Format: Chapter Book Fiction

We Still Belong

We Still BelongWe Still Belong by Christine Day
on August 1, 2023
ISBN: 0063064561
Pages: 256
Genres: Holiday, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

We Still Belong by Christine Day is a slice of life novel that follows an Upper Skagit Native family on Indigenous People’s day. Wesley Wilder is anxiously excited for school where her poem about Indigenous People’s Day will be distributed in the school newspaper. She plans on using the confidence boost from the poem to ask her crush (a fellow video game enthusiast) to an upcoming dance, but nothing goes according to plan. 

We Still Belong is full of positive depictions of Native life and emphasizes how backward the ‘blood quantum’ laws are that exclude Wesley from becoming a tribal member. The last chapters take place at a powwow and are vibrant compared to the passive, more background heavy earlier chapters. At the powwow Wesley makes new friends, learns more about Native history, and finally shares her poem with an appreciative audience. Unfortunately, the majority of the book focuses on school drama and the slow plot is frequently interrupted by short chapters that inorganically provide background information.

The characters are wholesome and dimensional, the story was educational without being obtrusive, but the pace and scope hold the novel back from being great. Ultimately, the heart of the novel is in the last few chapters and it will take a patient reader to make it there. 

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth 

three-stars

Nimbus

NimbusNimbus by Jan Eldredge
on September 5, 2023
ISBN: 0062680374
Genres: Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Nimbus” is a black cat and the title character of Jan Eldredge’s middle grade fantasy novel. She is rescued and nursed back to health by Fletcher, a boy who earns Nimbus’ love and loyalty. When Fletcher is attacked by a goblin, and Nimbus fights and protects him.  Unfortunately, because his aunt believes that Nimbus is the one who attacked Fletcher, she takes her far away and abandons her. Nimbus befriends a fabulous rat named Rhett, is helped by a witch and her cats and learns that she has magic of her own and that Fletcher is in even more danger. Themes of family, love, and loyalty run throughout the book. A recommended purchase for middle grade collections where animal books are popular.

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

three-stars

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls WhiteDark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (Song of the Last Kingdom, #2) by Amélie Wen Zhao
on January 2, 2024
ISBN: 0593487540
Pages: 345
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White” is the sequel to “Song of Silver, Flame like Night” by Amélie Wen Zhao. A Young Adult/Teen fantasy duology, set in a world inspired by Chinese myths, Lan, our main character, has discovered that the mark on her arm means that her mother sealed her powerful connection to the Silver Dragon, a demon god. She is afraid to use the power because she knows that the dragon will take over her mind. Her companion, Zen, is fighting his connection to the demon Black Tortoise (who he bound himself to to get the power to avenge his family). Together they must fight to free the Last Kingdom.

The characters struggle with power and whether or not power should be embraced or destroyed. There is some romance and the two main characters are fully fleshed out and compelling. The world building that Zhao has done is impressive. A recommended purchase for YA collections where fantasy is popular (as long as you also get the first book).

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

four-stars

The Mystery Traveler at Lake Fortune

The Mystery Traveler at Lake FortuneThe Mystery Traveler at Lake Fortune by Cathie Pelletier
Published by Down East Books ISBN: 1684750768
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

When the Baker parents announce that they have rented a rustic cabin on a lake in small town Maine, 9-year-old Charlie and his drama queen sister, 10-year-old Clarissa, are less than happy. No electricity? No running water? No cell phones? Things are even worse when Charlie is awakened during their first night – by ghosts in the attic! Nothing about this so-called vacation seems fun at all.

But the next morning they take a boat out to the small island in the middle of the lake with their parents, and there the siblings discover a ball jar with a mysterious clue tucked inside. In the city they might not get along, but in order to unravel the mystery kicked off with that first riddle, they begin to discover that spending time together…isn’t so bad after all. That first clue is the beginning of two weeks of unforgettable adventure – making friends, discovering the town their father came to as a child, and, finally, solving the last clue: just in time to figure out just who was behind it.

Maine author Cathie Pelletier has penned a delightful MG story with authentic sibling fractiousness and love, a hint of mystery, and the kind of summer adventure that is possible if only we can unplug for a bit. Great for fans of classic sibling adventure stories, from The Railway Children to Magic Treehouse. A wonderful story that offers something for readers of all ages. Delightful pencil illustrations dotted throughout add whimsy. Highly recommend: five stars.

Submitted by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

15 Secrets to Survival

15 Secrets to Survival15 Secrets to Survival by Natalie D. Richards
on November 7, 2023
ISBN: 0593644123
Genres: Adventure, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Four 12-year-olds and an 18-month-old have an unexpected adventure in the Montana woods as a consequence of breaking a school rule. The sixth graders are going to stay with former kids’ camp owner Uncle Hornsby  for lessons in teamwork while their parents are going to Aruba for a vacation. Things take a dangerous turn when Uncle Hornsby disappears. They must now work together to find him and stay alive themselves. Their unwillingness to cooperate develops into  a realization of individual strengths, weaknesses, and friendship. Fans of Gordon Korman and Dan Gutman will enjoy. Useful for teaching the value of one another’s strengths. Great cover!

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

A Horse Named Sky

A Horse Named SkyA Horse Named Sky (A Voice of the Wilderness Novel) by Kirbi Fagan, Rosanne Parry
ISBN: 0062995952
Pages: 260
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

A stand-alone companion to the national bestsellers A Wolf Called Wander and A Whale of the Wild. In mid-19th-century Nevada, a colt named Sky grows up to lead his band of wild horses. Chronicling a wild horse in the first person, imagining its point of view, and detailing his capture, Sky grows from a newborn to a leader. I found the first person narrative by a horse difficult to understand at times. Those who love horses and horse stories will enjoy this book.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars

Hidden Truths

Hidden TruthsHidden Truths by Elly Swartz
Published by Delacorte Press on 10/31/23
ISBN: 0593483669
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Dani and Eric are best friends, but everything changes when a horrible accident happens while they are camping together on Cape Cod. Dani is severely injured and her long road to recovery means she can not play on the school baseball team.  Eric blames himself for the accident and soon everyone else does, too.  Through all of the turmoil, Dani and Eric start to go their separate ways, making new friends, though each does feel sadness over the loss of their friendship.  As Dani works hard to regain her strength and independence, Eric focuses on making sure an accident like this never happens to anyone else.  This middle grade novel will appeal to kids who enjoy books that address perseverance and friendship issues.  Readers will relate to the main characters as they navigate challenging situations while trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. This story is ultimately uplifting and recommended for any middle school library.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinnThe Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
on July 11, 2023
ISBN: 0063268795
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn” is a middle grade realistic fiction novel by Sally J. Pla. Maudie McGinn is a neurodivergent middle schooler who is hiding the fact that her stepfather, Ron, abuses her. She can’t wait to go spend the summer with her father. When wildfires threaten her father’s cabin, they spend the summer in his hometown, where Maudie makes friends and learns how to surf. She finds that she’s stronger than she thought and that there isn’t anything wrong with her.

Maudie is very well written and readers will feel the hopelessness and pain that she feels. Her strength in the end promises a better life for her, away from her mother and stepfather. Scenes of abuse in the book are hard to read, but her scenes with her kind and understanding father and friends are uplifting. The novel switches between prose and poems from Maudie. A recommended purchase for every library’s middle grade collection.

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

four-stars

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