Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Here Comes Trouble

Here Comes TroubleHere Comes Trouble by Kate Hattemer
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on May 1st 2018
ISBN: 1524718467
Pages: 320
Goodreads
five-stars

Soren Skaar is a master prankster.  His exploits in his Minnesota elementary school are legendary.  Soren is at the top of his game and then the unthinkable happens.  His partner-in-crime and best friend Alex moves away at the same time that Soren’s New York City-slicker cousin Flynn comes to live with Soren’s family for a year.  Completely adrift without Alex, Soren starts the school year in a funk, only made worse when Flynn becomes instantly well-liked and popular. Even Soren’s two-year old tyrant of a brother Ivan loves Flynn.  While video chatting with Alex and reliving past glories, Alex suggests that Soren find a new pranking partner. Soren’s neighbors and classmates, triplet girls, are quickly enlisted and the practical jokes are once again underway.  Mix in hilarious dialogue among the Skaar parents, Ivan the Terrible’s epic outbursts, Soren’s sassy sister Ruth and her min pig Jim Bob and a homicidal rooster named Martha and you have all the makings for a middle grade book full of humor and heart.  Through it all, Soren learns that pranking has its time and place and that sometimes playing it straight can be more rewarding than a roomful of laughs.

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook

five-stars

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair ScareThe Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare (The Princess in Black #6) by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale
Series: Princess in Black
Published by Candlewick Press on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 0763688274
Pages: 96
Goodreads
five-stars

Another entertaining, action-packed offering from the team of Shannon and Dean Hale for your emerging readers, BOY OR GIRL! Princess Magnolia is off to her first Science Fair with her project in hand and, thanks to Goat Avenger, a day off from monster fighting. The other projects at the fair are impressive and well-executed, leaving Magnolia feeling a little rattled at the simplicity of her poster about how a seed grows. Luckily for her (?!), a goo monster has found a home in the project of Tommy Wigtower, a volcano that just won’t blow. Princess Magnolia realizes that when the monster does show itself, the crowd is going to need some help wrangling it, so she quickly ducks under a table, emerging seconds later as her alter-ego the Princess in Black. Princess Sneezewort does the same, appearing as the Princess in Blankets (introduced in book 5 “The Mysterious Playdate”). With some encouragement from the monster-fighting Princess duo, and some help from the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar, the monster is unleashed. Pham’s vibrant, expressive illustrations gleefully capture the exploding, gooey monster and the smash-and-crash action of the attempts to restrain it. Turns out, that monster is just looking for a home and what better place to escort it than the goat pasture? Filled with wonderful strong girls who capably get the job done and exciting action hero lingo, book six in the series does not disappoint. The message that girls excel at science and that there is always room to push yourself to do better next time (Magnolia’s poster becomes a snack for the maw of the goo monster before she can present it and she vows that next year, she will come up with an even better project) at the same time supporting other girls in their success is fantastic (Magnolia cheers the loudest for the winner of the Science Fair and her cleverly-designed project). With the promise of more princess superheroes on the last page, book seven will be eagerly anticipated!

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

five-stars

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Dont’s

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Dont’sBug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Don'ts by E.S. Redmond
Published by Candlewick Press on January 2nd 2018
ISBN: 0763689351
Pages: 80
Goodreads
three-stars

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Don’ts is an early reader drenched in humor.  Over the period of just one day Bug finds himself in many unfortunate situations, some that get him sent to the Principle and others that place him in the time out chair at home.  Redmond describes a young man with attention difficulties who never intends to misbehave yet his impulses lead to negative behaviors. This character is well defined and surely identifiable within any school.

The font is large and the vocabulary is perfect for second and third graders. Certainly the illustrations will resonate with young readers.  Adults may fell however that the teacher and mother are drawn in a very unflattering manner.   This reader takes exception with the identification of spiders and worms as bugs.  In this age of STEM it seems that the scientific identification needs to be correct, even in a fiction book

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

three-stars

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Merci Suárez Changes GearsMerci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Published by Candlewick Press on September 11th 2018
ISBN: 076369049X
Pages: 368
Goodreads
five-stars

Eleven-year-old Merci struggles with changes both at home and at school as she begins sixth grade in this poignant and realistic novel.

Merci’s tight-knit extended Cuban-American family live in South Florida in three houses next to one another, which they affectionately refer to as Las Casitas. Merci’s particularly close to her grandfather, Lolo, who has always listened to her carefully and without judgment, leading her to favor him as her confidant. However, her second year as a full scholarship student at a prestigious private school brings many changes, including persistent needling by mean queen bee Edna, and it coincides with behavior from Lolo that worries Merci, such as a fall from his bicycle, confusing people for one another and wandering off.

Merci’s first-person narrative voice is spot on as she tells her story in short but detail-filled chapters that unfold naturally. Readers will feel the depth of love she has for her family even as she experiences realistic frustration and anger as she bumps up against their high expectations for her and the demands on her time. The juxtaposition of the privilege of most of her classmates compared to Merci’s working class family is nuanced and pervasive and the dynamics between them are true to life. Likewise, her dawning, but at first limited, understanding that there is something medically wrong with Lolo is believable for a kid her age.

Older grade school and middle school students who favor realistic fiction will be a natural audience for this moving and immersive story about Merci, which ends on a note that leaves open the possibility of a sequel.

