Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Invisible Son

Invisible SonInvisible Son by Kim Johnson
on June 27, 2023
ISBN: 0593482115
Genres: Suspense
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Set in the year 2020, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest, 17-year-old Andre Jackson returns to his grandparent’s house, after a two-month stint in juvenile detention for a crime he didn’t commit, with an ankle monitor and a question hanging over his head–where is his best friend Eric Whitaker? The Whitakers are a white family that lives next door, who adopted Eric and his sister Sierra (who also happens to be Andre’s longtime crush) as well as a Hispanic boy named Luis. While the Whitakers have been instrumental in helping Andre and his family through his incarceration, Andre can’t shake the feeling that there is more to their story that Eric simply “ran away.” This slow-burn thriller tackles gentrification, racism, privilege, the juvenile criminal justice system, and transracial adoption–dropping hard truths into readers’ laps and giving them plenty to chew on. Fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas won’t want to miss this. Highly recommended for grades 9-12.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop. 

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

five-stars

Just Lizzie

Just LizzieJust Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid
on November 14, 2023
ISBN: 0063290294
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Like Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak or Alex Gino’s Melissa, Karen Wilfrid’s Just Lizzie reads like a modern classic and should be considered a touchstone novel for an often misunderstood group – asexual youth. Straddling middle grade and YA, Just Lizzie is the story of a 14 year old girl whose life is rapidly changing after a recent traumatic event. Family, friends, and teachers who she could once talk to are now distant and Lizzie’s resulting loneliness is the emotional core of the novel. Lizzie’s quiet, thoughtful narration and the slow, low stakes plot might not appeal to all middle grade readers, but Lizzie’s internal journey discovering her sexuality could be life changing for readers who need it the most. 

When Lizzie learns that some plants and animals can reproduce by themselves asexually, she digs deeper online and discovers that people can also identify as asexual. “Hasn’t my life always been about what I’m not? Not pretty, not athletic, not interested, not ready – but now here’s this word that tells me that what I am not is actually what I am. Something – I am something” pg 125. Understanding her asexuality brings her joy and peace, but Lizzie is let down by trusted adults who voice many of society’s concerns about asexuality (it’s not real, she’s too young to know, she’s just afraid to let people in, etc.) Despite this, Lizzie finds allies and learns that though she has no desire to partner-up, even solitary beings need companionship and community to grow. 

Karen Wilfrid’s Just Lizzie is beautiful, brave, and a necessary edition to middle grade or YA collections. Nominated for Cream of the Crop. 

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

Plan A

Plan APlan A by Deb Caletti
Published by Labyrinth Road on October 3, 2023
ISBN: 0593485548
Pages: 368
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Plan A” by Deb Caletti is a young adult novel about Ivy, a teen who becomes pregnant through sexual assault and the road trip that she and her boyfriend take out of Texas in order for her to be able to get an abortion. The characters call it their “abortion road trip love story” and it is that, but also showcases the realities for women living in red states with extremely restrictive abortion laws. Ivy and Lorenzo are well-developed characters and readers will empathize with them as they go on their journey. Despite the difficult subject matter, there is a lot of humor that keeps the novel from being too heavy for readers. Recommended for young adult fiction collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Hollowthorn

HollowthornHollowthorn (Ravenfall, #2) by Kalyn Josephson
Published by Penguin Random House on October 17, 2023
ISBN: 0593483626
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Fantasy, Folklore, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Supernatural
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
Josephson’s Hollowthorn picks up where the first book of the middle grade series, Ravenfall, ended. Friends Anna Ballinkay and Colin Pierce are continuing to work on developing and controlling their magical powers after narrowly defeating the King of the Dead on Samhain. Hollowthorn follows Anna, her father Henry, Henry’s friend Salem, and Colin as they go on a journey through the Otherworld to stop the Jewish Lord of the Demons, Ashmedai, from absorbing the Tree of Life’s magical energy. Whereas Ravenfall featured Celtic mythology, Hollowthorn features the lesser known mythoi of Jewish mythology. Although Hollowthorn’s pace is quicker than Ravenfall’s, Josephson still manages to create an intriguing expansion of the series’ magical world using detailed descriptions of the characters’ experiences and creatures in the Otherworld.

