Format: Chapter Book Fiction

A Bit of Earth

A Bit of EarthA Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi
Published by Greenwillow Books on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 0063098660
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

In this contemporary retelling of The Secret Garden, Maria finds herself moving from house to house after the death of her parents. She finally lands on Long Island, far away from Bangladesh where she was born. Prickly all her life, Maria is cautious and distant, not wanting to become too attached before being inevitably sent away again. Things start to change for Maria when she feels drawn to a neglected garden and works to restore it with the help of some neighborhood children. Maria doesn’t realize that she is breaking her own rules by letting herself get close to others, becoming friends with her neighbors and a role model for the people she is living with. This middle grade novel is mostly prose, but readers will enjoy the many chapters that start with a segment of novel in verse. Maria, despite being guarded, is fiercely independent and is a character readers will cheer for. She hangs onto her Muslim roots and Bangladeshi/Pakistani culture which are present throughout the book, and shows readers the importance of having a safe space to plant roots to grow and bloom.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars

Friday I’m in Love

Friday I’m in LoveFriday I'm in Love by Camryn Garrett
Published by Alfred A. Knopf on January 10, 2023
ISBN: 0593435109
Pages: 269
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Instead of a Sweet Sixteen party like her best friend Naomi had, Mahalia wants to throw a coming out party – a chance to tell the whole world at once that she’s queer, proud, and, oh, by the way, is really into the Siobhan, the new girl at school. The problem is, she has to save enough money from her part time job in addition to helping her single mom with bills. Also, well – her mom doesn’t exactly know she’s gay.

Mahalia is a realistic teenager with family responsibilities, financial insecurity, best friend complications, and a desire to be seen and liked for who she is. She deals with discrimination at school, where she is one of the few Black kids, and in her mom’s homophobic church community. In fact, the coming-out conversation with her mother, when she finally has it, is a hard one. Her mother isn’t terrible, exactly – but she’s very clearly distressed and unhappy, leaving Mahalia upset and feeling very alone.

But – this is a rom-com, and eventually, the girl gets the girl, mom is accepting, and things end in a fun and satisfactory way. Teens will enjoy Mahalia’s relatable shortcomings and self-doubts, while rooting for her to succeed. A good addition to shelves, particularly if you are trying to build up inclusivity in your collection. Also, the cover is beautiful and very eye-catching!

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

five-stars

Imposter Syndrome and other Confessions of Alejandra Kim

Imposter Syndrome and other Confessions of Alejandra KimImposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on 02/21/2023
ISBN: 0593563379
Pages: 295
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Alejandra Kim isn’t sure who she is or where she fits in. She is the daughter of Korean Argentinian immigrants, with a Latina first name and a Korean last name and face. She’s a poor kid from Queens with a New York attitude whose father has just died, and a highly intelligent scholarship student at a super exclusive prep school in Manhattan. Things are tense at home with her mom, and all she wants to do is keep her head down and graduate, and move on to attend an elite, quintessential New England liberal arts college far away in Maine. But after a microaggression from a teacher at school, and an eye opening elective class she takes, Ale must decide once and for all who she really is and what she wants to stand for. Ale is a thoroughly entertaining character and this book is a fun read despite the serious topics addressed such as self esteem, code switching, passing, privilege, and inclusivity. The book also delves into the psychological ramifications that immigrants often face after leaving their home countries and cultures. A must have for every YA shelf.

Recommended for grades 8-12.
Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Lee Remick, York Middle School, York

five-stars

Leeva at Last

Leeva at LastLeeva At Last by Sara Pennypacker, Matthew Cordell
Published by Balzer + Bray on March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780063114425
Genres: Humor, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Pennypacker brings her signature Clementine wit to the story of Leeva, a winsome child of two terrible, selfish parents. Readers will immediately be put in mind of Roald Dahl’s Matilda and Lois Lowry’s Willoughbys, but while this book reflects the dreadful parents and enterprising, intelligent children in both stories, Leeva’s tale is all her own. Her parents, in the roles of Town Mayor and Town Treasurer, respectively, have overtaxed the residents and embezzled the revenue. Everyone in town hates them and when Leeva, long kept indoors as a sort of servant, ventures outside, she is afraid they will hate her by extension. However, she makes many friends and eventually figures out a plan to return all the money, send her parents packing off into the sunset, and have a happy ending.

The humor, quirky characters, short chapters, engaging writing and well-known author combine to make this an easy book to put in patron hands. Charming black and white illustrations by Matthew Cordell appear throughout the book and add a playfulness reminiscent of Norton Juster.

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

five-stars

Different for Boys

Different for BoysDifferent for Boys by Patrick Ness, Tea Bendix
Published by Walker Books US on March 14, 2023
Pages: 104
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Patrick Ness’ “Different For Boys” is short, but it manages to hit its points hard and leave you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading. Anthony Stevenson, “Ant,” has been sexually exploring with his male classmate Charlie, but they’re not gay, right? When Charlie and Ant are paired together in class with Jack, a gay classmate. This forces Ant to examine his relationship with Charlie and do some heavy introspection. A book that manages to express the angst and confusion of high school boys navigating relationships, with limited (and often stylistically censored) text and scratchy pencil and line art, “Different For Boys” is not to be missed. A must-buy for young adult collections everywhere.

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

five-stars

The Black Queen

The Black QueenThe Black Queen by Jumata Emill
on January 31, 2023
ISBN: 0593568540
Genres: Mystery, Suspense
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

High school senior Nova is her high school’s first Black Homecoming Queen, and her polarizing coronation quickly becomes a tragedy when she is found murdered after the Homecoming dance. The top suspect is Tinsley McArthur, a popular white student who has made no secret of her resentment of Nova. Can Duchess, Nova’s best friend, prove Tinsley did it? Tinsley is adamant that while being guilty of terrible behavior, she is innocent of murder. What if she’s telling the truth?

Told in the alternating points of view of Duchess and Tinsley, the twists and turns in The Black Queen make it super readable and hard to put down. The story is tight and fair to its characters and it works well that we get to know Nova a bit before she is killed. It manages to incorporate a surprising number of racial, sexual, and social issues. The one drawback is the dialog sometimes feels forced and unnatural. Suggest it to fans of Riverdale or contemporary thrillers or mysteries.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Eb & Flow

Eb & FlowEb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
ISBN: 0593429133
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Eb (short for Ebony) and Flow (nickname for De’Kari) find themselves suspended for 10 days after an altercation in the cafeteria. Eb accidentally tripped (she says) over Flow’s new sneakers and scuffed them. Flow did not react well and when Eb’s friends egged her on to pretend to spill bar-b-q sauce on Flow’s sneakers, things quickly de-escalated when she accidentally (she says) spilled the sauce on his sneakers. He reacted and shoved (not hit) her (he says) and she may have shoved him back. This novel-in-verse takes place during the 10-day suspension in a series of back-and-forth poems in the voices of Eb and Flow. Interestingly, the reader learns that Eb and Flow have a lot more in common than they realize – including the fact that both have absent fathers and that their families are worried that they are both very close to expulsion and possibly derailing their future plans. The last day of suspension is an In-School-Suspension where Eb & Flow are given an opportunity for reflection. An authentic middle grade story of family, school, and the challenges kids face from peer-pressure to viral videos to absent parents.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

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

five-stars

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the BlameLoki: A Bad God's Guide to Taking the Blame by Louie Stowell
Published by Walker Books US on May 9, 2023
Pages: 288
Genres: Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Volume 2 in the hilarious adventures of the trickster God Loki’s time in Midgard (where humans live) learning how to live as a middle school student. He is being punished by Odin for cruel tricks he played on the Goddess Sif. Along with “twin brother” Thor, “mother” Hyrrokkin, and “father” Heimdall they must learn to join forces as a family to defeat the evil Frost Giants. Will Loki be able to put his selfish ways aside and help his friends and pretend family when he needs to? Includes delightful illustrations and funny dialogue between Loki and his diary.

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

four-stars

Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark’s Jews Escape the Nazis

Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark’s Jews Escape the NazisHarboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark's Jews Escape the Nazis by Susan Hood
on March 21, 2023
ISBN: 0063214482
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry, Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

While not quite as action-packed as Lifeboat 12 or Alias Anna, this is another historical story of an unsung hero facing off against the evils of Hitler and the Nazis. Henny Sinding – just 22 years old – couldn’t sit by and watch Germany invade her beloved Denmark. She helped over 300 Jewish people escape Denmark by hiding them in the hold of her boat and ferrying them to Sweden. She worked with the Danish resistance movement until she too had to escape to Sweden. She was able to return to Denmark after the war and resumed her life of helping others and sailing. This novel in verse is told mostly through free verse. Hood also incorporates other poetic styles throughout the book and she includes a note about the poetry and the different styles she chose (ode, concrete, cinquain, triolet, etc.). Includes extensive notes and photographs.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

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

five-stars

Too Small Tola Gets Tough

Too Small Tola Gets ToughToo Small Tola Gets Tough by Atinuke, Onyinye Iwu
Series: Too Small Tola #3
Published by Candlewick Press on March 21, 2023
ISBN: 1536229466
Pages: 96
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

In the third book of the series, the coronavirus has come to Lagos, Nigeria and is affecting Tola’s world. Ordinarily, Tola lives with Grandmommy, sister Moji, and brother Dapo, but because of lockdown Moji and Dapo are living elsewhere. Food is also scarce, so when Tola gets the opportunity to work at a fancy house where she will get enough to eat and earn some money to send back to Grandmommy, she swallows her fears, holds her head up high, and takes the job. This early chapter book is a gentle way to talk about how people in places other than the US dealt with the pandemic. It shows the sacrifice and hardship through the relatable character of Too Small Tola, who is like any kid anywhere; she loves school, particularly math, and wants to be safe with her family. Eventually, Tola’s math skills bring her recognition and a small income that will allow her to return home to her beloved Grandmommy. This series is a wonderful addition to any public or elementary library.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Baxter Memorial Library

five-stars