Format: Chapter Book Fiction

The Infamous Ratsos: Ratty Tattletale

The Infamous Ratsos: Ratty TattletaleRatty Tattletale by Kara LaReau, Matt Myers
Published by Candlewick Press on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 1536207462
Pages: 96
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

 

When do you try to handle it yourself and when do you tell an adult? At school, Ralphie tries to stand up for his friend, Tiny, but gets in trouble himself. Big brother Louie helps, and Dad finally helps Ralphie distinguish between doing what’s right rather than what’s cool. Very satisfying ending as bullies Sid and Kurt get their ‘just reward’ in the end without direct involvement from the Ratsos.

A great beginning chapter book series for transitional readers, or more experienced readers who want a good lesson woven into good entertainment.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

four-stars

Annie Lumsden: The Girl From the Sea

Annie Lumsden: The Girl From the SeaAnnie Lumsden, the Girl from the Sea by Beatrice Alemagna, David Almond
Published by Candlewick Press on May 18, 2021
ISBN: 1536216747
Pages: 64
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
Perhaps a fantasy a folklore or even a mystery this lyrical story of love is enchanting.  Almond has given readers yet another wonderful story, one that evolves around the ocean and mysteries of life.  A young girl who loves to float in the ocean and has hair like seaweed lives in an oceanside cottage with her artistic mother.   The storyline grows from their quiet lifestyle to mysterious questions that remain unanswered.  The love between mother and child is a strong bond.

Although the story is charming it is the natural tones of the artwork that make this book something very special.  Alemagna has captured the sunlight and shadows on land as well as the dark shades of the ocean environment.  While readers have to let go of their expectations the illustrations add much to the fantasy storyline.   Faces on the human characters are somewhat distorted yet the painted faces in the garden are more defined.

Librarians will want this title in their collections, in public and primary school libraries.   Gift this to grade 2-4 girls who love tales of mermaids and folktales.

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

five-stars

The Ice Monster

The Ice MonsterThe Ice Monster by David Walliams, Tony Ross
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks on November 6, 2018
ISBN: 000816469X
Pages: 496
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
Ten-year old orphan Elsie stumps authorities as she helps bring the newly discovered wooly mammoth back to life and organizes a trip with a collection of misfits to return it to the North Pole, then must face Queen Victoria upon her return. 

Cockroaches for Breakfast – chapter one’s title, will grab readers’ attention, and they will be quickly drawn into London in 1899. Lots of action and characters add to the adventure. Wide-space lines and font size help younger elementary readers access the story.

Recommended purchase!

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

five-stars

The Last Windwitch

The Last WindwitchThe Last Windwitch by Jennifer Adam
Published by HarperCollins on April 13, 2021
ISBN: 0062981307
Pages: 448
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
The definition of ‘high fantasy’ (involves noble people involved in great events which will greatly affect the world created by the author) is a perfect description of this book. Brida thinks she’s an orphan and is grateful to be taken in as an apprentice to Mother Madgi, a hedgewitch, but struggles to learn the craft. Instead, she is drawn to another type of magic that Mother Madgi avoids discussing. Mysterious events multiply until Brida finds out her mother is alive (predictably the white dove frequently hovering), Madgi is her aunt, and their third sister is the evil queen destroying the realm. Most importantly, Brida discovers her own magic is that of a Windwitch and in true hero humility, turns down the offer to become the rightful queen to fully develop her strengths.

Wonderful coming-of-age, suspense, and mystery story woven as carefully as the magic of Fenwood Reach.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

five-stars

D&D Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed

D&D Dungeon Academy: No Humans AllowedDungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed! by Madeleine Roux, Timothy Probert
Series: D&D Dungeon Academy #1
Published by HarperCollins on November 2, 2021
ISBN: 0063039125
Pages: 204
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars
This Dungeons & Dragons-themed chapter book is best put into the hands of upper elementary/early middle school readers who are already familiar with and enjoy playing the role-playing game as the author assumes knowledge of the world of D&D and doesn’t do much to explain things to an unfamiliar reader. This first book drops the reader into Dungeon Academy where Zelli, a human, attends school under cover of being a minotaur (her adoptive parents are Minotaurs) since humans are reviled in the world of monsters. Zelli loves standing up for any monster that is bullied and can’t keep her opinions to herself. This has made Zelli a target by other monsters, but it has also drawn a few monsters to her, like Hugo the vegan owlbear and Bauble the shapeshifting mimic.  When she see a picture of human warrior Allidora Steelstrike in her History of Horrible Humans class, she is struck by the resemblance and wonders if it could be her mother. When a group of students goes missing and Allidora is the suspected culprit, Zelli, along with her oddball group of friends, decides to find the students and confront the truth about her family of origin. The theme of belonging and chosen family is strong. Great illustrations though they do not always mesh with the action in the story. Note: The world of D&D centers around maps and dungeons; this book missed a chance to offer a map of the world of Zelli and her fellow adventurers.

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

three-stars

The Thirteenth Cat

The Thirteenth CatThe Thirteenth Cat by Mary Downing Hahn
Published by Clarion Books on September 7, 2021
ISBN: 0358394082
Pages: 240
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Instead of camp this summer, Zoey has come from New York to spent summer vacation with her Aunt Alice in her new home in a  quant Vermont town.  Little did she know,  that the town rumor is that a witch lives next door to them.  Her dilapidated house is deep  and hidden in the dark woods.  She  is never seen and the only company  that she ever gets is when  a strange old- fashioned cab pulls up and leaves with the driver carrying out boxes.

