Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction

Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind

Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused MindMindfulness and Meditation by Whitney Stewart
Published by Twenty-First Century Books (Tm) on August 6, 2019
ISBN: 1541540212
Pages: 120
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Mindfulness and Meditation may have been written with teens in mind, but many will find this book helpful There are many coping skills that are so desperately needed to handle today’s society and this book could just be the answer. There are numerous simple exercises and techniques ranging from how to calm the stress in your life to dealing with your social-media presence.

Very well written and easy to follow. There is a TOC, source notes, glossary, etc. along with further information to expand your meditational needs. Recommended for grade 8 and up (that means adults, too!)

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

five-stars

To the Moon and Back for you

To the Moon and Back for youTo the Moon and Back for You by E.G. Keller, Emilia Bechrakis Serhant
Published by Random House ISBN: 0593173880
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

A mother’s joy is alive in the lovely text and the illustrations are amazing.   Certainly, any mother who has under gone medical assistance to become pregnant can identify.  While Kleenex may be needed to read the content, the pictures are bright and cheerful and will make the reader smile.  I only wish that lesbian mothers were included, perhaps in the Author’s Note where parents are described as mothers and fathers.

This is not a book that school media centers would purchase but it belongs in public libraries in the parenting collection.  A copy of To the Moon and Back for You would be an excellent gift for any mother who has undergone IVF procedures.

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

three-stars

The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees

The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian RefugeesThe Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on September 18th 2018
ISBN: 1328810151
Pages: 112
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction, Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

Don Brown wanted to tell the story of the Syrian refugees. He wanted the focus to be on their plight and their stories. In order to get accurate information, he visited a refugee camp in Greece, outside a former Greek air base. In graphic novel form, he tells their story – the horror of war, the torture of men, women and children, fleeing from one horrific place to another, never knowing whether you will live to see the end of the day. His illustrations convey both the hopelessness of their-plight and the hopefulness of a people who will not be defeated. This is a hard book to read yet it should be read and discussed. It causes the reader to wonder if this could really be happening in this day and age. How could people be treated so badly for wanting to be free and decide their own fate?

In Brown’s postscript he states”There are about 5.7 million registered refugees. In the first three months of 2018, the United States has accepted eleven for resettlement.”

Suggested reading level is grades 9-12

Reviewed by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray

five-stars

Martin Rising, Requiem for a King

Martin Rising, Requiem for a KingMartin Rising: Requiem For a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney
Published by Scholastic Press on January 2nd 2018
ISBN: 0545702534
Pages: 128
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Brian Pinkney’s watercolor illustrations set the tone for the last days of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and author Andrea Davis Pinkney tells the story through several poems. Many were powerful and heart wrenching and the watercolors captured these shifts. I wasn’t a big fan of the Chicken Little analogy that was used even after I read the Author’s Note section that explains why Andrea used Chicken Little. This would work well for a classroom studying Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life

For grades 5 and up, Mary Lehmer, Freeport Community Library, Freeport, ME

four-stars

The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century

The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th CenturyThe Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century by Neal Bascomb
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 1338140345
Pages: 256
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The  German POW camp of Holzminden, better known by those that were  there as Hellminden, is where the prisons  were sent that have repeatedly  escaped from other camps and unlucky enough to have survived recapture.  A group of defiant soldiers that have become infamous amongst their ranks as “escape artists” have succeeded in tunneling out of the camp, unbeknownst to the ruthless commandant,  manage to escape. Approximately 29 men escaped and 19 were recaptured and court martialed.  Neal Bascomb has written a compelling, action packed history of POWs in WWI. Avid history fans will enjoy.

Well organized with a List of Participants at the beginning of the book along with a bibliography, source notes section and a complete index. There are diagrams and time period photographs dispersed about the chapters in detail with the text.  Great resource on World War I POW history.

Recommended for grades 10 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford

five-stars

Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice

Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for JusticeUnpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice by Lawrence Goldstone
Published by Scholastic Nonfiction on September 11th 2018
ISBN: 1338239457
Pages: 288
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

A little know story of Easter Sunday of 1873, where the Supreme Court of the United States turned a blind eye to the law of the land and allowed 3 white men to walk away from the massacre of hundreds of black men, women and children who died in an attempt to protect their rights a newly freed citizens.  This is an interesting source on the Reconstruction Era of the south, with the formation of white supremacy groups, and  where Jim Crow laws began. Better suited for older students due to constitutional and legal terms enveloped with the text.

TOC, glossary, bibliography, source notes and index are present and easy to follow. Illustrations and photographs are throughout the text and placed to compliment the text. Recommended for grades 11-12).

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford

 

 

Unpresidented: A Biography of Donald Trump

Unpresidented: A Biography of Donald TrumpUnpresidented: A Biography of Donald Trump by Martha Brockenbrough
Published by Feiwel & Friends on December 4th 2018
ISBN: 1250308038
Pages: 432
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Donald Trump was born into a family that had achieved substantial wealth and  was sent to a military school at the age of 13, where he was an accomplished athlete and  in good academic standing as a student. Trump joined his father in the real estate business and eventually branched off on his own, becoming the business man and celebrity that today we now call Mr. President.

Interesting information on his family history — the reasons his grandfather left Germany, his romances and lives with his three wives along with his children’s involvement and more.  Martha Brockenbrough  had always found Donald Trump’s “common-sense business advice appealing.”  in his earlier years, but when she heard him stating the President Obama’s birthplace was in Kenya even though is was a proven fact that that was not the case, she started rethinking that appeal.

Recommended for Grades 10 to adult who find politics and their stories interesting.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford

four-stars

Epic Fails The Age of Exploration: Totally Getting Lost

Epic Fails The Age of Exploration: Totally Getting LostThe Age of Exploration: Totally Getting Lost by Ben Thompson, Erik Slader, Tim Foley
Published by Roaring Brook Press on April 16th 2019
ISBN: 125015054X
Pages: 160
Genres: Adventure
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This 4th book in the series covers explorers and expeditions with names including Columbus, the Vikings, Magellan, Captain Cook, Dr. Livingston, and five others.  Each chapter presents unknown bite size parts of history sure to interest all readers. Written in a humorous, easy to read manner, the authors show how failures produced change and progress not only in America, but around the world.  Giovanni da Verrazzano was killed without accomplishing his mission, but is remembered as one of the most valuable explorers of his time. Coronado failed at his mission to find the Seven Cities of Gold, but actually “paved the way for European exploration all throughout the American Southwest.”  Authentic pictures, paintings, maps, and sketches provide a face and image for each topic. The chapters begin with the time period covered and a quote from the explorer. The end of the book provides a timeline, an index, and a bibliography including websites and books for further research. History enthusiasts ages 8-11 will enjoy learning both positive and negative truths from a variety of time periods.  Teachers may find themselves placing this book in the hands of a reluctant reader or a reluctant history lover.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton

four-stars

Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens (2nd ed.)

Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens (2nd ed.)Queer, 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Lgbtq Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge, Marke Bieschke
Published by Zest Books (Tm) on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541578589
Pages: 208
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A useful and informative guide for teens that deal with important questions that they may face such as self-identity and dating. Well written and comfortable with sidebar excerpts from the authors’ own experiences. Excellent resource section available in the back of the book listing organizations, religious websites, and books that teens will find useful. Full index and Table of Contents.

Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.

 

 

 

five-stars

Soccer’s G.O.A.T.: Pele, Lionel Messi, and More

Soccer’s G.O.A.T.: Pele, Lionel Messi, and MoreSoccer's G.O.A.T.: Pele, Lionel Messi, and More by Jon M. Fishman
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on August 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541556003
Pages: 32
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Kids who enjoy sports will like this series detailing top ten players in each of six sports. This title focuses on soccer (football to readers outside of the United States) and the ten greatest players of all time. The book starts with a short history of the sport and then acknowledges that the top ten players in this book might not be the same as the top ten players on the reader’s list of favorites and allows that it’s okay to have differences of opinions as that is what makes people true fans. The list of greats counts down from 10 to 1 and includes eight men and two women and provides a concise write-up of the accomplishments and any feats achieved. The end matter in the book challenges kids to make their own list of greatest players and share it with family, which is a nice touch. This book would be appropriate for grades 2-4 and would be good for libraries with larger sports collections as the price point with a library binding is high and the material inside is bound to age quickly with the addition of more athletes contributing to the field.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library

three-stars