for a new friend she’s just not sure she’s up to it.

However, Ruby Lavender  of  Halleluia, MS  has other ideas.

Readers do not need to have read any of the other “Aurora County” novels to follow this novel about belonging.

Reviewed by Melissa Madigan retired Youth Services Librarian

four-stars

Tales From the Inner City

Tales From the Inner CityTales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 1338298402
Pages: 221
Goodreads
four-stars

In these twenty-five fantastical tales, Tan explores the relationships between animals and humans. Some of the chapters are whimsical, such as the crocodiles who live on the eighty-seventh floor, some are insightful (bears) and some of the chapters will pull on your heartstrings (dogs). Either way, the readers will be flipping the pages to get to Tan’s artwork.  Each double-page painting is created in Tan’s signature style of bold graphics and dramatic colors. After experiencing the stories and art in this book, readers will think about their relationships with animals more deeply and never look at them the same way again.

For Grades 7and up

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

four-stars

Freya and Zoose

Freya and ZooseFreya & Zoose by Emily Butler, Jennifer Thermes
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1524717711
Pages: 208
Goodreads
four-stars

This adventure chapter book, most suitable for readers in grades 3-6, features a solitary, educated Rockhopper penguin named Freya and a sarcastic, yet scientific mouse named Zoose who stowaway on a hot-air balloon headed for the Arctic.   They learn to work together as they observe the three men, based on the real, but tragic Salomon August Andree hydrogen balloon attempt to the North Pole in 1897, struggle with the floating ice conditions.  Freya loves poetry and uses a special travel book as her standard for behavior, while overconfident Zoose is afraid of death but puts his eavesdropping and sewing skills to good use.   The pair survives sinking sleds, a bear attack and some shifty local animal characters.  Sadly, Freya and Zoose must watch the three humans succumb to death one by one.    Thermes ink draws are scattered throughout the story illustrating the whimsical stories and dreams that Freya and Zoose develop.  Butler provides the historical context to the adventure in the back which will have some seeking out all the interesting details to hot-air balloon flight and the perils it presented.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

Stick Dog Gets the Tacos

Stick Dog Gets the TacosStick Dog Gets the Tacos by Tom Watson
Published by HarperCollins on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 006268518X
Pages: 224
Goodreads
three-stars

Stick Dog and his group of literal minded canines are searching for food again in this ninth episode of the series for readers in grades 3-5.  Karen is her usual distracted, short-legged self and comes to tell Stick Dog, over the course of two chapters, that she saw some humans hitting a dog.  While investigating, Stick Dog uncovers that the animal is a piñata, the birdies being hit are from badminton and green goopy stuff is guacamole.  Although Stick Dog knows that guacamole isn’t made from green birds, he doesn’t correct the other dogs, just keeps them focused on getting food while the human family involved is not looking.  The dogs decide guacamole tastes good. After Poo-poo the culinary expert in his own eyes educates the group on textures vs flavors, Stick Dog shows them how to flip a chip with the dip into their mouths and then they are set to try the tacos and enjoy the piñata contents.  The layout is the same as the others in the series.  Large font presented on lined paper with 5-6 page chapters and Watson’s line drawings liberally placed to increase the humor value.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

three-stars

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is a Classic

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is a ClassicCilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic by Susan Tan, Dana Wulfekotte
Published by Roaring Brook Press on March 27th 2018
ISBN: 1626725535
Pages: 272
Goodreads
four-stars

Cilla Lee-Jenkins:  This Book is a Classic is the second book following the exploits of Cilla.  Cilla is a third grader from a biracial family who is an aspiring writer.  Cilla’s Auntie Eva is getting married, so she tries to make herself more Chinese in time for the wedding.  Cilla has other problems to deal with besides the wedding with learning how to be a good big sister, deciding what to do about her best friend also being friends with someone else, and liking animals despite Chinese people not liking animals (she thinks).  Readers will learn about Chinese customs and traditions along with some vocabulary in a fun interesting manner presented by Cilla. Cilla’s observant, curious nature provides a third grader’s look at the struggle of blending families/traditions/cultures, jealousy in friendships, and change.  The novel is interspersed with pencil sketches which bring an increased understanding to the situation on the pages. Readers from ages 7-10 who have a new younger sibling, are biracial, or who are aspiring authors may relate to Cilla and enjoy this book. Parents and teachers may find this a fun read aloud providing multiple opportunities to discuss family dynamics, being a good friend, stereotypes, and even literary devices.  Cilla is a positive role model with good morals who realizes that some changes can be nice.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School Department, Easton

four-stars

Courting Darkness

Courting DarknessCourting Darkness (Courting Darkness Duology, #1) by Robin LaFevers
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0544991192
Pages: 498
Goodreads
five-stars

This dark and lusty tale set in 1489 begins where the His Fair Assassins series ends with the same sharply drawn characters, passionate decisions and political betrayals that made the series popular with historical fiction fans.  Told in first person in alternating episodic chapters, Sybella and Genevieve are both trained assassins from the convent of Mortain, the god of Death, with different roles and gifts.  Sybella and her lover, Beast of Waroch, protect the Duchess of Brittany as she travels to France to marry King Charles in order to bring peace to the nations.  Sybella has the added burden of protecting herself and her two younger sisters from Pierre d’Albret, her dangerous brother, while trying to locate an ally in the French court whom she has never met.  Genevieve has been in deep undercover in the French court for so long without a message or instruction from the convent that she takes matters in her own hands for developing her gifts and finding her way to stay faithful to Mortain.  Poisons, sword fights, knives, arrows and the evil intentions of those hungry for power pulsate throughout this historical based romance.  Not recommending for cream of the crop due to this being a spin-off of the His Fair Assassins series and reading that series will enrich and explain many complicated plot threads and identities.  Due to the complex historical situations and the passionate love making, suggest for mature High School readers or new adult readers.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

five-stars

The Train to Impossible Places

three-stars

The Train to Impossible Places is being planned as the first book in a trilogy. It’s geared for middle school, and full of fun.

The Impossible Postal Express is run by trolls and starts out at Suzy’s house in the middle of the night. The adventures begin… the train takes you to  ocean-bottom shipwrecks, to Trollville, and into space.

Suzy  sneaking on board, but Suzy  finds that she is now the Deputy Post Master . She’s in charge of deliveries, and there is an evil woman who will try to stop her, Lady Crepuscula.

The package containing a talkig snowglobe tries to get  Suzy not to deliver him.  Frederick the boy trapped in the snowglobe knows about the evil  Crepuscula, and her plans  to take over the entire Union of Impossible Places. Now Suzi has to decide to protect Frederick or  her friends.

The story is a bit Harry Potterish with some similar magic, and references to England.

Reviewed by Jeri Fitzpatrick, GNG Middle School, Gray

 

three-stars

Voyage of the Dogs

Voyage of the DogsVoyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout
Published by HarperCollins on September 4th 2018
ISBN: 0062686003
Pages: 224
Goodreads
four-stars

Lopside is a good boy! When he wakes up from hibernation, he and his pack quickly realize that the humans have abandoned their spaceship Laika. The “Barkonauts” quickly swing into action assessing the damage that led to the evacuation and getting a message back to Earth. They work hard to fulfill their mission of traveling to a distant planet. It will take all their wits and loyalty just to survive. This will be a big hit with dog lovers and maybe way to introduce science fiction to those that only read animal stories.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

four-stars

Mostly the Honest Truth

Mostly the Honest TruthMostly the Honest Truth by Jody J. Little
Published by HarperCollins on March 12th 2019
ISBN: 0062852493
Pages: 272
Goodreads
four-stars

Jane and her Pop are like a matched pair of socks — it’s always just been the two of them. Except for the times when Jane has to live with a foster family while Pop goes to rehab. This time feels different though — Officer D takes Jane and her injured hand home with her. Officer D lives in Three Boulders, a communal living community where everyone eats together and lives in cabins presided over by 91-year-old Old Red. Will Jane and her Pop be reunited? What are the secrets of Three Boulders? A wonderful tale of redemption and resilience — and knowing when to ask for help.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

four-stars