Could being a witch explain why there are always a slew of black cats outside her Aunt’s house? They are always lined up and  watching  what Zoey is doing when she is outside.   One day, one of them  befriends Zoey and refuses to leave her and decides it wants to live with Zoey and her Aunt.  This is when the trouble starts. The old woman next door comes over to get her cat back but is denied. The cat is scared of Miss Dupree and hides away from her, this enrages her and she vows to get revenge.

Could there be more to the story of all of these cats?  Is Miss Dupree really a  horrible witch?  One day Zoey and her new friend, Lila from across the street decide to go into the woods to investigate more. This becomes a terrible mistake and the mystery of  all the black cats becomes known.  Zoey and Lila become way too involved and reach a point of no return literally.

This is a captivating story that is scary, mysterious and keeps the reader on edge. Mary Downing Hahn does not disappoint the reader in her latest book. A definite good addition for  any juvenile collection.

 

Reviewed by, Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

four-stars

The Big Bad Lies

The Big Bad LiesThe Rizzlerunk Club: The Big Bad Lies by Leslie Patricelli
Series: The Rizzlerunk Club
Published by Candlewick Press on January 25, 2022
ISBN: 0763651052
Pages: 256
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars
“The Big Bad Lies” by Leslie Patricelli is the second book in the Rizzlerunk Club series. The two club members, Darby and Lily, find themselves in a bunch of trouble regarding two BIG lies. WARNING: There is animal death involved in this book.

The story starts with the class doing an experiment on two rats, which seems ethically wrong to me, but it’s part of the plot. Darby gets to take one of the rats home and Lily accidentally steps on it, killing it. Instead of fessing up to Darby, Lily insists that she didn’t do anything and the rat just died. In turn, Darby draws Michelangelo’s David nude, but when confronted by the teacher, she blames it on Lily. There’s a subplot about bullying, but mostly the book is about learning to face the consequences rather than lying.

The book is very funny, but I was affected by the death of the pet rat. Sensitive readers may find this plot point disturbing and not want to read further. I would recommend this book only if you already have the first one.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

three-stars

The Velvet Fox

The Velvet FoxThe Velvet Fox by Catherine Fisher
Published by Walker Books US on November 9, 2021
ISBN: 1536214922
Pages: 208
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Folklore, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
In the second book of the Clockwork Crow series, “The Velvet Fox” the battle continues between Tylwyth Teg, a magical kingdom of Welsh fairy folk, and Seren Rhys, now adopted daughter of Captain Jones and Lady Mair. In the first book, Seren Rhys had rescued young Tomos Jones from the Tylwyth Teg, helped with the worn Clockwork Crow embodied by a human alchemist imprisoned by a spell. One autumn day, Tomos boasts that he would never be captured by the fairies again.

Before they know it, a strange, new governess, Miss Honeybourne, takes up residence at Plas-Y-Fran. Nothing is the same. All the members of the household except Seren Rhys are put under Miss Honeybourne’s spell. Young Tomos sits in a trance in front of a magical toy carousel that he was given on his birthday. Who is really controlling Plas-Y-Fran? Miss Honeybourne or someone more sinister?

When Seren Rhys writes a note with the magical feather quill of the Clockwork Crow. Will the Clockwork Crow come to help her save Plas-Y-Fran? And who is the Velvet Fox?

These endearing characters are perfect for children who love magical fantasy. The age-old theme of good vs. evil is the central element of this story.

Appropriate for children ages 8 and up.

Reviewed by Liz Davis, Children’s Librarian, Waterville Public Library

four-stars

Finding Junie Kim

Finding Junie KimFinding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
Published by HarperCollins on May 4, 2021
ISBN: 0062987984
Pages: 368
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
Part contemporary, part historical, this is a middle grade novel about a Korean American girl who turns the lessons from her grandparents’ experiences in Korea during the 1950s into the strength to counter the hateful actions of racists in her school.  Junie just wants to fit in at her school, but as an Asian student she is targeted by a bully. When her school gym is graffitied with racist slurs, Junie doesn’t fully understand why her friends, particularly those who are from the ethnic and racial backgrounds targeted by the slurs, are angry and want to take action that will let the rest of the students know how it feels to be a person of color in their school and in this country. Junie is overcome with anxiety and spirals into depression, even toying with suicidal ideation. Through therapy and weekly meetings with her grandfather in which he shares stories from his youth during the Korean War, Junie is able to find coping mechanisms and to reconnect with her friends. Oh uses a story from her own mother’s childhood in Korea as an anchor for the plot and it is deftly woven into the family lore in the book. This is an important story for library collections.

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

five-stars

Da Vinci’s Cat

Da Vinci’s CatDa Vinci's Cat by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Published by Greenwillow Books on May 25, 2021
ISBN: 9780063015258
Pages: 278
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars
A combination of portal fantasy, historical fiction, and time-travel with a bit of art history. Federico, in sixteenth-century Rome, and Bee, in present-day New Jersey, are linked through a cat that emerges from Leonardo Da Vinci’s mysterious wardrobe. Much like this author’s Newbery Honor-Winning book The Book of Boy, I think it would not work for children-  too confusing. However, it received heaps of starred reviews so perhaps I am missing something. Perhaps I am not the right reader?

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars