Hit and Run

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 25, 2014

Review

Mike has lived with his uncle Billy since his mom was killed in a hit and run 4 years ago. They never found out what happened. The case gets re-opened when Mike's history teacher turns out to be an ex-cop who worked the case. They mystery aspect of this book is pretty good, with a couple of surprises. The character development is not that great. Mike's character feels a bit one-dimensional and Billy's character is a bit confusing--the words he uses with Mike sound like he doesn't care but then she keeps saying that Billy is grinning while saying all those things. There's never more background to explain that for Billy. The book also gets really violent right at the end, which there's no lead up to, so it's a bit jarring. Otherwise, it feels more like a middle grade novel. The series continues on as Mike and the ex-cop continue to solve crimes. Recommended only for libraries who have voracious mystery readers.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

McClintock, Norah

Publisher: Darbycreek

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: mystery

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781467726054

Price: 8.95

Soccer on Sunday

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 31, 2014

Review

Part of the Magic Tree House series (#52), Soccer on Sunday takes Jack and Annie to Mexico in 1970 to watch Pele play in the World Cup final. On their way, they meet a boy named Roberto who is also on his way there and helps them get to the game on time. The book starts with a prologue describing how and why Jack and Annie are able to travel in time, which makes the book accessible as a stand-alone. I understand the books are supposed to be quick, exciting reads for young readers, but for a series that is all about going to different places around the world and throughout time, we learn almost nothing about the '70s, Mexico, or soccer in this installment. Inclusion of more facts or explanation of place and time would make this a much better book.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Pope Osborne, Mary

Illustrator: Murdocca, Sal

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure, fantasy, historical fiction

Audience: grades k-3, grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780307980533

Price: 15.99

The Summer Invitation

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2014

Review

Franny and Valentine, sisters from San Francisco, get an invitation to spend the summer in New York City from their mom's best friend, Aunt Theo. The plan is to spend the first half of the summer with Theo's friend Clover as a chaperone, before Theo comes back from Europe. Franny immediately loves the historic feel of the apartment and all of the places that Clover takes them. Valentine prefers more modern things and longs to fall in love. Valentine gets her wish, and they start to grow apart. They never end up meeting Theo, but that summer changes their lives forever. The author has created a wonderfully vivid picture of New York and the locales and descriptions draw you in completely to the European feel that Clover and Theo live in. This is a lovely coming of age story, and Franny, the main character learns about herself and who she really is, and to accept that. In the end, she has the perfect summer to lead her into the next chapter of her life.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Silver, Charlotte

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9, grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: fair

ISBN: 9781596438293

Price: 16.99

Horton and the Kwuggerbug

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 9, 2014

Review

This is a collection of "lost" Dr. Seuss stories featuring familiar characters from some of the old classics. With us again are Horton, who just can't catch a break, Marco who has another adventure, Officer Pat who saves the day again, and the Grinch who's up to his usual antics. This is a must for any Dr. Seuss fan.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Seuss, Dr.

Illustrator: Seuss, Dr.

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool, grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: fair

ISBN: 9780385382984

Price: 15.00

How to Behave at a Tea Party

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 9, 2014

Review

Julia attempts to teach her little brother how to throw a proper tea party. We start with washing up and dressing fancy, and move on to definitely NOT inviting the neighbor boys. But they show up anyway, and Julia is losing control of her tea party. Eventually she loses it and has to start over with a different tact--inviting everyone and allowing them to do things you don't typically do at a tea party. This would be a great story to teach patience, particularly to older siblings.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Rosenberg, Madelyn

Illustrator: Ross, Heather

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Katharine Tegen Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062279262

Price: 17.99

Tap to Play!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 9, 2014

Review

Tap to Play! is an interactive book. The character, a red dot, asks you to help him reach a bar. It's sort of like a simple video game...but in a book. It attempts to create the connection between the character and the reader, but it doesn't achieve that. It's kind of awkward feels a bit foolish to be doing all of this tilting and flipping to get a red dot to a bar. For a much better done interactive story, go for Herve Tullet's Press Here.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Yoon, Salina

Illustration Quality: fair

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062286840

Price: 15.99

A World Without Princes

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

A World Without Princes is the second book in The School for Good and Evil trilogy. The premise in the series is that there are two schools, one for good and one for evil, and the fairy tales that we all know are created from the students there. Agatha is good and Sophie is evil, though most thought it should be the other way around. At the end of the first book, Agatha chooses her best friend Sophie instead of her prince, ignoring the typical fairy tale ending. In this installment, the girls find themselves back at the school where everything has change, and now it's girls vs. boys instead of good vs. evil. But that's not the only thing gone wrong. The new dean is very evil and is manipulating everything in both schools. Again it comes down to Agatha trusting Sophie (or not) and having to make a choice between her best friend and her prince. The series will appeal to those who love fairy tales and will enjoy picking the characters from their favorites out of this new story. However, there is a lot of talking between characters instead of action, and the constant back and forth of is Sophie good or evil gets monotonous.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Chainani, Soman

Illustrator: Bruno, Iacopo

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,folklore

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062104922

Price: 16.99

Aw, Nuts

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

Squirrel loved acorns. In this book we find Squirrel busily stashing all his acorns away for the winter. Until he tries to fit one too many and they all explode back out of the tree! He sets off in pursuit of the one prized acorn. But bad things keep happening to him, like his cab running out of gas and his balloon popping. Every time he faces a setback he uses the phrase "aw, nuts". The illustrations are great—minimal and colorful—and they perfectly tell the story. Just be prepared for Squirrel's catchphrase to be repeated many times around the house after reading this.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

McClurkan, Rob

Illustrator: McClurkan, Rob

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062317292

Price: 17.99

Edible Colors

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

"Edible Colors" showcases a rainbow of photographed fruits and vegetables. Some of them are well known (though they give them very specific names instead of the generic ones: i.e. Jersey blueberries instead of just blueberries) and some of them will be mysteries to kids and adults alike. While this book is a good idea, in theory, they've really stretched on some of the colors and included some items that while they may exist, are not something available in most communities in this country. So while this book may encourage kids to try some new fruits or veggies, you probably won't be able to find them to do that.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Bass, Jennifer Vogel

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: fair

ISBN: 9781626720022

Price: 12.99

But!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

Eddie and his dog, Phil, are off for a day of fishing when they find out they actually have to do all of Aunt Sue's chores instead. The list is incredibly long and includes dishes and laundry, and throwing a pirate a birthday party. Somehow they get it all done (including the dog baking the cake) but have gift wrapped a pair of socks as the pirate's gift; which would be fine if the pirate didn't have one wooden leg. But all is not lost because Eddie tells him it is a matching hat and sock set. And thus the community of Halibut Bay is full of people with matching hat and sock sets…and one cold foot. The author seems to be trying to be weirdly humorous, but this story is just weird. He uses "BUT" at the end of most pages as a device to carry on the story, but it doesn't work. Generally there’s a big reveal or a plot twist after the big "but" but this story just carries on.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Hamilton, Tim

Illustrator: Hamilton, Tim

Illustration Quality: fair

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780823430468

Price: 16.95

There's a Pig in My Class!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

Pig lives next to a school and his biggest dream is to go play with the kids. So one day he sneaks out and the kids dress him up and sneak him into the school. They go through a day fooling the teacher until he gets water all over himself and the teacher tells him to take his clothes off and then discovers that he is in fact a pig and not a child. Though she sends the pig away, the class comes to visit him later and he gets to play with the kids anyway. A message about being afraid is thrown in at the end. This story is extremely awkward. From the names (Pig, Honey Hair, Tall Tina, One Child) to the phrasing, it's all very uncomfortable. It was originally printed in Sweden, so I'm wondering if some of this story is just lost in translation.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Thydell, Johanna

Illustrator: Ramel, Charlotte

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780823431687

Price: 16.95

What's So Yummy? All About Eating Well and Feeling Good

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

"What's so Yummy?" is a first nutrition book for kids. It talks about why we eat and drink and what kinds of foods and beverages are healthiest for us. The vehicle for the information is a family going to the farmers' market and then on a picnic. The two kids share additional information such as what they had for breakfast or commentary on specific foods as word bubbles. Some of the foods at the garden are labeled, but the foods at the market are not, so there are some learning points there that are missing. The illustrations do a great job making the fruits and veggies look fresh and inviting. Some of the more casual text is stilted, but overall this book very clearly shares the basics about eating well and why that's necessary.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Harris, Robie

Illustrator: Westcott, Nadine

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763636326

Price: 15.99

The Streak

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

The Streak is an excellent picture book biography. This book tells the tale of legendary Joe DiMaggio and his still standing record streak of getting hits in baseball games. The short text on each page tells just enough about DiMaggio's background and sets the historical scene for his streak. The back matter includes attribution for all of the quotes and newspaper headlines as well as a bibliography and an author's note that included further detail of the time and story as well as DiMaggio's baseball statistics.

Widener's acrylic paintings are beautiful and the muted colors add to the historical feel of the book. The quality is so great that you could spend a long time looking at his brush marks and imagining painting it yourself.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Rosenstock, Barb

Illustrator: Widener, Terry

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Calkins Creek

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781590789926

Price: 16.95

Road Rash

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 12, 2015

Review

Featuring plenty of teen angst and lots of music, Road Rash is unique look at life as an aspiring musician. Zach plays the drums with his best friend in the band Sock Monkeys. But just as their planned summer of recording and performing begins, Zach finds himself ousted from the band. He quickly finds himself with a new opportunity to go on the road with a better, more well-known group. However, he quickly learns that this band has its issues as well. The books focuses on Zach's relationships, from friendship to romance to enemies. There's a heavy amount of musical terminology, which can take the reader out of the book a bit if it's unfamiliar. However, this is a solid piece on relationships in general, not just the kind teens deal with.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Huntley Parsons, Mark

Illustrator: n/a, n/a

Publisher: Alfred A Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780385753425

Price: 16.99

Life Science Through Infographics

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 28, 2015

Review

The Superscience Infographics series provides a graphic-heavy, brief introduction to many current science topics. This particular edition introduces life science. The book covers all the basics: evolution, organisms, rocks and fossils, dna, the circle of life, extinction, and it touches on living green. These aren't infographics in the traditional sense, but they are colorful double page spreads with minimal text for ease of reading. The writing is informal so as to draw kids in. The book does contain a glossary in the end materials, but it is brief and definitely doesn't include all of the terms that need defining. Some definitions on the pages themselves would have been appreciated. The book also includes a table of contents, further reading, and an index. The book would not suffice for research, but provides a base knowledge for anyone interested in life sciences.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Higgins, Nadia

Illustrator: Waananen, Lisa

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Lerner Publications

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467712880

Price: 23.94

Love & Other Theories

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 22, 2015

Review

A contemporary romance, Love & Other Theories is about a group of high school girls who have created a set of theories on love that they use to keep from getting hurt by boys. The story is told from the perspective of Aubrey, the main character. The theories state that they should never get emotionally involved and to always detach and be less available. They think that by not being clingy and wanting things from the boys, the boys will like them better and they won't get emotionally hurt. Aubrey is still recovering from her last dalliance with Trip, who ditched her when he went to college, when a new boy shows up at school. Nathan is cute and seems to pinpoint Aubrey right away. Aubrey uses the theories on him, and they are together from that very first meeting. Aubrey is so happy and thinks the theories work so well…until Nathan starts to detach and spend time instead with her best friend, Shelby. Aubrey is left questioning the theories and the entirety of her friendships and relationships. The story takes place over the span of a year, their senior year of high school. Aubrey has a great character arch and shows real growth throughout the book. The same can't be said for most of the other characters. There is sex in this book, though it doesn't go into great detail. The book focuses on teen relationships, both romantic and friendly, and has a bittersweet tone. Recommend to fans of Sarah Dessen, Katie McGarry, and Gayle Forman.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Bass, Alexis

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062275325

Price: 17.99

Liars, Inc.

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 9, 2015

Review

Full of twists and turns, mystery fans will love Liars, Inc. Max spends his time with his girlfriend Parvati, and his best friend, Preston. Bored with school and life, they decide to start a business lying for other kids by calling in fake sicknesses and forging documents. Business is booming when Preston asks Max to cover for him. The next day, Preston is missing and the FBI thinks Max is responsible. The author takes us through a number of twists and turns as Max tries to figure out what really happened. Just when you think you’ve figured out who is responsible and what happened to Preston, author Paula Stokes throws another wrench in the works. Max never does figure it all out, until it comes to a dramatic climax where life and death are on the line. Aside from the mystery, this book will have you thinking about how well you really know people and who you can trust.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Stokes, Paula

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: mystery

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062323286

Price: 17.99

The Black Reckoning

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2015

Review

The third and final book in the Books of Beginning series, The Black Reckoning brings us a significantly darker chapter in the lives of the Wibberly siblings. Each child has been the star of one of the books, and this one features Emma, the youngest, who is left to deal with the book of death and saving the world from the evil Dire Magnus. This world features multitudes of magical creatures, including wizards, witches, elves, trolls, and giants. Fans of Harry Potter and those looking to move up from the Spiderwick Chronicles would be a good fit for this series. Featuring themes of empowerment for children, and chalk full of problem solving skills, this series is great for children searching for their own independence. In each character's novel, they experience a huge character arc, and Emma is no different. She goes from someone who needs others to take care of her to not only taking care of herself, but taking risks with her life to protect everyone else. The one downfall to this book is that the author does not include hardly any back story, so if you haven't recently read the others, some of the details won’t make sense, and the whole plot relies heavily on what has previously happened. Other than that, the writing flows quickly and includes a good mix of narration and speech. Recommended for grades 5 & up.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Stephens, John

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780375868726

Price: 17.99

Finding Audrey

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 25, 2015

Review

Kinsella, best known for the Shopaholic series, takes her charming & quirky British characters and brings them to YA. At the beginning of this book, we meet Audrey, who has gone through some kind of trauma, and is currently out of school and in treatment. She can't stand human contact, even just eye contact, and so stays indoors and wears big dark glasses all day, every day. Only when she meets her brother's friend Linus does she start to come out from her shell. The book really focuses on mental health issues and could be very good as an easy way to introduce conversation or start education about mental health issues. It really shines a light on mental health in a realistic way. And by the end of the book we've seen Audrey show real strength, courage, and self-reliance. We see how hard it is for her to overcome those issues. Talking directly to the reader, Audrey is an authentic teen voice, and all of the characters are charming. Audrey never reveals exactly what happened to her, and while that can be frustrating for some, it's an interesting choice and puts the emphasis on Audrey's condition and recovery instead of the issues that got her there.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Kinsella, Sophie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553536515

Price: 18.99

The Wicked Will Rise

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 25, 2015

Review

The second installment in Paige's Wizard of Oz remake, The Wicked Will Rise tells us Amy's continuing story travelling through a broken Oz and trying to figure out both what her destiny is and who to trust. This book focuses more on Amy and her relationships with Ozma, Pete, and Nox, instead of with the older witches and Dorothy. The book ends with a big change and then a cliffhanger. This book was slightly better than the first, because it introduced us to more of the original characters instead of approximations of Baum's characters. We also see more of this version of Oz, including the magnificent place where the flying monkeys live. A must purchase for libraries where Dorothy Must Die was popular; otherwise an additional purchase.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Paige, Danielle

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,folklore

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062280701

Price: 17.99

John Green: Star Author, Vlogbrother, and Nerdfighter

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2015

Review

Braun has created a very basic biography of author and Internet sensation John Green. The book begins with Green's pre The Fault in Our Stars being published, establishing his popularity. Then it moves onto a more chronological order of his life, including his childhood struggles, his first forays into writing, his marriage, and finally into Vlogbrothers, Nerdfighters, and Don't Forget to be Awesome (DFTBA). Anyone familiar with John Green will likely already know this information, but it's a decent primer for those who are unfamiliar with him. The information shared is a bit strange for such a short book and the pictures included seem like a crutch to fill more space. Pictures of the author himself and his books are to be expected, but they also include pictures of authors he happens to like and random shots of a city that he happened to live in. The information seems a bit incomplete, as well. At one point it mentions that he had published 5 books prior to TFIOS, but nowhere in the book does it mention the 5th one. Back matter includes important dates, source notes, a selected bibliography, further reading, and an index. However, some of the references in the source notes and bibliography are far from academic, and would not be considered valid sources by some teachers.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Braun, Eric

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781467772440

Price: 8.95

Saturday Night Live: Shaping TV Comedy and American Culture

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 25, 2015

Review

Humor and nonfiction writer Kaplan has combined both here to create a brief history of Saturday Night Live and its effect on comedy and American culture. The book discusses the effect SNL has had on presidential elections (Palin and Ford, significantly) and how it has handled culture issues such as diversity and women. Kaplan also discusses the show's biggest stars and how they affected the show. The book jumps around in time and subject, making it hard to follow. It's also not clear who exactly the intended audience is. A student doing a study on the show would need much more in-depth information, and someone reading out of pure interest would likely not be interested in these specific topics. Back matter includes an index, photo acknowledgements, a quiz, a list of Second City performers, a list of comedy writers, sources notes, a bibliography, and further info. This is not a first purchase for most libraries.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Kaplan, Arie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Twenty First Century Books

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781467710862

Price: 24.46

My Life as a Gamer

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 25, 2015

Review

The fifth in the Tashjians' Derek Fallon series, this book is another winner. As usual, Derek gets himself into several pickles, and has to learn life lessons the hard way. This installment focuses on school tests and gaming. Not only does Derek learn to believe in himself, but he grows quite a bit, too. The book leaves him on the precipice of his first love. This book, and complete series, is a must buy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Tashjian, Janet

Illustrator: Tashjian, Jake

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Henry Hold & Co

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780805098518

Price: 15.99

The Secrets of Attraction

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 20, 2015

Review

Madison has life all figured out: she's on track to become an architect, she and her mom have a good life, and she has a hot boyfriend. That's when life throws her some surprises. She starts to fall for the Starbucks barista where she and her mom frequent after yoga class. Then her mom fesses up that she's been lying to her about who her dad is, and he's actually been a part of her life for as long as she can remember as a friend of her mom's. Madison struggles with how to deal with her feelings about the new boy and her new father.

The story ends well on all accounts for Madison. There's not a ton of conflict, and the new boy seems to be perfect. While it's a fine story, there's nothing about this book that is original or stands out. Purchase only where teen romances are popular.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Constantine, Robin

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062279514

Price: 17.99

Invincible

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

A book about teens dealing with cancer, this book delves deeper into the dark side of death and illness. Evie lives in a hospital ward surrounded by doctors, nurses, counselors, and other kids with cancer. While her family, friend, and boyfriend still come to visit her, she feels most connected with her two best friends in the ward. Evie knows she is going to die, right up until the day she miraculously recovers. It's after going home that her life truly starts to unravel. She can’t deal with her old life or the death of one of her friends. The jacket description of this book makes it out to be about how she is miraculously alive and then meets a cute, troubled boy who makes everything better, and that relationship is the focus of the story. But Evie doesn't even meet him until more than halfway through the book. The book is more about Evie herself and her struggle to accept death, and then to accept life again, and her fight to figure out who she really is. While this story feels authentic and deals with real issues, teens who pick up this book based on the jacket description will be sorely disappointed. You also find out at the very end that it's going to be a series, which feels completely unnecessary.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Reed, Amy

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062299574

Price: 17.99

Don't Ever Change

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 7, 2016

Review

Eva is a recent high school grad and hopeful writer trying to follow her teacher's advice of writing what she knows. In order to do that, she needs to have some new experiences. She spends the summer as a camp counselor, messing up her job and her life right and left. Eva is a thoroughly unlikable character as written. She’s selfish and dense and refuses to change even though she knows she's pushing people away. She goes through no change and yet, somehow gets a happy ending anyway. The author writes in a very simplistic way, which makes it feel more like a screenplay (which she also writes) than a novel. Not recommended.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Bloom, M. Beth

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062036889

Price: 17.99

99 Days

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 11, 2016

Review

99 Days features a self-exiled teen running from her mistakes who is forced to return to her hometown for the summer between high school and college. Molly returns to find that the hatred and disgust she felt from her hometown is still alive and well. Throughout the book she almost finds redemption, but reverts to her old ways. In the end, she experiences no epiphanies, no changes of heart. She is an incredibly frustrating character. The characters themselves are all underdeveloped, and I'm not sure what exactly the point of the story is. There are a few highlights, but overall, not a first purchase.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Cotugno, Katie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062216380

Price: 17.99

Yak and Gnu

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 8, 2016

Review

With excellently executed rhyming, Yak and Gnu is an adorable story of an afternoon on the water coupled with a message about individuality and commonality. A fun read-aloud and perfect for storytimes. The illustrations are great, as well.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

MacIver, Juliette

Illustrator: Chapman, Cat

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763675615

Price: 14.99

The Queen's Hat

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 8, 2016

Review

Perfect for anyone interested in teaching their kids about Britain, The Queen's Hat is a fun and informational tool. On her way to the castle, the Queen and one of her corgis run into a wild wind and the Queen loses her hat. She and the royal guard chase the hat all over London and past many of London's well-known locales. The end features brief information about each of the locations.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Antony, Steve

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545835565

Price: 16.99

Reckless Hearts

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 9, 2016

Review

What started out as your typical best friend/unrequited love story takes a very strange turn at the end. The end is really a teaser for the next book in the series: a really creepy, violent tale about the villain in this story. The book, and series, can't seem to decide if it is a romance or a thriller. Not a recommended purchase.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Olin, Sean

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: horror,romance

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062192417

Price: 17.99

Your Baby's First Word will be Dada

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 9, 2016

Review

In typical Jimmy Fallon fashion, this cute book takes on the idea of getting your baby to say dada. It features lots of animals trying to get their young to say dada. The young reply with the sound that they typically would make, with makes for lots of opportunities to practice animal sounds. It's also fun to look at facial expressions, as some of the animals showcase very expressive eyebrows. Not a knock out of the park, but a cute book for new parents.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Fallon, Jimmy

Illustrator: Ordonez, Miguel

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250009340

Price: 16.99

The Lies About the Truth

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 23, 2016

Review

The Lies About the Truth is a story about recovery, forgiveness and life. Sadie has severe scarring left from a car accident that killed her best friend and injured another friend. A year removed from that, she still finds herself unwilling to go out in public or to forgive her friends who caused the accident. Slowly but surely, Sadie starts to come out of her shell and get back a little bit of who she was before. Forgiveness for her friends and for herself comes hard, but it's well-earned. An emotionally heavy read, this book will be of interest to avid fans of realistic fiction.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Stevens, Courtney

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062245410

Price: 17.99

Kissing in America

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 29, 2016

Review

What at first glance might seem a light teen romance, Kissing in America is, in fact, a very emotionally heavy read. Eva and her mother are two years out from losing their father and husband in a plane crash. They are both still struggling to deal with their grief, and have not been able to move on with their lives. For Eva, everything changes when she meets Will, and turns her life inside out to go and visit him across the country. In the end, it is a love story, but not romantic love. It is about all kinds of love, from mother/daughter to friends, and everything in between.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Rabb, Margo

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062322371

Price: 17.99

Friendshape

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 29, 2016

Review

Friendshape celebrates friendship using a circle, square, triangle, and rectangle as characters. The text outlines what friendship is, while the pictures adorably illustrate the example the text is referring to. This would be a cute book to talk with toddlers about.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse

Illustrator: Lichtenheld, Tom

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545436823

Price: 16.99

Bunnies!!!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 6, 2016

Review

Featuring an adorable monster and four of the cuddliest bunnies you've ever seen, "Bunnies!!!" will be one of your new favorites. This nameless monster goes along saying hi to all that he sees. Until he sees 4 colorful bunnies. Then he gets a little over-excited and the bunnies run away. He chases after them while they hide, and we repeat this process a couple of times. Finally, the bunnies decide to be nice to the monster and play with him, but he gets easily distracted. This is a fun read-aloud to showcase how inflection can change the meaning of one word (bunnies). Kids will enjoy picking the bunnies out of their hiding spots as well. This is a must purchase for picture book collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Atteberry, Kevan

Illustrator: Atteberry, Kevan

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062307835

Price: 12.99

Score One for the Sloths

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 6, 2016

Review

While the cover featuring slots in pajamas looks cute and fun, the story itself is very much not. The story tries to make jokes about how sloths only sleep all day, but they fall flat. In the end, a sloth who somehow has all kinds of energy comes in and saves their school from being closed. Lester's books generally feature a moral or lesson, but this one misses the mark on the idea of being an individual. Not recommended.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Lester, Helen

Illustrator: Munsinger, Lynn

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780544324053

Price: 8.99

The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 6, 2016

Review

This story does not live up to the Pout-Pout Fish standards. This was created as a board book, but the text inside is of picture book length. In a format for babies but with text for a pre-schooler, this book doesn't fit in either group.

Overall Book Score: poor

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About the Book

Author:

Diesen, Deborah

Illustrator: Hanna, Dan

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780374301897

Price: 7.99

The Buccaneers' Code

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 25, 2016

Review

The third book in The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, The Buccaneers' Code finds pirate Hilary Westfield on a course to defeat the current corrupt league president and become the new president. It's quite a challenge, and the rules certainly seem to all go against her, but Hilary finds unique ways to complete her goals. The author provides enough detail that you needn't have read the rest of the series first. A fun book for adventure lovers.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Carlson, Caroline

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062194398

Price: 16.99

The Hunted

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 28, 2016

Review

The sequel to The Living, The Hunted finds the survivors of the deadly earthquake and subsequent rampaging disease back in the continental U.S. and trying to reach the scientists in Colorado with the cure for Romero disease, which is killing large swathes of the population in the wake of the earthquake. The group (three young adults and an older man) has to battle rogue biker groups, hot sun, very little food and water, and being tracked by a deadly private company on their way to try and save the country.

De La Pena has woven a fast-paced adventure with the horrors of a dystopian society, but with a premise that seems terrifyingly possible this day in age. A great addition to any library collection.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

De La Pena, Matat

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385741224

Price: 17.99

Bathtime with Theo & Beau

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 28, 2016

Review

The adorable duo of Theo and Beau are back in another photo essay, this time about bathtime. There is little to no literary value to these books, but the photos of toddler and his dog are epically cute and not to be missed.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Shyba, Jessica

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250059079

Price: 16.99

Who We Are! All About Being the Same and Being Different

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 28, 2016

Review

Who We Are! is a hybrid educational text and picture book with lovely illustrations that perfectly match the text. However, the text on each page is overwhelming for the picture book format. There are large paragraphs of text on each page, some featuring really difficult vocabulary. There's also dialogue on each page from the two kids featured. While it is a worthy topic, and shares some really great educational points in regards to equality, it doesn't quite hit the mark of being an excellent book.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Harris, Robie

Illustrator: Westcott, Nadine

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763669034

Price: 15.99

Beatrix Potter & the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 5, 2016

Review

The author of some of the most beloved picture books, Beatrix Potter, is the subject of this particular picture book. Hopkinson has taken several facts from the published "The Journal of Beatrix Potter" and added a few of her own details to tell an adorable story about Beatrix as a child and her love of animals. Children and parents alike will enjoy this book.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Hopkinson, Deborah

Illustrator: Voake, Charlotte

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780385373258

Price: 17.99

Feminism: Reinventing the F-word

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 19, 2016

Review

"Feminism: Reinventing the F-word" by Nadia Abushanab Higgins is a good intro to both the history of feminism and how feminism is relevant in today's world. It is a quick read and doesn't really get in-depth about any of the topics covered (including abortion, inequality in wages, violence towards women, transgender issues, and more), but it's a good primer. I thought that the layout of the book made it eye-catching and easy to read. It's a good addition to your Young Adult nonfiction section.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Abushanab Higgins, Nadia

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 10-12,adult / professional

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467761475

Price: 19.99

What Happens Now

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 21, 2016

Review

What Happens Now is at first glance a simple teen romance. But what lies below the surface is a poignant tale of recovery, trusting yourself, and female empowerment. Ari is working on her mental health after having been caught cutting herself, while also having to deal with a stressful family situation, and a first infatuation with a boy. Camden comes into her life after a year of watching him from afar, and for a while Ari depends greatly on him and his friends to help her feel better. But in the end, Ari embraces her own power and cuts ties with them in order to preserve her mental health. However, the kind author gifts us with a happy ending anyway. An excellent purchase for all teen collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Castle, Jennifer

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062250476

Price: 17.99

Places No One Knows

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 26, 2016

Review

Yovanoff has crafted a poignant tale of life and love. Waverly spends her days putting on a fake face for everyone in her life, while at night she runs her feet ragged instead of sleeping. Marshall spends most of his time high or drunk while trying to escape his terrible family situation. They've admired each other from afar, until one night Waverly dreams herself into Marshall's room. This is the only supernatural element in the story, and it takes a back seat to the developing relationship of the teens. Yovanoff's writing pulls you right into the characters' lives, and you will want to stay there and finish the book in one sitting.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Yovanoff, Brenna

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553522631

Price: 17.99

Girl Against the Universe

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 3, 2016

Review

Bad things have been happening around Maguire for years. She's convinced that she is bad luck and therefore, it's unsafe for her to be around other people. She won't ride in cars with anyone besides her mom, she stays out of public, and she doesn't have any friends. However, with a new hometown and a new psychiatrist, sh'’s starting to re-join the real world. Jordy is a tennis star who lives only for tennis and is seeing the same psychiatrist to help try and balance his life. Together, they work on making each other stronger, and they fall in love in the process. The pace of the story moves along rapidly, with just the right amount of detail to keep the reader wanting to know what happens next. The end material includes an author's note regarding mental illness and how to get help if you need it. Highly recommended for teen/young adult collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Stokes, Paula

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062379962

Price: 17.99

The Last Time We Were Us

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 7, 2016

Review

During the summer before her senior year, Liz finds herself torn between the life that she's built for herself and throwing it all away to be with her former best friend who has just been released from prison. Jason has gone to prison over an incident that left one of their friends badly burned, but we never hear the full story of what happened until the very end, where Jason finally admits the truth to Liz. A realistic fiction full of tragedy, lies, and love, The Last Time We Were Us is an emotional rollercoaster without a ton of depth. Purchase only where romantic realistic fiction is popular.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Konen, Leah

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Book

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062402479

Price: 17.99

Whatever After: Once Upon a FROG

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2016

Review

Sarah Mlynowski's "Whatever After" series continues with a frog prince-themed book. The book starts out with Abby dealing with a bully at school, who has only recently started bullying and nobody knows why. In the majority of the book, Jonah, Abby, and their dog Prince are in the world of the frog prince, trying to help the frog turn back into a prince. The princess seems cold and unhelpful, while the frog is nice and friendly, but by the end of the book you've learned that things aren't always as they seem. I haven't read the rest of the series, but this one seems a bit bland. Kids who enjoy fairy tales and humorous books will probably enjoy this one as well, though it's not a must-buy.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Mlynowski, Sarah

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,folklore

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545746601

Price: 14.99

Nancy Clancy: Seeks a Fortune

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2016

Review

Jane O'Connor continues her "Nancy Clancy" series with Book 7 "Nancy Clancy seeks a fortune." Nancy and her classmates are all focused on trying to become wealthy (and most are failing at it). Some create masks to sell, others make baked goods, and Nancy and her friend Bree try making fancy crowns, but they find that even with a successful product it's hard to make a profit.

The book teaches a lot of good words like "wealth," "entrepreneur," and "appraised." It's fun and educational, and a quick read. I'd recommend it as a must-buy if your library has a lot of Fancy Nancy fans that are growing up.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

O'Connor, Jane

Illustrator: Preiss Glasser, Robin

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062269690

Price: 9.99

It's All Your Fault

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 20, 2016

Review

Heller Harrigan is a teen movie star with the requisite substance abuse issues and bad behavior. Caitlin is her sheltered, homeschooled cousin and former best friend brought in to try and keep her in line before her big movie premiere. What ensues is a crazy weekend full of cliches. If read as a satire, this book is mildly amusing. If read as a straight book, it's eye-roll worthy. Not recommended as a first purchase.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Rudnick, Paul

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545464284

Price: 19.99

The Anatomy of Curiosity

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2016

Review

"The Anatomy of Curiosity" is an interesting book by authors Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. The book contains three novellas (one by each author) and each focuses on an important part of the creative process involved in writing: characterization, world building, and coming up with ideas. There are introductions to each story by the authors, as well as notes interspersed within each story describing how that part of the story was worked on (whether the author edited out too many similar descriptors, or how the character got their name, etc.). It's a cool idea, but I found it tough to follow at times. I tried both reading the story first and the notes after and then for the next story reading the notes as I was reading the story, but both ways felt a little choppy.

As far as the stories themselves go, I really enjoyed Stiefvater's novella about an old woman with a secret and the teenage girl hired to read her poetry, but the other tales were harder for me to get into. I like the idea of the book, but not sure it's effective for me. Not a must-buy.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Stiefvater, Maggie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Carolhoda LAB

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12,adult / professional

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467723985

Price: 18.99

Tell Us Something True

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2016

Review

High school senior River suddenly finds himself dumped and alone in a boat on a lake. Too stubborn to take a ride home from his ex, he decides to walk home and comes across a shining Second Chances sign. Grasping at straws, he decides the sign is meant for him, and finds himself entering an AA type program for teens with addictions. Caught off guard, he makes up an addiction to marijuana. While River is understandably distraught after the breakup, we soon learn that his friends are all upset with him because he ignored them during his relationship with his ex. Left with nothing else, he swears to them that he will do better. However, as he develops closer relationships with the group members that he's lying to, he returns straight to his behavior of ignoring his friends. I suspect most readers will be frustrated by his behavior and wonder why his friends keep letting him back in. The book ends with an eye-rolling epiphany by River, only after he has lost all his relationships again. Purchase only where realistic fiction is incredibly popular.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Reinhardt, Dana

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780385742597

Price: 17.99

Wired Man and Other Freaks of Nature

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2016

Review

Ben Wireman is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids, hidden under his shaggy hair, so that he can pretend to be normal. Tyler, his best friend since elementary school and one of the most popular kids at school, has started to act strangely and won't tell Ben what's going on. Ben feels lost until a blue-haired loner named Ilona comes into his life. Ilona allows Ben to get to know himself outside of being Tyler's best friend. In the end, Ilona helps Tyler come clean about what's bothering him, too. Kaufman has created incredibly realistic and relatable teen characters and shed a fresh light on male friendships. It's clear the author has a keen understanding of teens and their inner turmoil. Recommended for all teen collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Kaufman, Sashi

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781467785631

Price: 17.99

This Book's Maine Connection: Maine author

Plants vs. Meats: The Health, History, and Ethics of What We Eat

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2016

Review

"Plants vs. Meats: The Health, History, and Ethics of What We Eat," by Meredith Sayles Hughes gives very brief information about vegetarianism, factory farming, 3D printed food, GMOs, and other current issues about the foods we eat. The writing doesn't feel like it would appeal to pre-teens or teens, and at times seems rather boring. At times it seems to both ramble on and at the same time barely skim the surface of most topics? It ends with a bit about the concept of Tao and how we need to make up our own minds about how we eat. I will praise the fact that there is a long list of sources and further reading suggestions and websites to check out. Not worth buying for your library.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Hughes, Meredith Sayles

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467780117

Price: 34.65

The Art of Being Normal

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 24, 2016

Review

This is a book about two transgender teens at different points in their transitions. David was born a male but has always felt like a girl. He keeps the secret from everyone except for his two best friends. Leo was born a female but is currently living as a boy and taking hormones. Leo has just started at David's school, and everyone assumes he is an average boy. David is immediately drawn to him, though he doesn't know why. Leo is guarded and private, but David forces his way into Leo's life. David helps Leo come to terms with his past and Leo helps David move forward with his future as Kate. While this book is clearly about the transgender experience, it's also a book about the overall teen experience. Any reader will be able to relate to the feeling of not fitting in, familial issues, and the struggle to find human connection. Highly recommended for all teen collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Williamson, Lisa

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780374302375

Price: 17.99

Save Me, Kurt Cobain

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 27, 2016

Review

"Save Me, Kurt Cobain" by Jenny Manzer follows Nicola (but she goes by Nico ever since her mother left), a teenager who loves Nirvana's music and is mildly obsessed with her mother's disappearance when she was four. Her mother, Annalee, disappeared mysteriously after telling Nicola she'd be back very soon. Police searched for her, but nobody found any sign of her, so Nico obsesses over what could have made her mother leave: “Did she hate me? Did she hate my father? Is she dead? Is she kidnapped? Is she still alive?” After discovering evidence that her mother loosely knew Kurt Cobain (an unsent letter from Annalee to Kurt and a few pictures of Kurt reaching out to Annalee at a concert), Nico latches onto the idea that Kurt Cobain is her real father. After visiting her aunt in Seattle, she sees a guy on a ferry that looks like Kurt Cobain and she follows him back to his cabin to see if he knows anything about her mother, while the rest of Canada puts out an AMBER alert for her. The book is interesting enough to keep you reading, and if you like Nirvana, you'll probably enjoy the references to Kurt and his music (several songs are referenced repeatedly), or maybe you'll be upset by an author supposing that Kurt Cobain might have faked his death. Nico acts like a believable teenager, but gets many lucky breaks that further the story and are a bit unrealistic. Overall an enjoyable book, but not a must-buy. Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Manzer, Jenny

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780553521269

Price: 17.99

It Looks Like This

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 1, 2016

Review

Mittlefehldt's debut novel takes us on a painful journey through discovery, parental disapproval, tragedy, and finally, on to hope. Mike has a small group of friends, a strictly religious family, and an avid interest in classmate Sean. Mike has no romantic history, but accepts the fact that he is attracted to boys. When he and Sean get partnered on a project, it seems that Sean might share his interest. They have a passionate, but sadly brief secret relationship (per Sean's request). When a school bully records and outs them, both boys' worlds fall apart. Mike's family sends him to a camp to re-program him to straight. What happens after this event is the real meat of the story. Mike deals with a tremendous amount of guilt and desolation by hiding away, but when he finally comes out on the other side of it, he's strong and certain in himself and in being gay. He even gets his family to come around. This book is an excellent addition to the LGBTQ genre. It shows the uglier side of being gay and coming out, but still gives us a happy(ish) ending.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Mittlefehldt, Rafi

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763687199

Price: 16.99

Run

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 6, 2016

Review

Run is the story of two best friends finding each other at a crucial time and facing life's challenges together. Bo's family is known to be full of addicts and widely disrespected, while legally blind Agnes has grown up in a respectable, church going family. Agnes's parents are extremely over-protective and barely allow her out of the house. Bo's friendship gives her a taste of freedom that she can't let go of, so when Bo needs Agnes to run away with her, Agnes doesn't give it a second shot. They embark on a trying journey across the state, in hopes of finding Bo's father. The chapters alternate between the history of Agnes and Bo's friendship and the current story, which starts the night they run away, as well as between Agnes and Bo's perspectives. Despite the back and forth, it's easy to keep track of whose viewpoint the chapter is in and which timeline it is. While there is sexual content in this book, it's not detailed, and it's essential to the character's arc. Recommended for high school age.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Keplinger, Kody

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545831130

Price: 17.99

P.S. I Like You

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 29, 2016

Review

Fraught with drama, misunderstanding, secrets, and so many feelings, "P.S. I Like You" is your standard teen romance. Lily is a unique soul who steers clear of the mainstream and who loves music and writing lyrics. During Chemistry one day, she writes down a lyric from her favorite band on the desk. When she returns to class, she discovers that someone has added the next line to the song. She and this mystery person start leaving notes for each other hidden under the desk, sharing intimate details of their lives and secrets that they don't share with anyone else. Turns out, that person is someone she knows (and dislikes). Drama ensues. West's writing is good and her characters are easy to care for. This is a general purchase where romances are popular.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

West, Kasie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Point

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545850971

Price: 17.99

Everyone We've Been

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 17, 2017

Review

An addition to the newest line of memory removal themed books, Everyone We've Been follows Addison as she struggles with feeling crazy, not knowing she's had the procedure done to forget a tragedy and a second time to forget a boyfriend. She's seeing a boy who no one else can see and struggling to remember periods of her life. While this story takes us on a journey of self-discovery, it's really a study on grief and how we as humans deal (or don't deal) with it. An interesting read with a few surprise twists that fans of realistic fiction and mystery will appreciate.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Everett, Sarah

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: mystery,romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780553538441

Price: 17.99

Home Sweet Motel

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 26, 2017

Review

The first book in Chris Grabenstein's "Welcome to Wonderland" series is titled "Home Sweet Motel." Like most Grabenstein books, this one is funny and pretty quick-moving. It focuses on PT Wilkie, a boy who lives with his mother and grandfather in his grandfather's “Wonderland” motel in Florida. Wonderland hasn't been doing too well financially and their bank tells them that their large balloon payment is coming due at the end of the month ($100,000!). PT and his grandfather aren't the most financially minded people, so this is going to be hard. The illustrations are great and the situations are amusing. I think it's worth adding this first book to your middle-grade collection. -Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Grabenstein, Chris

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780553536027

Price: 13.99

In Case You Missed It

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 26, 2017

Review

Sammy Wallach has a decent life: a couple of best friends, a supportive family, an upcoming driver's test, and a crush on a cute boy. And then her father comes under attack by hackers, and her entire personal life, including her private journal, is posted online for everyone to read. Suddenly all her classmates have read her private thoughts. The cute boy knows she likes him, her best friends aren't speaking to her, and it turns out the hackers reveal a big secret that her parents were keeping. This is a very realistic story of families and friends and strength and perseverance. Recommended for general purchase.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Darer Littman, Sarah

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545904377

Price: 17.99

Outbreak

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 26, 2017

Review

"Outbreak" is the newest superspecial volume from "The 39 Clues" series. This installment is by author C. Alexander London. In this book, the Cahill children (all teens) have to stop a deadly viral outbreak that was caused by (GASP!) their cousin, Sinead! But is Sinead really evil enough to kill potentially millions of innocents, or is she being forced to do it? The book jumps from Boston to Cuba and the Bermuda Triangle and keeps you wondering what will happen next. As an adult, I appreciated the name of the bad guy pharmaceutical company who is only interested in profits: ShkrellX. It's an exciting book and I think it's worth adding to your collection if The 39 Clues series is still popular. -reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

London, C. Alexander

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781338037050

Price: 13.99

The Square Root of Summer

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 7, 2017

Review

Gottie has had a rough year, with the death of her grandfather and a breakup with her boyfriend. But now that summer has arrived, everyone is back home and she keeps blacking out and waking up at a different time. She thinks that she is travelling through a black hole, back and forth to different versions of her life. The author tries to cleverly mix theoretical physics with a teen romance, and ends up failing on both accounts. The crazy equations and physics discussions serve only to confuse and distract from the story, and the actual storyline gets lost in the changing timelines. The result is a confusing mess.

Overall Book Score: poor

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About the Book

Author:

Hapgood, Harriet

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction,romance

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781626723733

Price: 17.99

A Week of Mondays

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 27, 2017

Review

Another version of the Groundhog Day trope, A Week of Mondays features a 16 year old girl who begs the universe for a chance to do the day her boyfriend dumps her over again, in hopes of stopping it from happening. As she continues to wake up to the same Monday over and over again, she can't figure out how to make it right, and quickly regrets her wish. Finally, on Monday #7, she gets what she wants, and her rockstar boyfriend does not want to break up. However, she's finally realized that that's not what she wants. This book has nothing new to offer and is not a recommended purchase for most collections.

Overall Book Score: poor

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About the Book

Author:

Brody, Jessica

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction,romance

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780374382704

Price: 17.99

Frost Like Night

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 6, 2017

Review

"Frost like Night" by Sara Raasch is the final novel in her "Snow like Ashes" fantasy trilogy. If you liked the first two, you will enjoy this one as well. This book didn't feel as fast-paced and interesting as the first book (which I would rate as excellent), but it's still a fun and worthwhile read. Meira must learn to control her powers and make a sacrifice to not only save her people, but to protect all the people of Primoria from the evil Angra who is controlled by the destructive magical power of Decay. I enjoyed that chapters were done in different points of view and the switching between them wasn't tough to follow. I'd recommend this book if you already have the other two. It is a satisfying conclusion to the series. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Raasch, Sara

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Balzer and Bray

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062286987

Price: 17.99

Kingdom of Ash and Briars

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 4, 2017

Review

Hannah West's "Kingdom of Ash and Briars" is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, told from the point of view of the fairy, or in this case a wizard, who takes care of Princess Rosamund after she has been cursed by another wizard. The book starts off showing us how the main character, Bristal, a teenager, comes into her powers and learns how to use them. I would have been more interested if the book had avoided the fairytale reboot and delved more into this original magical world, but once the princess is cursed by Tamarice (the wicked fairy in the original tale) the book seems to plod along. Not a bad book, but not a must buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

West, Hannah

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823436514

Price: 17.95

Return

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 4, 2017

Review

"Return" by Aaron Becker is a beautiful addition to his wordless picture book series that started with "Journey" and continued in "Quest" (however, each book can be read alone and still make sense). "Return" has a father follow his daughter into her fantasy world where people can use crayons to create whatever they want. Unfortunately, enemies have created a box that sucks up all the colored creations, so the father and daughter need to figure out a way to stop them. I didn't find it as good as the first two books, but still an interesting and lovely read. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Becker, Aaron

Illustrator: Becker, Aaron

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763677305

Price: 15.99

A Drop of Night

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 4, 2017

Review

"A Drop of Night" by Stefan Bachmann is a book that makes you feel like you're watching a thriller movie. It is very fast-paced and keeps you interested. The book switches between the viewpoints of a noble-born girl in France during the French Revolution, and a seventeen-year-old girl who has been selected (along with four other teens) for the archaeological exploration of an underground French palace. Needless to say, things go wrong and the teens find themselves being hunted down within the palace. The story felt very unique and would appeal to fans of "The Maze Runner." Unfortunately, while the book kept my attention, at the end I had several questions that remained unanswered. Not a must buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Bachmann, Stefan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Greenwillow

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,horror

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062289926

Price: 17.99

Kindergarten is COOL!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 14, 2017

Review

"Kindergarten Is COOL!" features several kindergartners experiencing their first day of school. They get ready for school and go by either bus, car, or walking. At school they get to meet new people, play, sing, and learn fun things. The subject isn't anything new, but it is nice to see several people of color featured in the book. The story is told in rhyme, which kids really seem to enjoy. I wouldn't say it's a must-buy, but it would be a nice addition to your "going to school" picture books section. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Elovitz Marshall, Linda

Illustrator: Chatterton, Chris

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Cartwheel Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545652667

Price: 8.99

Walter Was Worried

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 14, 2017

Review

"Walter Was Worried" by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a truly unique picture book. It deals with various children feeling different emotions in regards to changing weather and actually creates the features on their faces with the letters of the word (for example, Walter is Worried, and his face has a wrinkle shaped like the letter W; O and E make his eyes; R's are his uplifted eyebrows; I makes his nose, and D is his open worried mouth). Very clever. Totally recommend adding it to your picture book collection, both for learning emotions and letters. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Vaccaro Seeger, Laura

Illustrator: Vaccaro Seeger, Laura

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781626722514

Price: 14.99

Puppy!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 8, 2017

Review

Trog is a cave boy who has the best toys, such as sticks and mud, be he really, really wants a puppy. He finds what he thinks is a puppy and brings it home. But the puppy is sad and nothing Trog does makes him happy. Then a BIG "puppy" shows up and takes Trog's puppy away. It turns out Trog had stolen a baby alligator-like creature from his mother, and that's why he was sad. Trog then goes out and finds what he thinks is a kitty.

The book does not succeed in being the humorous tale that it sets out to be. The book text doesn't explain the baby/mother concept, so it requires quite a bit of skill with contextual clues, which seems too mature a concept for this age group. Some pages are set up like an early comic book, which could add to the confusion of the storyline for toddlers. This book is a swing and a miss.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Graves, Keith

Illustrator: Graves, Keith

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781626722255

Price: 16.99

Everyone...

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 8, 2017

Review

A picture book on feelings, "Everyone" leads us through a boy's day of emotions with his balloon. Simple line illustrations featuring the color blue show us the meaning of several different emotions. The moral of the story is that everyone has feelings and that it's okay to feel them and to share them. Good for a parenting collection.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Neal, Christopher Silas

Illustrator: Neal, Christopher Silas

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763676834

Price: 15.99

Still a Gorilla!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 8, 2017

Review

Willy is a gorilla. Willy thinks he wants to be another type of animal. What if he roars like a lion? Will he be one? No. Still a gorilla. And so goes the silly story of Willy. He tries to be several different kinds of zoo animals, but all he ends up being is silly and still a gorilla.

Some rhyming text makes this a fun read-aloud and the picture are simple and vibrant. Kids will be drawn to this book by the cover alone. And then they'll fall in love with silly Willy.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Norman, Kim

Illustrator: Geran, Chad

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545757911

Price: 16.99

Imagine a City

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 8, 2017

Review

Busy pen and ink illustrations are the focus of this book about using your imagination. There is brief rhyming text, but the fun of reading this book is in poring over the illustrations and pointing out what you find in the imaginative world where "buses are fish and fish fly the sky."

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Hurst, Elise

Illustrator: Hurst, Elise

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781101934579

Price: 16.99

Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2017

Review

"Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers!" by Melanie Walsh is a children's picture book about a boy named Isaac. Isaac has Asperger Syndrome. He narrates the book, telling us how his superpowered brain works differently than other kids. Isaac may seem a bit more active at times, or need to fidget with a toy while the teacher talks, or be bothered by the lights in a room. The book is funny and well written and gives kids a good intro as to how and why children with Asperger's may act differently. I would recommend it for most libraries.

Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Walsh, Melanie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763681210

Price: 16.99

Once Upon a Gorjuss Time

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2017

Review

"Once Upon a gorjuss Time" is a collection of classic fairy tales and stories loosely rewritten to include the main character (the "gorjuss" girl). The "gorjuss" girl is a Scottish artist's creation that has become very popular (similar to “Hello Kitty”), especially in Europe. The stories include Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Alice, Thumbelina, and Rapunzel. The collection felt thrown together and a bit like the “gorjuss” girl was just shoehorned in. I did enjoy that some of the fairy tales were a bit darker and closer to some of the originals (the Little Mermaid dies and turns into sea foam at the end of the story), but it just felt a bit like a cash grab. The artwork is very interesting and I'm sure some kids will love the book, but it is definitely not a must-buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Licensing, Santoro

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,folklore

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763677428

Price: 19.99

Frannie and Tru

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 17, 2017

Review

Frannie is a fifteen year old living in present day Baltimore. Her cousin, Tru, comes to stay with the family for the summer, and so begins Frannie's education in the "real world," from which she's largely been sheltered. Through Tru, she begins exploring dating, drinking, drugs, and rule breaking. The author, Hattrup, attempts to bring something new to the genre by throwing current hot topics like racism, lgbtq issues, and sexual assault into the storyline. But in the end, those tidbits just feel a bit like a gimmick, offering no real education or resolution of these issues for the characters or the readers. An additional purchase solely where coming of age novels are popular.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Hattrup, Karen

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062410207

Price: 17.99

Textrovert

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 14, 2017

Review

Published originally on wattpad under the name "Cell Phone Swap," "Textrovert"is a romance featuring an accidental cell phone exchange as a meet cute for quiet Keeley and football star Talon. From neighboring towns, the phone swap happens at a local carnival. Talon decides that he's going to keep Keeley's phone while he's away at football camp for a week so he can flirt with her and get to know her. He thinks he can tell by her voice that she's a hot teenager. So goes a week of annoying texting back and forth, Talon's bravado bringing out Keeley's attitude. After the phones are returned to their rightful owners, drama ensues. It turns out Talon and Keeley's brother are football rivals, making their romance difficult. This is a mildly cute addition to the romance genre, but not a necessary purchase.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Summers, Lindsey

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: KCP Loft

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781771387354

Price: 17.95

Keep Me in Mind

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 19, 2017

Review

Ellia Dawson has been in an accident that left her suffering from amnesia, and she can't remember anything about the past 2 years, which is very inconvenient for Liam, her boyfriend of 2 years. Reed's novel explores love and relationships as Liam comes to terms with the fact that his girlfriend doesn't remember him, and the girl he loved is no more. There are Romeo and Juliet undertones, with warring families, and a brief issue with race, as they are a mixed race couple. Overall, the author does a pretty decent job of delving into the emotionally fraught world of memory loss and love. Consider this a secondary purchase.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Reed, Jaime

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Point

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545883818

Price: 17.99

Batgirl at Super Hero High

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 13, 2017

Review

"Batgirl at Super Hero Hig" by Lisa Yee is a good addition to the Super Hero High series. It focuses on Barbara Gordon, who previously has worked at Super Hero High in their tech department, but really wants to be a student at the school. She gets accepted; but her father, Commissioner Gordon, has a tough time letting his daughter go off on her own and do dangerous things (even though she is very capable). The book is about friendship and family and learning who you are. I would buy it if you have the rest of the series. It's not the best in the series, but it's pretty good nonetheless.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Yee, Lisa

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781101940655

Price: 13.99

The Door in the Alley

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 13, 2017

Review

The first book in the Explorers series, "The Door in the Alley," by Adrienne Kress is a great beginning to an awesome adventure. The book focuses on Sebastian and Evie, two young kids. Sebastian is a boy who has a photographic memory, is very logical, and always follows the rules. Evie is a girl whose parents have died and she is now living in an all-girls boarding school. One day, Sebastian goes down an alley (not on his prescribed route home, but due to his cousin making him late, he decides to make up time by taking a short cut) and discovers "The Explorers' Society."? This sets in motion all sorts of adventure (including daring escapes from bad guys, solving clues, breaking rules, and trying to rescue Evie's grandfather). This is a funny and interesting book that begins with a pig in a hat. I'd say it's a must-buy for your library if you have middle graders who love adventure. The only downside is that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and the second book is not yet out. Reviewed by Kate Radke.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kress, Adrienne

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781101940051

Price: 16.99

Girl Code

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 8, 2017

Review

Andy and Sophie met in 2014 at Girls Who Code's summer program at the age of 17. Both went into camp with a basic knowledge of coding with various experiences using it. They worked on their final project together, creating the web game Tampon Run, which went on to get worldwide notice based on its dealing with the taboo topic of menstruation as well as the fact that it was coded by girls. They went on to do many, many speaking engagements about their game and their experiences. Both girls are now in college. The book is formatted with alternating segments written by Andy and Sophie. The girls share their full experiences, from their first interest in coding, to the aftermath of Tampon Run and then on to college. The book is a great encouragement for girls to code, and Andy and Sophie are very open and easy to relate to. The back matter includes some easy to follow beginner coding lessons, term definitions, and websites for further lessons/information in coding. This is a first purchase, particularly in high school libraries.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Gonzalez, Andrea

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062472502

Price: 17.99

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 15, 2017

Review

This is a reprint of Alvin Schwart's 1984 book "In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories" with new illustrations. The stories are still delightfully creepy and fun and the illustrations are the kind of terrifying that kids will love to get scared by. I remember this book from when I was a kid and based on how often Schwartz's "Scary Stories" books still get checked out, I'm sure this will be a huge hit with the younger readers. A must-buy. Reviewed by Kate Radke.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Schwartz, Alvin

Illustrator: Rivas, Victor

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: horror

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062643384

Price: 16.99

The Titanic Mission

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 15, 2017

Review

The second book in Dan Gutman's "Flashback Four" series is "The Titanic Mission." The Flashback four are a group of four sixth-graders who have ended up working for a rich scientist who is able to send them back in time to take photos of famous events that were not photographed. Their last mission was a failure and they barely made it out alive, so of course this time they decide to try to take a photo of the Titanic sinking. Gutman is very funny and manages to pack in historical facts in a fun way. Reading this as an adult is super frustrating because the kids keep making foolish decisions, but I'm sure kids will love the adventure and crazy scrapes the kids get into. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for people to want the third in the series (which comes out in April of 2018). ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Gutman, Dan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062236357

Price: 16.99

What This Story Needs is a Vroom and a Zoom

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 15, 2017

Review

"What this Story Needs is a Vroom and a Zoom" is the newest "Pig in a Wig" book by Emma J. Virjan. In this story, Pig in a Wig takes part in a cross country car race. With a vroom and a zoom, she takes off in her car! Easy to read with few words and fun illustrations, kids will enjoy the story. A must-buy if you have young readers who enjoy the Pig in a Wig. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Virjan, Emma

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062494313

Price: 9.99

Nate the Great and the Missing Birthday Snake

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 15, 2017

Review

Nate the Great keeps up his detecting with the newest book in the series, "Nate the Great and the Missing Birthday Snake." Written by Andrew Sharmat and Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Nate is invited by his strange neighbor Rosamond to a birthday party for her cousin Lizzy. When Nate gets to the party, one of Lizzy's pet snakes has gone missing (and of course it's the biggest python). They ask Nate to help them find the snake. It is written in an easy to read format with simple sentences and has a funny plot that kids will like. Probably a must-buy if your "Nate the Great" series gets a lot of use. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Sharmat, Andrew

Illustrator: Wheeler, Jody

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: mystery

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781101934678

Price: 12.99

The Lemonade Problem

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 15, 2017

Review

"Peg + Cat: The Lemonade Problem" by Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson is based off of the PBS television series (which was in turn based off of the book "The Chicken Problem" featuring Peg and Cat). The series is intended to inspire and teach preschoolers about math. Peg and Cat want to run a lemonade stand, trading cups of lemonade for marbles because Peg wants to collect more marbles. The math focus of the book is on "more than" and "less than" and uses graphs too. The story is funny and it makes it fun to learn about math. It will mostly appeal to fans of the show. Not a must-buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Oxley, Jennifer

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Entertainment

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763694364

Price: 12.99

Dead to Me

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 30, 2017

Review

"Dead to Me" by Cristy Watson is a Hi-Lo book written for high schoolers. It starts with Logan Gomez, a twelve year-old, going on a birthday fishing trip with his uncle. Logan's father passed away back when Logan was very young and his uncle has been like a father to him. His uncle gives Logan a beer (apparently a Gomez family tradition for a son to have his first beer when he turns twelve) and then tells him how Logan's father died. The book jumps to four years later when Logan is 16. Logan is a troubled kid, drinking a lot, getting in fights, hanging out with an older teen who street races, and he has refused to see his uncle since his twelfth birthday. The book focuses on Logan living life as a high schooler, dealing with racism, drinking, and emotional issues. The book is set in Canada, so a few things pop up that I didn't know about (like when a student says, "I can't wait to get my N," and I could tell it had to do with driving, but I had no clue what it meant. It's apparently a Novice Permit, which is a step above a Learner's Permit). A must-buy if your Hi-Lo collection is popular. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Watson, Cristy

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: James Lorimer & Company Ltd

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781459411609

Price: 27.99

Space, Humans, and Farts

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 30, 2017

Review

Dan Gutman's My Weird School Fast Facts "Space, Humans, and Farts" is an excellent addition to your early chapter books or middle grade books. It uses characters from the My Weird School series to talk about different scientific facts about the human body, outer space, and farts. It is very funny and includes a lot of interesting information (even stuff that I didn't know, like the fact that girl farts are often smellier than boy farts because females have more concentrated hydrogen sulfide in their bodies!) and even some bad science jokes (in that they are groan-worthy). A must-buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Gutman, Dan

Illustrator: Paillot, Jim

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062306272

Price: 16.89

The Whopper

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 12, 2017

Review

Percy gets a new sweater from Grandma. Percy hates the sweater. Percy puts the sweater on the dog. The dog proceeds to chase a cat, get tangled in bushes, splash in a puddle, and roll in something stinky. Percy throws the sweater away. Percy tells his mom that he lost the sweater. In his room, Percy meets a little blue creature called a Whopper. This book exists solely as a cute way to teach children not to tell lies. However, as Percy chooses not to confess to his lie, the Whopper grows, and eventually becomes hungry, eats Percy, and takes over Percy's life. The Whopper is just about to eat Percy's brother when Percy finally admits what he did with the sweater. This would certainly scare children,probably too much, but I don't think it's an effective way to teach them that lying is bad.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Ashdown, Rebecca

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Templar Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763692919

Price: 16.99

Class Pet Mess

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 12, 2017

Review

This edition of My Weird School features a vote for a class pet. Andrea and the girls want a bunny, so of course Alexia suggests a snake, and the boys outvote the girls. They get their pet snake and Alexia gets to feed it a live toad for lunch. The class starts bringing their own pets in for show and tell, and Andrea's poodle scares the snake and he appears to have died. There's lots of blame to go around, but Mr. C. reminds them that this snake plays dead when he's scared, and he's actually fine. Buy this volume only where the series is popular.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Gutman, Dan

Illustrator: Paillot, Jim

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062367471

Price: 16.99

This Book Will Not Be Fun

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 12, 2017

Review

Featuring a bespectacled mouse, this book promises us that no fun will be had during the reading. However, we and the mouse are quickly joined by a word eating flying whale, a glow in the dark kung fu worm, and a zero gravity dance party. The mouse accidentally finds himself having a good time. But as promised, the book was not fun (for us).

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Dunlap, Cirocco

Illustrator: Tallec, Olivier

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780399550614

Price: 17.99

Carrot & Pea: An Unlikely Friendship

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 12, 2017

Review

Using simplistic illustrations, Carrot & Pea teaches us that our differences can be wonderful. Featuring a Pea named Lee and a Carrot named Colin, we first learn how Colin doesn't fit in with Lee and his pea friends. But then we see all the ways that Colin's differences are beneficial. The illustrations were made using collaged plastic grocery bags, which is incredible to look at the texture and the vibrant colors. The book has a simple and beautiful message. A must purchase for all libraries.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Hood, Morag

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780544868427

Price: 16.99

Things I Should Have Known

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 26, 2017

Review

David thinks Chloe has everything. Chloe thinks David is a jerk. What they don't know about each other is that outside of school, they lead completely different lives with one big thing in common: they both have autistic siblings. Chloe worries that her sister Ivy is lonely and wants to find her a boyfriend. She thinks Ivy's schoolmate, Ethan, would be perfect. The only problem is that neither Ivy nor Ethan are comfortable going out alone, so Chloe tags along on their first date. When Ethan introduces his brother David, Chloe is shocked. Distant at first, Chloe and David become closer as they struggle with trying to help Ivy and Ethan develop a relationship. This book tries to be too many things. Part commentary on Autism and its effects on a person's life, and part teen romance, it fails a bit on both parts. Average at best, this book should only be purchased where the author's works are popular.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

LaZebnik, Claire

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780544829695

Price: 17.99

Bug Girl

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 15, 2017

Review

"Bug Girl" is a book in the same vein as "Dragonbreath" and "Hamster Princess," where there are occasional drawings interspersed throughout the text (usually funny illustrations). The first book by Benjamin Harper and Sarah Hines Stephens, "Bug Girl" follows Amanda Price, a sixth grader who loves all bugs. This has made her extremely uncool amongst her peers, including her former best friend, Emily. When crazy hybrid monsters attack her town and kidnap her mother, Amanda discovers she has secret powers and must use them to save everyone. The book is a lot of fun and has interesting notes about different insects, so I learned a bit from it. Kids will probably not get the references to "Members Only" jackets and I think there were a few other 80s-90s slang terms that they may not understand or will need to look up, but other than that I think "Bug Girl" will be a hit. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Harper, Benjamin

Illustrator: Syed, Anoosha

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Imprint

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250106612

Price: 14.99

Dare You

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 15, 2017

Review

"Dare You" is the second book in the Nikki Kill "Shade Me" series by Jennifer Brown. I haven't read the first one, but I really enjoyed Brown's YA novel "Hate List." Luckily, Brown includes a lot of introductory information in case you haven't read the first one, so I didn't feel lost at all. The book centers around Nikki Kill, a teenager who faced a killer in the last book and survived, but found out dark secrets about her mother. In this book, Nikki graduates from high school and has no plans afterwards, while others are planning to go to college and have jobs. The killer who tried to murder Nikki (and succeeded in killing some of her friends in the first book) has been released and Nikki finds herself framed for her friend's murder. The book is a fun thriller for teens, though adults reading it will feel frustrated by some of Nikki's less-than-stellar decisions (but that's true to being a teen and learning). If you have a large number of YA readers, the "Shade Me" series is probably a good addition to it. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Brown, Jennifer

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062324467

Price: 17.99

These Things I've Done

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 30, 2017

Review

Last year, Dara's best friend died in a tragic accident. Most of the community blames her. Her family sent her away for a year to get away from the memories and the judgement, but this year she's back to face the guilt and the accusations because she doesn't think she deserves to move on. Told in alternating current time and leading up to the accident chapters, Dara struggles with fitting back into her family and school, and her new feelings for her former best friend's now grownup little brother. The main character deals with grief and guilt, but other than seeing a psychiatrist, we don't see the character ever deal with these issues. The book focuses more on the romance than the mental health issues. Give to fans of Sara Zarr and Jandy Nelson.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Phillips, Rebecca

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062570901

Price: 17.99

Pinkalicious Tutu-rrific

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 19, 2017

Review

"Pinkalicious Tutu-rrific" by Victoria Kann is an "I Can Read" level 1 book about Pinkalicious learning to ballet dance, but she accidentally ends up in an advanced class! Oh no! The book is funny and if kids are fans of the Pinkalicious series, they will probably enjoy this one as well. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kann, Victoria

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062572783

Price: 9.99

Pinkalicious and the Babysitter

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 19, 2017

Review

"Pinkalicious and the Babysitter" by Victoria Kann is an "I Can Read" level 1 book for early readers. Pinkalicious and her brother Peter have fun with their babysitter, Maya, while their parents go out. They play games and eat their peas, and even get to have hot cocoa! When Peter accidentally breaks his mother's favorite mug into many pieces, Pinkalicious comes up with a great idea to make art out of it. A must-buy if your Pinkalicious books are very popular. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kann, Victoria

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062566898

Price: 16.99

A Horse Named Steve

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 19, 2017

Review

"A Horse Named Steve" is a picture book written and illustrated by Kelly Collier. It's a funny story about a horse who wants to be exceptional, so when he finds a golden horn in the woods, he ties it to his head. He shows all his forest friends how special he is now that he has a horn on his head. Unfortunately, his horn goes missing and Steve can't find it. Is he no longer exceptional? The book is funny and has great illustrations, but I don't think it is a must-buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Collier, Kelly

Illustrator: Collier, Kelly

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781771387361

Price: 16.95

Who's That Girl

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 8, 2018

Review

"Who's That Girl" by Blair Thornburgh is about a girl named Natalie, nicknamed "Nattie," who is a junior in high school and has a brief brush with fame. Now a graduated senior, Sebastian Delacroix met her once at a party and had an interesting interaction with her and then he left to form an indie band. She finds out that his band is coming to town and she has to go to his concert. The band plays "Natalie," an original song sung by Sebastian. It's pretty clearly about Nattie. She then has to come to terms with how she feels about Sebastian (or about another friend of hers) and how she's going to deal with the media spotlight. I didn't feel very invested in the characters, though I did like that Nattie had several LGBTQ friends, and the book seemed to drag a lot. It felt like forever before things started happening. Some teens may like it, as it is pretty funny, but I would not call it a must-buy. Reveiwed by Kate Radke.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Thornburgh, Blair

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062447777

Price: 17.99

This is How it Happened

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 9, 2018

Review

Genevieve wakes up in the hospital with no memory of what has happened. She's been in a car accident that killed her boyfriend Dallas, a Youtube sensation and newly discovered pop star. Everyone believes that the driver of the other car was drunk and caused the accident, but as Genevieve starts to recover her memory, she wonders if that is true. Stokes's fourth book deals with themes of guilt and forgiveness, bullying on social media, and, of course, relationships. The best part of this book is the focus on the social media response to the death of Dallas. The comments regarding the other driver were so awful, wanting to get him fired, saying he should have died, etc. It drove people to actually burn down his place of employment and for him to try and take his own life. It was truly horrendous and sadly very true to life. This is a book worthy of purchase for most teen collections.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Stokes, Paula

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062379931

Price: 17.99

Good Morning, Grizzle Grump

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 9, 2018

Review

Grizzle Grump and friends return in Blecha's second hibernating bear installment. Spring has arrived, Grizzle Grump is awake, and he's hungry. He and Squirrel go in search of a tasty spring snack. They find some berries, and Grizzle collects a whole stack. But Squirrell has hidden himself, and while he looks for Squirrell, other animals run away with his berries! Grizzle and Squirrel move on to different areas of the island discovering and then losing other snacks, until the final pages reveal that the other animals were stealing the food in order to have a surprise party for Grizzle Grump. It's a bit of a mixed message (stealing is okay if it's for a good reason?) but the book will delight all who enjoyed the first book.

Blecha's illustrations are beautifully colorful and perfect; even better than in the first book. The copyright page is a double spread illustrating the islands in "The Wild World and the Creatures & Critters that Creep & Crawl Around it" featuring more areas and animals than we've seen in the books, leaving us hoping that more stories may be coming.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Blecha, Aaron

Illustrator: Blecha, Aaron

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062297495

Price: 17.99

Princess Kitty

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 9, 2018

Review

As with most cats, Princess Kitty thinks she rules her household and that all the humans are her servants. A party is being thrown, and Princess Kitty knows it is for her. The illustrations show us that the party is a birthday for the daughter. The book carries on in this vein, with Kitty assuming all the preparations are for her and the illustrations making it clear what's really happening. While the juxtaposition between Kitty's assumptions and the actuality of the illustrations is meant to be humorous, it doesn't quite get there. Not worthy of purchase.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Metzger, Steve

Illustrator: Okstad, Ella

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062306623

Price: 17.99

Hamsters DON'T Fight Fires!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 19, 2018

Review

"Hamsters DON'T fight fires!" is a very colorful and funny book written by Andrew Root and illustrated by Jessica Olien. It features Hugo the Hamster who is very good at running, dancing, cooking, and being helpful and polite. He is NOT strong, tall, or good at singing, and he is definitely NOT a firefighter. He wants to be a firefighter, but doesn't think he can. He goes to the firehouse to try it out, but he is too small for the suit, not strong enough for the fire hose, and too small to drive the engine. He is just about ready to give up when a call comes in about a forest fire and Hugo gets swept up with the rest of the firefighters. He discovers that in his own ways, he is great at being a firefighter. The book is funny and has very bright and amusing pictures and I would say that while it is not a "must-buy," readers will definitely enjoy it. ~Reviewed by Katherine Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Root, Andrew

Illustrator: Olien, Jessica

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062452948

Price: 17.99

Robots!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 19, 2018

Review

"Robots!" the newest book in the "Disaster Diaries" series by R. McGeddon (get it?) follows kids Sam, Arty, and Emmie as they try to thwart the takeover of their town, Sitting Duck, by both an army of household appliances (lead by Arty's science fair project, a robot named CHARLES who goes rogue) and a military leader and his soldiers who have placed a dome over the town and law enforcement lasers everywhere. This may seem impossible, but they have fought zombies, aliens, and brainwashing in previous books. The book is funny and the illustrations are great. Not a must-buy, but worth purchasing if you have the other books in the series. ~Reviewed by Katherine Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

McGeddon, R

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Imprint

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250135629

Price: 9.99

Inside Hudson Pickle

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 19, 2018

Review

"Inside Hudson Pickle" by Yolanda Ridge follows the life of Hudson, a seventh grader who lives with his single mom. The book starts with a bang! Hudson is woken up by his mom because his uncle's apartment caught fire and they need to go pick him up. You then meet his Uncle Vic, an older musician who seems to have something to hide from the firefighters investigating the fire. Hudson is having a tough time. He was cut from the hockey team (which he neglected his friends to be on), his asthma is acting up, he may not make the basketball team, and his mom won't tell him anything about his mysterious father. The book keeps you hanging, wondering what's up with the fire at his uncle's apartment, what does Uncle Vic have to hide, why won't his mother talk about his father, why is she reluctant to get Hudson genetic testing? I wouldn't say that it is a must-buy for your library, but if your middle grade realistic fiction books are popular, this would be a good addition. ~Reviewed by Katherine Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Ridge, Yolanda

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: KCP Fiction

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781771386203

Price: 16.99

Miss Muffet or What Came After

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 26, 2018

Review

"Miss Muffet or What Came After" is written by Marilyn Singer and Illustrated by David Litchfield. The book is all in verse and is made to look like we are watching actors performing a play about Little Miss Muffet. We learn that we don't know the full story about Little Miss Muffet. She truly wants to be a fiddle player, but her mother wants her to be a fine lady. The spider in the story can talk eloquently and tells Miss Muffet to leave her house and follow her dream. She and the spider run into Little Bo-Peep, who also dreams of musical success, and some other nursery rhyme characters. The book is funny, but a bit long and gets a bit wordy. This book is not a must-buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Singer, Marilyn

Illustrator: Litchfield, David

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Clarion Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fiction in verse / poetry

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780547905662

Price: 16.99

Books Books Books: Explore the AMAZING collection of the British Library

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 26, 2018

Review

"Books Books Books" is about the many different types of books/newspapers/folios/maps, etc. found in the British Library. Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom are co-writers and co-illustrators and the book looks amazing. They use drawings, collage, photographs of the collection to make the pictures really stand out. The book would probably appeal more to British kids, but it's still interesting to see the vast amount of works that the British Library holds. Not a must-buy. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Manning, Mick

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763697570

Price: 17.99

They Both Die at the End

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 21, 2018

Review

"They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera takes an interesting premise: what if everybody got a notification 24 hours before they were going to die in order to let them know it's their last day, and has you follow the last days of several people, but focuses mostly on teens Mateo and Rufus. Mateo is an introvert who prefers to stay in his apartment and play games; Rufus is a tough kid living in a group foster home with other teens who have lost their families. Rufus gets the Death-Cast call as he's beating up his ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend. Mateo gets his while he is at home in his apartment. Both of them get matched through a Last Friend Finder and meet up to get the most out of their last day. The book is funny, smart, emotional, and made me cry a bit. I'm not sure if it's really a spoiler if it's the title, but they do both die in the end. I really wanted to know more about how the Death-Cast system worked, but this book focuses on the people. A great addition to the YA section. ~Reviewed by Katherine Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Silvera, Adam

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062457790

Price: 17.99

Definitions of Indefinable Things

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 26, 2018

Review

On her regularly scheduled depression meds pharmacy run, Reggie meets a seemingly rude and arrogant, yet charming, also depressed teen named Snake. As their paths continue to cross, Reggie fights her attraction to Snake, especially once she discovers he is the soon to be baby daddy of her least favorite classmate. As Reggie and Snake both struggle with their feelings, their pasts, and overwhelming depression, they also find strength in themselves and each other. Teens suffering with depression will recognize themselves in these characters. Not a must-buy for general collections, but a good purchase where mental health titles are needed.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Taylor, Whitney

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780544805040

Price: 17.99

Bruno Mars

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 17, 2018

Review

This Bruno Mars biography collection gives a lot of interesting information about him, while not getting too complicated. It tells you his birth name, the various music groups he's been in, and provides a glossary and timeline at the end of the book. I wouldn't say that it's a must-buy unless you have a lot of kindergartener through third graders doing biography projects. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Gigliotti, Jim

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Bearport

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781684024599

Price: 17.95

Pangolin

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 17, 2018

Review

"Pangolin" by Laura Bryant is part of the "Even Weirder and Cuter" series about strange-looking and lesser-known animals. The book has tons of great photos, interesting information, and includes a short glossary at the back of the book that includes words K-3 kids might not know yet. Not necessarily a must-buy, unless your non-fiction animal books are very popular. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Bryant, Laura

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Bearport

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781684024650

Price: 17.95

Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Toof

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 6, 2018

Review

“Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Toof” is the second book in the “Wedgie and Gizmo” series by Suzanne Selfors. Wedgie is a corgi dog who loves eating, digging, and being friendly. Gizmo is a guinea pig genius who wants to take over the world. The Toof (real name “Pinkie”) is a pig with a snaggletooth who belongs to their new neighbors. Wedgie and the Toof are going to take part in the school pet parade, but Gizmo believes that they are really trying to thwart his plans of world domination. The book is really funny and will appeal to kids who like “Dog Man,” “Stick Dog,” and “Hamster Princess” and other funny books that combine great illustrations with silly stories. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Selfors, Suzanne

Illustrator: Fisinger, Barbara

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Katharine Tegen Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062447654

Price: 12.99

Tom Brady

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 10, 2018

Review

One entry in the 4 part Football Stars series under Bearport Publishing's Amazing Americans series, this books tackles Tom Brady's rise to football fame. It starts with Super Bowll 51's comeback win, then moves chronologically through his career, jumping from young life to college to the NFL. It also touches on his family life. Back matter includes a brief timeline and glossary. Clearly designed for a very young reader, this book hits only the very basic details. I'm not sure who the intended audience is. I feel that a Brady fan at this reading level would already know much more information than this book provides. I'd pass on this book, and this Football Stars series in general.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Kelley, K.C.

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Bearport Publishing

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781684024520

Price: 25.64

Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 16, 2018

Review

Opening with an illustrated timeline, this picture book biography compilation of "young women who changed the world," is a beautiful, if not incredibly informative, brief look at these women. Each entry has an illustration by a different artist, a poem that describes a bit about what each woman is famous for, and a couple of sentences of actual bio description at the end. At the end, the author explains a bit about how she chose her subjects and includes further reading, sources, and notes for each woman individually.

While the book is a great idea, it falters in its execution. Several of the poems feature incredibly difficult vocabulary words with no definitions included, and with the use of the poems instead of using the space to share more actual information about the women, readers end up learning very little factual information. Share for its beautiful illustrations and as inspiration for further research on these and other extraordinary women. Not an essential purchase.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Hood, Susan

Illustrator: , Various Artists

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062699459

Price: 18.99

This Book's Maine Connection: Maine illustrator

Melody Kingdom

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

The third installment of Cucumber Quest takes place in the Melody Kingdom where Princess Piano of Trebelopolis has been kidnapped. Cucumber and Almond need Piano's signature to give them power against the Nightmare Knight, so they have to defeat baddies and overcome obstacles. The illustrations are great and the story is hilarious. This volume's guest villain is straight out of an anime (bangs covering one eye, very handsome, likes to cause trouble), so kids and adults who like anime will enjoy it. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

D.G., Gigi

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250159830

Price: 22.99

The Ripple Kingdom

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

The Cucumber Quest series continues with "The Ripple Kingdom." We follow Cucumber, supposed hero of legend (though he doesn't want to be), his sister Almond (who wants to be a knight), as they continue their quest to defeat the Nightmare Knight. The illustrations are fabulous and the dialogue is very funny. Cucumber is a reluctant hero (he just wants to avoid danger and study all the time to become a mage) while Almond, who lives for fighting and danger, drags him along on their quest.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

D.G., Gigi

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250159823

Price: 21.99

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

The jokes were bad, but to be fair, it's hard to come up with many new "good" knock-knock jokes. The jokes often rely on images on the page, so it's not really a great book for reading aloud to other people unless they can see the page. For instance, there's a moon on the page that has a few space jokes. If you didn't see the moon, you'd have no idea why all of a sudden the jokes are all about astronauts and space. Not a must-buy.~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Beth, Georgia

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781512483482

Price: 11.82

Let's Explore the Moon

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

"Let's Explore the Moon" is a decent nonfiction book for early reader collections. The words and sentences are short and the photographs look very good. It talks about where the moon is and how it looks and asks a few open-ended questions for readers to think about. Not a must-buy, but a good book if you have a nonfiction section for younger kids. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Moon, Walt

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Lerner Publications

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781512433463

Price: 20.00

Back from the Brink: Saving Animals From Extinction

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

"Back from the Brink: Saving Animals From Extinction" by Nancy F. Castaldo is a nonfiction book featuring several stories about animals that nearly went extinct. Whooping cranes, condors, wolves, and bald eagles are a few of the animals discussed. The book may be challenging for some readers, but there is a glossary in the back and the stories are interesting to read and not overly long. There are also links at the back of the book for kids who want to learn and do more to protect endangered animals. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Reiman, Nancy Castaldo

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780544953437

Price: 17.99

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

"Counting on Katherine" by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk is a must-buy for any children's biography collection. It is the perfect combination of a picture book with relatively simple sentences that still gets a lot of information to the reader. The repetitive phrase "count on me" is a great way to show how she used math to do important things (including sending Apollo 11 to the moon and getting the Apollo 13 astronauts back to Earth). The illustrations are lovely and detailed, but not overly busy. An excellent book for any library. ~Reviewed by Kate Radke

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Becker, Helaine

Illustrator: Phumiruk, Dow

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250137524

Price: 19.99

Listen to Your Heart

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2018

Review

Kate really doesn't much care for getting to know other people. She's got a big family and her best friend. What more could she need? She'd rather spend her time out on the lake. But this year, her best friend Alana talks her into taking a podcasting class with her, and Kate ends up getting stuck as a co-host for an advice call-in show. Yikes. One of the callers is looking for love advice for his crush, which she just knows is her friend Diego calling about Alana. As the year goes on, Kate and Alana balance keeping secrets and their fiercely loyal friendship.

West has nailed another sweetly romantic story that teens in love with love will love. It's a great female friendship book as well, as both friends end up supporting each other instead of fighting and falling apart.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

West, Kasie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Point

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781338210057

Price: 17.99