Reviewed by Brooke Faulkner, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford

five-stars

The Jamie Drake Equation

The Jamie Drake EquationThe Jamie Drake Equation by Christopher Edge
Published by Delacorte Press on June 26th 2018
ISBN: 1524713619
Pages: 192
Goodreads
four-stars

Jamie, his Mom, and little sister are staying with his Grandfather in England while his astronaut Dad is on the International Space Station on a mission to launch a search for alien life. Back on Earth, Jamie is worrying about his Dad and trying to come to terms with the news of his parents’ upcoming divorce. He visits a nearby observatory and meets an astronomer doing her own search for alien lifeforms. He plugs his phone into her laptop and downloads a mysterious app that may or may not be of alien origin. This science fiction book features scientific and mathematical concepts, including an explanation of the Fibonacci Sequence and Fibonacci Spiral. Upper elementary/younger middle school readers will find this entertaining, if brief. The Jamie Drake Equation is a good introduction to science fiction for young people.

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

four-stars

Squirm

SquirmSquirm by Carl Hiaasen
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 0385752970
Pages: 304
Goodreads
five-stars

Carl Hiaasen continues to deliver top-notch environmental thrillers. Billy lives with his mom and sister in, where else?, Florida. His father took off when he was young and his mother moves the family frequently because she wants to always live in close proximity to an active eagle nest. Billy loves eagles too and he also has an affinity for snakes. He discovers that his father is living in Montana and hatches a plan to reconnect. This funny and at times improbable tale will prove popular with middle school students who have enjoyed Hiassen’s earlier books (Hoot, Flush).

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

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

five-stars

Milla Takes Charge

Milla Takes ChargeMilla Takes Charge (Daring Dreamers Club #1) by Erin Soderberg
Published by Random House Disney on June 5th 2018
ISBN: 0736439242
Pages: 224
Goodreads
three-stars

Book one in the Disney Daring Dreamers Club. Milla and her friends are in 5th grade and decide to call their advisory group the Daring Dreamers Club. Their advisor loves Disney princesses and asks Milla and her friends to think about which princess inspires them and journal about it. Milla longs to travel and loves books — and owns a not-so-teacup-sized pig named Chip — so naturally she is drawn to Belle of Beauty and the Beast. Aimed at elementary-aged readers, this series might appeal to Disney princess fans but the overt message that all little girls should aspire to be a Disney princess may turn off some readers.

 

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

three-stars

Where I Live

Where I LiveWhere I Live by Brenda Rufener
Published by HarperTeen on February 27th 2018
ISBN: 0062571095
Pages: 352
Goodreads
four-stars

Ruffener has presented a heart wrenching story of courage and resilience in her first novel.  Readers slowly learn what makes Linden tick and how she survives in her new environment.  The plot goes deeper as the pages turn revealing a variety of issues facing a homeless teen.   This is a book that reveals a social issue that many readers are unable to imagine.   Her need of warmth and comfort goes beyond the lack of a place to sleep, the author exposes hardships of the body and spirit.

There are moments when the story seems to lag but the overall product is very well done.  Readers will learn about a social issue they may never have encounter in high school.    While there is romance within the pages that is not the focus.  One has to ask: how can a girl be so invisible when she is hiding in sight of the entire school and community?  Other issues surround this story line; we see bulling, physical abuse, sexual identity, as well as the use of addictive products within the pages.

Consider for middle school media centers, add to high school shelves and to public library YA collections.

 

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired librarian in Scarborough, Maine

four-stars

Surviving Adam Meade

Surviving Adam MeadeSurviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare
Published by Swoon Reads on August 14th 2018
ISBN: 9781250154378
Pages: 244
Goodreads
three-stars

Claire starts a new high school her senior year because her dad took a job as the new football coach.  She’s forced to leave behind her friends and an ex-boyfriend who she thought she’d be with forever but who dumped her when she moved.  When school starts, she meets Adam, the womanizing quarterback, who she wants nothing to do with, but can’t seem to avoid.  Adam always gets what he wants until he meets Claire, who doesn’t immediately fall at his feet like all the other girls.  While reluctant to believe it, eventually, they realize that they need each other.  While it does feature seniors, it could easily be read by younger teens, as it doesn’t feature any sex or illicit substances.  This book doesn’t bring anything new to the romance genre, but it’s a satisfyingly sweet high school love story.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

three-stars

FUM

FUMFum by Adam Rapp
Published by Candlewick Press on February 23rd 2018
ISBN: 0763667560
Pages: 416
Goodreads
three-stars

“Fee fi fo fum” is the giant’s call to action in Jack and the Beanstalk, and FUM  is what Corinthia is called by her classmates because of her condition, gigantism, which has caused her to grow to seven feet, four and a half inches.  Billy Ball is short and immature for his age.  In alternating chapters we learn of the bullying and horrible things that are said and done to them by classmates, school faculty, and family members.  But Corinthia can foresee terrible events that are about to happen to the community, although no one believes her at first.

This is a very strange book with many events happening and then left with no explanations.  Why did Corinthia’s brother, Channing, leave, where has he been, and why does Corinthia foresee him hanging from the water tower in town?  Were the wolves only in the story to kill and eat Billy’s body?  Why did the tornadoes come and only hit the high school?  Corinthia weighed 287 pounds, but she is said to have broken toilets and chairs because of her weight.  The quality of the writing is excellent but the plot left me confused and angry at the discrimination and bullying.  This book would be read by students in grades 10-12.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars