Format: Chapter Book Fiction

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

Blood Heir

Blood HeirBlood Heir (Blood Heir Trilogy, #1) by Amélie Wen Zhao
Published by Delacorte Press on November 19, 2019
ISBN: 0525707794
Pages: 455
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A YA fantasy set in a world that reminds me of historical Russia. The main characters are a princess and a con man who are both trying to hide from their pasts and their feelings towards each other. I would recommend this book to teens 14-19 who don’t mind a little bit of gore mixed in with their romance. If gore isn’t their kind of thing then I would steer them away from this choice.  Also, I would like to take a second to address the controversy surrounding this book. Before this book was published some reviewers found this book to be racists and posted online reviews saying as much. This led to people boycotting the book and partaking in online bullying of the author. I read this book and did not find it to be racist or offensive. This, of course, is just my opinion but I will definitely be adding it to the library’s collection.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

four-stars

Olga: Out of Control

Olga: Out of ControlOlga: Out of Control! (Olga, #3) by Elise Gravel
Published by HarperCollins on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 006235132X
Pages: 192
Genres: Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

The third book in the Olga series, Olga Out of Control! will not disappoint fans of this science-loving protagonist. As the discoverer and caretaker of a new species of animal, the Olgamus ridiculus, Olga’s days are never boring. The most recent surprise discovery is that Olga’s beloved pet Meh has given birth to seven baby Olgamuses. Olga is a strong, smart, resourceful protagonist, with an endearing supporting cast of characters (including her favorite pierced and tattooed librarian, Ms. Swoop). With the perfect balance of scientific inquiry, humor, and support from her friends, readers will delight in watching Olga navigate through her adventures with the newborns. Elise Gravel’s illustrations are bold, with a limited color palette, eliminating an excess of visual information, and allowing readers to enjoy the storyline without distraction. Recommended for ages 7-11, this hybrid of middle grade fiction/graphic novel will easily grab the attention of already established Olga fans, reluctant readers, as well as those simply looking for a light, entertaining read.

Reviewed by Jennifer Benham, Prince Memorial Library

four-stars