Format: Chapter Book Fiction

I Can Make This Promise

I Can Make This PromiseI Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
Published by Harper, HarperCollins, Quill Tree Books on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062871994
Pages: 272
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Family relationships and historical influences are the main subjects of this well written novel.  As a young teen Edie finds some letters in the attic that shed light on her heritage.  Not wanted to challenge her mother our protagonist turns to her friends.  This story reveals some historical facts concerning Native People in the Seattle WA area.  Decimation and family separation by immoral government personal is revealed to Edie and the reader.  The only difficulty with this text is the interactions between mother and daughter seem unrealistic.

This novel will be appreciated by school librarians and intermediate history teachers.  Young readers are bound to enjoy the character interactions and the emotional content.  Public librarians will want to add this book to their collections.

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

four-stars

Stand on the sky

Stand on the skyStand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on March 5, 2019
ISBN: 1328557464
Pages: 330
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Aisulu and her brother, Serik live in Mongolia with their Kazakh nomadic family. Aisulu breaks tradition by becoming an eagle hunter since Serik’s fate has been drastically altered. Aisulu raises and trains an orphaned baby golden eagle. She has much to learn about eagle hunting with her horse. She is helped by her extended family and determined to help her own family that moves to the city because of her brother, Serik’s illness. Winning an eagle hunting competition that offers prize money will allow the family to continue their nomadic way of life. Aisulu is determined to win. The author completed extensive research and lived with a family of eagle hunters. The descriptions of the eagles, animals, people, clothing, landscape, traditions, food, and dwellings are colorful and rich. The story moves quickly from the first page to the ending. The blend of traditional and current modern lifestyles is fascinating. There is a glossary consisting of terms and phrases, family members and others with the meaning of their names, and an author’s note. I highly recommend this novel for reader for ages 10 and up. The second sentence of the book has a typo. Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish
Recommend for Cream of the Crop

five-stars

Banjo

BanjoBanjo by Graham Salisbury
Published by Wendy Lamb Books on October 8, 2019
ISBN: 0375842640
Pages: 224
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Danny is a twelve year old rodeo star who lives with his father, older brother, and his border collie, Banjo on a ranch in Oregon. Banjo is shot and wounded by neighbor boys who accuse him of attacking their sheep. Danny knows that Banjo would never do this. The father of the boys who shot Banjo informs Danny and his father that Banjo must be put down. Danny and his father know this is what must happen when a dog attacks livestock. Danny has to make a heartbreaking decision. Another character in the book is Meg. She crosses Banjo’s path and eventually Danny’s path. The story is told by Danny and Meg. This realistic story about the bond that people develop with animals is engaging. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming. It is about trust, loyalty, and determination. The author makes the setting come alive with descriptions of rodeos and life on a ranch. The characters are well developed and grow with the story.
I highly recommend this book for ages 10-14. 5 stars Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish
Recommend for Cream of the Crop

five-stars

Warrior of the Wild

Warrior of the WildWarrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller
Published by Feiwel & Friends on February 26, 2019
ISBN: 1250189942
Pages: 329
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This Viking inspired fantasy is told through Rasmira’s eyes and thoughts. She is eighteen years old and the youngest of six daughters. Her father is the leader of the village and has planned that Rasmira will inherit his position. She is the only female being trained as a warrior and when the final test takes place she is betrayed. She is forced to go into the Wild to complete an impossible task. The Wild is full of monsters, the god that she must slay in order to redeem herself, and others she is surprised to find there. It is rapidly paced and full of adventure. There is humor, romance, and some gore. I highly recommend this for readers 14 and older. Reviewed by Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

four-stars

Dog Driven

Dog DrivenDog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on December 3, 2019
ISBN: 1328551598
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Fourteen old McKenna is competing in a sled dog race from Sault St. Marie to White River, Ontario to commemorate the early postal carriers from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Her sister, Em, has a degenerative eye disease called Stargart’s. Em wants McKenna to run this race to help raise awareness about her disease. McKenna knows the signs of this disease and is well aware of what is happening with her own failing vision, but is keeping it a secret from her parents. McKenna is very apprehensive about this race in the Canadian wilderness, but is determined to compete. The race is difficult and dangerous. The characters are well developed in this action filled novel. The descriptions of the sled dogs and their handling is informative and engaging. This story about perseverance, friendship, sacrifice, and trust will appeal to a large audience. It would work well as a classroom novel. There is an author’s note that explains that many of the elements of the story are based on historical events. The author is a very experienced musher and lives in Ontario. I highly recommend this exciting and enjoyable book for ages 10 and up. Reviewed by Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish.
Recommend for Cream of the Crop

five-stars

Lalani of the Distant Sea

Lalani of the Distant SeaLalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly
Published by Greenwillow Books on September 3, 2019
ISBN: 0062747274
Pages: 400
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Lalani lives on an island and all of the folk living there are terrified of Mount Kahna and all it holds. No one goes there, it is actually forbidden to do so. But when Lalani ends up on the mountain, she finds something wicked there and makes a deal with it help save her village. The cost is more than she could possibly imagine. There are many names in this story and keeping track of them can be hard, but so worth it. It is a fantasy and has interesting creatures and people with powers that will surprise the reader. Even though this is a fantasy, it reads like a survival and adventure story as well. The drawings and book borders match the mood of this fantasy quite well. Cream. Ages 9 and up.

Mary Lehmer, Youth Services Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME 04032

five-stars

Blood Mountain

Blood MountainBlood Mountain by James Preller
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), Feiwel & Friends on October 8, 2019
ISBN: 1250174856
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Siblings Grace and Carter get lost while hiking Blood Mountain when their dad falls behind and has a heart attack. Left alone with only their dog to help them they try to find their way back to civilization. Unfortunately, their dad made them leave all technology behind so they have no way to contact help. On top of that, a mountain man that has been living hidden in the wilderness and an escaped mountain lion are tracking them. I thought the beginning description of the squirrel killing and skinning was a bit gruesome and made the book take on a bit of a horror feel. The book’s title definitely added to that feeling. Some solid survival stuff in here but parts of it were a bit hard to believe. Ages 10 and up

Mary Lehmer, Freeport Community Library, Freeport ME

 

four-stars

The Rambling

Published by Harper Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Folklore
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
five-stars

“The Rambling” is an eerie, intriguing, suspenseful and unique Middle Grade novel. It is a story of a boy’s self discovery in a very imaginative river country setting with  unmatched voice.

Buddy Pennington is headed off to river country to find his daddy who he feels he’d be better off living with.  His daddy is  a meandering soul who just happens to be a whiz at the card game,  Parsnit.   Parsnit is a mysterious card game of magic, chance and storytelling.  As soon as Buddy locates his dad, some of his Pop’s old adversaries arrive to take him away.  And,  Boss Authority, the magical crime lord who has terrorized the river country for years,  stands ready to collect on an old debt owed to him by Buddy’s  dad!  Thus Buddy sets out on a dangerous mission to save his dad and along the way must learn to play Parsnit with the best of them.

And  in this game your only as strong as the story you tell!

An adventure story at its best!  A  hard to put down tale that both boys and girls will become quickly engaged in.

 

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME

five-stars

The Forgotten Girl

Published by Scholastic Press Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction

“The Forgotten Girl” is a spooky  and original ghost tale for Middle Graders.

On a cold winter night, Iris and her best friend, Daniel,  sneak out to play in fresh snow in a clearing in the woods where they discover the  old gravestone of a girl,  Avery Moore,  beneath them.  Soon strange things begin to happen to Iris: she has nightmares,  thinks she sees the  shadow of the girl lurking in the woods and feels called back to the clearing.  Determined to find out what is going on, Iris and Daniel  do a school project which involves researching the area. They discover that  they were actually playing in an old black cemetery, dating to times when blacks and whites were segregated in life as well as in death . Their goal is to restore the cemetery and pay proper respects to the girl  who is buried there;   however,  Avery’s awakened ghost is not satisfied with their efforts.  She is searching for  something   more   –  regardless of the cost!

This story is unique in that it blends, mystery, history, and an original ghost tale. It examines segregation and racism in an engaging story ultimately about friendship and love and forgiveness.

I think that perhaps girls might enjoy this book more than boys; however, boys, too,  might  like the spooky mystery that it entails.

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME

 

A Treason of Thorns

A Treason of ThornsA Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth
Published by HarperTeen on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 0062696920
Pages: 352
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Sometimes people say that a house can become its own character in a book, well in this book the house really is a character and it has its own thoughts, feelings and powers. I loved that this book had a premise I haven’t really seen a lot of. That being said the execution of this book was a disappointment. I ended up not connecting with any of the characters. Because I didn’t feel a connection I became easily bored and I didn’t really care how the story ended. This book if fine for 12-19-year old’s but I wouldn’t buy it for my collection.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library