Format: Chapter Book Fiction

A Donkey Called Mistletoe

A Donkey Called MistletoeA Donkey Called Mistletoe (Jasmine Green #10) by Ellie Snowdon, Helen Peters
Published by Walker Books US on September 14, 2021
ISBN: 1536222453
Pages: 160
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

A Donkey Called Mistletoe

 

When the donkey, Mistletoe’s, owner must go into an assisted living facility our young heroine, Jasmine, volunteers to add Mistletoe to her menagerie.  This is another in the Jasmine Green Rescues series and Jasmine continues to take excellent care of her animals as readers learn the proper way to care for a donkey.  But actually letting a donkey into a health facility seems a bit strange.  Another thing that annoys me is using the expression “me and —” when the rest of the text is in proper English.  There are excellent illustrations which add to the text.  Animal-loving children will enjoy this series.  There is also a quiz at the end to see how much knowledge has been retained.  This is a fine series, but it’s not Cream worthy.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

Influence

InfluenceInfluence by Lilia Buckingham, Sara Shepard
Published by Delacorte Press on January 5, 2021
ISBN: 0593121538
Pages: 368
Genres: Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“Influence” is a collaborated venture by Sara Shepard, who has written the “The Pretty Little Liars” and the “The Perfectionists” series and Lilia Buckingham,  a 17 year old writer, actress, dancer and student.  It is the story of four teenage female influencers, Jasmine Walters-Diaz, Fiona Jacobs, Delilah Rollins and the not to be crossed- Scarlet Leigh.

The life of a social media influencer is a competitive life. Where showing perfection to your fan base is a must. Who you are seen with and where, who you date and how many sponsors you have and how many likes you get on a single post is your life.  The reigning queen is Scarlet Leigh, a force not to be reckoned with. She is perfection.  Fiona is a girl with a secret from the past that haunts her and suffers from OCD.  Jasmine grew up as a child star and can’t break free from that image.  Delilah, is new to the game of being an influencer, having just moved to LA from Minnesota.

The story addresses sexuality issues, peer pressure, having OCD and so much more. It begins as a story about being an influencer but takes a turn into becoming a mystery of whodunit?  A captivating story that addresses the world of being in the public’s eye at all time whether by choice or not.

This would be a good addition for any YA collection and for teens that enjoy realistic fiction. There are so many twists to this story that it easily holds the reader’s attention.

Reviewed by, Amy Tobalske, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook

 

four-stars

Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize

Lucy Clark Will Not ApologizeLucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb
Published by Quill Tree Books on May 11, 2021
ISBN: 0062322400
Pages: 368
Genres: Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A coming-of-age story that quickly becomes a mystery when Lucy moves from a boarding school to NYC.  Following a bullying situation and an over-the-top response incident, Lucy has been suspended from school and is sent to the city to help an elderly woman. Edith is positive that someone is following her with the intention of ending her life.   Not to be forgotten are Lucy’s wandering parents who have never been there for Lucy and her deceased grandmother.  Despite sparse contact with her parents Lucy is determined to make them proud thus creating a rather unbelievable teenage character.

This is a story that slowly builds to the strange conclusion.  Lucy’s job starts with simple teas and lovely gardens   Many characters circle in and out of the text allowing for a degree of confusion. Teens who enjoy YA books with lots of minor plot changes will enjoy this constant parade of characters.  Those who prefer a riveting mystery may be disappointed.  The chapter heading art work is a nice touch as it ties into the garden theme of the story.  Libraries who collect YA mystery should consider this title.

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

four-stars

Jasmine Green Rescues: A Goat Called Willow

Jasmine Green Rescues: A Goat Called WillowA Goat Called Willow (Jasmine Green #6) by Ellie Snowdon, Helen Peters
Published by Walker Books US on March 9, 2021
ISBN: 9781536210293
Pages: 160
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Book 6 in series “Jasmine Green Rescues.” Jasmine and her best friend, Tom, adopt an orphaned baby goat for sale at the local fair. Willow, the goat, will not stay in his cage and he wonders all over the village so her parents tell her that she must return the baby goat. Jasmine has other ideas. Similar to the other “Jasmine Green Rescues” in that Jasmine is a plucky character and funny animal antics abound. There is a lesson learned about lying in this book though. Any child who loves animals will enjoy this series of beginning chapter books.

 

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Jasmine Green Rescues: A Lamb Called Lucky

Jasmine Green Rescues: A Lamb Called LuckyA Lamb Called Lucky (Jasmine Green #5) by Ellie Snowdon, Helen Peters
Published by Walker Books US on March 9, 2021
ISBN: 9781536210286
Pages: 144
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Book 5 in series “Jasmine Green Rescues.” When a little lamb loses his mother, Jasmine steps in to bottle-feed and care for him. When Lucky the lamb is big enough to go out into the field with the other sheep, sheep rustlers strike. Jasmine and her father rescue Lucky. The daughter of a veterinarian and a farmer, Jasmine knows what she needs to do and isn’t afraid to do it. The pacing is fast and the stories engaging. Plus, there are charming pencil illustrations of cute animals. Any child who loves animals will enjoy this series of beginning chapter books.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Sydney & Taylor Take a Flying Leap

Sydney & Taylor Take a Flying LeapSydney and Taylor Take a Flying Leap by Deborah Hocking, Jacqueline Davies
Published by Clarion Books on August 3, 2021
ISBN: 0358106354
Pages: 80
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Book two in this fantastic series for emerging readers. Sydney and Taylor are an unlikely pair, a skunk and a hedgehog, living in a cozy burrow beneath Miss Nancy’s shed. They are best friends and, as such, they support one another, but when Taylor the hedgehog gets the idea to fly, Sydney is not supportive. Sydney is worried that Taylor will get hurt, or eaten by a hawk. This causes hurt feelings and a rift in their friendship, but Taylor persists in his attempt to fly and Sydney nervously watches. When Taylor gets stuck, he turns to Sydney, who not only helps, but finds an alternate, feasible solution. The book deals with growth mind-set and persistence, and also with thinking things through and being careful. The friends are able to work through their difference of opinion and find a way to support a wild idea. The full-page, color illustrations are warm and delightful. This series is ideal for readers of Owl Diaries, Mercy Watson, and Mouse & Mole.

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

four-stars

The Box in the Woods

The Box in the WoodsThe Box in the Woods (Truly Devious, #4) by Maureen Johnson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on June 15, 2021
ISBN: 0063032600
Pages: 383
Genres: Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Stevie Bell is back! Solving a “crime-of-the-century” gave Stevie some good press and a reputation as a detective extraordinaire, so it is no surprise when the owner of a summer camp with a decades-long unsolved murder mystery enlists her help in solving the cold case. Stevie takes the case and, together with her two best friends, heads to Sunny Pines. Johnson does a nice job keeping the action moving, providing heart-pounding twists that are basically believable, and in crafting a stand-alone murder mystery novel that pays homage to summer-camp horror tropes and provides a Hercule Poirot-esque solution reveal. Fans of the Truly Devious series will benefit from the depth of knowledge about Stevie, Nate, Janelle, and David, which will enrich the storytelling. Readers new to the series can certainly enjoy this stand-alone mystery, but they may not feel as connected to the secondary characters as only Stevie really gets a voice in this book. Johnson continues to shine a light on anxiety and the compulsion and drive that Stevie has once her mind is hooked into an unsolved case. A delightful read. Hopefully, this is not the last we’ve seen of Stevie Bell & co.

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

five-stars

The Secret Starling

The Secret StarlingThe Secret Starling by Jo Rioux, Judith Eagle
Published by Walker Books US on June 8, 2021
ISBN: 1536213659
Pages: 256
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Clara believes that she is an orphan in the guardianship of her uncle.  She is terribly lonesome until she meets Peter whose grandmother is ill in the hospital and who has been sent to stay with Clara and her uncle.

But things change dramatically when Clara’s uncle disappears and leaves her with a pile of money and no explanation.  There are many adventures which culminate with Clara and Peter discovering that they are twins, their father, whom they believed was dead, is a famous ballet dancer who never knew they existed, and they won’t be lonesome again.

This book has an old-fashioned orphan/adventure vibe that upper elementary aged students will enjoy, but it isn’t Cream worthy.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

McTavish Takes the Cake

McTavish Takes the CakeMcTavish Takes the Cake by Grace Easton, Meg Rosoff
Published by Candlewick Press on June 8, 2021
ISBN: 1536213756
Pages: 96
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

McTavish Takes the Cake

 

Meg Rosoff has written the third book in her series of McTavish, a rescue dog who has very bright ideas to improve his family’s life.  Food is the most important ingredient now since Ma Peachey has relinquished the cooking chores to her children, who have ability, and to her husband, who doesn’t.  When Pa Peachey tries to cook, only McTavish and the youngest child, Betty, will eat it, and it is a challenge for them as they start to put on weight.

A cooking contest is announced and Pa believes that he can be the winner.  The rest of the family have major doubts as Pa tries to make a gingerbread replica of the palace of Versailles with thousands of pieces.  It doesn’t go well, through the intervention of McTavish, but all is not lost as Pa receives $500 worth of flour as a consolation prize.  An interesting premise but not Cream of the Crop worthy.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

four-stars

The Triple Play Twins

The Triple Play TwinsBallpark Mysteries #17: The Triple Play Twins by David A. Kelly, Mark Meyers
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on February 2, 2021
ISBN: 0593126246
Pages: 112
Genres: Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

“The Triple Play Twins” is the seventeenth book in the “Ballpark Mysteries” series by David A. Kelly. You don’t need to have read the other books in order to understand the book. This early chapter book follows two cousins, Kate and Mike, who travel to different baseball parks with Kate’s mother, a sports reporter. There’s always some sort of mystery to solve wherever they go.

In this one, Kate and Mike befriend two identical twin players on the Minnesota Twins, but something is wrong when they run into one of the twins and he doesn’t seem to recognize them. The action keeps readers interested in solving the mystery and also peppers in some baseball information for young sports fans. There isn’t anything groundbreaking in this book, but it will appeal to kids who enjoy the “A to Z mysteries” and baseball fans.

Aimed at kids aged 6 through 9, the “Ballpark Mysteries” is a solid beginner chapter book series to add to your collection, especially if you have readers looking for sports themed books.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

three-stars