With a twist that will have readers questioning the definitions of good and evil, Hollowthorn is a solid second book in the Ravenfall series. Middle grade readers who enjoy books featuring Greek and Norse mythology may also be intrigued by the varied myths and adventure found in the Ravenfall series.

Reviewed by Sarah Hartje, Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston

four-stars

All the Small Wonderful Things

All the Small Wonderful ThingsAll the Small Wonderful Things by Kate Foster
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536225800
Genres: Animals, Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
In the middle grade novel All the Small Wonderful Things, Alex, an eleven year old living with autism, is sure that the way to become friends with the most popular kid at his school, and avoid future bullying, is to prove his worth by winning an award. Alex decides the best way to achieve his goal is to enter his dog Kevin in Australia’s best dog show, P.A.W.S. The novel follows Alex’s joys and struggles as he trains Kevin and hopes to make a true friend before the next school year.

Like most kids who are transitioning from elementary to middle school, Alex faces the familiar stresses of fitting in at school, developing friendships, and wanting to truly be understood. By experiencing the story first person through Alex, readers will be able to gain insight into how people with autism may interpret stimuli and make interpersonal connections. Neurotypical readers can feel empathy for Alex that may encourage social emotional connections with children whose neurodivergent experiences differ from their own. While everyone’s experience with neurodivergence will vary, readers with autism may be able to identify with Alex and the positive disability representation provided in the story.

All the Small Wonderful Things will appeal to elementary and middle grade readers who are interested in feel good stories with happy endings, friendship stories, and animal lovers.

Reviewed by Sarah Hartje, Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston

five-stars

The Girl From Earth’s End

The Girl From Earth’s EndThe Girl from Earth's End by Tara Dairman
Published by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 1536224804
Pages: 384
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Twelve years ago, the Orange Boat brought an unexpected delivery to Earth’s End, a forgotten corner of the Gardenia Isles archipelago. Neither of Henna’s papas expected to receive a baby in the mail. Henna loves everything about her life gardening with Papa Niall and Joaquim until Papa Niall’s resurgence of a terminal illness. Determined to save him, Henna embarks on a secret mission at St. Basil’s Conservatory, an elite horticulture boarding school where she hopes to find and steal  a heavily guarded nightwalker seed, a plant rumored to produce a miracle healing elixir.

Dairman builds a fantastical setting. P, Henna’s genderfluid friend, provides a comic element. Their roommate, Lora, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, enables the story to provide an awareness of barriers for physically challenged people. Care is taken to affirm all the multi-dimensional characters without being moralistic, concluding with a pragmatic, bittersweet ending. I would be remiss if I did not comment about the beauty of the book jacket and the floral pattern that edges the corners of each page. Recommended for grades 4-6, especially for anyone who enjoys gardening. Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

five-stars

Frankie and Friends: Breaking News

Frankie and Friends: Breaking NewsFrankie and Friends: Breaking News by Alea Marley, Christine Platt
on October 10, 2023
ISBN: 1536237949
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Early Reader
Goodreads
four-stars
This beginner chapter book series introduces us to Frankie, an aspiring newswoman who wants to be just like her journalist mama. Breaking News starts when Frankie’s mother, Franklynn, must leave their family game night to report on breaking news – something she frequently has to do. Everyone in the family understands the importance of mama Franklynn’s work, but her presence is always missed. With the help of Frankie’s friends (her dolls, a stuffed teddy bear, and her cat named Nina Simone) she uses everything her mama has taught her about journalism to cover a developing story.

Though the emotional core of the story is simple (we all miss our mamas sometimes), Breaking News organically explains complicated topics in media such as how to create a news story, how to maintain journalistic integrity, and why “hard news” can sometimes be inappropriate for younger kids. The vocabulary will be advanced for the target audience, but keywords are capitalized and elaborated upon in a glossary. The text is also paired with colorful, incredibly charming and emotive illustrations that help tell the story. The Frankie and Friends series might have niche appeal, but it’s perfect for kids interested in journalism, families who need help explaining jobs that require travel, and newly independent readers who aren’t afraid of big words, big concepts, and a longer story. Consider Frankie and Friends: Breaking News when purchasing books for transitional readers!

