Format: Chapter Book Fiction

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

Chadwick’s Epic Revenge

Chadwick’s Epic RevengeChadwick's Epic Revenge by Lisa Doan, Natalie Andrewson
Published by Roaring Brook Press on June 26th 2018
ISBN: 125015409X
Pages: 288
Goodreads
three-stars

6th-grader Chadwick is hoping for an awesome final year of elementary school. He just needs to survive pranks played by his archnemesis Terry and try to get beautiful Jana to notice him. Chadwick spends the summer before 6th grade “creeping and lurking” trying to work his way into Jana’s circle which felt a little uncomfortable compared to the more overt pranks Terry pulled on Chadwick. As Chadwick plans his (epic) revenge on Terry, he starts to realize that he might not be the totally innocent victim and Terry might not be the totally evil bully after all.

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

three-stars

Snazzy Cat Capers

Snazzy Cat CapersSnazzy Cat Capers by Deanna Kent, Neil Hooson
Published by Imprint on September 18th 2018
ISBN: 1250143438
Pages: 224
Goodreads
four-stars

Ophelia von Hairball V takes pride in being the best cat burglar in the world. She fancies herself a feline James Bond. She works for the Furry Feline Burglary Institute (FFBI) and keeps sending back the inventors they send to work with her. When Oscar Fishgerald Gold (a goldfish of course) shows up and claims to be her partner, she has to try to ditch Oscar, avoid the Central Canine Intelligence Agency (CCIA), win the FFBI’s 5th annual “Purr-fect Heist Competition,” and avoid the sabotage attempts of her cousin Pierre von Rascal of Thievesylvania. Filled with fun illustrations and Ophelia’s aphorisms (“There will be times in life that aren’t fun. Try not to have too many of those.”), this will be a fun book for fans of humorous adventures and perhaps a next step for graphic novel readers.

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

four-stars

The Collector

two-stars

If your Tween readers are looking for horror, they will be drawn to the nightmarish doll’s face on the cover of The Collector. The story begins with Josie, her mother, and sister moving in with Josie’s grandmother in the country just before the start of school. It is hard enough to make new friends at a new school, but when Josie and her sister start hearing voices calling from the woods life becomes even more stressful. Are the voices coming from the forbidden house in the woods? Who is this mysterious Beryl her grandmother is afraid of? And why can’t they keep their windows open?  A little creepy, but not violent, this book is filled with a lot of horror tropes, but this might work well for readers who are just entering the world of horror.

Recommended for grades 5 through 8.

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

two-stars

The Tomb

The TombThe Tomb by S.A. Bodeen
on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 1250055555
Pages: 256
Goodreads
three-stars

What if the world you knew was just a mirage? Kiva thought she was growing up in ancient Egypt, but really she has been asleep in deep space on a ship that houses some of the remaining humans. The Earth was hit by a meteorite that led to an impact winter causing humans to flee to space. Now that Kiva is awake, she must grapple with her new reality and help Seth find a much-needed part to their ship. When they encounter other survivors, they begin to realize that “stranger danger” is applicable in space as it is on Earth. This middle-grade sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, survival novel also manages to weave in a little romance. The action will keep the readers engaged in the story, even if the characters feel a little flat. Although this is not Bodeen best book, her fans will want to read it and the cliffhanger ending will bring readers back for the sequel.

Recommended for grades 6 through 9.

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

three-stars

The Vanishing Stair

The Vanishing StairThe Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious, #2) by Maureen Johnson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on January 22nd 2019
ISBN: 0062338080
Pages: 384
Goodreads
five-stars

The story begins with a cozy fire in a common room at Ellingham Academy in 1936, the year of the Truly Devious kidnappings. The next chapter transports readers to the present day where, after making a deal with the devil, Stevie’s parents have agreed to let her return to Ellingham Academy after last year’s murder. Stevie returns with even more resolve to solve the murder of her housemate and the Truly Devious kidnappings. Like an Agatha Christie novel, this mystery contains a cast of characters (from the past and present) with secrets to hide. This second book in the series does not disappoint. Johnson expertly reveals just enough answers to satisfy readers, but she also leaves them with burning questions. Where is Alice? How many more people will have to die before the mystery is solved? Will readers be able to wait for the next book for the answers to these questions?

Recommended for Grades 8 and up.

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

five-stars