Format: Chapter Book Fiction

Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit

Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista FlitThe Many Faces of Ista Flit (Tidemagic #1) by Clare Harlow
ISBN: 0593806743
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit” is a middle grade fantasy novel by Clare Harlow, with illustrations by Karl James Mountford. Ista is a young girl searching for her father who has gone missing. She travels to Shelwich, a misty town by the water, to find him. Most people in this book have a magic called a tide-blessing, which is a magical ability given by the tide. Ista is a face changer and can change her appearance. She finds out that more people have disappeared in Shelwich. She befriends two other kids ,Ruby and Nat, and together they try to solve the mystery.

A fun and fantastical story with deep worldbuilding and interesting characters. Illustrations by Mountford at the beginning of each chapter are beautiful and the larger images interspersed throughout are striking. A recommended purchase for libraries where middle grade fantasy is popular.

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

three-stars

Ferris

FerrisFerris by Kate DiCamillo
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536231053
Pages: 226
Genres: Humor, Magical Realism, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

The summer before fifth grade, Ferris Phineas Wilkey has a lot on her plate. Her beloved grandmother, Clarisse, is seeing ghosts. Her uncle Ted has moved into the basement to paint the history of the world (he got as far as a single foot). Her father is afraid there are raccoons in the attic, and her six-year-old younger sister gets (sort of) arrested for a brazen bank robbery attempt as part of her plan to get on a Wanted poster. And that’s just the beginning.

Ferris is full of DiCamillo’s trademarks: complex words used in charming ways, repeated phrases contributing to character quirks, big themes (here include death, grief), and a plain old unusual way of looking at the world. The ending is bittersweet; tears may be shed, but overall the reader knows things will be okay for the assortment of characters we have met.

Chapters are short; DiCamillo uses language with brevity and great effectiveness, neither talking down to her audience – in fact, expecting them to really lean in to the world she creates – nor making it inaccessible by not keeping things clear. A straightforward story that also manages to be profound. Readers will enjoy Ferris’ unfortunate hair “incidents” at Aunt Shirley’s hair salon and Pinky’s attempts to emulate Houdini, as well as the more mysterious elements (such as when Charisse interprets the ghost’s long held desire to see the dining room chandelier lit).

Highly recommend. Five stars.

-Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee

The Colliding Worlds of Mina LeeThe Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee by Ellen Oh
Published by Crown PRH on January 23, 2024
ISBN: 0593125940
Pages: 295
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Korean American Mina Lee is entering her senior year of high school, and more than anything she wants to apply to art school. But her emotionally distant father forbids it. He wants her to have a “real” career and, even more than that, art reminds him of Mina’s mother, who died three years earlier in an accident.

Mina decides to create a webcomic in an effort to prove to him not just that she is committed to art, but also that she can be a success. Her story is loosely based on her own high school, but in the webcomic version, students have superpowers and an evil villain, Merco, is trying to steal those powers. Then, one night during a freak lightning storm, she gets pulled out of the real world and into her webcomic. The first person she meets is romantic hero Jin, the teenage version of her childhood best friend, who died of cancer years earlier. He becomes a valuable ally as well as a love interest, as it quickly becomes clear that despite being the creator, she is also the heroine of the story – and the rules are changing quickly. Returning home is the only way to turn things back to where they should have been without her interference – but it also means leaving Jin.

This book will be popular with readers who enjoy stories about alternate worlds and humans with superpowers. Grief is a constant theme, with Mina’s mother and Jin both having died in her world. Some scenes skirt a fairly graphic line, with powered teens being experimented on by the evil supervillain, but don’t go into too much detail (and Mina ultimately saves everyone). Oh has fun playing with the standard tropes in this kind of novel, with Mina recognizing key upcoming moments that will be more dangerous – for example, she correctly predicts that the school dance will be a perfect scene for a climactic clash between factions of good and evil.

Characters and cast were diverse in both real and webcomic worlds, which was a positive; but given the sheer size of secondary cast members, few were fully realized. An enjoyable and fairly undemanding read that will probably circulate well in library collections given both the subject and the name recognition of the author.

– Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

four-stars

The Secret Language of Birds

The Secret Language of BirdsThe Secret Language of Birds by Lynne Kelly
Published by Delacorte Press on April 9, 2024
ISBN: 1524770272
Pages: 232
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Lynne Kelly’s follow up to Song for a Whale is another beautiful coming of age story about a girl and her efforts to help an animal in need. Nina is one of five in her family, right in the middle, who often feels like the odd one out, preferring birds to people. She agrees to go to her aunt’s summer camp with the caveat that she can go home any time.  During an initiation exercise to an off-limits cabin that is supposed to be haunted, Nina does think that she sees a ghost. Turns out to be a whooping crane, which seems impossible since these endangered birds haven’t nested in Texas, where camp is located, for a hundred years. Nina eventually confides in her bunkmates, three lovely, feisty campers who have labeled themselves the Oddballs, and together they monitor the bird and his mate (spoiler: Nina stays at camp).

Nina tells wildlife authorities about the birds, but not her aunt or any other campers. The secrecy of the bird monitoring makes this feel more thrilling than a book about bird-watching might usually be. And there is a mystery too: the female whooping crane does not have any trackers nor does she appear in any of the databases as a known, live crane. Nina is determined to solve who she is. With a fantastic nod to Kelly’s first novel, Nina reaches out to Iris, her Deaf neighbor, and protagonist of Song for a Whale. Iris is able to manipulate the sound technology that she used to create a whale song to help Nina with the crane identification.

Many kids dread the idea of long-term summer camp, especially if they attend as older campers. This book uses that relatable worry along with fascinating information about an awe-inspiring bird to craft a story about friendship, acceptance, conservation, and finding one’s voice. Recommend for all upper elementary and middle school collections.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Elementary School

four-stars

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple

Bibsy Cross and the Bad AppleBibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Dung Ho, Liz Garton Scanlon
Series: Bibsy Cross #1
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 11, 2024
ISBN: 0593644417
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Bibsy Cross is an active third grader who loves to share her thoughts. Her teacher, Mrs Stumper, just thinks she goes on too much and that she is a bit extra, and not in a good way. Bibsy also loves her parents, her cat, and her best friend, Natia. She is excited when she and Natia, who is in Mr Moon’s class, not Mrs Stumper’s class, can work together on their science fair project together.Bibsy and Natia work through their project together and Bibsy’s feelings when Mrs Stumper makes her feel rotten for being too extra. Bibsy is an excellent communicator and models how to trust talking to your friends, parents, and teachers.

Bibsy Cross is a chapter book in verse that catches a reader’s interest and moves along quickly. The story has lots of action to maintain engagement until the end. Bibsy and her quandaries are relatable to students. The text is crisp and the pages are bright white making the story easier to read and comprehend for emerging chapter book readers. The illustrations, which are grayscale with pops of red to highlight, are interspersed effectively throughout the book to showcase main features in the story.

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston

four-stars

Book Buddies: Roger Takes a Chance

Book Buddies: Roger Takes a ChanceBook Buddies: Roger Takes a Chance by Cynthia Lord, Stephanie Graegin
Series: Book Buddies #4
Published by Candlewick Press on 6/11/24
ISBN: 1536213578
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Cynthia Lord’s sweet Book Buddies series continues in Roger Takes a Chance.   Roger, a chick stuffed animal, and his mother Olive, are donated to a local library, where children can check out stuffed animals to read to them.  Roger yearns for adventure away from his mother and gets his big chance when 8 year old Liam accidentally drops him at the airport.  Roger realizes adventure isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as he is picked up by a dog and later almost gets stuck in an escalator.  Finally winding up in the airport’s Lost and Found, Roger feels lonely, until he meets Emmie, a penguin.  Liam and his family eventually check the Lost and Found, only to find Roger attached to Emmie with Velcro.  Liam takes Olive, Roger, and Emmie back to the library, where Emmie permanently joins Roger and Olive, showing children that there are different kinds of families.  This chapter book has black and white drawings on almost every page, which complement the simple text. This book is ideal for young readers who are just beginning to read chapter books independently.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

