Source: MSL Book Review

Loch Ness Monster’s Unbelievable Science

Loch Ness Monster’s Unbelievable ScienceLoch Ness Monster's Unbelievable Science by Anne Appert
Published by Kids Can Press on May 5, 2026
ISBN: 1525312537
Pages: 62
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

With a catchy title and graphic novel approach, this book will be popular with the younger elementary readers. The Loch Ness Monster (call them Ness) explains how puffins got their red beak. However, Ness uses a story as an explanation and when confronted by an actual puffin learns that a story is not an actual scientific fact. The format is cute and playful and throughout the book Ness learns that in order to explain a fact about a bird, research is needed and scientific facts matter more than what you want to believe because it’s fun or cute. A fantastic book that uses humor to explaining the need to conduct research and consult multiple sources before spouting off “facts” about a topic. Back matter includes additional resources and a glossary.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Elementary School

five-stars

The Wildest Thing

The Wildest ThingThe Wildest Thing by Emily Winfield Martin
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Emotions & Feelings, Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Eleanor loved wild things – and inside of her, there was something wild waiting to come out. Her mother calls her back into the house one night, since it is time to go to bed. And when she wakes up, the wild had come in. As she goes about her day surrounded by the wild, Eleanor comes further and further out of her shell embracing the wildness within herself. Finally, when the wild is quiet inside her head, all Eleanor wants is for a bath and to climb into bed. The pencil, gouache, and acrylic illustrations perfectly showcase the wildness coming into Eleanor’s house, as well as her pushing the limits and engaging with her own wildness. The gentle rhyming text makes for a sweet and easy read-aloud. This lovely story feels like a classic tale, and is reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. This cream of the crop nominee would be a welcome addition to any picture book collection. Recommended for ages 3 to 7 (Preschool to 2nd Grade).

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

five-stars

The Dragon and the Sun Lotus

The Dragon and the Sun LotusThe Dragon and the Sun Lotus (The Three Realms, #2) by Amélie Wen Zhao
on March 3, 2026
ISBN: 059381388X
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Àn’yīng’s journey reaches an epic conclusion in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, the finale of Amélie Wen Zhao’s The Three Realms duology. After escaping the Immortality Trials, Àn’yīng is determined to protect the mortal realm. She must ally with the Kingdom of the Sky and go to war against the demons from the Kingdom of the Night, known as the mó. At the same time, she has to face the complicated love triangle between her lifelong guardian, Hào’yáng, and her rival, Yù’chén.

Like in the first book, the writing is gorgeous. Amélie Wen Zhao does a wonderful job incorporating and explaining the Chinese-inspired mythology. The book’s setting and mood are captivating. The world-building is top-notch, and readers will easily feel like they are in the story. However, the plot can be predictable at times. You will find many familiar tropes, including warring factions, the chosen one, and forbidden romances. But, having these tropes doesn’t make the book any less entertaining. Romantasy is popular amongst young adults right now, and The Dragon and the Sun Lotus encapsulates the genre. Fans of titles like A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Fourth Wing would enjoy this read as well. For entertainment value alone, Amélie Wen Zhao’s The Three Realms duology would be a good addition to the YA shelves.

Reviewed by Kristen Simmons, Medomak Valley High School Library, Waldoboro

three-stars

Steven and Parker: Dinos are Forever!

Steven and Parker: Dinos are Forever!StEvEn and Parker: Dinos Are Forever! (A Graphic Novel) by Parker James
Series: Steve and Parker #1
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on 3/10/26
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Humorous
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Fans of the hit YouTube series will love this graphic novel featuring Steven and his older brother Parker.  Steven, an elementary school student obsessed with dinosaurs, finds a dinosaur named Tatum while at the fair with Parker and his girlfriend.  Steven gets in trouble, first trying to hide Tatum and then trying to find Tatum’s owner.  Young readers will love Steven’s antics as he tries to add Tatum to his collection of dinosaurs, from hiding the dino in his pants to sabotaging his effort to find Tatum’s true owner.  This graphic novel, ideal for 2nd-4th graders, is full of imagination and humor which will keep readers engaged, especially if they like the Steven & Parker show on YouTube.

three-stars

The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene

The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden GreeneThe Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene by Corey Ann Haydu
Published by Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins on January 13, 2026
ISBN: 0063348144
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Auden “Denny” Greene is a 12-year-old girl who is in no rush to leave childhood.  She loves spending time in her shed with her best friend Runa, developing Sorrowfield, the world they created full of princesses and dragons.  Sorrowfield is safe, a comforting place far from the reality of an alcoholic mother and a father who puts too much responsibility on her.  Meanwhile, Princess Auden is the last princess in Sorrowfield.  Her family has been taken by dragons and it’s up to her to save Sorrowfield, now that she’s twelve.  Auden and Denny suddenly find themselves in each other’s world and they are the only ones who know they have switched places. As they work to fit into their new locations, they discover their inner strength and power as they fight each other’s dragons.

This novel would be a great addition for any library serving 3rdth-5th graders.  It’s a fun twist on the switching places trope and is a great coming of age story, especially for kids who aren’t in a rush to grow up.  The real Denny faces peer pressure and changing friends, which many kids can related to, all while dealing with her mother who has relapsed in her battle with alcoholism.  Denny and Auden are great examples of characters learning to speak their truths and being true to who they know themselves to be.  This novel could also be a good entry point for kids who are hesitant to read fantasy. The story is told simultaneously from the perspective of each girl, so half of the story takes place in an imaginary place, and the other half is most certainly realisitc.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead by Minh Lê
Published by Penguin Random House on 2026
ISBN: 0593569202
Genres: Family Life
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

It’s an exciting day for a family road trip to meet the new baby cousin. A young child, along with the family dog, Miles, enthusiastically overpacks for the trip. They drive off only to realize they have lost the gift for the new baby! The family scrambles to find the lost gift, and ends up finding nostalgia, love, and silly banter along the way. The family presents as East Asian, and the dynamic illustrations include family photos and memorabilia. This funny, relatable family story has love, generosity and memories at its heart, and is great for Pre-K-2nd graders. This would be a fun story time read aloud, and is nominated as a Cream of the Crop book.  

Reviewed by Antona Briley, Librarian, Dora Small School, South Portland

five-stars

A House of Vipers

A House of VipersA House of Vipers by Emma Jackson
Published by Delacorte Press Genres: Mystery, Psychological thriller
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Meddlehart Academy is an exclusive, elite boarding school nestled in the mountains of Colorado. It is also the last place Lawson Heyward was seen alive. A year and a half after his disappearance the night of prom, his younger brother Sutter and his friends Carter, Greyson, Fallon, and Margot set out to find him and the legendary founder’s treasure he was hot on the trail of. To do so, they must join the secretive treasure-hunting Order of the Vipers and endure their initiation trials. Meanwhile, someone who seems to have all the answers keeps leaving them notes with clues. Who could it be?

The story is told in a 3rd person, multi-POV style through the core trio of the quintet: Sutter, Fallon, and Grayson, who also happen to be in a love triangle. Readers who favor the  found family trope will enjoy this crew. Each of them (save Carter) suffer from alienating home lives that make Meddlehart a home away from home. Sutter’s father is overbearing in maintaining the patriarchal status-quo. Margot’s family seemingly cares more about their business ventures than her. Grayson found his mother dead from an overdose and his famous father is neglectful, contributing to his depression and deep anger. Fallon’s parents died in a car crash, leaving her with intense abandonment trauma. The friend group largely reads as white, Carter is described as having dark-brown skin. The plot itself revolves around Sutter, but Fallon is the heart of the novel (and not just because the romance subplot hinges on her decision between the two boys). Her Hermione-like bookwormishness and rule-following is the moral center of the group.

Dark academia abounds in this story, which starts with a morose tone of a cloudy day and dives deeper and darker as the mystery unfolds. Light violence at the beginning (fistfights) makes way to murder (off-page), but isn’t gruesomely described. The ending satisfyingly resolves both the mystery and the love story, but is not all happy endings. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars, This Place Kills Me, and One of Us is Lying looking for their next fix.

Reviewed by Kristin Arsenault, Mountain Valley High School, Rumford

four-stars

Lovely Recipe

Lovely RecipeLovely Recipe: (A Graphic Novel) by Myra Rose Nino
Published by Random House Graphic ISBN: 0593180593
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Lovely Recipe” is a young adult graphic novel by Myra Rose Nino. Sofia needs help with figuring out how to cook her late grandmother’s recipe. She seeks help from her classmate Anna Marie, whose parents own a restaurant. They butt heads at first since they have very different personalities, but eventually a friendship and romantic relationship blossom. Themes about grief, family traditions, avoiding assumptions by putting yourself in another’s shoes are important and addressed well in this book. Characters and plot felt realistic. Illustration style was colorful and warm and added to the feel of the story. A recommended purchase for YA graphic novel collections.

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

four-stars

Some of Us Are Brave

Some of Us Are BraveSome of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi
Published by Quill Tree Books on 2/10/26
ISBN: 0063389533
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Summer is winding down in Houston and kids are enjoying the last part of summer before school starts, including playing soccer at the local rec club. Soccer is on the minds of Cody and Yasir, two boys competing for team captain.  Mona is also at the field, but only because she is babysitting her little brother Omar while their parents are away. The kids try to focus on soccer, but the weather reports of tropical storm Harvey are becoming more concerning to those living in the low-lying areas of Houston.  When Harvey makes landfall, Yasir, Cody, and Mona are driven from their homes and find themselves forced to survive the storm together.  Cody, Yasir, and Mona were not friends before the storm, but they know their survival depends on them becoming a team.  The situation is life or death, and the three older kids are able to help each other work through their fears, one step at a time.

Readers who enjoy realistic fiction with strong characters will enjoy this book.  There is depth and growth to these protagonists.  Mona and Yasir build their confidence and leadership skills and Cody decides to turn over a new leaf, leaving behind his bullying behaviors and disdain for foreigners that he inherited from his father. The chapters are relatively short and are told from the perspective of one of the older kids.  Mixed in throughout the book are weather reports that are based on real weather reports Houstonians would have heard at the time.  Readers might also enjoy learning about flood myths from different religions and cultures that are woven into the text throughout the novel.  This book would be a great addition to libraries serving students in 4th-7th grade.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars

Love in Ruins

Love in RuinsLove in Ruins by Auriane Desombre
Published by Delacourte Romance ISBN: 0593807588
Genres: LGBTQ+, Mental Health, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Natalie Campbell is a rising high school sophomore excited about the summer ahead: a class trip to Greece with fellow history nerds, including her best friend, Liam. She’s hoping that her recent diagnosis of OCD, and the support of her therapist, will help her feel a sense of control over her symptoms, instead of them ruining the trip.

What she doesn’t plan for is to fall for someone. Melanie is the daughter of one of the trip guides, and the two girls share an instant attraction. But Natalie’s OCD, which primarily takes the form of negative intrusive thoughts, has gotten in the way of relationships in the past, and isn’t sure she deserves another chance. Still, she can’t quite stop flirting with Melanie, either. Between academic competitions, touring historical sights she’s dreamed of all her life, tensions in the friend group, and the increasing spiral of negative thoughts, Natalie has to figure out how to face her demons and be the best friend, and maybe even girlfriend, she can.

While packed in a fun, fairly breezy sapphic summer romance, Desombre handles the nuances of dealing with OCD, and particularly OCD characterized by negative self-talk, in a way that many teens will be able to relate to. The sense of place is palpable – the group travels to several different tourist spots and historical landmarks, and the reader feels as immersed in the Greece experience as Natalie is, lending to the summer vibe of the book.

While not a must-have purchase, this novel is a nice addition for libraries looking to bump up fun summer YA offerings, especially with a sapphic plot, or diversify beachy travel reads.

Four stars.

  • Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library
four-stars