Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Hiding

HidingHiding by Henry Turner
Published by Clarion Books on April 3rd 2018
ISBN: 0544284771
Pages: 272
Goodreads
four-stars

This is the story of a teenage boy who slips into the home of his ex-girlfriend, Laura. The first line of the book, “I’m good at hiding,” is very effective in drawing the reader into this mystery. The narrator is able to observe Laura and her family while hiding in their home. Everything is not as it seemed when Laura dumped him. The family dynamics are a surprise to him. He not only learns about Laura’s difficult relationship with her family, he learns the importance of his relationship with Laura. This thriller will appeal to both middle school boys and girls. Readers will have much to think about after finishing this story. Reviewed by Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

four-stars

American Road Trip

American Road TripAmerican Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on September 18th 2018
ISBN: 1627797416
Pages: 272
Goodreads
three-stars

American Road Trip

 

Teodoro narrates a year in the life of his family from 2008-2009 when his brother, Manny, returns from Iraq with a devastating case of PTSD, his sister, Xochitl, tries to save what is left of her family by giving up her promising musical career to travel cross-country, and Teodoro falls in love and raises his aspirations and his grades in hope of attending the University of Washington.

There was a strong Mexican flavor as meals were described, chilies were grown, and families pulled together at parties, funerals, and farm stands.  One aspect that I didn’t like, though, was that so many people lied to each other, albeit for the greater good.  Xochitl lied to Teodoro over and over about where their trip was headed, no one told their parents about Manny’s suicide note and attempt until the end, and, in order to get Xochitl to perform as the lead act and sign to a recording label, he pretends she is only the opening act.  Somewhat annoying, also, was the way the characters kept repeating the name of the person to whom they were speaking over and over.  This book is recommended for grades 9-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School,

three-stars

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go to School

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go to SchoolTwo Dogs in a Trench Coat Go to School by Julie Falatko
Published by Scholastic Inc. on May 29th 2018
ISBN: 1338189514
Pages: 192
Goodreads
four-stars

This book is written for those who enjoy a realistic situation that uses humor to move the story. It’s a hilarious romp through the mind of a dog, well, two dogs, who go to school. The premise is silly, in the best way. The execution is fun, if you can suspend your need for realism, which most kids can easily do, and it brings up very real issues like bullying and taking responsibility for your work.  Sassy and Waldo are good dogs; after all, no squirrel has ever breached their perimeter, and they love their boy Stewart. But they are concerned that he is coming home from this terrible place called school smelling like anxiety and boredom, so they hatch a plan to infiltrate this evil place to check it out. Waldo has picked up enough English along the way to pose as a new student. Hi-jinks ensue and the two really do end up helping Stewart be more responsible and enjoy school more. The voices of the dogs were spot-on and the message of taking responsibility and seeing things in a different light would make this a wonderful upper-elementary in-class read-aloud or a family read-aloud (Falatko inserts plenty of witty humor for adults in this one). Jack’s black & white illustrations add to the ease of reading and entertainment of the book. Give this to fans of Bad Kitty, Stink, Stick Dog, and Captain Underpants or to strong elementary readers all the way through to middle grade readers who appreciate a laugh and love dogs. More books in the series are on their way in 2019.

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

four-stars

The Season of Styx Malone

The Season of Styx MaloneThe Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
Published by Wendy Lamb Books on October 16th 2018
ISBN: 1524715956
Pages: 304
Goodreads
five-stars

The Season of Styx Malone

 

The season of Styx is summer in Indiana in a book that is set in the present but has a feel of historical fiction.  Styx is a foster child who meets the main character, Caleb, and his brother, Bobby Gene, when he is staying nearby.  Caleb is mesmerized by everything Styx is:  adventurous, smart, and able to strike a deal in what is known as an escalator trade where one starts with a small trade and builds up to what is really wanted, in this case a moped.  Caleb and Bobby Gene have something to trade as they had parlayed their baby sister to their friend, Cory, who loved babies and had a bag of fireworks just waiting to be traded.  (Their baby sister had to be returned, but they kept the fireworks.)

The author, Kekla Magoon, was a Coretta Scott King honor book recipient for this book and it had four starred reviews.  It was excellent from start to finish as readers get inside the characters’ heads and understand their motivations.  The cover art is perfect with the depictions of Styx, Bobby Gene, and Caleb just as described in the text.

This book is aimed at students ages 8-12.

 

It is strongly recommended for Cream of the Crop.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

five-stars

The Right Hook of Devin Velma

The Right Hook of Devin VelmaThe Right Hook of Devin Velma by Jake Burt
on October 2nd 2018
ISBN: 1250168627
Pages: 240
Goodreads
three-stars

The young boy telling the story, Addison, is tall and gets nervous when he has to talk to people, he freezes up and can’t say  anything. His best friend, Devin, is short and super talkative, pretty much the opposite. But the two have been best friends forever, that is until something  happens that changes everything.

Addison is such a great character. Readers will definitely feel badly for him when he freezes up and can’t say anything. But at the same time, the thoughts that he shares with readers about what’s going through his head will totally make them laugh. Then there are the crazy situations these two get into, some are funny, some are dangerous, but the way the two deal with them is quite entertaining. To add to all this you have Devon’s three grandmothers that only help make things funnier- like the triple G that hides her false teeth in things for Addison to find. I would have recommended this for cream but there is one part in the book I felt was out of place and that is when Addison’s mother is talking to another teacher about Addison playing the role of a garbageman, it just didn’t seem right to me and really could have been left out of an otherwise awesome book. Other than that part, an awesome book.

Ages 9 and up, Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME

three-stars

The Problim Children

The Problim ChildrenThe Problim Children by Natalie Lloyd, Júlia Sardà
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on February 6th 2018
ISBN: 0062428209
Pages: 304
Goodreads
three-stars

The Problim Children

 

The seven Problim children were all born on different days of the week and have the special characteristics of those days.  But, their house went “Kaboom” so what are they to do but journey seven miles away to take possession of their grandparents’ house and find out what the hidden secret treasure is by following a series of clues.  Even though the Problims are kind and good and sympathetic the townspeople are not happy to have them.  The youngest Problim, Toot, communicates through a series of farts that each mean something different.  The Problims’ parents are on an archeological study in Andorra and don’t appear until the end.

The parents do finally reenter but the treasure is not found, leading to a sequel to be anticipated.  There is humor and this may appeal to fantasy fans, although there were too many unique farts that were explained in the footnotes and numbered.  It may resonate with fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events, but is not as well done.  The intended audience is ages 8-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

The Perfect Secret

The Perfect SecretThe Perfect Secret (The Perfect Score, #2) by Rob Buyea
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers on October 9th 2018
ISBN: 1524764590
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

The Perfect Secret focuses on a group of seventh grade students trying to discover why two of their teachers (who are related) will no longer speak to each other.  Throughout the book, the students grapple with a multitude of relevant issues as they slowly bring their beloved teachers back together. The novel is engaging and quick paced with each chapter narrated by one of the five students (Gavin, Scott, Natalie, Randi, Trevor).  Some of the topics addressed are bullying, racism, dementia, illegal immigration, secrecy, illiteracy, a missing parent, good sportsmanship, broken family relationships, and middle school romantic relationships. Positive messages fill the pages of this novel (knock down fences by being nice) as well as many positive examples of handling extremely tough situations.  Readers in grades 5-8 will enjoy identifying with these well developed characters whether they are experiencing a similar situation or just love football and gymnastics. Teachers and librarians may be disappointed with the quickly and easily resolved issues as well as the superficial coverage of the topics. Nonetheless, the amount of issues discussed will provide a gateway for students and adults to examine relevant issues.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton

four-stars

Nate the Great and the Wandering Word

Nate the Great and the Wandering WordNate the Great and the Wandering Word by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Andrew Sharmat, Jody Wheeler
Published by Delacorte Press on March 13th 2018
ISBN: 1524765449
Pages: 64
Goodreads
four-stars

Nate the Great and his dog, Sludge, are on a new case involving a missing made-up word. Esmeralda requests Nate’s helps and cheers him on throughout the process. Returning readers will enjoy a new mystery with familiar characters and characteristics (pancakes) while new readers will quickly engage with each quirky character and his/her pets (Rosamond and her cats).  Beginning readers (6-9) will enjoy this chapter book written in short sentences and full of colorful illustrations. Readers will discover the process of solving a mystery and try to keep a step ahead of Nate. Teachers and librarians will not be disappointed with the latest book in the series and may also appreciate the authors incorporating cursive into the adventure through a letter from Nate to his mother.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton

four-stars

You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!

You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino
Published by Scholastic Press on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 0545956242
Pages: 256
Goodreads
five-stars

This book is about a girl named Jilly with a new baby sister, Emma, that is born deaf. Jilly wants to find a way to help and communicate with her so she seeks help from an online young friend that is deaf. What she finds out is that it is easy to say things that are hurtful without meaning to and finding a way to avoid that takes thoughtfulness and a willingness to work at it, including saying you’re sorry.

The chatroom that Jilly meets her friend Derek in was great, it is made up of a bunch of students that love a book series and like to talk about it with each other, almost a book club kind of thing. The stuff they say to each other is honest and sometimes uncomfortable which puts the reader in the position of thinking, “What would I do”? With Jilly’s own family, the remarks they make towards her aunt and other Black people are sometimes racist and often just pushed aside and ignored until Jilly decides that it’s not right. When she finds her voice and stands up to them, it will make you hope you would do the same. This book will definitely make readers look at themselves and how they can support others.

Cream, Grades 4 and up, Mary Lehmer, Freeport Community Library.

five-stars

Al Capone Throws Me a Curve

Al Capone Throws Me a CurveAl Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko
Published by Wendy Lamb Books on May 8th 2018
ISBN: 1101938137
Pages: 240
Goodreads
four-stars

As the fourth in a series, Al Capone Throws Me a Curve seems to have wrapped the story and brought it to a conclusion.  Moose has managed to land a position on the high school baseball team, his father is promoted in the jail and his older sister may be on the verge of a career.   Influenced highly by the famous crime boss this historic fiction will attract those interested in Al Capone and baseball lovers.

Many strong characters will not disappoint but readers are left wondering why Moose’s mother is not fully developed.  End pages contain support materials specific to Capone’s years in the famous San Francisco jail.   His passion for the sport of baseball is documented. Such research enhances the series and puts it a cut above many other current series written for this age group.

Add this to middle and intermediate media centers and to public libraries where the series is collected. Librarians who have not included this series previously should consider doing so.

A Tale from Alcatraz series.

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

four-stars