three-stars

With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei

With Twice the Love, Dessie MeiWith Twice the Love, Dessie Mei by Justina Chen
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 5/7/24
ISBN: 0063306522
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Dessie Mei is not thrilled to be starting middle school for a second time, after her parents move from central Washington to Seattle mid-year in order to take care of Dessie’s ailing grandmother.  When Dessie arrives at her class, she is shocked to meet a girl who looks exactly like her, with the same taste in music, who can converse with her using no words.  Like Dessie, Donna was born on the same day in China and comes from the same orphanage. They secretly soon learn they are identical twins!  Eventually the truth comes out and Dessie and Donna and their families experience ups and downs as they navigate their new reality.  Dessie and Donna also face typical middle school challenges with friendships and bullies, especially in their class that is learning what it means to be part of a community. Themes of family, racism, and identity are woven throughout this middle grade novel.  This book addresses topics pertinent to today’s readers without being overwhelming and would be a great addition to any school or public library.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

Moonstorm

MoonstormMoonstorm (Lancers, #1) by Yoon Ha Lee
on June 4, 2024
ISBN: 0593488334
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

In this thrilling first entry in the Lancers series, Hwa Young dreams of becoming a Lancer pilot after being rescued by one of the giant mech-suited soldiers as a child during the destruction of her home world. Now Hwa Young is a citizen of the very empire her family fought against. Hwa Young vows that she will become a Lancer pilot in order to never feel as powerless as she did the day her home was destroyed. After a devastating attack on her new home planet, Hwa Young is swept into the complex and violent world of interplanetary warfare even as she finally realizes her dream of becoming a Lancer pilot. As Hwa Young and her squadron of fellow pilots adjust to their new roles, they discover that all is not as it seems in the empire. They must make a devastating decision between betraying their values or betraying the empire. 

The world building and character development in this book are intriguing and give the author lots to play with in future entries in the series. The main character, Hwa Young, is complex and her sense of duty to the empire and longing for a true family shine, giving heart to what otherwise would be considered an action-forward novel. 

This book is a must read for young adults who enjoy sci-fi, especially the Star Wars universe. Readers who enjoyed the sci-fi elements of The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer will also enjoy this unique space opera.

Reviewed by Rebecca Duquette, Pittston Randolph Consolidated School, Pittston 

four-stars

The Notes

The NotesThe Notes by Catherine Con Morse
on April 30, 2024
ISBN: 0593711386
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“The Notes” is a young adult novel by Catherine Con Morse. Claire Wu is a Chinese American piano student at a prestigious music boarding school. When a renowned piano teacher, Dr. Tina Li, joins the faculty, Claire wants to impress her. Things seem to be going well when Claire begins to receive mysterious notes telling her to be careful of Dr. Li and not to fall under her spell. The book does a good job of accurately portraying the pressures of high school and the difficulties that Claire feels about not being “Asian enough” and falling below her high expectations of herself. Some plot points don’t seem to get resolved, but readers will still enjoy Claire’s growth. A recommended additional purchase for YA collections where realistic fiction and mysteries are popular.

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

three-stars

What’s Eating Jackie Oh?

What’s Eating Jackie Oh?What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park
on April 30, 2024
ISBN: 0593563417
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“What’s Eating Jackie Oh?” is a young adult realistic fiction novel by Patricia Park. Jackie is a 3rd generation Korean American high schooler living in NYC. She attends a science school and her parents are pressuring her to be perfect and get good grades so that she can go to an IVY League college, but Jackie actually enjoys cooking. While helping out at her grandparents’ deli, she is scouted for a teen cooking show. Jackie is able to find her own way and learns who she wants to be as the book goes on.Serious topics like hate crimes, undocumented immigrants, and food insecurity are handled briefly, but really well. Jackie is a likeable and smart character and readers will enjoy following her journey. Recommended for YA fiction collections.

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

four-stars