Format: Fiction

Hello, Sun!

Hello, Sun!Published by Random House Children's Books Format: Early Reader, Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
three-stars

Norbit (a cheerful pink earthworm in a red bandana) and Sun are friends, enjoying their day together with other playmates (teddy bear, chick, ladybug, butterfly) in this title from Seuss Studios, an imprint, where “emerging authors and illustrators” create beginner books, using “never-before-seen” images by Theodor S. Geisel as inspiration.

Readers learn about different ways to enjoy time outside while practicing reading skills with the repetitive sentences (“I can . .. “, “We can . . . “) and (mostly) one-syllable words.  The images are simple, lively and bright; the characters are smiling and rosy-cheeked as they sing. dance, swim and relish their time outside with enthusiasm.

Recommended for public and school library collections.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

three-stars

Magic Tree House (The Graphic Novel): Midnight on the Moon

Magic Tree House (The Graphic Novel): Midnight on the MoonMidnight on the Moon Graphic Novel (Magic Tree House Graphic Novels) by Jenny Laird, Kelly Matthews, Mary Pope Osborne, Nichole Matthews
ISBN: 0593706056
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Fiction, Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars

Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House The Graphic Novel: Midnight on the Moon

Adapted by: Jenny Laird

Illustrated by Kelly & Nichole Matthews

 

This book is the eighth in the series of graphic novels adapted from the Magic Tree house chapter books. Jack and Annie are siblings who have a magic tree house in their backyard. The tree house whisks them away to the moon in the future on a mission to save Morgan. Jack and Annie must find the fourth M thing to break Merlin’s spell which transformed Morgan into Peanut the mouse. This book does not do well as a stand-alone, as the reader never learns how Jack and Annie met Morgan. The end of the book contains an excerpt from the accompanying Fact Tracker: Space, which explains some of the science behind the astronomy covered in the novel. This is a quick read for reluctant readers and would serve as a nice stepping stone to the chapter book, which has the same plot. For ages 6-9.

3 stars

Reviewed by Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay

three-stars

The Magician Next Door

The Magician Next DoorThe Magician Next Door by Alice McKinley, Rachel Chivers Khoo
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536241970
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Callie is still in mourning for her mother and the life her family lived in London. Her father has taken a new job in a remote area of Northern Ireland and she can’t even muster the energy to unpack. Even worse, her neighbor Sam wants to be her friend. One night a house, yes a house, lands in her back yard. Upside down. Callie spies a strange woman and then the woman and the house disappear. It turns out that the house is inhabited by a magician named Winnifred who is attached to her house. When she wants to go somewhere new, the entire house relocates. Something went awry on this latest trip and not only did the house land upside down, but Winnifred’s supply of wanderdust has been depleted. It turns out that Callie’s sadness may have zapped the house of the wanderdust and Callie feels she needs to make things right. With the help of Sam and his knowledge of the geography and creatures of their region, they set off to make things right. This is a book about magic and the healing power of place and friends. Kids who love fantasy with silly witches, mostly clueless adults, and children who save the day will enjoy this book. More of an elementary than a middle grade read and a little formulaic.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

three-stars

The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting

The Assassin’s Guide to BabysittingThe Assassin's Guide to Babysitting by Natalie C. Parker
Published by Candlewick Press on January 7, 2025
ISBN: 153623009X
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
A fun, high-tension, high-thrill novel set in a shadowy Kansas City where a society of Talented people lives alongside – and unnoticed by – regular humans. Tru is the most unusual type of talent, most of whom fit into one of four groups based on the special skill they are born with (strongarm, wingtip, bullseye or bombshell). She’s a bastion, which means she can’t be easily hurt. Her parents were killed protecting her secret, and she was raised by a former assassin who taught her how to hide. The action kicks off when Tru is on what appears to be a normal babysitting job, and masked intruders break in, demanding the one-year-old she has been watching. Tru escapes with the baby (also being targeted for being a bastion, she later discovers), but in the skirmish her secret is discovered. Her guardian is killed protecting her and she and her band of three friends are suddenly on the run from assassins. Tru and her friends work to keep themselves and the baby alive, and to figure out who they can trust while being pursued by talented bounty hunters. Readers will enjoy worldbuilding, excellent character development and suspense paired with an original plotline. A subtle subplot builds in the second half of the book with a budding romance between Tru and her friend Sage’s older sister Lila, one of the bounty hunters chasing the friends down. Snappy and fast paced, this is a hard book to put down.

5 stars

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Unhallowed Halls

Published by Delacorte Genres: Horror, Supernatural
Format: Fiction, Young Adult
four-stars
Page is struggling emotionally and physically after she unintentionally caused a terrible accident at school. When she receives a surprise scholarship to Agathion College, a boarding school in the Scottish moorlands, she takes the opportunity to leave Florida and dedicate her mind to her studies. Once there, she is immersed in rigid academia, a dreary yet beautiful campus, and a new group of friends. Things are strange from the start though, and Page feels increasingly unsettled as students randomly “graduate”, teachers seem possessed, the mascot pig won’t stop screaming at her,  and her Samhain birthday is mentioned by the faculty far more often than it should be. What is Agathion College hiding?

The first half of this book is so fun; the mood is perfect, the character development is excellent, and the foreboding gloom keeps the pages turning. The second half loses momentum somewhat but certainly not enough to discourage dark academia, classical studies, and/or demonology fans from devouring it in a few sittings.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Darkly

DarklyDarkly by Marisha Pessl
Published by Delacorte Press on November 26, 2024
ISBN: 0593706552
Pages: 399
Genres: Mystery, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Dia Gannon is an outsider at school, thanks to her love of vintage fashion and her general distrust of anyone under 75. While she tolerates working at her mother’s antique store with her elderly coworkers, she finds herself dreaming of more and can’t believe it when she is chosen from thousands of international entries as one of seven participants in an internship for Darkly, an immensely popular gaming empire surrounded by rumor and mystique. The internship, which takes place on an island, is deceptive and confusing from the get-go, and Dia and her fellow interns must play an unreleased game while they try to understand what they’re all doing there.

Darkly is a masterclass in world-building and the chapters in which the interns play Valkyrie, the previously unknown game, are breathtakingly cinematic. Otherwise, the book is just a little slow, and would have benefitted from fleshing out the other interns. Mystery fans will still love it, especially all the twists and the lore surrounding the woman at the center of it all, game designer Louisiana Veda, arguably the most well-rounded character, though we never actually meet her. Recommend to fans of mysteries or board games, or try it with Squid Game watchers, although Darkly is nowhere near as bleak.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

four-stars

The Girl With No Reflection

The Girl With No ReflectionThe Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
Published by Delacorte Press on August 6, 2024
ISBN: 0593707508
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Format: Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars
An arranged royal marriage to the egotistical, cold, and indifferent prince  is the last thing princess Ying Yue wants.  Escape arrives when Ying discovers a magical world living in the mirror.  Her reflection self asks to trade places with her.  In the reflection world, Ying finds the reflection Prince to be kind and compassionate, leading to the love story she had been dreaming of.  Like most fantasy stories, dreams are never what they seem to be.  Monsters, mystery, secret plots, and a war are what begin to unfold.  Ying must untwist a prophecy and try to put a stop to the  horrible path she put into play when she started traveling between the real and reflective worlds.  

This YA novel is a  mix of fantasy, romance (romantasy), mystery, and a little horror.  The author begins with a note stating that inspiration was taken from cultural elements of Imperial China, but are a work of fiction, not historical fact.  The confusing task of determining who are the “good guys” is a huge driving force of the plot. The mirror world feels like an enticing concept for this fantasy story, but the characters and plot just don’t live up to the expectation.  

Reviewed by Heidi Kopishke, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME.

three-stars

Night Owls

Night OwlsNight Owls by A.R. Vishny
Published by Harper on September 17, 2024
ISBN: 0063327309
Genres: Folklore, Romance, Supernatural
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars
Molly and Clara Sender are the co-managers of a Jewish theater in New York, The Grand Dame Cinema, which historically showed Yiddish theatrical productions. They love the theater, their jobs, and the cover it provides them as estries, the traditional Jewish vampiric female owls . As Molly gets closer to her girlfriend Anat, and Clara decides whether to pursue her crush on the Grand Dame’s employee Boaz (who can communicate with ghosts), the sisters struggle with letting their loved ones see who they really are, which could potentially put them all in danger.

Night Owls is a refreshingly unique YA romance. The Yiddish theater history,  Jewish demons, and vintage film reverence serves as a surprisingly comfortable backdrop to the romantic issues the Senders face. The book is ambitious, and can feel a little murky, but it works with the atmosphere and any inconsistencies pale in comparison to the vividness of the characters, setting, and overall mood of the story. Hand to fans of supernatural romance, mythical creatures, classic film, or folklore.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten free Library, Bath

five-stars

Such Charming Liars

Such Charming LiarsSuch Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
Published by Delacorte Press on July 30, 2024
ISBN: 059348505X
Pages: 389
Genres: Psychological thriller
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Liam’s father is an unabashed grifter. Kat’s mother, Jamie, is a reluctant jewel thief, but is only in it to pay back a Gem, a jewelry-forging criminal who helped her years ago. When Jamie decides it’s time to take Kat and leave Gem for good, Gem agrees to help support her new life in exchange for one final job. Jamie and Kat take off for Maine to steal one last piece of jewelry from the fabulously rich Sutherland family, and then life will be guilt and crime free.  On their way, they run into Liam and his father Luke, an awkward reunion since the last time Kat and Liam saw one another they were small children and had wandered out of a Las Vegas hotel room to explore the casinos during the one weekend Jamie and Luke were married. When the theft plans go spectacularly awry and one of the Sutherlands is murdered, Liam and Kat team up again to figure out who the killer is, who is telling the truth, and how to get out of there alive.

Such Charming Liars is perfect for fans of Knives Out, Succession, or the One Final Job trope. It’s a quick, twisty read and Kat and Liam, along with their new friend Augustus Sutherland, are a trio easy to root for. Suggest to fans of Holly Jackson or E. Lockhart.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Old Wounds

Old WoundsOld Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner
on September 10, 2024
ISBN: 0593814746
Genres: Horror, Supernatural
Format: Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
Erin and Max are two complicated teens: they used to date, they’re both trans, and together they’ve fled their homes in Ohio for sunny California, where they imagine a better, more accepting life. However, an unexpected stop in rural Kentucky leaves them stranded and in danger. Not only do the two have to deal with the social horror of transphobes, but they also have to face the supernatural horror of a woman-devouring monster. Together, the two will need to find each other and fight to survive the night.

There are plenty of heavy, honest themes in this book. The two protagonists have differing levels of acceptance (and rejection) for their transness: Max has attempted suicide in the past, Erin’s mother is distant, and both are deeply concerned about being outed to strangers. Kisner includes content warnings at the beginning of the book to prepare readers. While these are serious topics, they are addressed with compassion and honesty.

Kisner has written several essays on queer representation in horror, and the book itself feels like a slasher movie with two teens fighting for survival and to be seen as who they really are. The book’s creativity and meta analysis on being trans are combined with the idea of a supernatural monster and how it sees trans and genderfluid people. Patrons looking for trans representation in genres other than realistic fiction may enjoy this supernatural horror novel. Due to the multiple on-page deaths by gunshot and supernatural entities, discussions of suicide and self-hate, and transphobia, this book is recommended for mature readers.

Reviewed by Raechel Moore, Maine State Library, Augusta

four-stars