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars

Sinner’s Isle

Sinner’s IsleSinner's Isle by Angela Montoya
on October 31, 2023
ISBN: 059364333X
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
two-stars
A mysterious isle, a powerful witch, and a clever pirate.  These are the ingredients that make up this romantic fantasy.  Women gifted with powers by the goddess Xiomara, known as majestics, are labeled evil by the church and are exiled to Sinner’s Isle.  Once the women come of age, they are subjected to a bonding ritual in which they are linked with a nobleman of the kingdom and become controlled by them.  Rosalind, the most powerfully gifted amongst them, is expected to bond with the young newly crowned king.  Her domineering mistress, Doña Lucía, has other plans.  Trying to take her freewill back, while also stopping an unjust system, she and her best friend attempt to escape.  In a twist of fate (or magic), Mariano, the son of the most notorious pirate of the kingdom washes up on the isle.  Mariano’s mother was killed by a majestic, and wants nothing more than to get off the isle.  When he meets Rosa, an immediate love connection known as a “heartsong” pulls them together and he becomes determined to escape by her side.  

All the ingredients of this novel suggest an epic romantic adventure: magic, pirates, princes, kings, good versus evil.  The two “lovers” only have a few scenes together.  The novel remains set on the isle for the entire book, even with the idea of piracy being quickly introduced.  The reader must experience Rosa’s inability to have any control over her own fate and constantly being viewed as an object of men’s longing and desires (possibly the author’s reaction to political issues, as she alludes to in her author’s note).  The idea of a heartsong makes one think of the imprinting phenomenon portrayed in the Twilight novels or mating bond in A Court of Thorns and Roses.  One must question if that is actual love. This novel may provide adolescent readers with unhealthy models of relationships.

The book is appropriate for ages 14 to 18.  The intended audience is those who enjoy fantastical or supernatural romances.  Mostly Latino and many LGBTQ+ characters make up the cast.

Reviewed by Heidi Kopishke, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME.

two-stars

Slugfest

SlugfestSlugfest by Gordon Korman
ISBN: 0063238098
Genres: Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
“Slugfest” is a middle grade novel by Gordon Korman. Main character, Yash, is stuck going to summer school for physical education (“Slugfest”) even though he is great at sports due to one missing PE credit. Ugh. He meets several other kids at Slugfest and form an unlikely band of friends (from different cliques). The characters are well-written and feel like real middle schoolers. A familiar underdog-style sports story with a lot of heart and humor, the group of friends become a team by the end. Written for ages 8 to 12, this is a recommended purchase where humorous middle grade fiction is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

A Study in Drowning

A Study in DrowningA Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Published by HarperTeen on September 19, 2023
ISBN: 0063211505
Pages: 378
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Magical Realism
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Ava Reid’s YA debut is an atmospheric, dreamy fantasy that dances the line between what is real and what is believed to be real.

Effy Sayre is one of the highest scoring students ever to enter the Llyrian University, but, as a woman, she is not allowed to study literature, so she ends up in the Architecture college instead. Lonely and unhappy, she seeks solace in her well-worn pages of Angharad, Emrys Myrddin’s epic masterpiece about the love between a mortal girl and the bewitching – but malicious – fairy king. When Myrddin dies, a contest is announced to redesign his estate. A contest which Effy, a first-year architecture student, inexplicably wins. She travels far south, to the most distant reaches of the land, where she finds herself isolated by geography, superstition, and land-swallowing storms. Her host is the son of Myrddin, and it is clear he is harboring a dark secret. Effy’s only ally is a fellow student from the university, there with his own secret mission, of proving Myrddin a fraud. Together they peel back layer upon layer of the mystery behind Angharad, and, in turn, Effy herself, who it turns out had her own brush with the Fairy King as a child, and has been stalked by him ever since.

Drowning is in turns creepy, desolate, disturbing, deeply magical, and fascinating. Two threads to be aware of: there is an oft-referred to incident of abuse at the hands of a professor that happened just before the beginning of the story. Also, Effy’s mother believes she is mentally unstable and forces her to take meds to control her visions and anxieties – both of which she ultimately discovers to be real, and the result of her lifelong entanglement with the Fairy King.

Perfect for fans of fantasy that draws on dark magical themes while having one foot in a recognizable world, such as Melissa Albert’s Hazel Wood. A great addition to library shelves.

5 stars

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars