Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Witch Born

Pages: 313
four-stars

Alyce’s is hiding in a crawl space while her mother is being burnt as a witch. Her mom gave her a letter and a mission to deliver the letter for her safety.  A witch hunter is trying to track her down. She gets thrown into a mental institution, but escapes.

A young boy finds her and brings her to the Swan Inn to recuperat her health. She  must find the man her mom told her about.THis is when she discovered that it’s not just witches who are being burned, but a whole supernatual war going between the living and the dead.

The prose is well done, “She must have managed to drop off somehow, because the next thing she knew she was surrounded by chattering voives and thumping feet.”

The suspenseful tale would be good for middle school and up.

Reviewed by Jeri Fitzpatrick, GNG Middle School, Gray

four-stars

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

The Field Guide to the North American TeenagerThe Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
Published by Balzer + Bray on January 8th 2019
ISBN: 0062824112
Pages: 372
Goodreads
five-stars

In steps Norris Kaplan straight off the plane into the Austin, TX  air. Not that a boy from Canada would complain much about the heat and humidity that is by the way — not to be found in the land of the North. Norris’s mother got a professorship at the University of Texas and as far as the eye can see  — it Longhorn country!

Norris is cynical and way to smart for his own good. Many times he has been warned about what comes out his mouth and sure as shootin’ the first day of his new high school is well — against him. Norris has a way of cataloguing everyone that he meets as a way to amuse himself. Things do change though when his mother posts a “friendship” flyer on UT’s campus and in walks Liam who helps steer Norris into a better place.

A great guy read. Witty and quite humorous. Each chapter is set up as you would see it in a field guide with  identifying characteristics, habitat, mating habitat, etc. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.

five-stars

Two Can Keep a Secret

Two Can Keep a SecretTwo Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
Published by Delacorte Press on January 8th 2019
ISBN: 1524714720
Pages: 336
Goodreads
four-stars

Twins Ellery and Ezra move in with their grandmother in small-town America when their mother can no longer care for them due to her crippling addictions.  Ellery soon realizes she’s in for an interesting ride when she learns more about the town’s history, including the deaths of several homecoming queens. She starts to wonder who she can trust, especially when she finds herself surprisingly nominated for homecoming court.  No one really knows her, so who would have nominated her?  A thrilling read that’s easy to devour in a few sittings. Recommended for grades 8-12.

Review by Noelle Gallant, Saco Middle School

four-stars

On the Come Up

On the Come UpOn the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Published by Balzer + Bray on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0062498568
Pages: 447
Goodreads
five-stars

Set in the same neighborhood where readers met Starr from The Hate U Give, On the Come Up tells the story of Bri – an aspiring rapper waiting for her chance.  Bri’s father was a rising star when he was fatally shot in a gang-related incident when Bri was a toddler, leaving Bri along with a mother who struggles to make ends meet and a brother who is determined to end up anywhere else but in a gang.  After a rap battle victory in “The Ring,” Bri feels like this is her chance, not only to help her mother pay the bills, but also to make it as the star her father never became.

Angie Thomas masterfully shares Bri’s inner thinking, especially scenes in which Bri brainstorms, crafts, and raps off the cuff, and readers will delight in the audiobook version of this text to hear the lyricality of Bri’s music. On the Come Up is a story of overcoming obstacles, and fighting for what’s right, persevering, with a creative ending that will leave readers turning the page and imagining with Bri.  Recommended for grades 8-12.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Review by Noelle Gallant, Saco Middle School

five-stars

Pay Attention, Carter Jones

Pay Attention, Carter JonesPay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Published by Clarion Books on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0544790855
Pages: 224
Goodreads
three-stars

Carter Jones doesn’t have it easy.  His father is stationed overseas, his younger sisters are on his nerves, and his mom is trying to keep life together despite the tragedies and secrets enveloping the Jones family.  In comes Mr. Bowles-Fitpatrick, the English butler, to pick up the pieces and tie up the loose ends for Carter and his family. The butler establishes his ground rules and sets his expectations, which causes much chagrin at first until Carter, his siblings, and his mom see that Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick is just what they needed to heal.  Pay Attention, Carter Jones is a bit of a Mary Poppins story; the foreign child-minder enters to save the family from itself.  For lovers of Gary D. Schmidt, this book might not hit the same high bar as Orbiting Jupiter or Okay for Now, and many readers might find themselves lost in the long descriptions of rugby – the sport Carter ends up playing and Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick adores.  Recommended for grades 4-6.

Reviewed by Noelle Gallant, Saco Middle School

 

three-stars

The Blood Spell: A Ravenspire Novel

The Blood Spell: A Ravenspire NovelThe Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine
Published by Balzer + Bray on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 0062653016
Pages: 438
Goodreads
five-stars

A dark, romantic fantasy retelling of Cinderella with Blue de la Cour  as the main character. Blue is an alchemist and spends what spare time she has to changing lead into gold. See, Balavata has an orphan population that lives off the streets and Blue wants to help by creating gold via her alchemy. The Kingdom of Balavata made magic illegal after suffering from a Blood Wraith, but now orphans are going missing and strange things are happening.

Prince Kellan has now come home  to start the process of choosing a bride from one of the Head Families of Balavata as required by the laws of his kingdom. Things escalate the tensions between the families and before Kellan knows the one person he never thought of would be the person he needed the most — Blue. Blue and Kellan ,must now work together to find out the answers to the disappearing children and series of murders of his potential brides.

The Blood Spell is the 4th in the Ravenspire series and compliments the previous three titles. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME

 

five-stars

Brightly Burning

Brightly BurningBrightly Burning by Alexa Donne
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on May 1st 2018
ISBN: 1328948935
Pages: 394
Goodreads
five-stars

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne is a dystopian retelling of Jane Eyre.  Stella, an orphan, is living aboard a ship orbiting the earth.  She is desperate to escape the ship for a better life and finds herself aboard a “haunted” ship.  Stella is a strong female lead willing to make unpopular decisions and at times chooses what is best for others rather than herself.  Readers who know Jane Eyre well may be a little disappointed by the predictability but will be surprised with the subtle twists made to the story line.  Characters are well developed and diverse from the quirky medical officer, Hana, to Rori, the AI on the Rochester.  Many characters are orphans resulting from illness, murder, suicide, or accident.  Class division is the major theme of this novel. Ships are divided by class as well as class divisions within some ships.  This manifests itself in water rationing for the lower classes, real meat for the higher classes, clothing, living quarters, technology, medical care, as well as the testing of viruses.  Brightly Burning is dystopian sci-fi for readers who may not have connected with this genre before or who need a safe introduction to the genre. Donne’s worldbuilding is relatable and realistic and readers will enjoy the romance and mystery without spending too much time figuring out the setting.  Readers from 14-18 will enjoy this novel.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton

five-stars

The Adventures of Reddy Fox

four-stars

 

Thornton Burgess wrote many books and newspaper stories for children and is still honored in E. Sandwich, MA where a nature center exist because of his legendary body of work.  Green Brier Nature Center and Jam Kitchen sits on the land owned by Burgess’ aunt when he was a boy.   Like most of his books this is a story about one specific animal, his habits, his home and his friends.  Reddy Fox is a cunning animal who takes more chances than necessary but his adventures make great reading for early readers.  Children between 3 – 8 enjoy these stories.

Some may call this and other Burgess stories out-of-date but children continue to surprise parents and librarians with their appreciation of fun and silly books about animated creatures.  It is true that the language is a little different but readers and listeners continue to comprehend the storyline.   Books by this author are perfect for grandparent/grandchild sharing.    The illustrations are copies of those by Harrison Cady and are therefore rather dark.  This cover illustration makes me think of work by Melissa Sweet.

 

Review by Jan Hamilton, retired librarian

four-stars

Eventown

EventownEventown by Corey Ann Haydu
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on February 12th 2019
ISBN: 0062689800
Pages: 336
Goodreads
four-stars

Twins Naomi and Elodee and their family are moving to a perfect town, Eventown, to help them forget. But once they get there something happens and Elodee realizes forgetting might not be the way for them to heal. The way the twins complete each other was really interesting and the stress that Elodee felt from that was very real. Also Eventown seems perfect at first but once Elodee and the reader begins to see it in a different light, that “perfect” town image begins to disappear. An interesting twist on the losing of a sibling and the way a family copes with it.

Grades: 3 and up, Mary Lehmer, Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME

four-stars

Me and Me

four-stars

Lark is living the dream. She is going to the beach with her boyfriend, Alec, on her birthday. Annabelle, a little girl that Lark babysits for is there with her mom. The dream turns into a nightmare when Annabelle gets caught up in the weeds. Lark and Alec both jump in to save her. Alec gets hurt in the dive and Lark has to decide which one to save.

Chapter one starts with Annabelle being in the hospital in a comma. Alec and Lark try to hang out together, but things are a bit off. The days run from day one to day thirteen. In chapter two, the days run from day one to day thirteen. The days are quite similar, only this time Alec is the one that Lark didn’t save. He is in a comma.

The story continues on in the same fashion wherein one chapter its Annabelle who may be having life support turned off, or it may be Alec.

Each chapter is very vivid, you wonder if Lark is losing her mind because of that one choice of who she really helped.

Lark’s mother died of cancer. She is being raised by her dad. Who suffers a mild heart attack and he’s in the hospital. Lark’s mom wrote her songs and letters for her birthdays, that her dad gives her one every year.

The story has great teenage angst. It’s timely with parkour (Alec is teaching Lark), texting, music Lark’s in a band, and love.

The end has a very interesting twist.

Reviewer: Jeri Fitzpatrick, GNG Middle School, Gray

four-stars