Format: Chapter Book Fiction

A Wizard in the Wood

A Wizard in the WoodThe Wizard in the Wood by Davide Ortu, Louie Stowell
Series: Kit the Wizard, book 3
Published by Walker Books US on May 24, 2022
ISBN: 1536214957
Pages: 224
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The Wizard in the Wood is the third book in the Kit the Wizard series by Louie Stowell. A cleverly done recap before the story begins gets readers up to speed, even if they haven’t read the first two books. In the magical world Stowell has created, librarians are wizards, dragons sleep under libraries, dreaming of the stories that they are read; and books are portals to other worlds (libraries). Kit, a newly minted wizard, who loves to play outdoors and her bookish friends, Josh and Alita, must protect a dragon egg from evil wizards who want to remake the world (and not in a good way). Though the threat feels real, Stowell interjects humor throughout: “For someone who wants to keep her friends safe, you’re pretty free and easy with the flammable magic,” complained Josh (p. 148). This is also part of the book’s theme: friends help each other get stronger, rather than sheltering them from all harm. Stowell quietly alludes to a diverse cast of character that Ortu depicts in the digitally created illustrations. Future dragon minders will appreciate the “Guide to Baby Dragon Care” at the back of the book.

The Wizard in the Wood is fast-paced, funny, and rollicking. Readers who enjoy the “Dragon Masters” series and are ready to move on from shorter chapter books but not quite ready for Harry Potter, will appreciate the magical world Stowell has created here. Teachers and librarians will revel in the way multiple genres (poetry, comics) are given props, reinforcing the message that reading is reading, whether it is prose, poem, or picture.

This is a great story to read to any dragon sleeping under the library.

Reviewed by Deanna Contrino, Young School Library, Saco

five-stars

Winnie Zeng Unleashes A Legend

Winnie Zeng Unleashes A LegendWinnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend by Katie Zhao
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on April 26, 2022
ISBN: 0593426576
Pages: 288
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Winnie Zeng is an overachiever, an eleven-year-old Chinese American entering middle school. She thought the first day couldn’t get any worse until she spotted David, her archrival. Winnie approaches David with a bet that she can make more money through the school’s Fall bake sale. She finds her Lao Lao (Grandmother’s ) old family cookbook and decides to make moon pies. If only Winnie knew that baking and eating the moon pies would open another realm to the spirit world thereby releasing evil spirits and her Lao Lao, and give her Shamanic powers. Winnie, along with another unexpected Shaman, needs to save not only her town but the world from the chaos that awaits.

Winnie Zeng is the first book in the series. It is a sassy, adventurous, heroic, courageous, and fun read. Contains Chinese mythology, history, and recipes. Great for anyone in grades 4-7.

Reviewed by Patricia Szczechowicz, D.A. Hurd Library

five-stars

Jasmine Green Rescues a Foal Called Storm

Jasmine Green Rescues a Foal Called StormA Foal Called Storm (Jasmine Green #11) by Ellie Snowden, Helen Peters
Published by Walker Books US on April 26, 2022
ISBN: 1536222712
Pages: 144
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Jasmine Green is back for the 8th installment in this early middle grade series. This book follows the format typical of previous books where Jasmine and her friends find an animal in need. In this case, it’s a young foal injured and separated from it’s mother. Jasmine and her friend Tom work together to heal the foal and figure out who owns it. They’re also trying to take care of a bunch of other animals, so they really have their work cut out for them.

This is a fun, lighthearted, and gentle series for early middle grade readers. It’s the perfect length and difficulty level for those ready to move on from early chapter books but who aren’t quite ready for heavy hitting content. Fans of the previous books in the series will not be disappointed in this latest, and those who haven’t read any of the previous books do not need to do so in order to enjoy this book. Recommended for readers 7 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Dream Annie, Dream

Dream Annie, DreamDream, Annie, Dream by Waka T. Brown
Published by Quill Tree Books on February 8, 2022
ISBN: 0063017164
Pages: 352
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Annie Inoue is excited for 7th grade, and she’s looking forward to all the opportunities she has—basketball tryouts, trying out for the school play, and her first crush. When Annie is cast in the school’s production of The King and I, she’s ecstatic until she hears murmurs at school that she only got the part because she’s Asian. This hurts her, but it also emboldens her to show her classmates that she’s really deserving of the part.

This story has a lot of good intentions but somewhat misses the mark. The story is slow and wandering, and it feels about twice as long as it needs to be. It does tackle issues surrounding racism toward Asian Americans, and that part of the story is important. Readers will also identify with Annie’s typical 7th grade insecurities and anxieties. Recommended for readers 4th grade and up and for collections needing to bolster their Asian American representation.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

The Last Laugh

The Last LaughThe Last Laugh (The Initial Insult, #2) by Mindy McGinnis
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 15, 2022
ISBN: 0062982451
Pages: 384
Genres: Horror, Psychological thriller
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a perfect book to recommend to fans of Edgar Allan Poe, Hemlock Grove, Carrie, or Heathers. In this sequel to The Initial Insult, three narrating characters cope with what must have been quite a cliffhanger in the first book. Tress is nursing an infected panther wound, Ribbit is learning what it means to go viral in the most humiliating way possible, and Rue, an orangutan, worries from her cage about the danger Tress is in (which is separate from the sepsis developing in her blood).

The Last Laugh is gory, fast-paced, has great character development, and is tense and shocking in a “What’s next!? Oh no, that’s next!?” sort of way. It also has a fantastic cover that will get attention if it’s displayed face out. Your horror fans will thank you for this one.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Does My Body Offend You?

Does My Body Offend You?Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas, Marie Marquardt
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on April 5, 2022
ISBN: 0593425855
Pages: 432
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Melena’s sunburn leaves her unable to wear a bra one morning to school. She has just moved to Jacksonville after her home in Puerto Rico was destroyed by hurricane Maria, and the last thing she is looking for is to start a movement for change at her new school.

Ruby and her parents recently came to Florida from Seattle to help while her grandmother had surgery. She was eager for something new, but she’s also feeling pressure to live up to her sister’s change-the-world accomplishments.

The two girls meet in the nurse’s office the day school officials force Melena to tape panty liners over her nipples. It doesn’t take long for the two to team up and become a force for change. A more grown-up, YA version of the middle grade book Dress-Coded by Carrie Firestone, this book belongs on library shelves for teens. Chapters alternate between the two main characters, creating an interesting literary format that shares the different perspectives. Themes include feminism, women’s issues, intersectionality, and assault. There is a minor romantic subplot.

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Public Library

four-stars

Yonder

YonderYonder by Ali Standish
Published by HarperCollins on May 10, 2022
ISBN: 006298568X
Pages: 368
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Yonder is a well written coming of age story with multiple strong characters. The setting is in a quiet small town within the Appalachian Mountains during WW II. Not only does the setting become better defined, but the action and behavior of residents is more intense with each short chapter. Some characters grow stronger while others begin to exhibit their prejudice, intolerance, and violent behavior. Danny proves that the strongest amongst us may not be the most powerful or largest in size. Compassion, bravery, and responsibility are threads throughout the book. Standish exposes the weakness of bullies and the strength of their victims. This book is a fast read that is hard to put aside; it will be appreciated by young readers and adults. Recommended for parent child book groups and for intermediate and middle school media centers as well as public library collections. There may be challenges of this historical fiction work but the content is real and does depict many areas of our country during the 1940’s. Consider for Cream

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, Retired Youth Services Librarian

five-stars

Finn and the Subatomic Slip-and-Slide

Finn and the Subatomic Slip-and-SlideFinn and the Subatomic Slip-And-Slide by Michael Buckley
Published by Delacorte Press on March 1, 2022
ISBN: 0525646957
Pages: 288
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

In this culmination of the Finniverse series, Finn and his friends travel to the subatomic to rescue Finn’s dad and save the earth from the Plague, aka giant bugs who control the Earth. The friends get separated on their journey and must rely on strangers and enemies to find each other and return to Earth safely. Readers who enjoyed the first two books will want to read this final installation. The book is fast-paced and full of danger and it wraps up loose ends from the other books. This book does not work as a stand-alone as there are too many flashbacks and references to previous books, making it difficult for a new reader to understand. The writing is choppy, the dialogue seems forced at times, and the characters aren’t well developed. The author also uses a lot of clichés and other common phrases that detract from the quality of writing. This book is appropriate for 4-6th graders who are familiar with the series and enjoy a lot of action.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

two-stars

The Princess Black and the Mermaid Princess

The Princess Black and the Mermaid PrincessThe Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, LeUyen Pham
Published by Candlewick Press on February 1, 2022
ISBN: 1536209775
Pages: 96
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Book #9 in the popular Princess in Black series. Typical fantasy with heroes in disguise, mermaids, hungry monsters, and sea goats in peril. This episode takes place underwater. Besides the over-the-top adventures, there is a powerful message about helping others. Colorful, graphic-style illustrations. This will be popular in libraries where the other Princess in Black books are popular.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars

The Secret of Glendunny: The Haunting

The Secret of Glendunny: The HauntingThe Secret of Glendunny: The Haunting by Kathryn Lasky
Published by HarperCollins on March 15, 2022
ISBN: 0063031019
Pages: 288
Genres: Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

When England’s Henry VIII goes on an all-out hunting spree for beavers, a group of survivors retreat to a secret Scotland location. To survive, the beavers set a rule of never let a human see any of them. On the day a young beaver is surprised and scared by a ghost human rising from the lodge floor, Dunwattle flees so far that for the first time in over 500 years, a live human sees a beaver. In this story of talking animals, Lasky’s tale starts with many jerky movements: each and every bit of the Glendunny world needs explanatory information, so it takes a long time of getting background explanations finished before the story gets to a story. The main characters are beavers, but their reactions can be quite human: disdain or active dislike toward immigrants, grabs for governmental power. Other animals are Elsinor the swan who delivers trusted advice and aerial surveillance and the lynxes used as henchmen for threatening violence or murdering on command. Regular readers of fantasy will be used to believing in a fantastical story but anyone with actual Great Britain geographic knowledge will be continually annoyed with the inconsistencies of location, for example a swan takes many hours to fly from Glendunny to the Scottish/English border but only one hour more to London.

Recommend for grades 5-8

Reviewed by Betsey Noble, Dresden Elementary School

three-stars