Format: Nonfiction

So Cool! Dinos

So Cool! DinosSo Cool! Dinos by Crispin Boyer
Published by National Geographic Kids on February 1, 2022
ISBN: 1426339046
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction, Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

These So Cool! books are excellent early nonfiction. While the text is accessible to preschoolers, the tone is so entertaining even much older people will enjoy this book. So Cool! Dinos shows examples of all kinds of cool dinosaurs – some that were as big as a building and others that were smaller than a chicken. All of the basic need-to-know facts are covered like where the name “dinosaur” came from, what they ate, how their babies hatched, how they mostly disappeared, and that dinosaur relatives still live today. The pages are filled with lively, detailed illustrations, side bars, and pronunciation guides for each kind of dinosaur! Recommend for ages 4 and up (though the Tarbosaurus on page 2 is a little bit of a surprise!).

Review by Savannah Sessions, MSAD #17 librarian

four-stars

Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku

Out of This World: Star-Studded HaikuOut of This World : Star-Studded Haiku by Matthew Trueman, Sally M. Walker
Published by Candlewick Press on April 12, 2022
ISBN: 1536203564
Pages: 48
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Walker has created haiku poetry about constellations (three stars in a row/Orion fastens his belt/ready for the hunt), the beginning of the Universe, stars, our solar system, eclipses, and asteroids. The poetry is excellent and the accompanying illustrations are stunning. This works well as a picture book with poetry. It’s a little overwhelming though for those who might want to reference this as a nonfiction source about the solar system and space as the “further explorations” section is quite dense and not reader-friendly. I wish the author had included a brief note on the structure of haikus.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

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

five-stars

Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South

Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow SouthDefiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on October 12, 2021
ISBN: 0593126351
Pages: 272
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Cultural / African American
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars
This is an excellent autobiography by Wade Hudson, who was born in Louisiana in the mid-1940s and grew up during Jim Crow. The book begins with Hudson hearing an announcement over the radio that there is an active search for him and a warrant for his arrest. He has done nothing wrong but his friends convince him to turn himself in to avoid more trouble.

The book then goes back to his birth and childhood and is a detailed and affectionate memoir of his neighborhood and what it was like to grow up Black in the south in the Jim Crow era. Hudson was a gifted student and excels in school which leads him to college. Along the way, he is constantly wondering about the treatment of Black Americans compared to white and is determined to help work toward a solution to the disparity.

Defiant takes a little while to get going but I think by the fourth chapter or so most students won’t be able to put it down. The memories he has of his family, church, neighborhood, his family’s Christmas meal (!),  and school are a captivating and informative look at the life many Americans led in the 50s and 60s. Every school and library should have this.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Living Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories

Living Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian StoriesLiving Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories by Dan SaSuWeh Jones, Weshoyot Alvitre
Published by Scholastic Nonfiction on September 7, 2021
ISBN: 1338681621
Pages: 176
Genres: Folklore
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
This is a book full of real American Indian stories—some creepy, some mysterious, and some are just downright scary. All these tales have been passed down from one generation to the next. The collection of stories is engaging and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Additionally, the stories serve to teach readers about some American Indian cultures, traditions, and beliefs. There are line drawings at the beginning of each story, and while nice, they add little to the overall story or reading experience. The stories encompass a wide representation of different tribes. Some stories are creepy, but some are actually scary and somewhat violent. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend this book for readers younger than 5th grade.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country

Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by CountryAfrica, Amazing Africa: Country by Country by Atinuke, Mouni Feddag
Published by Candlewick Press on October 26, 2021
ISBN: 1536205370
Pages: 80
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
A bright, colorful look at all of the countries in Africa for the interested young reader. The book is divided by geographic area, southern, east, west, central, and north, and interspersed between each region are short pieces about different cultural touchstones: African religions, hairstyles, and football. Each country gets a one-page write up and bulleted facts. The book is oversized, the font is large and clear, and the illustrations are lively and engaging. This is not a book that would be used for a project; it is a browsing book that could spark up additional interest. A few of the entries mention things that are currently true, like a particular leader or situation, which will not hold up over the years, but on the whole, it’s a pleasing book that will circulate in a public library and be useful in a school in introducing the different areas and countries.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars

Hello, Tiger! Full of Flaps and Facts!

Hello, Tiger! Full of Flaps and Facts!Hello, Tiger! by Sam Boughton
Series: Animal facts and flaps
Published by Templar Books, Candlewick Press on August 4, 2021
ISBN: 1536217158
Pages: 16
Genres: Animals
Format: Board Book, Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Little ones will love greeting a group of friendly jungle animals in this delightful lift-the-flap book. Sam Boughton’s vibrant illustrations bring facts to life with deft humor and memorable comparisons. With big flaps to lift and a fantastic double gatefold on the last spread, this book is sure to please young animal lovers!
Say hello to all your favorite jungle animals in this bright and friendly nonfiction novelty title.

Authentically illustrated animals and caricatures of diverse children interact on the pages of this creative nonfiction board book.  Ten jungle animals are introduced to young toddlers in a colorful and playful way.  Older toddlers and preschool children will enjoy the information provided both under the flaps and within the content of the text.  Simple scientific facts related to eating habits and animal behaviors are covered and explained for the more questioning child.

Illustrations are colorful and the animal expressions are delightful.  The font appears to be the work of a child making the book all the more delightful

As the most recent title of the Lift the Flap series this title will be enjoyed for years.   The series would be well accepted in a public library and equally appreciated in a nursery school.

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

four-stars

Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories For Today, adapted for young adults

Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories For Today, adapted for young adultsDisability Visibility (Adapted for Young Adults): 17 First-Person Stories for Today by Alice Wong
Published by Delacorte Press on October 26, 2021
ISBN: 059338167X
Pages: 160
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Short Stories
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
This is an important collection of essays written by people with a variety of disabilities. The authors span a range of experiences, including folks with mobility challenges, vision and hearing loss, mental health diagnoses, and much more. 

Each story has a different purpose. Some are meant to celebrate the diversity of humanity. Others aim to shed light on the ways our society could be more inclusive and supportive of everyone. Many are a blend of both. As humans we experience both joy and pain, but the variations of those experiences are stories that need to be shared. 

Recommended for young adults, this is an excellent collection of mini-memoirs.

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta

four-stars

Call and Response the Story of Black Lives Matter

Call and Response the Story of Black Lives MatterCall and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Veronica Chambers
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Versify on August 17, 2021
ISBN: 0358573416
Pages: 152
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
A timely resource of the history of Black Lives Matter. Featuring in-depth reporting,  a wide range of powerful photographs, insightful quotes from a wide range of people,  timelines and engaging graphics, this book is an important book for young readers and adults today. It provides the background stories of the activists and organizers and how they are working to build momentum to make meaningful, much needed changes in the world.

The back pages include  an “In their own words” section that highlights  interesting conversations with black lives matter leaders in a Q& A format. Also included are  a resource section for further reading,  acknowledgements, photo credits, a selected bibliography and a comprehensive index.

This book is an excellent resource to get solid, well researched information that includes topics such how a hashtag became a worldwide movement, after years of effort by ordinary people.  Readers can explore timelines of Civil rights, black power and black lives matter for a deeper perspective to see the movement is part of a long legacy of protest.  And , they can read solid, well-researched Information that is presented in straightforward text that digs deeper than the surface of complex situations.

The authors noted there was no easy way to end the book. That the violence continues and the story is far from over. Readers may be inspired to try and find their own way to make a difference and find a path to activism in this movement and perhaps create a more positive story in the future.

Four stars

An important book for both public and school libraries. Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, Kennebunkport, ME

Germy Science: The Sick Truth About Getting Sick (and Staying Healthy)

Germy Science: The Sick Truth About Getting Sick (and Staying Healthy)Germy Science: The Sick Truth about Getting Sick (and Staying Healthy) by Edward Kay, Mike Shiell
Published by Kids Can Press on October 5, 2021
ISBN: 1525304127
Pages: 48
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Germs are everywhere! This book is a wonderful, timely introduction to all things germs, from discovery, to how they work, to times they made history, and what may happen with germs in the future. Over the 43 pages, colorful cartoon germs tell us the facts – including a section about COVID-19. Germs are tiny, they are inside of us and on our skin, some are good, some are bad. Readers will learn about some of the germ pioneers, like Louis Pasteur, Ignaz Semmelweis, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. The book takes us on a journey from earlier ways of understanding germs (think: miasma) to today when science is being used to figure out how to fight bacteria with viruses. Throughout the book there are reminders to wash hands and sneeze into sleeves to stay healthy. Kids will enjoy reading this because it touches on (no pun intended) a number of their favorite things: true facts, poop, and other yucky stuff! The book contains a glossary and index in the backmatter. This book would be best suited for 3rd – 5th graders.

Reviewed by Savannah Sessions, District Elementary Librarian, RSU #17 (Oxford Hills)

four-stars

Do Your Best Every Day To Do Your Best Every Day

Do Your Best Every Day To Do Your Best Every DayDo Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day: Encouraging Words from John Cena by John Cena, Susanna Harrison
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on April 6, 2021
ISBN: 0593377222
Pages: 64
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction, Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
When not appearing on the silver screen in action movies, voicing beloved animated bulls, or otherwise entertaining, John Cena has taken to writing books for kids. In Do Your Best Every Day To Do Your Best Every Day each of the 58 pages is filled with tried and true motivational and inspirational sayings. Somehow Cena manages to make each feel new, which is partly attributed to Susanna Harrison’s whimsical illustrations. Inclusive and diverse depictions of people dreaming, achieving, and finding joy will be appealing to kids of all ages. Each encouragement celebrates who they are and supports their aspirations to be the best they can be. 3rd grade and up.

 

Reviewed by Savannah Sessions, District Elementary Librarian, RSU #17 (Oxford Hills)

four-stars