Format: Chapter Book Fiction

The Kingdom

The KingdomThe Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
Published by Henry Holt & Company on May 28, 2019
ISBN: 1250293855
Pages: 352
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“The Kingdom” by Jess Rothenberg is a young adult science fiction novel set in the relatively near future (2096) at a theme park that sounds suspiciously familiar. The main character, Ana, is a hybrid human/animatronic princess who works for The Kingdom. The princesses, called Fantasists, are required to live their entire lives in the park, interacting with guests in prescribed ways and making their visits magical. Any aberration is met with re-education and rebooting or ultimately, destruction.

Ana is starting to have feelings and notices that she is becoming less content to live within the Kingdom forever under their rules. She falls for a Kingdom worker and then finds herself accused of his murder! The book switches between interviews with Ana during the trial, court documents, and the actual events of two years before the trial.

Written for ages 13-18, this interesting science fiction and mystery book is a good addition to young adult collections where science fiction is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

four-stars

Homerooms and Hall Passes

Homerooms and Hall PassesHomerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O'Donnell
Published by Balzer + Bray on October 8, 2019
ISBN: 0062872141
Pages: 352
Genres: Fantasy, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“Homerooms and Hall Passes” by Tom O’Donnell takes the idea of modern day people being transported to a fantasy world and switches it around. Five adventurers who live in a D&D type world are cursed and the next time they play their favorite game “Homerooms and Hall Passes,” a game where they act as middle school kids and have to roll dice to avoid traps like tests and detention, they are transported to a middle school and forced to live as their characters in the H&HP game!

The book is funny and works very well as a D&D parody. It’s amusing to see barbarians and magic users having to deal with the problems that middle school throws at you (popularity, visits to the principal’s office, and quizzes to name a few). Aimed at kids aged 8 to 12, this book will appeal mostly to kids who already play D&D, are interested in RPGs, or like humorous spins on fantasy. With the resurgence in popularity of D&D, I would say this is a recommended purchase if your middle grade humor and fantasy collections are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

four-stars

The Monster Catchers

The Monster CatchersThe Monster Catchers: A Bailey Buckleby Story by George Brewington
Published by Henry Holt & Company on March 5, 2019
ISBN: 1250165784
Pages: 288
Genres: Fantasy, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

“The Monster Catchers” by George Brewington is a middle grade fiction novel about a teen, Bailey, who helps run his family’s pet store (where they also keep mythical creatures in the back for special buyers). Bailey and his dad also run a “pest removal” business for monster pests. Bailey feels that monsters can have feelings and thoughts, but his father thinks of them as just pests and money makers. A monster shows up to purchase one of their favorite creatures (who has now become almost a family pet) and chaos happens.

The plot keeps moving along quickly and will keep the reader interested until the end, but the characters other than Bailey are very flat. Themes of family, empathy, and bravery are throughout the book, but overall the story feels underdeveloped. A supplemental purchase for libraries where middle grade novels about mythical creatures in modern times are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

two-stars

The other, better me

The other, better meThe Other, Better Me by Antony John
Published by HarperCollins on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 0062835653
Pages: 272
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Lola has never known her father, but her mother has always been there for her. Her mom’s health declines, and Lola starts to feel the urge to find her father. A school writing assignment gives her the opportunity to do just that. How will this affect her, her mother, and their family? This is a short book, but it covers so many important topics — parental abandonment, econimic inequity, bullying, friendship, illness, death, and so much more. Despite the length of the book, it covers all these topics well and with grace. This book will appeal to many readers because there are so many opportunities for kids to relate. This is an excellent book for 4th-6th grade readers, and I’m recommending it for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Emmy in the key of code

Emmy in the key of codeEmmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido
Published by Versify on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 0358040825
Pages: 416
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Emmy is at a new school, and she’s trying to find her way. Both her parents are musicians, but she just doens’t love music the way they do. She does, however, find the music in math and computer science she’s started studying in school. Navigating new friendships, difficult bullies, and a love for a new subject, Emmy finds acceptance and friendship where she didn’t expect it. A combination of poetry, code, prose, and music, this is a fun and quick read that will appeal to many. Hand this to reluctact readers as the short amounts of text on some pages may make it feel like an easier read. Best for 4th-6th grade students, this is a great introduction to coding while simultaneously being an entertaining read.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

The Guinevere Deception

The Guinevere DeceptionThe Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White
Published by Delacorte Press on November 5, 2019
ISBN: 0525581685
Pages: 352
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

 

A Young Adult spin on the Arthurian legend. This book has received a lot of recognition from the Young Adult book community as of late. It may be because of this, that I was a little disappointed. Having the story be about Guinevere instead of Arthur was a nice change of pace, and I thought it was a great twist to turn Lancelot into a strong female character. The main love story between Guinevere and Arthur is just starting out in this book but you can tell the author will continue to grow that connection.  Unfortunately Lancelot isn’t introduced till the last 1/3 of the book, despite this, the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot has already set its hooks in me. I have no idea where the two of them will end up but I’m excited to find out. The writing style is unpretentious and flows well. Because of this I would recommend it for Young Adults ages 14-19 who struggle with reading.

three-stars

I, Cosmo

I, CosmoI, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak
Published by Walker Books UsS on December 24, 2019
ISBN: 1536207691
Pages: 192
Genres: Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

The dog doesn’t die! Unlike a lot of books that kill the animal in the end this one does not do that. Thank god! Told from the dog’s point of view this book explores the relationship between family members during a particularly trying year. At times some of the situations described can make one uncomfortable if only because they are achingly familiar to many of us. This book would be a great addition to any 5-8 grade classroom especially for children who are dealing with difficult situations at home.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

three-stars

The Burning Queen

The Burning QueenThe Burning Queen by Kathryn Lasky
Published by HarperCollins on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 0062693301
Pages: 336
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

Book two of this series falls prey to the curse of the dreaded sequel. This installment again focuses on our main character Rose as she travels between present day Indianapolis and 1553 Tudor England. What was bearable and somewhat cute in the first book becomes hard to bear in the second. The repetitive use of the phrase “you have such a way with words Rose” to address the fact that Rose is not blending into the historical time period and that people are noticing really starts to shock you out of the story. Though this book does do a great job of having inclusive characters and focusing on the relationship between peers I would skip adding it to a collection unless the first in the series circulated well.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

two-stars

The Miraculous

The MiraculousThe Miraculous by Jess Redman
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on July 30, 2019
ISBN: 0374309744
Pages: 320
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Twelve-year old Wunder Ellis became a “miraclologist” when he was five years old. He  documents the miracles he sees in the world in his journal. When his infant sister passes away, Wunder stops looking for miracles. With the help of his friend Faye and a strange old woman in town, Wunder will believe in miracles again. This fantasy story about loss and grief will strike a chord with some middle grade readers. However, the theme comes across in a heavy-handed manner and the pacing is slow at times.  (Grades 4-6)three-stars

Cathy Potter, Falmouth Middle School, Falmouth, ME

This is My Fort!

This is My Fort!This Is MY Fort! (Monkey & Cake, #2) by Drew Daywalt, Olivier Tallec
Published by Orchard Books on February 26, 2019
ISBN: 1338143905
Pages: 56
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Monkey and Cake love building forts. Cake decides to build a fort only for Cakes, no Monkeys allowed. After much begging and pleading, Monkey devises his own genius plan for a fort — a fort only for Monkeys.

This is the second in the Monkey and Cake series brought to us by the author of The Day the Crayons Quit. Wonderfully clever and simply executed, this book will appeal to many early readers. The bold text is easy to follow, not too difficult for new readers, and the story is fun. The illustrations are simple, clear, and help convey the emotions Monkey and Cake are feeling. This book is best for Pre-K-2, and it would be a great read aloud — especially if you build a fort afterwards!

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars