Smelly Peggy

Smelly PeggySmelly Peggy by Helen Stephens
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536235725
Genres: Animals, Family, Humor, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Pie is the little girl narrator of Smelly Peggy who wants to tell us ALL the naughty things that Peggy, her little pup, gets into. Pie asks questions of the reader, “You think that’s naughty? Just guess what Peggy gets into next!” Putting her bum on Dad’s face in the mornings, knocking the family out with a big stick, rolling in stinky seaweed & seagull poop, rubbing into the carpets! But do we love her? Of course we do! With just the appropriate amount of silly & stinky humor and precious illustrations, Smelly Peggy will be every family’s favorite new picture book about the family dog. Recommended for ages 3-7.

Cream of the Crop Nominee

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Shark at Sister Tea

Shark at Sister TeaShark at Sister Tea by Barbara M. Joosse, Sergio Ruzzier
ISBN: 0593646940
Genres: Adventure, Emotions & Feelings, Fantasy, Suspense
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

When two sisters are alone for the first time without their parents, Sadie and little Flora decide to create an elaborate sister tea party. They wind ribbons through the trees and serve up cake with roses and were having a splendid time with Flora’s Little Blue bear stuffed animal until: Oh no, who’s that strange guest at the gate?

A rude “fisherman” joins the tea party, until the sisters spy his pointy fin pop through his yellow raincoat. They narrowly escape a shark’s attack with the bravery that sisters can show for each other. When their parents sail back, the sisters wonder if they might tell their parents, or keep this afternoon’s happening to themselves.

With occasional rhymes and evocative language, Joose’s writing will likely capture children’s attention along with Ruzzier’s watercolors and sweet characters. While the story is imaginative, caregivers and educators will likely feel conflicted about the message of sisters keeping a secret from their parents about the shark attack. Recommended for ages 3-7.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars

Tove Under the Tree

Tove Under the TreeTove Under the Tree by Julie Benbassat, Larissa Theule
Published by Candlewick Press on 10/14/25
ISBN: 1536232815
Genres: Magical Realism
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

When Tove gets home from school, she is devastated to discover that the ficus tree growing in her yard has been cut down by the city because the tree is mostly dead.  When Tove finds a little branch that missed the wood chipper, she takes it inside and decides to grow a tree.  She plants the tree on her head and it magically grows very quickly.  Many people in her neighborhood, who also love the tree, are sad to see the tree come down and help Tove in her quest.  She needs all the help she can get because the tree on top of her head makes it difficult to move.

This is a gentle story about neighbors supporting neighbors while caring for nature. The neighbors who help her have different cultural backgrounds and gender identities, and are a variety of ages. The bright, colorful illustrations found on most pages help to make the magic real for readers.  The chapters are short, making this an ideal book for children who are starting to listen to longer books.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

three-stars

The Weaver Bride

The Weaver BrideThe Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic
Published by Delacorte Press on September 30, 2025
ISBN: 0593572416
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“The Weaver Bride” is a YA fantasy romance (with some dystopia in for a good mix) by Lydia Gregovic. The main character, Lovett, is a silkwitch with magic that allows her to unlock doors. She hides her powers because silkwitches are required to marry a weaver sorcerer by the time they turn 21 or they are banished. When her power is found out by a weaver, she makes a bargain to enter a silkwitch competition to find out who killed his sister.

A dystopian fantasy romance in the vein of “The Selection” with an interesting magic system and great descriptions of the setting. The author does a good job of immersing you into this world. This is a suggested purchase for YA collections where fantasy romance is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

(S)kin

(S)kin(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi
on February 11, 2025
ISBN: 0062888870
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“(S)KIN” is a YA fantasy novel in verse by Ibi Zoboi. Marisol is a Black teen girl and a soucouyant, a being from Caribbean that sheds its skin during the new moon and feeds on the energy of their enemies. Genevieve is a mixed-race teen living with her white father and white stepmother, but has dreams about her mysterious Black mother. Both teens meet and their stories begin to intertwine. The themes of colorism, mother-daughter relationships, and figuring out who you want to be are well done and readers will enjoy the quick story filled with secrets. A must-buy for YA fiction collections where Zoboi and novels in verse are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Love Unmasked

Love UnmaskedLove Unmasked by Becky Dean
on July 15, 2025
ISBN: 0593647874
Genres: Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Love Unmasked” is a YA romance novel by Becky Dean. Evie is a student visiting Venice, Italy with her art and architecture class. She is a hug fan of a book series set in Venice called “Elven Realms.” When she hears rumors about a secret Elven Realms club in the city, she decides to try and find it. The story is a fairly predictable romance, but fans of YA cozy romances, gentle mysteries, and travel will definitely enjoy this one. The pacing was good, and a lot happens considering this all takes place within a week. This is an additional purchase for YA collections where cozy romances and travel fiction are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

three-stars

The Lost Women of Science

The Lost Women of ScienceThe Lost Women of Science by Karyn Lee, Katie Hafner, Melina Gerosa Bellows
Published by Bright Matter Books on 8/19/25
ISBN: 0593896718
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Inspired by the Lost Women of Science podcast, this nonfiction book explores how ten different women contributed to various scientific fields.  The women highlighted are not famous and the authors are using their platforms to give these women the credit they deserve for their important accomplishments.  Although these women excelled in different fields, such as astronomy, medicine, and engineering, most faced some type of discrimination or were not given credit due to their gender.  

The inside flap lists each woman and their accomplishments and the table of contents gives the page numbers. At the beginning of each section, there is a quick snapshot of why they are important, including any scientific “firsts” they achieved.  This is followed by several pages of narrative, including photos or other graphics that go into detail about the women’s background and how they worked hard to pursue their scientific endeavors.  Many sections also include supplementary information related to the field of study that offers background information for the reader.  This would be a great addition to any library serving fourth thru sixth grade students.  Budding scientists, especially young women, will enjoy reading about those who paved the way in a typically male dominated field.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

Predatory Natures

Predatory NaturesPredatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith
on July 8, 2025
ISBN: 0593814312
Genres: Fantasy, Horror
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Predatory Natures” is a YA horror novel by Amy Goldsmith. The main character is a teenager, Lara, who is taking a break from school after doing badly on her exams and working a short-term job on a luxury train. Surprisingly an old friend that she had a falling out with is also working on the train. There are also some mysterious twins, Gwen and Gwydion who are supposedly transporting scientific samples, and staff are told to stay away from them. What is really happening on this train?

Lots of descriptive passages, with intermingled flashbacks helped build the tension and atmosphere, but occasionally were a little confusing. We learn about Lara’s past abusive relationship through these flashbacks. Meanwhile the plant samples take over the train and control others (similar to Lara’s abusive boyfriend). An interesting YA horror with a lot of darkness, this is a suggested purchase where YA horror (especially psychological) is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

three-stars

Elena Camps (Elena va a acampar)

Elena Camps (Elena va a acampar)Elena Camps/Elena va a acampar: A Dual Edition Flip Book by Juana Medina
ISBN: 1536234052
Genres: Animals
Format: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Elena Camps/Elena va a acampar” is an early reader with one side in English and then flipped over to read in Spanish, written by Juana Medina. Written for ages 4-6, the story follows Elena, the elephant, as she tries to go camping, but has trouble getting the tent up. She gets frustrated and tries different ways to get it up. The bright silly illustrations and funny sound effects will delight young readers. A recommended purchase for early reader collections, especially those where Spanish books are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Ruffles and the Bouncy, Bouncy Ball

Ruffles and the Bouncy, Bouncy BallRuffles and the Bouncy, Bouncy Ball by David Melling
ISBN: 1536241385
Genres: Animals, Emotions & Feelings, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Ruffles loves playing and doing all the things that dogs love to do; but his favorite activity is playing with his blue, bouncy ball. However, he cannot find it anywhere. He looks in all the places a bouncy ball could possibly be. When his friend Ruby comes over, they remember it could possibly be in the park. They look everywhere a bouncy ball could possibly be…in the park. They determine that the bouncy ball is lost forever. Ruby helps Ruffles find other ways to play, and they discover a sock to play tug-of-war with.

This book is the seventh in a series of Ruffles books where the dog encounters situations that many preschool children encounter. This one is the situation where toys are sometimes lost, and actually lost forever. Sometimes a friend can help us remember that it will be ok. The Ruffles series are visually attractive with primary colors and sweet illustrations.

Recommended for Ages 2-5.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars