Source: MSL Book Review

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

Like a Curse

Like a CurseLike a Curse (Like a Charm #2) by Elle McNicoll
Published by Random House on February 2, 2023
ISBN: 0593649524
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

In this follow up to Like a Charm, Ramya has been sent to Loch Ness to learn to control her magic from her grandmother and Aunt Opal. But Ramya is impatient: having discovered that she’s a witch, she has no use for lessons – she’s ready to do – especially since the evil siren, Portia, is gaining control over the humans in Edinburgh and beyond. She and her cousin Marley befriend a dryad, a dragon and a siren in their quest to first get out of the house, and next, to save the hidden people and humans of Edinburgh.

This will be most enjoyed by readers who started with the first book in the series. Ramya and her aunt Opal are both neurodivergent, and that plays a significant role in Ramya’s life and how she interacts with the world, which many readers will appreciate. A great addition to library shelves that also have the first book. 4 stars.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

four-stars

The Misfits: A Copycat Conundrum

The Misfits: A Copycat ConundrumA Copycat Conundrum (The Misfits #2) by Dan Santat, Lisa Yee
Published by Random House on January 7, 2025
ISBN: 0593564227
Genres: Adventure, Humor, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship, Mystery
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

This second book in the Misfits series by Lisa Yee will please young readers who enjoyed the first. Olive and her friends are back at the Reforming Arts School on Foggy Island when a string of strange happenings kick off: their friend Zeke starts getting threatening letters, odd earthquakes are shaking up San Francisco, a treasure trove is discovered deep beneath the school and goldrush-era legends are cropping up in unexpected places. Stranger yet, all these things seem to be connected.

Dan Santat’s black and white drawings enliven Yee’s text. Chapters are short and will keep readers engaged. A great choice for middle grade readers who enjoy zany characters, imaginative tech, madcap adventure and a good mystery thrown into the mix. An easy purchase for libraries that already own the first book, A Royal Conundrum. 4 stars.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

four-stars

Where the Heart Should Be

Where the Heart Should BeWhere the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan
on 2025
ISBN: 0063384914
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry, Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

“It is hard to tell a love story

and also the story of a people

being torn apart.

 

But this is what was happening in 1846:

I was falling in love

when everything 

around me was 

falling

down.”

 

The opening of Crossan’s historical fiction novel in verse has the whole novel’s theme quite beautifully laid out.  Young Nell and her family are living in Ireland at the height of the potato famine.  Nell is lucky enough to get work in the landlord’s kitchen, a job that provides barely enough money for her family to survive.  Her father appreciates his daughter’s contribution, but is also deeply upset that he is unable to provide for his family.  The truly maddening way that the English “haves” blatantly refuse to assist the Irish “have nots” leads to actions that have unjust consequences.  Amongst all this, Nell falls in love with the English landlord’s heir, Johnny.  A relationship that must be kept secret due to its forbidden nature.

Crossan has written a YA, historical fiction, novel in verse.  The verse not only makes this a quick read, it also adds so much to the mood and tone of the novel in a very powerful way.  The relationships between Nell and her family are so well written and readers pull for them all.  Johnny is a perfectly placed character to have Nell try to educate on the ruthless behavior her community experienced at the hands of the landlords.  This is a devastating yet beautiful story perfect for readers 13+.

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

five-stars

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom

The Scorpion and the Night BlossomThe Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms, #1) by Amélie Wen Zhao
on March 4, 2025
ISBN: 0593813847
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

This fantasy novel is based on Chinese mythology. A battle between the Kingdom of the Night and the Kingdom of Rivers has been raging for years.  Àn’yīng’s mother was attacked by one of the demonic creatures that have multiplied within the mortal realm and now Àn’yīng plans to enter the Immortal Trials to save her mother’s soul.  Àn’yīng has been trained by her warrior father, who was killed by one of the creatures many years before. She goes into the trials, as she believes, well prepared to survive and be gifted immortality (which she will use for her mother).  She meets a handsome young warrior and although she knows in her gut she can trust no one, she starts to find herself breaking down her mistrustful walls.  Within the twists and turns of the plot, things do not go as expected and everyone has a secret or two that they are guarding.  

With good vs. evil, a quest, a love triangle, a reluctant hero, an underdog story, a mysterious mentor, magical objects, demonic creatures, and more, Amélie Wen Zhao has worked in everyone’s desired tropes into the plot of the novel.  For those who can’t get enough of this, the book is easy to get swept up in.  Frustratingly, the protagonist is extremely biased or discriminatory in that she judges others based on their birth, and while the reader expects that is part of a greater lesson to be learned or flaw to overcome, it doesn’t quite feel like it’s resolved.  The novel is the first of a duology.  The YA novel is best suited for the 14+ audience. 

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

four-stars

The Hawk Shadow

The Hawk ShadowThe Hawk Shadow by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Karlene Harvey
ISBN: 1525310844
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Cultural / African American, Nature, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Big Ed is walking to his favorite fishing spot on Hawk River, and his little sister Serenity insists on tagging along. The two Anishinaabe siblings make their way to the river, with Serenity stopping repeatedly to interact with birds and guzzle chokeberries. After they start fishing, Big Ed winds up in danger, but Serenity is able to help him with the guidance of the Hawk, or River Keeper, and her fishing rod. This is a sweet native story bursting with nature, sibling banter, Indigenous culture, and vibrant illustrations. This diverse story would be a wonderful addition to any picture book collection. However, it lacks back matter, which could have been helpful for some readers. Recommended for ages 6 to 7 (Grades 1 to 2).

Reviewed by: Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell

four-stars

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His VoiceOde to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice by Bryan Collier, Kari Lavelle
on July 30, 2024
ISBN: 059337276X
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Cultural / African American, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

James Earl Jones stuttered as a child. He didn’t want the teacher to call on him in class, and there were many times he tried to speak and no words came out at all. He found it easier to simply not speak, nodding or using other non-verbal communication instead. While he didn’t speak, James listened intently to the news, stories, music, and poetry. One day he received a shipment of grapefruit in the winter, and became so inspired by the fruit that he wrote a poem and recited it in front of his entire poetry class. While he still stuttered on occasion, he found his voice through the beauty of rhythm and poetry, and began to share what would become the legendary sound of his voice with the world. This is an inspirational non-fiction tale, especially for anyone with a stutter or other speech delay. The watercolor and collage illustrations are full of emotion, and capture both the times of struggle and success. The book also contains helpful back matter about the life of James Earl Jones and stuttering. Recommended for ages 6 to 7 (Grades 1 to 2).

Reviewed by: Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell

four-stars

Sona Sharma: Wish Me Luck

Sona Sharma: Wish Me LuckSona Sharma, Wish Me Luck by Chitra Soundar, Jen Khatun
Series: Sona Sharma #4
Published by Candlewick Press on 2/18/25
ISBN: 1536238171
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

The Sona Sharma early chapter book series continues with Wish Me Luck.  Friends Sona, Joy, and Renu are worried their beloved teacher will move away after getting married during their mid-year break.  The girls are excited to be invited to the wedding, but they still try several different things to try to bring themselves luck and have Miss Rao stay.  The book ends happily as the girls discover that change is inevitable but this time change is good because their teaching is staying, just her name has changed.  The girls also learn the important lesson of wanting what’s best for other people, even if it makes them sad.  This chapter book has a large font and many black and white drawings, making it ideal for first or second grade readers.  It takes place in India, so readers will learn a little bit about this culture as they make their way through this realistic fiction book.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

three-stars

On a chariot of fire: the story of India’s Bene Israel

On a chariot of fire: the story of India’s Bene IsraelOn a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India’s Bene Israel by Erica Lyons, Siona Benjamin
ISBN: 1646144341
Genres: Family, Historical Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

You can learn a lot from a picture book. On a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India’s Bene Israel was my first introduction to this group of Jews who left Israel over two thousand years ago and landed on India’s coast. Nani Penkar details the traditionally told account of their arrival to her granddaughter Maya (both appearing to be Bene Israel Jews living in India) as they prepare Malida (a ceremonial rice dish). 

Nani relates the Bene Israel’s journey from the escape of religious persecution in Israel to a shipwreck off the coast of India and the integration of seven survivors into the community.  According to the author, the Bene Israel practiced Judaism without persecution in  Mumbai, “for they too had forbidden foods and holy days marked by the movement of the moon”. This adherence to religious traditions and practices leads to the appearance of a chariot of fire driven by Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah), who declared that one day the Bene Israel would return to Israel, “because we hadn’t abandoned our faith”. 

The illustrations are vibrant and textural, although not always in harmony with the text. For those unfamiliar with the Bene Israel (like me), the story, in addition to the author’s note and glossary within the backmatter, provide an introduction to this group of people and their history. 

Recommended for school and public libraries.

Deanna Contrino, K-2 School Resource Librarian, Scarborough

three-stars

Two Birthdays

Two BirthdaysTwo Birthdays (Cedric and Boo Books) by Tim Hopgood
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536238902
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Cedric (a crocodile) and Boo (an elephant) are the best of friends. The story opens on Boo’s “best birthday ever”, according to him. Cedric presents Boo with a superlative card and handknit scarf. Boo and Cedric share ice cream and thoroughly enjoy celebrating Boo’s birthday. A few weeks later, Cedric’s birthday arrives but without any of the fanfare or celebration. There is no acknowledgement from Boo, and no Boo. Cedric eats cake alone and the ”day did not feel special at all.”

Birthdays and fairness are two themes young readers consistently take an interest in, and no doubt many will take umbrage at the turn of events. The next day, Boo realizes he forgot and apologizes but there is still discomfort on both sides: Cedric because his feelings are still hurt and Boo because  he is aware he has caused his friend pain. This awareness allows Boo to come up with a plan to make amends. The resolution is a chance for redemption and forgiveness. A simple story that shows that friendships can survive mistakes and hurt feelings. The book ends with “Cedric and Boo, Friends Forever: A Song”, further extolling the pair’s affection. 

Highly recommended for school and public libraries.

Deanna Contrino, K-2 School Resource Librarian, Scarborough

five-stars