Ash & Bramble

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 25, 2015

Review

“Ash & Bramble” by Sarah Prineas is another rebooted fairy tale story, but it’s sufficiently different that it’s worth adding to teen collections. It imagines a world in which the Fairy Godmother is actually the evil one and has everyone working as slaves within the traditional fairy tales. Pin, the heroine of this story, works to overthrow the Godmother’s plans, while trying to figure out who she really is and what she feels for her friends the Shoemaker and the Prince. Those who have enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer will probably like this too, though this is a little less polished. Not a must buy, but worth purchasing if you want to add to your YA collection.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Prineas, Sarah

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062337948

Price: 17.99

Emancipated

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 1, 2015

Review

"Emancipated" by M.G. Reyes makes you feel like you're reading one of those young adult shows on The CW: Gorgeous emancipated teens living together in a house on Venice Beach with lots of hidden secrets, intrigue, and romance. The book isn't particularly well-written, but it does keep you interested in what's going on and feels a bit like a guilty pleasure read. Not a "must buy," but a book that older teens will probably enjoy.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Reyes, M.G.

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062288950

Price: 17.99

The Disappearing Magician

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 29, 2015

Review

"The Disappearing Magician" is the fourth book in "The Magic Shop" series. Written by Maine author Kate Egan and Magician Mike Lane, the book is a fun tale about a fourth grade school magician performing at his school's talent show and facing a bully. The book is fun and interesting, and actually includes instructions for the magic tricks performed in the book. Budding magicians will enjoy this early reader.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Egan, Kate

Illustrator: Wight, Eric

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Macmillan

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781250029171

Price: 15.99

This Book's Maine Connection: Maine author

The Heart of Betrayal

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 29, 2015

Review

"The Heart of Betrayal" is the second book in Mary E. Pearson's "Remnant Chronicles." A YA book that focuses on a female heroine, Lia, who has been kidnapped by her enemies and is learning to use her secret powers, all while trying to stay alive and figuring out how she feels towards her betrothed (who has been kidnapped alongside her). I found this book better than the first in the series, but you definitely have to read the previous one to understand what is happening. This book reminded me a lot of Tamora Pierce's "Woman who rides like a man" with Lia winning over the people who have captured her and learning that she may be part of a prophecy. Worth buying for YA fantasy/romance.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Pearson, Mary

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 10-12,adult / professional

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780805099249

Price: 18.99

The Marvels

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2015

Review

Brian Selznick's "The Marvels" is a good book, but I didn't find it as engaging or interesting as "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" or "Wonderstruck." The story is interesting at first, done all in illustrations, showing the history of the Marvels family (and their ties to the theatre) from 1766 to 1900. I very much enjoyed this portion of the book, but after that it jumps to 1990 (and switches to mostly text) and follows the story of a boy who runs away from boarding school and then lives in London with his uncle (an eccentric who essentially lives/runs a living history museum house, but not based on actual historical fact, just ideas). I was engaged for a bit, but eventually it just felt like I was slogging through the book. The main character, Joseph, I found a bit frustrating since he was constantly told not to leave candles burning and then he'd immediately forget and almost burn the house down again. The Afterword was interesting and I enjoyed learning about the real "Dennis Severs' House" in London, but I just didn't find the book as gripping as Selznick's other books. Probably a must-buy for most libraries since Selznick's illustrations are fantastic, but as far as story goes, it's not even close to his best.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Selznick, Brian

Illustrator: Selznick, Brian

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,mystery,historical fiction,graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545448680

Price: 32.99

Ben Draws Trouble

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 15, 2016

Review

"Ben Draws Trouble," by Matt Davies is a follow-up book to "Ben Rides On." The illustrations are great, and the story of a boy who loves to draw (sometimes caricatures of his classmates and teachers) is fun. When Ben loses his sketchbook, he worries that others will see his work (they do and it actually turns out well). I wouldn't say it's a must-buy, but it is amusing and kids will enjoy it.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Davies, Matt

Illustrator: Davies, Matt

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781596437951

Price: 17.99

The Yeti Files: Monsters on the Run

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 15, 2016

Review

"Monsters on the Run" is the second book in The Yeti Files series by Kevin Sherry. This book tells the story of a group of cryptids (creatures from myth or folklore whose existence has not been proven) who go back in time to help their lonely friend Vanessa (the Loch Ness monster. Yeti and his friends look for another plesiosaur and run into a lot of trouble, but it all works out in the end.

The illustrations are funny and kids will enjoy the story (especially kids interested in dinosaurs or cryptids like bigfoot, the yeti, or the loch ness monster). I'd consider it a must-buy for early readers.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Sherry, Kevin

Illustrator: Sherry, Kevin

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,folklore

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545556194

Price: 8.99

World Zombination

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 12, 2016

Review

The final book in "The Zombie Chasers" series, "World Zombination" is fun and enjoyable. John Kloepfer has his seventh-grade heroes save the world from complete zombification by traveling to Madagascar, Egypt, and China and facing various zombie and SUPER ZOMBIE enemies! The book is action-packed and funny and kids will enjoy the fast-paced book. I haven't read the other books in the series (this is book 7), but I understood what was going on thanks to summaries of their past adventures in this book. David Degrand's illustrations are amusing and definitely add charm, and Kloepfer includes some historical and scientific information into this book, but I wouldn't call it super-educational. As a vegan, I did appreciate the fact that the vegan character was the cure to the original zombie plague. I wouldn't say that this is a must-buy, unless you have the rest of the series, but kids will probably enjoy the humor and action.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Kloepfer, John

Illustrator: Degrand, David

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062290274

Price: 16.99

Between Us and the Moon

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 2, 2016

Review

Rebecca Maizel's book "Between Us and the Moon" is a story about Sarah, an astronomy-loving teenager (a soon-to-be Junior in high school) coming of age over the summer. Her boyfriend breaks up with her (basically because he was cheating on her, but he says it's because she doesn't experience things, she just watches them, which really bothers her. She spends her summer on vacation with her family at a touristy beach town. Feeling like she's missing something and constantly in the shadow of her more popular sister, Scarlett, scientist Sarah decides to conduct "the Scarlett Experiment" where she dresses and acts like her sister would to see if it makes a difference. She ends up lying to a nice college guy named Andrew, saying that she's 18 and going to MIT in the fall. They end up in a relationship. Coming of age happens, and in the end she has to reveal that she lied.

Honestly, I found Sarah hard to empathize with and kept getting mad at her for all the terrible decisions she made. It made it hard for me to enjoy the book, especially since Andrew was such a nice guy. Some teens may enjoy it, but I think many will find it frustrating.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Maizel, Rebecca

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062327611

Price: 17.99

Vendetta

Reviewed by: Kate Radke - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 18, 2016

Review

I didn't have high hopes when I read the blurb on the back that this was a "vibrant new twist on 'Romeo and Juliet,'" but this book actually ended up being fun and keeping my interest. This YA book is about Sophie, a teen working in a diner whose father is in jail for killing a man. A new family moves to town with five boys, one of which, Nicolai Falcone, ends up befriending and falling in love with Sophie before finding out that her father killed his father. The Falcones are involved in the mafia, as is Sophie's father, so there's a decent amount of action and angst among the romance. Not a must-buy, but I do think many teens will enjoy this book. It is a nice twist on Romeo and Juliet that doesn't over follow the the plot of its predecessor.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Doyle, Catherine

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Chicken House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545699822

Price: 18.99