There Will Be Bears

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 11, 2014

Review

Tyson is a middle-schooler that is dumped by his best friend for the popular crowd. He is also losing his grandpa to a nursing home. On top of that he isn't going to get to go hunting, something he has been waiting to do with his grandfather. But when he does get a chance to go it's different than he imagined. The cover on this books is great and perfect for the story. I liked that it showed boys being mean to each other. Mean girls are always being pointed out but mean boys often get overlooked. I would give this 5 out of 5 stars. This would be good for grades 7 & up.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Gebhart, Ryan

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763665210

Price: 16.99

The Lost Planet

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 10, 2014

Review

A boy wakes up on a planet he doesn't recognize; with a serious head injury he doesn't know how he got and no idea of who he is. A doctor helps him figure out name, which is Chase. Chase quickly realizes that someone is after him and wants to kill or capture him. So he and his new friend Parker & an android Mina try to escape but run into more trouble than they dreamed possible. This is an action packed sci-fi adventure with space ships, aliens & robots. I really liked how Chase had to solve all kinds of things throughout the story. Sometimes he got an answer but other times, he just had to move on to find out what would happen next. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It would be good for grades 4 & up.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Searles, Rachel

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure, science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250038791

Price: 15.99

A Snicker of Magic

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 10, 2014

Review

This is a story about a town called Midnight Gulch that use to be full of magic, but now it only has a tiny bit left-just a SNICKER of it. It got lost a long time ago when 2 brothers had a fight and left, taking the magic with them. Felicity and her family move there, and Felicity can feel the magic, but can't figure out how to bring it back. She has a bit of magic herself...she can see words above people and things that give away parts of what they are feeling. She knows that somehow this is key to bringing the magic back to Midnight Gulch, exactly how is what she is going to have to find out. If I said to you this book is about a little girl that collects words she sees, you might think, hmm, not too interesting. Bit it is so cool Felicity collects words she sees above people and things and these words are magic, even for the reader...you really get to see what the person is feeling but more importantly, you begin to see who they are. I would give this 5 out of 5 stars. This would be good for grades 3/4 and up.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Lloyd, Natalie

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545552707

Price: 16.99

The Eighth Day

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Choose Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2014

Review

There is an 8th day that was created by Merlin, Arthur and his knights. People living in the 8th day world have to stay there and people living in the 7 day world have to stay there. The transitioners are people that can travel between the two. Jax, the main character, is one of the transitioners. There are people that want to destroy the 7 day world and only have an 8th day and Jax is going to be caught up this this fight. Lots of magic and action. There is a bit of humor and the King Arthur/Merlin part is cool. Grades 4-8. I would give this 4+ out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Salemi, Dianne K.

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062272157

Price: 16.99

The Shadow Hero

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 2, 2014

Review

This graphic novel is about a superhero named Hank. You know how most superheroes are born with their powers? Well, not Hank. Hank becomes one because his mom wants him to. And, it's not going so well. He does work out and practice a kind of Kung Fu to get stronger. But that isn't making him a super hero. But then he meets the tortoise spirit and things start to change.

This graphic novel is based on the Asian superhero, the Green Turtle that was created 70 years ago. This story is filled with action and bits of humor. At the end of the story, the author includes a bit of history about the original Green Turtle comics that this graphic novel is based on which was quite interesting. I will admit that I like the new illustrations and storyline better in this new version. This was a fun read with lots of action and humor.

This would be best for older readers. Ages 12 and up. 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Yang, Gene Luen

Illustrator: Liew, Sonny

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 7-9, grades 10-12

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781596436978

Price: 17.99

The Monsterator

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 5, 2014

Review

Edgar is bored by Halloween and wants to be something scary so it wouldn't be. When he gets a chance to be a monster he takes it. This picture book has some cute rhymes that take you through Edgar's hopes of being a monster to his becoming a monster. Then at the of the book there are lots of flip pages to turn Edgar into a variety of monsters. The story was good but the best part was the flaps at the end. There are some great monsters you can create with them. The last page had the author's face, which looked a bit on the creepy side, instead of Edgar's so you can turn the author into a monster, not sure if young children will like that. I would give this 3 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Graves, Keith

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781596438552

Price: 17.99

Bats in the Band

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 5, 2014

Review

It is a summer evening and all the bats flock to an empty theater where they can play in bands. The bats have instruments made out of all kinds of things and play all kinds of music. The drawings in this picture book are wonderful. Each page has something special in it so you need to take your time and really look to see what it there. The text and its rhythm match the idea of playing in a band. This was a fun book. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Lies, Brian

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy, fiction in verse / poetry

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780544105690

Price: 17.99

Comics Squad Recess!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 5, 2014

Review

Eight different graphic novel artists all in one book is pretty cool. That is what Comics Squad Recess! has. Each artist has a short story in the book that has something to do with recess, and each one is pretty different from all the others. Readers will recognize many of their favorite characters from other graphic novels like the Lunch Lady and Baby Mouse. Another fun thing is the quick drawing lesson at the end of the book. The tips on how to draw a head are easy and the head actually looks pretty good! I would give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Holm , Jennifer L. & Mathew

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385370035

Price: 7.99

Welcome to Dog Beach

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2014

Review

In this story, Remy and her 2 best friends return to their summer beach houses where they've hung out together forever. But this summer things are going to change, which isn't something Remy likes. To start with, Remy's dog that she loved died and she is super sad about it. Another change is that her best friends are starting to hang out with other kids and even leaving her out of the loop sometimes. Remy isn't sure exactly what she wants to do about it all- it's hard to change when you don't want to. This is a sweet story about friendships that change as you get older, even when you don't want them to. It doesn't mean they have to get left behind, not if you can find a way to work it out. The friendship between the 3 main characters was great. You will want to read more about them to find out where they, and their friendships, are headed. I would give this 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. For ages 10-13.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Greenwald, Lisa

Publisher: Amulet Books/ Abrams

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6, grades 7-9

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781419710186

Price: 6.95

A Boy and a Jaguar

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 6, 2014

Review

This is a lovely story about a little boy that stutters as young boy but can talk with animals. When he grows up, he needs to find his voice to save the animals he loves. This story is a picture autobiography of Alan Rabinowitz that reads like a work of fiction. Children and adults will be captivated by the drawings and the way Rabinowitz doesn't let his stuttering prevent him from following his dream of saving animals, especially jaguars. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. CREAM

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Rabinowitz, Alan

Illustrator: Chien, Catia

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780547875071

Price: 16.99

The Story of Owen, Dragon Slayer of Trondheim

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 12, 2014

Review

This is a story about a teenager named Owen that happens to be a dragon slayer. Now, there is no magic in this story other than the dragons. Owen lives in our world so to speak but is filled with people eating dragons that need to be slayed. The world in this story has had dragons forever and dragon slayers are the only thing that can stop them - which means kill them. Owen is training to do this and with the help of a high school friend, Siobhan, he might end up being a famous one! People getting eaten by a dragon isn't funny, but this story and the way it's told has quite a bit of humor in it. The story is told from Siobhan's viewpoint and she has a pretty good sense of humor. I will say that a few of the historical connections were a bit hard to follow sometimes but the book was still great and full of humor and adventure. For grades 6-9. I would give this almost 5 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Johnston, E.K.

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Publishing

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467710664

Price: 17.95

Tulip Loves Rex

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 10, 2014

Review

A sweet story about a young girl that loves to dance. She finds a dog, Rex, that's not typical -- he loves to dance. The two dance together and at the end Rex finds the perfect home. This lovely story has beautiful, fun pictures. The dancing between the dog and little girl will appeal to lots of of readers.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin

Illustrator: Massini, Sarah

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062094131

Price: 17.99

Smokin' Muscle Cars

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2014

Review

This book is all about muscle cars. What's a muscle car? It's a car with a really powerful engine, drives great and is affordable. A cool design is not part of the definition, but it is usually part of the whole muscle car style. You'll get to see lots of photos of muscle cars and stories about their beginning designs and where they are today. I didn't know much about muscle cars before reading this book. Ok, I am not an expert now, but I know a heck of a lot more. If you do know stuff about these cars, you'll get even more out of the book than I did because they explain lots of details about the cars and like I said before, there are lots of cool muscle car photos. This is a nice resource for muscle and even regular car fans. I would give this 4+ out of 5 stars. It would be good for grades 3-7. Recommend for cream.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Woods, Bob

Publisher: Enslow Publishers

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781622850907

Price: 13.95

The Dumbest Idea Ever!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2014

Review

The guy that wrote this graphic novel wrote the Amelia Rules! graphic novels. This is about his life and how he got to be a graphic novelist. Jim Gownley started out at the top of his game at middle school - popular, athletic and smart but then he got to high school and stuff changed. He wasn't what he used to be so he turned to comic books and then began to try and write them. He wasn't successful right away; it took help from friends and a new look at himself to change things. This is a good story about a comic book author but it is really about friendship, dealing with set backs and working at something, even if there are others better at something than you are. The message here is you don't have to always be the best at something to still be successful and good at what you do - not everyone is a superstar and we don't all have to be good and love what we do. I would give this 4+ out of 5 stars. It would be good for grades 4 and up.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Gownley, Jimmy

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545453479

Price: 11.99

Spell Robbers

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2014

Review

Ben goes to a science camp in his new town because his mom asks him too. He finds out that the campers are being taught by a professor to mold atoms and electrons into things they imagine. But the professor is captured and Ben sets out to find her and stop the kidnappers from using the technology for evil. The bummer is the side helping him might not be any better. Love the science piece in this (it's far fetched but still neat). Lots of action and I really liked that the "good guys" weren't really so good, they lied and used evil tactics to get what they wanted. I would give this 4.5 out of 5 stars. Good for grades 3-6.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Kirby, Mathew J.

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545502269

Price: 16.99

Jim's Lion

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 15, 2014

Review

This graphic novel is about a little boy that's sick, but at first you don't know that. There are just drawings of crazy things happening to a little boy, most of them scary that end up with him almost being really hurt. Then they stop and you hear a young boy talking to his nurse from his hospital bed about being scared in his dreams. The nurse tells him he need to go to his special place somewhere that he feels calm and safe and there his special "finder"? will come to him and help him. This story is really powerful. The scary dreams are something most of us as a child might have had when we are frightened or really sick and the illustrations (which are incredible) match what a feverish dream might produce. The idea of the finder is lovely and gives a child, or an adult that is very sick, a way to deal with it. The ending here is not always what a child will end up with, but it offers hope and a way to deal with the scariness of being very sick. This would be am excellent addition to any libraries graphic novel section.CREAM

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Hoban, Russell

Illustrator: Deacon, Alexis

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763665173

Price: 15.99

Barbarian Lord

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 15, 2014

Review

This graphic novel is about a lord that becomes a hero to the local people. It has a Viking feel to it and lots of fighting. The drawings are all in black and white which adds to the feel of the book. But the drawings of the actual characters looked a lot alike I thought which made it hard to tell some of the characters apart. I also felt like the story jumped around and did not hold my interest. My student reader that I discussed this book with (a 7th grader that reads every graphic novel he can get his hands on) just gave it an ok rating as well. It might be great for Conan the Barbarian fans but for other graphic novel enthusiasts, it might be just an "ok" read.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Smith, Matt

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Clarion Books/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780547859064

Price: 17.99

The Sound of Thunder

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 23, 2014

Review

The Sound of Thunder is the 3rd volume in the graphic novel series BIGFOOT Boy. In this volume the ravens have stolen the totem that can change Rufus into Bigfoot. Rufus and his friend Penny are trying to get it back before the ravens can use it for their own benefit. The illustrations are great and fit the story line well. The story itself is not super exciting and moves slowly. It might be a good book for reluctant readers. This book would be good for ages 8-12.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Torres, J.

Illustrator: Hicks, Faith Erin

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3, grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781894786584

Price: 17.95

The Carnival

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2014

Review

This graphic novel is the 5th in the series. You can figure out what is going on in the story but the relationship between the badger and fox family isn't really clear. I am not sure this will be important to younger children. The story is about the hardship of winter and how having a fun day, like a carnival day, can make the worries of winter seem less important just for the day. The drawings are adorable in this graphic novel. The story is good but not one that is of high interest. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Luciani , Brigitte,

Illustrator: Tharlet, Eve

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Graphic Universe

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467742030

Price: 25.26

Villainous

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 19, 2014

Review

This book is the third in the Supers of Noble's Green trilogy. I didn't read the first 2 but was able to follow the story line just fine. It was a fun read with lots of actions and twists. The friendships between all the different characters, both good and bad, were interesting and very realistic. I liked the way things went down between the bully Cody and his sidekick Bud. Sometimes even if a friend treats you badly, you still want to be friends. This is a fast paced read with some great action and sleuthing not to mention fun super hero stuff. I would give this 4 out of 5 stars and pick up the first two in the series. For grades 4-7.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Cody, Matthew

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6, grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385754897

Price: 16.99

Maisy's World of Animals

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 22, 2014

Review

This story has lots of cute animals throughout the book. There also cool flaps to check out what everyone is doing. As Maisy goes to different places in the world, she finds animals living in them all and she gives a little bit of information about the area and animals that live there. The book's side panel is a great way for young readers to see what animals will be found in the picture. For ages 3-5. I would give this almost 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Cousins, Lucy

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763669898

Price: 14.99

Earth Space Moon Base

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 23, 2014

Review

This picture book is about a space ship and a robot and a monkey that watch for aliens. When they see some they pack up their ship and take bananas to them to keep the aliens happy so they won't eat them. The pictures are fun but the story line is just ok. However, it will appeal to children that like books about aliens. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Price, Ben Joel

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385373111

Price: 16.99

Anna Carries Water

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2014

Review

This brilliantly illustrated book takes place in a country that does not have running water. The family has to travel a bit by foot to get water for the household. The youngest girl Anna wants to carry water on top of her head as her siblings do. Her older sister tells her that she will learn how in her own time and eventually Anna does carry her pot of water on her head. The illustrations go very well with the story. It is unfortunate that we do not know the country where this story takes place, but we do get to see the cooperation of the family to get water daily and how proud Anna's parents are of her. For ages 4-6.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Senior, Olive

Illustrator: James, Laura

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Tradewind Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781896580609

Price: 18.95

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2014

Review

Soooo adorable. The Itty Bitty Committee has rescued/fostered over 150 kittens. This book has photos and stories of many of these kittens. It also has tips on what to do with a new kitten and things you can make for them (easily at home). At the end it gives you tips on how you can help kittens. The cover is great and the format will appeal to good and not so good readers. I showed my copy to several children in our library and they want to be on the waiting list for our copy - which we ordered today. This would be great for grade 1-8. I am giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Cinotto, Laurie

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781596439375

Price: 12.99

Titanic

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2014

Review

This is a really cool book about the Titanic. It's great for people that don't know a lot about it (like me) or people that know a bunch about it. Now if you are an expert, this might not give you tons of new info, but it has lots of great photos and diagrams that would still be interesting. The book is set up kind of like a guidebook - there are lots of photos and diagrams on every page and each one has a short description. There is not a lot of info on any one topic but enough to get a quick understanding, which I thought was perfect. It also includes links through out the book to get more info and it has a link to an online book that tells the stories of some of the survivors. What I liked about the book was the descriptions about the boat itself - I mean, it was an amazing ship but seeing drawings and photos of it make that even more real. I would give this almost 5 out of 5 stars. For grades 3 and up.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Callery, Sean

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545505123

Price: 15.99

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs the Jurrasic Jackrabbits from Jupiter

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 12, 2014

Review

This is another adventure for Ricky Ricotta and his mighty robot redone with illustration by Dan Santat. This time the evil General Jackrabbit tries to take over the Earth using giant rabbit-like dinosaurs. It is up to Ricky and his robot to save the day. This is a fun early chapter book. There are fabulous colorful drawings on every page by Dan Santat. The book has several pages that are more graphic novel style- less writing and more pictures which fits the story line perfectly. If you have an older copy of this story, swap it out for this version. The drawings make it come to life which will make it a hit with young readers. Excellent.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Pilkey, Dav

Illustrator: Santat, Dan

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 97805456311198

Price: 14.99

Like Water on Stone

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 1, 2015

Review

This story is about a family that becomes part of the Armenian genocide in the early 1900’s. In the beginning, the family is living among Turks and Kurds and everyone get along as friends, they even marry between each other. But then war breaks out and things change. The family in this story has to find a way to survive no matter what the cost. What they don’t know is that an eagle named Ar-DZIV will help protect the young ones in the family in any way it can. This story is written in verse, which gets the emotions and events across in such a way, that you know what is going on without having all the horrific details written out. The beginning of the book has a list of all the characters and their connections with each other that was super helpful in keeping track of who was who. I thought this was a very powerful book and would recommend it to older readers.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Walrath, Dana

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction,fiction in verse / poetry

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385743976

Price: 16.99

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the VooDoo Vultures from Venus

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 2, 2015

Review

Ricky Ricotta and his robot have another adventure with a crazy villain- this time the bad guys are from the planet Venus. The vultures from Venus want all the food from Squeakyville so they put a spell on the mice living there. It will be up to Ricky and his robot to stop them. This is a fun adventure with Ricky the mouse and his best friend, super hero robot. The drawings are fabulous and make the story even better. It will be hard for any reader to put this down with out having laughed at least once.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Pilkey, Dav

Illustrator: Santat, Dan

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: S

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545631112

Price: 16.00

Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 1, 2015

Review

Isabel is a bunny that is the best at bunjitsu. But she only uses it when necessary, her first way of tackling a problem is by using her mind. This is fun early chapter book filled with humor, great drawings and bunny martial arts. The message to think of a solution before acting is well done.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Himmelman, John

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780805099706

Price: 13.99

Cool Creations in 101 Pieces

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 8, 2015

Review

This book is filled with LEGO creations that never use more than 101 pieces. Some use less, but never more. There are step-by-step instructions to build things like a vacuum, stroller, truck stop and more. This book offers a wide range of creations that will appeal to boys and girls.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kenney, Sean

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781627790178

Price: 16.99

Autumn Falls, a Novel

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 2, 2015

Review

Autumn and her family have to move to Florida because of an accident. Once there, she meets a quirky guy that she befriends but the popular crowd turns against her. On top of that she gets a journal that was her dad’s and the things in it she writes seem to come true but not in the ways she always thinks they should. This book has lots of drama and a typical plot. I did get a bit bored with the drama at times but the journal connection to Bella’s dad was clever.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Thorne, Bella

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385744331

Price: 18.99

Las Fresas Son Rojas

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 13, 2015

Review

This is an adorable little board book that describes the color of 6 kinds of fruit in Spanish. The pages get smaller as the book progresses and at the end, a fruit salad is created by peeking through a cut out in the last page. This would be fun for a young child learning English or a child learning Spanish.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Horacek, Petr

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763673932

Price: 5.99

Love and Kisses

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 3, 2015

Review

A girl starts it all by giving a kiss to a cat. Other animals give each other kisses until it comes back to the little girl. A sweet idea with rhymes that young child will enjoy.The drawings are a perfect match for the text.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Wilson, Sarah

Illustrator: Sweet, Melissa

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763673918

Price: 6.99

Wickle Woo has a Halloween Party

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 4, 2015

Review

This is story about Wickle Woo finding all his friends that are dressed up for Halloween. The friends are hiding behind pull tabs. While the story and the drawings are cute, the tabs are very difficult to pull. It would be difficult for a child to pull any of them to see the animal hidden on them. If the pull tabs were easier to use this would be a fun Halloween book for toddlers.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Crow, Nosy

Illustrator: Ho, Jannie

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Nosy Crow/ Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: fair

ISBN: 9780763674007

Price: 7.99

Rain Reign

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 11, 2015

Review

This story is told from Rose’s point of view. Rose tells it like it is and is upfront about everything, including the fact that she has Asperger’s syndrome. She wants to share her story of how she found, lost, found and then lost her dog, Rain. Woven into her story are other parts of Rose’s life- like the fact that she loves homonym, finds them everywhere and likes to make lists of them. And the fact that her dad isn’t fond of the list she makes or the fact that she isn’t normal. In the beginning, Rose’s use of homonyms seems to be a bit much, but as you read her story, it just fits. This story will break your heart at times and make you feel what life is really like for Rose.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Martin, Ann

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780312643003

Price: 16.99

Arcady's Goal

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 11, 2015

Review

Arcady is a young orphan in pre World War II Russia. His parents were enemies of the state so he was placed in an orphanage. He is a pretty good soccer player and ends up getting adopted by a supervisor that he thinks will train him to be a soccer star.

There are light black and white sketches throughout the story that give you a sense of the sadness and fear people had of each other during this time period as well as the moments when those feelings were overcome. Arcady’s situation gives the reader a glimpse into Russia at that time without showing the violence and killing that went on then. It also shows the compassion that can be found even in the most desolate of places. This would be a good book for readers that like historical fiction but the sports piece will give it broader appeal. This would be good for ages 8 and up.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Yelchin, Eugene

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780805098440

Price: 15.99

In Real Life

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 10, 2015

Review

This graphic novel is about a young girl Anda, that is an awesome gamer. She gets invited to play be part of an MMRPG (Massive Multiplayer Role Playing Game). Once in the game she befriends another women player and the 2 begin killing in-game gold farmers. Anda gets to know one of the in-game gold farmers and realizes that what she is doing is wrong and tries to help one of them.

This was an interesting read. The drawings are terrific and the basics of the story are good, but if you are not a gamer, there is not enough explanation of what in-game gold farmers are- these are players that earn in-game money that other players can purchase for real money. What the story line does get across is that the real people behind the gold farmers often live in poor conditions with little pay. Overall this is a good graphic novel that tries to open up the readers’ eyes to a part of gaming many people are unaware of. I would give this almost 4 out of 5 stars. For ages 12 and up.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Doctorow, Cory

Illustrator: Wang, Jen

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781596436589

Price: 17.99

Rocket's 100th Day

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 9, 2015

Review

Rocket wants to collect 100 things for the 100th day of school. He finds all kinds of things to help reach that goal and even gets his friends to pitch in. This early reader has soft adorable pictures that children will love. It also throws in a bit of math at the end, which is a nice addition. The text is large and the words are appropriate for this level of a reader. Several of the words are repeated giving a new reader a chance to practice them several times. The Guided Reading Level of this book is F.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Tad, Hill

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385390972

Price: 3.99

Ballerina Dreams

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 11, 2015

Review

This is an early reader biography of a ballerina, Michaela DePronce. Michaela was an orphan in Sierra Leone who dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She gets that opportunity when an American, Elaine De, adopts her. Michaela's story is inspiring for anyone hoping to become a ballerina but it is also unique because she is one of only a few professional African American ballerinas. The book uses real photos and drawings of Michaela to illustrate her life. These are on the whole a wonderful way to get a feel for Michaela and her life. It would have been helpful if some of the illustrations had been labeled, especially for people unfamiliar with ballet. There are several ballet terms that might be difficult for a new reader but the pronunciation of those words is given in parenthesis right in the text, which is really helpful for new readers. Overall this is good biography that will appeal to readers interested in learning about a young person that was able to achieve her dream.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

DePrince, Michaela

Illustrator: Morrison, Frank

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385755153

Price: 3.99

Yes She Did! Sports

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 11, 2015

Review

This is an early reader biography of a ballerina, Michaela DePronce. Michaela was an orphan in Sierra Leone that dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She gets that opportunity when an American, Elaine De, adopts her. Michaela’s story is inspiring for anyone hoping to become a ballerina but it is also unique because she is one of only a few professional African American ballerinas. The book uses real photos and drawings of Michaela to illustrate her life. These are on the whole a wonderful way to get a feel for Michaela and her life. It would have been helpful if some of the illustrations had been labeled, especially for people unfamiliar with ballet. There are several ballet terms that might be difficult for a new reader but the pronunciation of those words is given in parenthesis right in the text, which is really helpful for new readers. Overall this is good biography that will appeal to readers interested in learning about a young person that was able to achieve her dream.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Rudow, Taylor

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Scobre Educational

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781715708765

Price: 8.95

Cinderella in the City

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 1, 2015

Review

This early reader is a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella. It takes place in a city setting but instead of a ball, Cinderella wants to win the Prince’s dance contest so she can go to the Royal Dance Academy and be his partner there. The story has a mean stepmother, selfish stepsisters, glass slippers and a fairy godmother. The nice thing about this retelling is that it is done in a way that the focus isn’t on how mean the sisters are but what Cinderella does to get to the contest. The ending offers a nice twist too- instead of marrying a prince; Cinderella goes to a dance academy. Readers will enjoy the modern parts of the story including the dresses and cell phones. The words are appropriate for a new reader but the story line is a bit more sophisticated than some early readers which will appeal to readers wanting a bit more to their story. The one thing that took away from the book was the first page, which shows a text from Cinderella’s stepmother telling Cinderella to get her a mocha. I am not sure that young readers will be familiar with ordering a mocha but even if they are, it just seemed out of place with the rest of the story.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Meister, Cari

Illustrator: Waters, Erica-Jane

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545565684

Price: 3.99

Planets

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 1, 2015

Review

This nonfiction early reader gives a nice overview of the planets. The text is large and is easy to read. The page layout is great for a new reader. The main text is simple but gives a few facts. There is more text about some of the planets in speech bubbles that are harder to read but you don’t have to read them to get lots of planet facts. The pages are covered with nice photos or drawings dealing with planets. There is a glossary at the back of the book with definitions of some of the terms that were used. This would be good for new readers looking to find out more about the planets or those that just like to read nonfiction.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Tuchman, Gail

Illustrator: , Erica-Jane

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 97805455727705

Price: 3.99

Lizards

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: April 1, 2015

Review

Nic Bishop takes amazing animal photos and this early reader is no exception. Inside the book on each page is a wonderful close-up of a lizard. Nest to the picture are facts. The reading level of the text is not for a very new reader but better suited for someone that has already read a few beginning readers. At the end of the book Nic writes about his experience photographing the lizards for this book, which is funny and entertaining. The text is a bit above the readers the book is geared towards, but it is a nice touch to the book and gives readers a glimpse into how much work goes into photographing animals.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Bishop, Nic

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545605694

Price: 3.99

My Near-Death Adventures (99%True!)

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This humorous, historical fiction story takes place in Michigan at a logging camp in 1895. 11-year-old Stan is telling the story. He gets in trouble because he can’t keep his thoughts to himself no matter what the topic. He is obsessed with being the man of the house and is hoping to find his father, anywhere, he just wants to find him. Old photos from his scrapbook (with his thoughts written on the photos) are on almost every page. I did find it hard sometimes to know when Stan was thinking out loud or talking out loud, but I think that was part of the author’s plan because it seemed like something Stan’s character would do. This book would be great for historical fiction fans that like a story with a bug dose of humor thrown in.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

DeCamp, Alison

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Crown Books/Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385390446

Price: 16.99

Welcome to the Neighborwood

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

From the start, this book has your interest. When you read the title you think "Welcome to the Neighborhood" but then you double check what your brain thought the title was and realize it actually is "Welcome to the Neighborwood"?. And that is what this beautiful, informative pop-up book does; it introduces readers to a few animals that live in the woods. Each page has a different animal, which includes a pop-up display of the animal, and its home as well as a few brief facts about the animal.

The pop-up will catch the young reader's eye and entice them to read about the animal. The information is very accessible for a young person and the text is easy to understand. For example each animal's size is compared to something a young child would be familiar with so they could get a better picture of the size of an animal. This is a wonderful book but the pop-ups make the book delicate so it might not be well for a library.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Sheehy, Shawn

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763665944

Price: 29.99

Echo

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This amazing story starts out in a forest where a young boy is reading a story about 3 princesses that were left in the forest with a witch. The witch casts a spell and the only way to break it is for them to save someone's life. Then it jumps to the real lives of 3 children. Each has a story that is full of promise and sadness. The various lives are really different but they have something in common; they love music and play a harmonica that seems to have magic in it. Magic that all began way back in the forest with the witch and the princesses.

This is an amazing story. It starts in what you think is going to be a total fantasy and then switches to realistic fiction. Each of the children's stories is beautiful and will draw you in to their life. The issues they deal with and have to take on are so real. You get so wrapped up in each story that you don’t want them to end. This is a wonderful story that just may make you cry but will make you feel good as well.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Munoz Ryan, Pam

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic Press/ Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780439874021

Price: 19.99

The Island of Dr. Libris

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This story is about a young boy that is spending the summer near a lake with his mom. Little does he know that he is part of an experiment to see if his imagination can bring book characters to life. When he realizes this, he and a friend have amazing adventures with the characters that come to life on an island in the lake. The adventures were fun and a cool idea, but it never really grabbed me. Also I thought that the parent problem was real but the solution was not which took away from the story.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Grabenstein, Chris

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385388443

Price: 16.99

Blackbird Fly

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 2, 2015

Review

This is about Filipino girl Apple that is in 8th grade and gets put on the “dog log” list (a list of ugly girls at the middle school) and losses her 2 best friends because of it. This forces her to find other friends and take up the guitar, which she learns to play in a matter of weeks (it turns out she is a prodigy). But she has to hide her guitar playing from her mom that has forbidden it.

I liked parts of this book, but one thing that really bothered me was the fact that the boys that were making the dog log list and barking noises never got caught (the teachers had to have heard them) or reprimanded.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Kelly, Erin Entrada

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062238610

Price: 16.99

Geek Girl

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

Geek girl is a story about a 15-year girl named Harriet that is a geek- well she thinks she’s a geek and so do some of her classmates. One girl in particular makes Harriet’s life miserable.

So, when she gets offered the chance to be a model, something she never thought she’d do in a million years, she decides to go for it because maybe, just maybe, she can get rid of her geek image.

This story is told through Harriet’s eyes. She is funny and makes some of the worst decisions you can possibly imagine-you just won’t believe it. I loved that her dad is a bit of an airhead and her step mom is the grounded one. This book will appeal to readers that like stories about fashion, modeling and/or friendship

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Smale, Holly

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen/Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062333575

Price: 17.99

Mars Evacuees

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 9, 2015

Review

This is a sci-fi adventure that takes place on Earth in the future when humans and aliens are fighting each other over the Earth. Humans are losing the battle so they send a group of children to Mars to keep them safe. But it turns out that sending a bunch of kids to Mars might not be the safest thing to do.

The four main characters are children that are sent to Mars. Alice and her 2 friends Josephine and Carl, and Carl’s little brother Noel, are very different from each other (loved Alice’s outlook on things), which makes for interesting friendships. Their time on Mars is filled with surprises and many of them are not good. This is a sci-fi action packed book with aliens, battles and lots of humor.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

McDougall, Sophia

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062293992

Price: 16.99

Masterminds

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This story is about a group of kids that live in a town where everything is perfect until one of them figures out something is up, and it isn’t a good thing either. What makes this even creepier and kind of scary is that the parents know something is up but they are in of it.

This is a really good thriller/sci-fi. It is told from the point of view of different children in the town. Each sees things around them a bit differently. When they find out what is going on in their sweet little town called “Serenity” I was totally surprised, just like they were. This is a super fast paced dystopian/sci-fi thriller.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Korman, Gordon

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062299963

Price: 16.99

First Snow

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 6, 2015

Review

Pedro comes to visit his cousins and encounters his first snow, which he keeps telling everyone he doesn’t like. The drawings are terrific. The chubby animals and their cute faces are hard not to like. The story does a good job of talking about not liking something you don’t know about. good

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

McCarty, Peter

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062189967

Price: 16.99

Monty's Magnificent Mane

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This story is about a lion that loves it’s beautiful mane. But that love almost gets the lion and his friends in a lot of trouble. The illustrations are colorful and match the lion’s attitude about his mane. They also do a great job of letting a young reader see how scary the crocodile is without being too scary. This would be a good book for children that like a bit of a scare from the unexpected in their books.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

O'Neill, Gemma

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Templar

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763675936

Price: 15.99

How to Surprise a Dad

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 6, 2015

Review

This cute book is all about two children finding ways to surprise their dad. This book would be wonderful read aloud before Father’s Day. It gives children all kinds of ideas for ways to do something special for a dad. Some of the things can be made, (all are simple and just right for a child), and others are things a child can do. The nicest part about it is that while the tips and ideas are there, the story itself is fun and the illustrations make it funny, too.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Reagan, Jean

Illustrator: Wildish, Lee

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780553498363

Price: 16.99

Bears and a Birthday

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

4 little bears make a cake and wrap up a gift for big bear’s birthday. They do this with lots of love even if the cake and gift aren’t perfect. This is a very sweet story with gentle, colorful drawings. Young children will enjoy the rhymes that let them in on the birthday surprises for the big bear.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Parenteau, Shirley

Illustrator: Walker, David

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763671525

Price: 15.99

Aqualicious

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

Pinkalicious finds a real mini mermaid on the beach. She has fun playing with her the mini mermaid and then finds a way to take her back to the place where she will be safe. Great drawings through out the book. The story itself was good and Pinkalicious fans will enjoy it.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Kann, Victoria

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062330161

Price: 17.99

Happy Spring, Chirp!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This is a sweet toddler book about a young chick that is trying to bring a birthday present to its aunt. The drawings in this book are adorable. The text is simple but tells the story well. Young children will enjoy the foldout and pop-up pages through out the story. The ending is just right for a young person- it looks like something will happen to the present but it turns out just right.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Iriyama, Satoshi

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780544361508

Price: 8.99

Good Night, Knight

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This story is about a knight and horse searching for golden cookies. The text repeats it self through out this Guided Reading Level F early reader which is very helpful for a new reader. The drawings are silly and match the tone of the book. The story line was good, but there are others in the I Like to Read series that are better. Still, if you are looking for an early reader with knights in it this might be one to look at.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Lewin, Betsy

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823432066

Price: 14.95

The Cowboy

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

In this early reader, a little girl’s dog is being swept away by a wave but is saved by a young cowboy. Young readers will enjoy this fun Guided Reading Level F book. The cowboy is a good character that will appeal to boys and girls. Even though the text is simple the story has a lot going on that the pictures help bring to life. This would be a nice addition to anyone’s early reader collection.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Muller, Hildegard

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823432028

Price: 14.95

Look out, Mouse!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This fun early reader is about a mouse and the animals that start chasing him on the farm. The drawings are fun and lively in this Guided Reading Level E early reader. The text is simple and repeats itself through out the book so it makes it a nice read for a beginning reader. Another plus is that the story is funny. With an early reader this can be tough, but this book does the job. The book itself is very sturdy and will be able to passed on to many readers so it would be a great book for a classroom or a library.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Bjorkman, Steve

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823429530

Price: 14.95

3, 2, 1, Go!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This cute story is about 2 older friends playing school. When a younger girl wants to join them she is told she is too young to play but she finds away to join them and prove that she is smart enough to play. The illustrations are great in this book for new readers. They go well with the text and give clues to the words being used. Words were repeated to make it easier for a new reader. The book also includes a Guided reading Level rating (it is a G) to help teachers and/or new readers determine if it is at the right level. All in all this is a very nice early reader.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

McCully, Emily Arnold

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823432882

Price: 14.95

Dogs are People, Too

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 6, 2015

Review

This graphic novel, is all about dogs. And it is super funny. Now some are funnier than others, but most will at least have you cracking a smile if not out right laugh. A cool thing about this book is that the author puts in little short stories about the dogs he has had and has in his life, some cool famous dogs in history and a few random dog facts. It is easy to read and will be a hit with readers of all abilities.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Coverly, Dave

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: all ages

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781627790420

Price: 12.99

20 Big Trucks

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 5, 2015

Review

This board book is about 20 different trucks that get stuck in a traffic jam on the street. No one seems to know what to do- except for a young boy on a bicycle. This is a fun book with rhyming text and great pictures. Young readers will not only enjoy the variety of trucks packed into this short story, but the way the young boy solves the traffic jam problem instead of the adults. Another great part of the book is the young bike rider counts the number of trucks as they get stuck in the traffic jam, which is a nice way to add in a bit of math. It also comes in Spanish so the set could be used for teaching purposes.The only weakness with the book is that this is a board book, which looks like it should be for a toddler, however the story might be too long for a 2 year old to sit through, even if it is about some pretty cool trucks.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Lee, Makrk

Illustrator: Cyrus, Kurt

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763676506

Price: 7.99

Super Hockey Infographics

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2015

Review

This book is full of all kinds of graphs, charts and diagrams of hockey facts. It has an index at the start to let the reader know what categories the facts fall into and a glossary at the back to define words used. The one word it never clearly defines is infographics, which is a bit of a bummer because having that definition at the start would help readers know why the book uses all the visuals it does. And most of the visuals are great. The graphs and drawings of the hockey facts make it easy for readers of all levels to see and understand them. Another nice feature is that the text pointed out some of the drawbacks to hockey not just its pluses. This would be a great book for readers that struggle with a lot of text but still want to know facts about the sport of hockey.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Savage, Jeff

Illustrator: Kulihin, Vic

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467752343

Price: 15

Tim Howard

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This is a very accessible book for young readers. It takes a look at American soccer goalie Tim Howard from his childhood days to his life now as one of the best goalies in the world. It also talks about the fact that Howard has Tourette syndrome but that this has not stopped him from becoming a world-class athlete. There are lots of photos that capture Howard’s goal keeping abilities and a listing of websites to go to for more information on Tim Howard.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Fishman, Jon M.

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467757461

Price: 15

Animal Faces

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

The photos in this book are amazing. As soon as you open it you want to read about those animals in the photos. Each page has a heading in large print that gives the reader an idea of what is being talked about on the page. Surrounding the main idea are photos and explanations of animals demonstrating the topic. The variety of animals is wonderful and gives a young reader the chance to see and read about a wide variety of animals in just one book. The one flaw is that the pit viper does not have its body parts labeled but other than that, this was a terrific non-fiction book for young readers.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Arlon, Penelope

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545791212

Price: 7.99

I'm a Fire Breather: Meet a Dragon

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This book tells readers all about dragons, and a dragon is telling the story. The dragon has a bit of an attitude and tells about all the awful things dragons do with a touch of humor thrown in. But, readers should be aware that the humor is often about eating humans. There is also a bit about dragons in different cultures. This book will appeal to young readers wanting a short non-fiction book about dragons.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Knudsen, Shannon

Illustrator: Kurilla, Renee

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Millbrook Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780761391906

Price: 15

Nnewts

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

The graphic novel is about a group of Nnewts that are attacked by a group of reptiles called Lizzark (and yes, the Nnwets are very much like newts and the Lizzarks are like lizards). One of the Nnewts, Herk, escapes the attack because he is thought to be weak. But as it turns out, he might be the strongest Nnewt of all. There is a lot of action in this graphic novel plus some really cool drawings. Much of the book focuses on fight scenes and the Lizzarks attacking the Nnewts or just attacking Herk. For readers wanting to find out more about Herk, this is volume 1 with more to follow.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

TenNapel, Doug

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545676465

Price: 10.99

Octopuses!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This is a very informative book about octopuses for young readers. There are nice illustrations throughout, but it would be better if there were a few more labels on the illustrations. The book is only 32 pages in length, but is packed with lots of octopus information. A fun feature of the book is the find the octopuses part. In this section the artist has drawn the ocean floor and several octopuses are hidden in the area. It is a great way to illustrate just how well camouflaged an octopus can be. This would be a nice choice for young readers wanting to know more about octopuses.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Pringle, Laurence

Illustrator: Henderson, Meryl

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Boyds Mills Press/ Highlights

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781590789785

Price: 16.95

Arf! Arf!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This board book has flaps hiding animals you would find at the beach. The pictures are brightly colored, the flaps are sturdy and easy to use which is important for toddlers. On top of that, young children will love opening the flap and joining the reader in making the sound of the animal hidden behind the flap. This will be a popular book as a read-a-loud for toddlers.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Braun, Sebastien

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Nosy Crow

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763678944

Price: 8.99

Big Game: The Hunt is On

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This story takes place in Finland. It starts out with a young 12-year-old boy named Oskari that is spending the night in a forest by himself with just a bow, knife and fire kit. His goal is to hunt and kill an animal before the next morning to prove he is no longer a boy but a man. But instead the president of the United States’ plane crashes into the forest and he has to rescue him. And not just from the forest, there are people trying to kill the president.

This story is non-stop action. Oskari doesn’t start out as being the kind of character that you think could rescue someone. But when he is in dangerous situations his hunter background kicks in and he does some amazing things. Some of the things he does were kind of hard to believe- like he scene with the freezer and the helicopter, but it is still a fun fast read. Older readers that like books about survival and adventure will enjoy this.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Smith, Dan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545766357

Price: 6.99

Last Man: The Stranger

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 1, 2015

Review

This graphic novel is about a young boy named Adrian that is training in martial arts. He wants to compete in the annual Games that are this contest where teams of two fight each other in a ring and the winner of the match moves onto fight another team until an ultimate winner is picked. The problem for Adrian is that he is that he doesn’t have a partner to compete. But just as he is ready to give up a stranger shows up and offers to be his partner. Now Adrian can compete, that doesn’t mean he’ll win, but at least he can try.

This fun graphic novel is from France. It looks a lot like the manga novels from Japan but it reads from-left to right- not right to left. The drawings are great and the fight scenes are good but not over done. It ends on a cliffhanger BUT book 2 is out this summer and 3 in October. If you like action graphic novels with a bit of humor, you will like this one.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Balak, -

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: :01 First Second

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781626720466

Price: 9.99

Out of Boneville, Tribute Edition

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2015

Review

This special edition of Bone: Out of Boneville has all the same features as the original colored edition but with some extra features. There is a rat creature poem at the end of the story written by Jeff Smith and drawings from the other Bone volumes. In addition there are several drawings by other well known graphic novel artists depicting characters from the Bone series. This new copy is terrific and the bonus features just might make it worth getting a new copy of Bone.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Smith, Jeff

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6,grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545800709

Price: 14.99

The Sign of the Cat

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

The main character in this story, Duncan, can talk with cats. Because he can talk to cats, he can find out all sorts of things. People talk in front of cats all the time without giving it a second thought. For Duncan, this proves to be a huge asset when he and a young white kitten gets tricked into sailing away from his home on a ship. Between the 2 of them they figure out what the crew on the ship are up to and why he was kidnapped.

This is a fun, action packed adventure. The cats definitely add a bit of humor to the story. The tiger is funny and seemed quite a bit different from what you would expect a tiger to be. I would have given this book 5 stars, but thought some of the kitten capturing scenes were a bit gruesome for the rest of the book. Still this is a really good book that fantasy fans will enjoy.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Jonell, Lynne

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780805096835

Price: 16.99

We are all Made of Molecules

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about two teenagers, Stewart and Ashley, that each has only one parent. Now their parents have fallen in love with each other so they are all going to live together. Stewart (kind of a nerd) is excited but Ashley (super popular) is not. Stewart does find a way to get Ashley to at least talk to him, but the reason behind that might be bad for both of them.

The mean girl scene and Ashley in particular, is intense in this book. Ashley is not a likable character but what she does to people around her and doesn’t do, was believable, even if it was ugly to read about. Stewart also seemed a bit too perfect throughout the book. There are several issues that are dealt with in the book- bullying, homophobia and date violence are just a few. Overall this was a good book. I would give it 4 out 4 stars

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Nielsen, Susin

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books/Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553496864

Price: 16.99

Fort

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Two boys, Augie and Wyatt, build a fort only to have 2 bullies take it over. But Wyatt and Augie come up with a plan to chase the bullies away and stop them from bullying other people as well as themselves. The fort building process, the friendship between Augie and Wyatt and the way they dealt with the bullies was great. The one piece that seemed out of place in a book meant for 8-11 year was Wyatt’s obsession with Augie’s great-aunt’s breasts. That kind of behavior would be better suited to a 12+ age group. Having said that, it is a very minor part in an otherwise very good adventure story.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

DeFelice, Cynthia

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374324278

Price: 16.99

Unusual Chickens for the Poultry Farmer

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about a young girl, Sophia, that moves to her great uncle’s farm after he dies. On the farm she finds her great uncles’ chickens and they have super powers. Now it is up to Sophia to raise them and keep them safe.

Sophia is telling this story and it is filled with letters she writes to people (and their responses) about what is going on with the chickens. The letters are honest and really give the reader a feel for Sophia and what she is thinking, including her frustration with not being able to find out more about those super power chickens. That is one part of the book that I felt was missing…why or how did those chickens get their super powers? The black and white drawings are really fun and add quite a bit to the story. On the whole, this is a funny and heartwarming epistolary novel with just a touch of fantasy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Jones, Kelly

Illustrator: Kath, Katie

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385755528

Price: 16.99

Flirty Dancing

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about Bea, a 9th grader that is kind of shy. But when her PE teacher announces there will be a dance competition and the winners get to be on TV, Bea decides to go for it- she loves to dance and what’s even cooler is that her partner is a really cute boy in her school. Unfortunately, the school’s queen bee has a crush on that same boy.

This is a light fun romance. There is some mean girl stuff but lots of humor too. Bea is a fun character that grows through out the novel until she actually learns to stand up for herself. But she isn’t the only fun character. Her little sister Emma almost steals the show at times. She is super funny and does crazy 3-year-old that will make you laugh out loud- especially if you know a 3-year-old. If you like romantic comedies with some great dancing thrown in, you will like this summer beach read.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

McLachlan, Jenny

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250061485

Price: 16.99

Yes She Did! Medicine

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This non-fiction easy chapter book looks at some famous women in medicine through out history. It includes photos and highlighted facts about these women to increase reader interest. A weakness of the book is the photographs (or lack of them). Some of the pictures or photos of the women being discussed are not at the start of the article. Readers have to turn a page or two to see the actual photo. And in one case, there is no picture of the women being discussed at all. For young readers this would be disappointing. The book does do a nice job of depicting women in a variety of areas of medicine. Especially in areas that are not as well known.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

McCreary, Jordan

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Scobre Educational

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781615709311

Price: 15

Tractor Mac: You're a Winner

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is a fun picture book starring Tractor Mac. In this story Tractor Mac wants to win the tractor pull at the fair. But he has tough competition and he might not win. On the inside of the cover and on the backside of the cover are diagrams of a tractor and a carousel. Both have their parts highlighted. You don’t have to look at them to enjoy the story but for tractor fans this is a must. The story itself is a sweet look at doing your best and being happy with that, even if that means you don’t come in first. The illustrations are colorful and add character to the story. You really feel like you are at the fair. Young readers will be routing for Tractor Mac to win the tractor pull at the fair, but even if he doesn’t, there is a way he can find to still be happy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Steers, Billy

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374301040

Price: 8.99

Tractor Mac: Parade's Best

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Tractor Mac is back again and this time he is in a parade. He wants to win for best float but can he if he has to pull the flower float? This time the inside and back covers have a labeled tractor and jeep (with an auger!) drawing. Even if you don’t want to read all of the labels, it is still fun to look up close at both vehicles. In this story, Tractor Mac doesn’t want to pull the float that has flowers and ribbons on it but he changes his mind when he realizes that it’s the right thing to do (and he has fun dong it). The drawings in this one are great, especially the parade. Children will enjoy seeing all the floats and the people and animals on them, even if they are not tractor fans.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Steers, Billy

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374301064

Price: 15

Ninja Bunny

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This picture book is about a bunny that has rules for being a ninja. The first is to do it alone, but that might not always be the best way. The drawings in this picture book are adorable. The rules also are just what a little reader would expect from a ninja. But this ninja bunny is going to have some trouble with the rules and the way that it bumbles through these rules will have young readers smiling if not laughing out loud. The message at the end about working together with your friends is a nice message to end the book on as well.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Olson, Jennifer Gray

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385754934

Price: 16.99

If I Were You

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about 2 friends, Katie and Melody, secretly wishing to be each other. When the two of them are on the beach bus and drive through a tunnel, they both say their wishes and the next thing they know they have switched places. But as time goes on, both learn things about each other and themselves and realize that maybe being themselves is not so bad after all. This story looks at a feeling that a lot of people have- they wish they were someone else. It does a pretty good job about looking at the life of each friend and it’s pluses and minuses. I did think that the one friend Melody was a bit too nice in everything she did and that got a bit annoying. I also thought that Katie was a bit extreme in the rude department. For 2 such different personalities it seemed unlikely that they would have been friends in the first place. Fans of books about trading places will probably like this but it won’t be a favorite.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Margolis, Leslie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780374300685

Price: 15.99

Nuts in Space

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This looks like a picture book but it really is more of a graphic novel. It is the story of a space craft that has animal crew that are trying to get their special cargo, the Lost Nuts of Legend safely home. Unfortunately they have run out of food and are kind of lost. The trick is going to be getting home before someone eats all the nuts. This is really silly graphic novel. Children will enjoy the pictures and all the funny remarks the animals make as well as the creatures they meet. Adults will also enjoy them and get some of the jokes that the children might miss. This is a really fun book but be prepared, it is very silly.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Dolan, Elys

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Nosy Crow

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763676094

Price: 17.99

Aaron is Cool

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This early chapter book has been adapted from P.D. Eastman's book Everything Happens to Aaron in the Winter. Aaron, the alligator, is funny and the drawings are great. He has several experiences dealing with winter throughout the book. The word choice is appropriate and matches the pictures well. Unfortunately there are no chapters or stopping point between the short adventures so one adventure runs into the next. Because of this a young reader might find this early reader confusing.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Eastman, P.D.

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780553512373

Price: 3.99

The Shy Little Kitten

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is a very sweet early reader about a shy kitten that wanders off and needs to find its mother. The story, although simple, still makes sense and the young reader will really feel like they are reading a story with a beginning, middle and an end. Words are repeated on several pages which is helpful and the drawings illustrate many of the items the story talks about. The drawings themselves are cute and will appeal to young children. This book would be a nice addition to an early reader collection.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Depken, Kristen

Illustrator: DiCicco, Sue

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780553497632

Price: 3.99

Poppy the Pirate Dog

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Poppy is a Dalmatian and is part of setting up a pirate ship, losing some treasure and a tortoise, and then finding everything. The plot sounds simple and it is, but it is also lovely. Young readers will feel for Poppy when she gets a sore eye and has to wear a dog cone. They will also cheer for her when she helps rescue the lost tortoise and missing necklace. The drawings are perfect and add to the story. Young readers that like a fun, sweet story will thoroughly enjoy this one.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kessler, Liz

Illustrator: Phillips, Mike

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763674977

Price: 14.99

Sport-O-Rama

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This book takes a quick look at the basics of 23 different sports. And these looks are more like a little snap shot. The author points out things like what a player would wear, the equipment they use, and the field that the sport is played on. All of the illustrations are drawn by hand. They are simple- think clothed stick figure-, colorful and for the most part labeled clearly. The style is almost a cross between a picture book and a graphic novel. This would be a great book to introduce a preschooler to a variety of sports but it would also work well for a struggling reader that likes to read about a variety of sports.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Tardif, Benoit

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: kids can press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781771383271

Price: 17.95

A Matter of Heart

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about a swimmer named Abby that has a chance to go to the Olympic trials but right before them, finds out she has a heart condition called HCM that could kill her if she keeps racing. But Abby doesn’t care; she is going to compete no matter what the cost. The romance in this story was the weak part, but Abby’s reaction to having the condition- she denies it and is willing to risk her life to compete- was really interesting. It was a good look at the reaction an athlete might have to a condition that stops them from reaching their goal and what they are willing to sacrifice to reach that goal. It makes you wonder how many competitive athletes have reacted the same way under the similar circumstances.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Dominy, Amy Fellner

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

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: 9780385744430

Price: 17.99

Nimona

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

The drawings in this graphic novel are awesome. The print is small but once you get used to it, it is easy to read. Nimona is a great character, she is funny (even if she is violent) and it’s this dark humor makes this book so good. The relationship between Blackheart and Nimona is one of the best parts of the book, readers will love it. The ending gets a little dark and loses some of its humor, but this is still a terrific graphic novel that should be a part of every library’s collection.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Stevenson, Noelle

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: HarperTeen/ Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062278234

Price: 17.99

Dungeoneers

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about Dungeoneers, which are people that hunt and steal treasures. One of them is a young boy named Colm and he gets sort of forced into being one of their apprentices even though stealing is something he feels bad about…most of the time. Colm isn’t the only apprentice. He has a team of 3 others (they always work in teams) each with a special skill- it could be something like healing abilities, magical powers or super-strength. The teams have to work together to get past all kinds of dangers to find treasures and sometimes, the dangers are in places you least expect.

Thus is a terrific adventure. There is action, humor and great characters. One of these characters is Colm’s teammate Lena. Lena is a powerful warrior with an ego to go with it. The things she does and says will make you laugh. This book will be appeal to readers that like adventure, twists in the plot, humorous situations and cool fantasy. Super all around book.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Anderson, John David

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Walden Pond Press/ Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062338143

Price: 16.99

The Ultimate Pirate Handbook

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

The book’s information is divided up into different section, and each one focuses on an aspect of a pirate’s life. The information itself is scattered across two page spreads. The author uses cool drawings, fact bubbles and flaps with hidden tidbits to make this info not only easy to access but fun to read about as well. If you have a child that is interested in pirates they will love all pirate facts. Be aware that even though this book is made for children, it still mentions several of the horrible things pirates did. Unfortunately it uses the word “wench” when it refers to women which didn’t seem appropriate. For that reason I would think before I added it to a library collection.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Hamilton, Libby

Illustrator: Mansfield, Andy

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Templar Books

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763679637

Price: 19.99

The Snowman and the Snowdog

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This sweet early reader is based on the characters from the Snowman book by Raymond Briggs. In this story a boy builds a snowdog and a snowman. The two come alive and the all fly to the North Pole for sledding and a party with other snowpeople. The large print in this early reader works well for a Guided Level G book. Each page offers at least one new word but also has words from previous pages. The pictures also offer clues to new words being used. This would be a nice edition to an early reader collection.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Membrino, Anna

Illustrator: Downer, Maggie

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385387347

Price: 3.99

Emmy & Oliver

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about 4 of high schoolers that were friends when the were really little. They did all kinds of stuff together especially 2 of them, Emmy and Oliver, they were really close. But then one day, in 2nd grade Oliver is kidnapped by his dad and is just gone. Then,10 years later, Oliver is found. Everyone is super excited to have him back. But when he comes back life isn’t the same and Emmy and Oliver aren’t sure it ever will be.

The romance itself is sweet and innocent. The story has lots of humor and some great friendships. But it is more than that. It’s about parents smothering a child with rules to protect them from getting hurt and realizing that even though a parent might lie to a child, that child can’t help themselves from still loving their parent. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Benway, Robin

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperTeen/ Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062330598

Price: 17.99

Heavy-Duty Trucks

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This early reader is all about trucks. It does a great job of introducing the reader to a number of truck types you might see. Each type of truck has a photo of it and a paragraph explaining it. The explanations are short but really do a good job of describing the truck, perfect for a new reader. A nice feature is that the name of the truck being talked about is always typed up in italics making it stand out from the rest of the text. The part about truckers still using CB radios and then not explaining what they are was not great, plus, most truckers don’t use CBs much anymore. Also, some of the photos were dated. Still this will be popular with readers wanting books on trucks.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Milton, Joyce

Illustrator: Doolittle, MIchael J.

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553512403

Price: 3.99

Let's Have A Parade

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This early reader is about a little girl that wants to have parade with her family in the rain. Everyone is too busy at first but in the end they all join in the fun. Children will like the idea of having a parade indoors when it is raining outside and enjoy how each family member joins in. The repeated sounds of the instruments used in the parade are great and easy to read. The illustrations are colorful and fit the mood of the book well. A nice early reader for a collection.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Silverman, Erica

Illustrator: Golden, Jess

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Green Light Readers/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780544106789

Price: 3.99

13 Days of Midnight

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about a teenager named Luke that inherits something from his dad when he dies, and it’s not what he’s expecting. He inherits 8 spirits and they are not happy, they hated his dad and now they hate him. Actually, they hate him so much that they’d like to see him dead. Now the trick for Luke is going to be to figure out how to stop them from killing him, his mom, his friends and everyone else in town and he only has 13 days to do it. This is a really good creepy-paranormal-horror story with some dark and not so dark humor. Luke is a great character that you empathize with especially because the choice he made that got himself into this situation is one many teenagers (and even adults) might make. Even though there are some pretty scary and a bit gruesome parts, they weren’t over the top. This would be a good choice for readers that like books with a good scare and some humor.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Hunt, Leo

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: horror

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763678654

Price: 13.00

Fuzzy Mud

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 1, 2015

Review

This story is about 3 classmates that are going to a very special school for smart kids. They aren't all in the same class, and they aren't really friends but they have a connection which all starts when one of the students, Chad threatens his classmate Marshall. Marshall doesn't want Chad to hurt him so he heads into the woods after school to avoid him. Unfortunately another classmate, Tamaya, follows him into the woods. In the woods scary things happen and the fuzzy mud they find is not what it seems. This mystery-thriller will keep you reading to find out what is happening and why the fuzzy mud is so dangerous. The fuzzy mud the students find is nasty stuff but it is something that seems like humans could, and very well might, create. That part of the story is terrific and will leave readers thinking about even after they are done reading. The one weak part is Chad's extreme dislike of Marshall, it just didn't seem justified. However, this is a great mystery especially for readers interested in the environment and the possible side effects of GMOs.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Sachar, Louis

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction,mystery

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385743785

Price: 16.99

The Astounding Broccoli Boy

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about some children in London that turn green and no one knows why. The authorities are worried that the children might be contagious so they place the kids in a hospital and lock them in so they can run tests on them. But the green children, especially one of them, Rory, begin to wonder if being green might actually be an awesome thing. After all, there are green super heroes, so maybe the green children are really super heroes. But to find out if that’s true, they’ll have to find a way to escape their hospital rooms so they can test them. The beginning of this book is just ok. It starts out with Rory being bullied, but instead of the bully being blamed for things, Rory gets blamed which got to be a bit annoying. But once Rory is placed in the hospital and begins his super hero adventures, the story was very good. Their desire to be super heroes and to believe that what was happening to them proved they had super powers was funny at times and heart tugging in others. All in all a funny story with plenty of imagination as well.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Boyce, Frank Cottrell

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Walden Pond Press/ Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062400178

Price: 16.99

Illuminae

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 10, 2015

Review

This story is about a big corporation named BeiTech that attacks a planet where illegal mining is going on. BeiTech kills almost everyone but a few people manage to escape. For BeiTech this is bad news, because if word gets out about what they did, the consequences will swift and severe. The people that escaped are now on a battlecarrier trying to escape. But their carrier is crippled and on top of that the computer controlling their battlecarrier, has gone psycho and is killing people.

This book is actually a bunch of files that have been compiled on the attack and what happened afterwards. The files are filled with action, humor, suspense, twists, a bit of romance and some cool graphics. The main character Kady has some mad hacking skills and is pretty funny. The computer that goes psycho, Aidan, is creepy but totally believable. At 599 pages this is a big book BUT many of those pages are filled with graphics that add so much to the story. This book will be great for sci-fi fans but dystopian fans will like it too. Pick this one up for your 13+ readers, they will eat it up. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Kaufman, Amie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Alfred A Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction,romance

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780553499117

Price: 18.99

Friends for Life

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Francis, the main character in this book, doesn’t have any friends. He’s different, and kind of gets made fun of at middle school. But then he meets Jessica, she’s a ghost, and the 2 of them become friends. Jessica has no idea why she is a ghost or why Francis is the only one that can see her. But she senses that there is something she needs to do and that, quite possibly, her friendship with Francis will be the key to finding out what that is.

This is a wonderful story. It’s funny but at the same time takes a look at the problems kids that are different face and the choices (suicide being one) that this pressure can make them choose. The thing that makes this book so special is the way it keeps this issue in the background, you definitely know it’s there, but it spends more time on letting the characters find realistic, ways to deal with the issue of being different.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Norriss, Andrew

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780545851862

Price: 17.99

Space Dumplins

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Violet wants to help her dad but is left to stay with her mom while he goes out on a job. But then he turns up missing and it is going to be up to Violet, and some interesting alien friends to find him.

The graphic are awesome in this graphic novel. They are colorful and fill the pages with so much life and action. The story is a good one that will engage many readers and Violet and the alien friends she makes are great. The attacking floating whales and their poop, however, were not that great and not as funny as you might think.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Thompson, Craig

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545565431

Price: 14.99

A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This story is about 2 girls that don’t know each other- Kai is visiting her aunt in Texas and Leila is visiting her dad’s family in Pakistan. Each girl ends up finding a blank book called The Exquisite Corpse. The cool thing about the book is that once you write in the book, the book uses those words to write a story, one that just might come true.

In the beginning, the Kai and Leila’s lives are not particularly interesting. There are some fun moments, but not enough to really grab the reader’s attention. But around the middle of the book, that changes. Readers will want to see what The Exquisite Corpse is going to write about next and how it connects the lives of Kai and Leila. The story The Exquisite Corpse tells is interesting from the get go and just gets better and better as the story evolves. A nice combination of fantasy and realistic fiction.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Papademetriou, Lisa

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062371218

Price: 16.99

Jingle! Jingle!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

A board book that has a variety of creatures peek out behind a flap as Santa passes by.

The drawings in this board book are fun, perfect for a young child. Each page repeats the phrase "Who's that..." so preschool age children will enjoy this and be ready for it on each page. The surprise animals and children behind the flaps will be fun for them to discover as well. A nice Christmas lift-the-flap book

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Braun, Sebastien

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Nosy Crow

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763680022

Price: 8.99

The Amazing Stardust Friends: Step into the Spotlight

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Marlo and her mom join the circus train. Marlo wants to be part of the circus but doesn't seem to have an act that will be amazing enough for the circus. But when she meets the other Stardust girls, they might just help her discover something that she is amazing at.

This is fun early chapter book. It has nice black and white drawings throughout the book and the story line is just right for a young reader. Readers will identify with Marlo's hopes of being part of the parade and want to read about the different ways she tries to belong.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Alexander, Heather

Illustrator: Le Feyer, Diane

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545757522

Price: 4.99

Witch's Broom

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Amy’s mom finds a little blue broom in the back yard. Little does she know that the broom is magic. Soon Amy and her friend Jean are having lots of fun playing with the little broom. But the broom has something it needs help with and Amy and Jean are the only ones that can help. This is a very sweet early chapter book that was originally published in 1977. It is perfect for young readers that like books with magic. There is just enough suspense to keep them reading but not too much to make it scary. The black and white drawings are a bit hard to see at times and the use of color would have increased the appeal of the book with readers. Still this would be a very nice addition to any libraries early chapter section.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Chew, Ruth

Illustrator: Chew, Ruth

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780449815786

Price: 5.99

A Night Divided

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 9, 2016

Review

Gerta's father and brother head to the western part of Berlin, Germany to find work, but they never get back. Before they have a chance to return home, a wall is put up separating the 2 halves of the city. Gerta, another brother and their mother are trapped on the eastern side and can not get out. But then Gerta's dad sends her a clue that might just help them find a way to escape.

For readers that know about the Berlin Wall and those that don't, this book will have you on the edge of your seat. Gerta and her brother Fritz take on so much and the risks they take to escape are huge. The author does a great job of getting across the horrors of living in East Berlin at the time but it is still appropriate for 4th graders (and up). A terrific historical fiction book that reads a bit like a thriller. Cream.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Nielsen, Jennifer

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545682428

Price: 16.99

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs the Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is the 6th book in the series and Ricky and his robot are going to have to save the world again. But this time it is alien stink bugs and they have captured Ricky's cousin Lucy. Dan Santat's drawings really capture the action and fun of this adventure. The flip-o-rama pages are great and are sturdy enough, even in the paperback edition, to hold up to lots of use. The story line for this one wasn’t as strong as others in the series and it does use the word stupid several times, still, fans will gobble this one up as soon as they can get their hands on it.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Pilkey, Dav

Illustrator: Santat, Dan

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545630146

Price: 5.99

Kiki and Jacques

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Jacques and Kiki both live in a small Maine town. Jacques has lived there all his life and comes from a poor family. He loves playing soccer and hopes to be the captain of the school soccer team. Kiki is new to town and is a refugee from Somali. The two become friends despite the teasing and harassing of other people in town. This book takes a looks at what it would be like to be from a poor family that needs money and the effect that has on the choices a person makes. Even when you have a strong set of morals, when your family is in need, stealing or not telling the truth can be tempting. It also gives a glimpse into what it would be like to be a refuge trying to start a new life in a new community. Traditional customs, as Kiki and Jacques find out, can get in the way of making friends or becoming part of the community. On the whole though, this book is a bit slow and might not hold readers interest unless it was used as a jumping off point for discussions about refugees assimilating into a community.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Ross, Susan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780823434275

Price: 16.95

The Iliad

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is a retelling of The Iliad for younger readers. The book is filled with striking illustrations of the battle. Most of these really fit the situation being described and are often quite beautiful. But a few seemed better suited to older readers that would understand the imagery behind them. Author Gillian does a great job of making the story easy to follow. She opens with what caused the Greeks and Trojans to go to war with each other then moves into the battle itself. Most of the book is spent on the war between the two and the influence that a variety of the Greek gods had over the warriors. It was disappointing however, that in the over 151 pages of the text, only 2 of them were spent on the wooden horse that finally destroyed the Trojans. Still, this is a good choice for young readers interested in reading The Iliad.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Cross, Gillian

Illustrator: Packer, Neil

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763678326

Price: 19.99

Fluffy Strikes Back

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Fluffy is a cat that is charge of protecting the world from aliens, and those aliens look a lot like insects. When the aliens invade his headquarters it is up to him to save the day. The drawings in this graphic are great. They do a great job of telling the story. The text is simple for the most part which will be nice for new readers. The story itself is ok, but not as good as Spires’ other series Binky. Fluffy just isn’t as funny and his adventure seemed to drag a bit. Fans of Binky will want to try this one and will probably like it, but not as much as the Binky series.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Spires, Ashley

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781771381277

Price: 15.95

Babymouse Goes for the Gold

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is the 20th Babymouse adventure and perfectly time for summer Olympics year. In this volume Babymouse has to join a sports team. She decides to go out for the swim team and finds out what it means to be part of a team. Babymouse’s imagination adds quite a bit of fun to this graphic novel. It makes the whole story silly while looking at topics that middle grade students can relate to- fitting in and not letting a team down. Readers will laugh at Babymouse and what she does but will also empathize with how she feels. Great graphic novel.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Holm, Jennifer L. & Matthew

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780307931634

Price: 6.99

Basketball Superstars 2016

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This book gives a 2-page spread to the top 14 NBA players. Each page has a photo of the athlete, the team they play on, their height and weight and college they went to (if they went to one). A cool bullet at the bottom called “3 Points” highlights three facts about the player that is unique to their game stats. This will be a big hit with basketball fans looking for a quick read about their favorite top players as well as a solid introduction to the top NBA players for readers new to basketball.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kelley, K.C.

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 978054590374

Price: 5.99

A Study in Charlotte

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

Charlotte is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes. And she has inherited his knack for solving crimes/mysteries. She is also a teenager that is having issues with a drug problem and gets sent to the US to boarding school to get it together. At her boarding school she meets Jamie Watson, and yes, he is the great-great-great-grandson of James Watson. The 2 teenagers become friends, sort of, and then find themselves thrust into a murder mystery with them as the lead suspects. Charlotte is a smart, intelligent, prickly teenager that also has a drug problem. She finds clues in the strangest of places and then uses them to solve all kinds of parts to this murder/mystery. Charlotte is not necessarily a really likeable character but that actually adds to the story. Jamie on the other hand, is a very likeable character and a great sidekick to Charlotte. This is a terrific murder mystery with the twist of the Sherlock Holmes- Watson dynamics woven through out.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Cavallaro, Brittany

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,mystery,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062398901

Price: 17.99

The Lincoln Project

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Four children get a note to meet a mysterious wealthy woman, Miss Z. She wants them to travel back in time to get photos of famous events for her. In this first volume they need to travel back in time to Gettysburg and take a photo of Lincoln giving his famous Gettysburg address. But the travel doesn’t go smoothly and the 4 might not be able to get to their own time let alone get a photo of Lincoln. This feels like an older version of The Magic Tree House series. The children in this story have different personalities and each has something Miss Z felt would add to the group. Sometimes the qualities were annoying and you had to wonder why that child was chosen for the group (especially Julia and her obsession with money). It also was a bit hard to believe that parents would let their children go to a strange women's house to do anything at all. Still, the adventure was filled with action and interesting facts about the time period. In one scene they get to meet Lincoln's son Tad and it turns out he was a bit of a rascal in real life and plays that role in this story. Readers that like a bit of history in their fantasy books will enjoy this book.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Gutman, Dan

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,mystery,historical fiction

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062374417

Price: 16.99

Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Julius is a zebra that gets, along with some other animals, captured by Romans and taken to their Colosseum to be trained to be gladiator. The thing is most of the animals think they are going to see a circus. Boy are they surprised when they end up fighting humans in the arena! This humorous is pretty silly. There is lots of slap stick comedy in here with some hilarious drawing to go with it. The reader does have to get past the idea that a zebra could hold a sword with its hoof, but then again, a talking, 2 legged walking zebra is just as much of a stretch. The cool thing about this book is that tucked in all that silliness are actual nuggets of Roman history and a glossary to explain some of the terms used is included at the end (and it's actually pretty funny to read). Even the pages are numbered with Roman numerals and that gets explained too. Readers that like humor with a large dose of far-fetched fantasy and action will like this one.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Northfield, Gary

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,historical fiction

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 978076367853

Price: 15.99

The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is third book in the Princess in Black series. In this volume Princess Magnolia has to ward off a group of bunnies that are wreaking havoc on the kingdom. And these bunnies aren't your sweet gentle ones, they are terrible eating machines that only Princess Magnolia's alter ego, the Princess in Black can stop. The drawings are terrific as always, funny but cute at the same time. Young readers will love this and enjoy the princess's adventure that is silly and has action. The solution to the problem will not be what they expect which adds to the interest of this book. The overall plot of the story is not as entertaining as the first volume but it is still fun and readers of the series will definitely enjoy it.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Hale, Shannon & Dean

Illustrator: Pham, LeUyen

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763665135

Price: 14.99

The Tin Snail

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 7, 2016

Review

The Tin Snail takes place in France at the start of WWII. Angelo and his dad are trying to build a car that will be save their business. They come up with a design that they think will do it but have to build it in secret or the Germans will steal their design. And when the Germans invade France, that is going to be almost impossible. This book is based on an actual car that the French built and hid from the Germans during WWII. The main character,Angelo, does things that will have you laughing, especially when it comes to his test driving episodes. You will find yourself rooting for the French underdog as it takes on super power Germany and its car designer, Dr. Porsche. The simple black and white drawings do a great job of capturing what happens with just the right amount of humor. This book will be a hit with readers that like historical fiction, cars, humor, a happy ending or a combination of any of the above.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

McAllister, Cameron

Illustrator: Usher, Sam

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780553536386

Price: 16.99

My Seventh Grade Life in Tights

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Dillon is a 7th grader in a dance group with some friends. He feels like he is the worst of them all and would really like to get help with his moves. But the girl in charge of his dance group (the one he has a crush on) thinks studios and dance lessons will cramp his dance style and the rest of the group agrees with her. Dillon is torn about that, but when the chance comes to win free dance lessons in the studio, he goes for it even though his dance group might think he is traitor. This book is definitely about dancing but even more so about being honest with your friends. Dillon dilemma seems very real- do you do what your friends want or do what you want? However, the quarterback's issue that runs in the background of the story, didn't really add much. It felt like it was thrown in just to balance out the expectations of what people expect from a male dancer and from a male football player. Still this is a fun read that many middle schoolers will enjoy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Benjamin, Brooks

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553512502

Price: 16.99

Hour of the Bees

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

Carol is the main character in this story and her family is going to spend the summer helping her grandpa Serge move from his ranch into a retirement home. Almost as soon as they get there, grandpa Serge begins to tell Carol stories about a magical black tree that used to be on the ranch and how the bees that only she can see are a sign that the tree might return. This story starts out slowly. The family and its issues just seem ordinary and don't really pull you in. But once Carol’s (Caro-leen-a as her grandpa calls her) grandpa starts telling stories about the magical tree, it is almost impossible to put down. The way the stories in the book weave back and both between life on the ranch and life with the magical tree makes it hard to tell what is real and what is imaginary. And the relationship that develops between Carol and her grandpa is both heartwarming and heart breaking. A terrific book, a definite contender for cream of the crop.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Eagar, Lindsay

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763679224

Price: 16.99

The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 10, 2016

Review

Charlie has lost a mom to cancer. When a portal to another world opens his little sister Imogen and he go thru it to find their mother there. It is wonderful at first, but then Charlie senses something is wrong and has to figure out how to stop Imogen, his friends and himself from being trapped there forever. Even though this is a fantasy, it does a very good job of looking at how children feel about losing someone they love. Charlie's reaction to the grief counseling at school is so honest, that kind of therapy just doesn't work all the time for everyone. And yet, bits and pieces of it sink in when he really needs it. And the way he deals with the importance of keeping memories, both good and bad, is something everyone should think about.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Maschari, Jennifer

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062380104

Price: 16.99

The Girl from Everywhere

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Nixie is a time traveler. She has traveled everywhere both real and mythical by using maps that the ship she is on can travel to. Her dad, the captain of the ship, is in search of the perfect map that will take them back in time to a place where Nix's mother was alive. Her dad hopes to save her mom from dying and will do anything to get there, even if it means putting his ship and everyone on it at risk, and that includes Nixie. The use of maps to travel to all kinds of places was really interesting. The adventures they have when they get to their destinations were always full of interesting excursions and the connections to things that happened in the past or are part of myths and stories was very clever. Unfortunately, sometimes the details of the travel weren't fleshed out enough which would have added a lot to understanding what exactly was going on. The other piece that got in the way of an otherwise very good fantasy was the love triangle. Nixie and one of her crew Kashmir, are definitely drawn to each other, but when another young man, Blake, from the island they are visiting falls for her, it feels totally unnecessary to the story. She and Blake spend so little time together that the sudden romance between the two seems a bit unrealistic. Still this is an interesting time travel piece and if you are a map aficionado you will like this one.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Heilig, Heidi

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062380753

Price: 17.99

Robots

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This Level 2 Reader is all about robots. There is a table of contents at the beginning to give a glimpse into the different types of robots discussed as well as a glossary of terms at the back of the book explaining a variety of words used. But what really makes this book a great choice for libraries and schools is the book’s format. Each section of the book has large text and plenty of colorful photos to really give the reader an idea of what the robots being talked about look like. Another great feature is the “new word” bubble. These bubbles give the pronunciation of a word and the definition so young readers can learn this as soon as they see the word and not have to wait or take the time to look it up elsewhere. The only thing that would have improved the book would have been a paragraph mentioning the need to use robots ethically and to keep that in mind when developing them.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Tuchman, Gail

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545891387

Price: 3.99

Snail & Worm

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This early chapter book has 3 short stories about and earthworm and a snail. The 2 are friends and the problems they face are ones that children might face as well, but when it happens to a snail and earthworm the results are pretty funny. A great feature of this book is that the conversations between the 2 friends are in different colors making it easy to tell which of the characters is talking. The plot is east to follow but always ends on a silly note and might even surprise the reader a bit, not always easy to do with a short early chapter book. This would be a great addition to an early chapter collection.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Krugler, Tina

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780544494121

Price: 16.99

Drew the Screw

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is a fun early reader. The illustrations are big, colorful and engaging. The almost all of the text is simple and easy to follow, just right for a new reader. There is one word, measures, that seems a bit out of place compared to the simplicity of the other words in the story. Fortunately the sentence it is used in gives a hint as to what the word is so a new reader could probably figure it out. On the whole this is a great early reader.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Cerato, Mattia

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823435401

Price: 14.95

Flawed

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

This is about a society that punishes people by actually branding them with a hot iron if they are flawed. Flawed I doesn't mean stealing or killing someone, it's when you do something "society" (which is really the powerful Guild/ court) doesn't believe in- like taking your sick child to a better hospital, telling a lie about something, questioning laws or just helping someone that is Flawed.

This is not a fast paced book. It takes it time getting the point across about what being flawed means, but that is perfect because it gives you a chance to think about it yourself. Celestine, the main character was decent, but not super believable. It was great how she stood up for what she believed in, not because she planned to do something to help the Flawed or wanted anything out of that, but because it was the right thing to do. But I had a hard time with her obsession with the guy in the cell next to her- she hardly knew him but she still wanted him to approve of her and seemed more to care more about what he thought than what her own family thought. Still, this is a very interesting dystopian novel that will keep you reading until the end.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Ahern, Cecelia

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250074119

Price: 18.99

Up to This Pointe

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2016

Review

This book is about a teenager named Harper that has planned on being a ballerina since she was really little. But when something happens to change that, she decides to go to Antarctica and study for a semester. This is a totally random move because Harper's not really into science and knows nothing about what she'll be doing there. Harper is a totally believable character. She gets her heart broken and is just so lost that all she can think about is leaving everything behind which is what many people in a similar situation would do. I don't know too much about being a ballerina but this story seemed to capture what trying to be one might be like. My favorite parts of the story though, are when Harper is in Antarctica. The description of the station and the way life works there was fascinating. It's harshness and beauty where almost a of mirror of the ballet world she left behind.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Longo, Jennifer

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553537673

Price: 17.99

Paper Wishes

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2016

Review

Manami is a young Japanese girl living in the United States in the 1940s. When war breaks out with Japan, she and her family are forced to relocate to one of the internment camps set up by the government for Japanese citizens. In doing this, families were forced to leave and often lose their homes as well as leave loved pets behind. Manami has to leave her dog behind and is devastated. She is desperate to find a way to have him join her at the camp so she releases letters into the wind hoping he will see them and know to come find her. This is a sad but honest portrayal of how Japanese Americans were betrayed by their own government during WWII. The sadness and problems the internment camps caused is simply laid out and lets the reader visualize and imagine just how horrible it was. It also is a great look at how punishing a whole group of people for something others of the same race or religion has done is so unjust, a very timely topic for the times.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Sepahban, Lois

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374302160

Price: 16.99

Moo Bird

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Moo bird is a story about a baby bird that moos and can't find anyone else that does. This is a fun graphic novel style early reader. It has a nice story line that is funny and cute illustrations to go with it. The one part that might be tough for new readers is the format. Instead of reading from top to bottom, a few of the drawings have you read along the top of the page and then jump across to the top of the page on the other page in order to finish reading the entire text box. With the simple text and drawings, it is hard to tell that this is the direction the author wants the reader to follow.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Milgrim, David

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780545825023

Price: 3.99

Demon Dentist

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

This is about a boy, Alfie, that's terrified of the dentist so never wants to go. Unfortunately, his teeth are rotting so something has to be done about it. The new dentist in town is totally game for taking care of them. But, she is not the dentist she seems as Alfie is about to find out. This book is full of great illustrations that capture the evilness of the dentist but still manage to get across a bit of humor. The story itself is full of crazy scenes and unbelievable stuff but it just makes the scary parts silly so they aren't quite so scary. This would be a good choice for reader that like illustrated books with a bit of slapstick comedy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Walliams, David

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,horror

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062417046

Price: 16.99

Friday Barnes: Girl Detective

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2016

Review

Friday Barnes loves to solve a good mystery, and she is good at it. When she solves one dealing with a dishonest banker, she earns a rewards and uses it to send herself to the best school in the country. Once there, she begins to solve all kinds of mysteries including the one dealing with the monster in the swamp. This is fun detective book with some great lines in it. Friday is clever and confident. She is not a particularly likeable person to those around her but she doesn't care. She finds clues no matter how small and uses them along with her powers of observations to solve all the crimes and mysteries she comes across. Most of the other characters are not as bright as she is and the adults are either slow, criminals or spacey. Ruby Redfort readers will like this one.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Spratt, R. A.

Illustrator: Gosier, Phil

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,mystery

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781626722972

Price: 13.99

Owl Diaries: A Woodland Wedding

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

Eva the owl and her friends help their teacher get ready for her wedding day. This is the 3rd book in the Owl Diaries series. The first chapter did a great job of introducing the main character of the story, Eva (the one writing the entries in the diary), so even though I had not read the others in the series I knew what was going on. The print is clear and easy to read which is great for a new reader. The speech bubbles are in different colors so if you aren’t sure which bubble belongs to who, that really helps. The story line was ok, seemed very typical and a bit stereotypical. Still, young girls that like reading about weddings and dressing up for them will enjoy this book.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Elliott, Rebecca

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,romance

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545825580

Price: 15.99

The Parent Agency: Pick Your Perfect Mom and Dad

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 10, 2016

Review

Barry thinks his parents are lame. He wishes that he had a different set of parents that would treat him the way he would like and give him the things he thinks he wants. But when his wish comes true, he begins to think that maybe his parents might not be so bad after all. Barry's reaction to his parents is something that has probably crossed lots of children's minds- what if I had different parents that gave me everything I wanted? Barry gets the chance to find out in this story. However, some of the situations and references Barry comes across will be lost on the intended audience. Still, there is quite a bit of humor in here that young readers will enjoy.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Baddiel, David

Illustrator: Field, Jim

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062405449

Price: 16.99

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

Perry is in prison- not because he committed a crime but because his mom did. He lives there as a foster child while his mom serves her time. He is happy there and so is his mom. But when a new district attorney comes to town, he doesn't like the set up at all and is going to do everything he can to change it and make Perry's life better, even if Perry disagrees. This is a really different story. The life Perry leads in the prison and the friends he makes in the prison are wonderful. Sometimes I did feel that, even though I loved the idea of the story, the prisoners and the way they were all so friendly and got along and liked Perry, seemed pretty unreal. Plus, Perry was just so understanding of the annoying district attorney that it got kind of frustrating. Still, the story is interesting and thought provoking- what if children could live with their parents in minimum security prisons?

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Connor, Leslie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062333469

Price: 16.99

The Deadly 7

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

Nelson's sister gets kidnapped. By accident, Nelson unleashes the 7 deadly sins that live within him as monsters. His monsters convince Nelson that he can rescue his sister with their help, and so the adventures begins. There are fun drawings throughout that add to the humor. The monsters, even though they seem scary at first are silly and have some great jokes. The kidnapping is serious and there are some suspenseful moments but there is plenty of humor to lighten up the story. This is a really fun read, with a bit of suspense and some action packed fight scenes that are sure to keep readers wanting to read until the end (and laughing while they do).

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Jennings, Garth

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250052759

Price: 13.99

The Big Dark

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2016

Review

A massive solar flare coincides with a loss of electricity in the town of Harmony, New Hampshire and the surrounding areas. People in the town start to become frightened and begin to wonder how they will survive which is the type of mentality the Bragg family is hoping for. The Bragg's believe the U.S. government is corrupt and that the outage is the government's doing. The Braggs try are going to take control of everyone and everything, even if that means using brute force with deadly weapons. This book is part sci-fi and part survival. The main character Charlie is very realistic. The thoughts he has are honest and readers will understand why he does what he does, even if it isn't always the smartest thing to do. The way Webster Bragg, the antagonist in this story, acts and thinks is not unreal but it was too extreme for this story, it just didn’t fit. Still, this book has some great survival scenes and fast-paced action that will appeal to readers.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Philbrick, Rodman

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545789752

Price: 17.99

Where You'll Find Me

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

Anna has a lot on her plate- her dad has married a 20-year old and has a new baby, her mom tried to kill herself and her best friend leaves her in the dust for the popular crowd. And talking about it all is just too painful. But Anna finally makes friends with a few classmates that are kind of outcasts in school and the 3 find ways to make their lives better in more ways than one. This is a story about so many things and it does a great job with them all. The humor in here makes the painful things and sad times easier to deal with and not so overwhelming. Author Natasha Friend does a terrific job of letting the reader really feel what Anna does- her frustration and embarrassment with her mom, dad, old friends and even school counselors, and her need to share these feelings with someone she knows cars about her.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Friend, Natasha

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374302306

Price: 16.99

Just My Luck

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 10, 2016

Review

Benny is a 4th grader and has lots of things to worry about. His dad is not himself (and Benny blames himself for that), his brother George has autism and does things Benny wishes he wouldn't, and Benny doesn't really have a best friend at school. It seems like he just can't do things right, or at least that what he thinks. But what Benny doesn't realize is that he does so many thoughtful, simple things that it is really easy to overlook them. This story is about dealing with a parent that has a brain injury, being understanding of a sibling with a disability, and discovering that the simple things you do in everyday life can be more thoughtful and just as important as the big things that get noticed. Readers that like books about dealing with realistic family problems in a thoughtful and loving way will enjoy this book.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

McGovern, Cammie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062330659

Price: 16.99

Can You See What I See? Big Book of Search-And-Find Fun

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 10, 2016

Review

This book is a collection of search and finds from the 9 past Can You See What I See? books by Walter Wick. Wick went through his past books and picked ones he wanted to feature in this book. So, as you might guess, they are all pretty terrific. Each page layout has a photograph on one side filled with all kinds of images and then a list of things to find on another page. The only drawback to this edition is it is in paperback and with all the use it will be getting a hardback would last longer.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Wick, Walter

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 978054583863

Price: 12.99

A Monster Calls

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

A Monster Calls was written in 2011 and published by a British Publisher, Walker Books. This US edition is being put out by Candlewick Press and has a different cover. The original was illustrated by award winning illustrator Jim Kay and the lack of his art work is a shame. The story is still powerful though and should not be missed. It is about a young boy dealing with a mom that is dying of cancer. A monster visits him and tells him things, which are terrifying but true. Ness wrote this book using an idea form another author, Siobhan Dowd that died from cancer before she could write the story herself. This is a heart wrenching book that is not to be missed, but the original version is a better choice than this new one.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Ness, Patrick

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 978076369215

Price: 9.99

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

Emerson Elementary is going to close so this will be the last 5th grade to graduate from it. Fifth grade teacher Ms. Hill asks all 18 of her students to write about it throughout the year in notebooks. The catch is, the have to write their thoughts in poetic form. What is so wonderful about this book is the variety of experiences you get to be part of by having 18 students write down their thoughts and feeling throughout the year. Some worry about leaving the school, others are excited, and some are thinking about other things all together. It really does a great job of giving the reader a glimpse into what being a 5th grader is like.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Shovan, Laura

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553521375

Price: 15.99

My Miserable Life

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

Ben is in 5th grade and hi thinks his life is miserable, in fact, he says that all the time. His dog is crazy, his sister that has changed and his mom is super protective. Ben just wants to be a normal 5th grader, but that might not ever happen. There are some funny parts in here, but somehow Ben always saying his life was miserable seemed out of place for a 5th grader, it seemed more like a middle school or high schooler phrase. Ben does have some funny, frustrating and embarrassing things happen to him in 5th grade which some students will be able to relate to. And, the drawings do a great job of capturing what’s going on in Ben's life.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Block, F. L.

Illustrator: Hemingway, Edward

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780805096286

Price: 13.99

Lucy

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

Lucy is a sweet little stray white dog. She lives in an alley but discovers a house where a little girl, Eleanor, sneaks her sausages every morning. Eleanor wants Lucy to be more than just a stray she gives a sausage to every morning, but she isn't sure how to make that happen, especially since her dad needs her help too. This is an incredibly sweet book. It is 144 pages long with sparse text but plenty of endearing black and white drawings that capture Lucy and Eleanor perfectly. The story is simply told but it's message is wonderful. This would be a great family read a-loud.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Cecil, Randy

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763668082

Price: 19.99

Hippopotamister

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

This graphic novel is about 2 really good friends at a zoo- a hippo and a red panda. The zoo they live in is really run down and no one comes to see them anymore so the 2 friends leave to get jobs somewhere else. Red Panda is sure he can help them get the best job ever. But it turns out it's not as easy as they thought, especially when Red Panda is doing things that get the 2 of them fired. Hippopotamus decides to just go back to the zoo where he is still unhappy until he comes up with a plan that might fix everything, literally and figuratively. The drawings in here are super. They are full of color and the animals' expressions totally capture what's going on in the story. You will laugh at how Red Panda has no idea that the things he does on different jobs might not be so awesome and might be the reason that they keep getting fired. Hippopotamus is the best friend ever for never pointing that part out. Readers will love that they might have a good idea of just how Hippopotamus can save the zoo. This is a cute graphic novel, a good read aloud as well, that younger children will definitely enjoy.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Green, John Patrick

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781626722002

Price: 17.99

Super Hero High School

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2016

Review

This is a year book for the students at Super Hero High School. Lots of the heroes are girls and there might be new ones you haven't heard of, like Bumblebee, Big Barda and Ravager. Each superhero student, boy or girl, gets a full page spread (some get 2) with drawings of them as well as a list describing them that includes the place they come from, the superpower they are known for, their favorite food and their fashion sense. The year book has features throughout that you might find in a typical year book like a club section, superlatives page and faculty page. Plus it includes lots of other pages that are unique to Super Hero High. While it is great to have more women superheroes, the focus in this book seemed to be more on their sense of fashion. There are several references to being queen like and beautiful which is not a bad thing, but it's too bad that that seemed to be the predominate message throughout the yearbook, but, then again, it is a yearbook so those thoughts might be just right. This book should appeal to a lot of elementary school readers looking for books on female superheroes.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Fontana, Shea

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781524701062

Price: 9.99

The Tudors: Kings, Queens, Scribes and Ferrets!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

This book gives an overview of the Tudor family and the kings and queens that were part of it. The book itself is part graphic novel and part picture book which makes it very accessible for younger readers to follow. Marcia Williams' illustrations are terrific. She really gets across quite a bit of history in a short amount of time and even finds ways to make it occasionally humorous. The book has 3 parts to every page; the main story in the center of the page, a sidebar that has ferret drawings and descriptions of what is going on, and a bottom strip that discusses what was going on with the common folk. At times the common folk section was a bit dark and really a better fit for an older audience than the rest of the text. Still, the book gives a solid and entertaining look at the lives of the Tudor kings and queens.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Williams, Marcia

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763681227

Price: 17.99

Shuffle, Repeat

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2016

Review

June and Oliver, the 2 main characters in the story, are both in their senior year of high school and couldn't be more different. Oliver is really involved in school activities and thinks high school matters, while June doesn't participate in anything and just thinks it's something to get thru. The two of them have to carpool to school together and argue about this, and the music they will listen to, all the time. This is a sweet romance, with a predicable ending, which isn't a bad thing. But the way June treats Oliver after the one party they go to together, seems kind of random and is a bit confusing. Her "nothing matters" motto just isn't enough to explain her reaction. Still, if you like a light, sweet romances geared for readers in 8th grader or higher (there is swearing and references to sex), this would be a good choice.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Klein, Jen

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553509823

Price: 17.99

Phoenix

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

This book starts out with a 12 year old boy named Lucky burning a hole in his sheets but his body is unharmed. He is super freaked out but that's nothing compared to his mom's reactions- she tells him they have to leave the planet they are living on, Phoenix, immediately. No explanation, just they have to go now. The two grab a few supplies and leave but they are being chased and escaping might not be possible. Lucky is an interesting character with a power that is very mysterious. He has no idea of what is going on, and no one seems to know the answer. He does get a few clues, but there is still a lot of mystery as to what is going on with him until the last part of the book but readers might be able to guess as the story progresses. Several dark foreboding drawings are spread throughout the novel. A very good sci-fi novel with lots of action.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Said, S.F.

Illustrator: McKean, Dave

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763688509

Price: 19.99

Phoenix

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 5, 2016

Review

This story is about a human boy named Lucky that is dreaming one night he is flying through the stars and it is so warm, only to wake up and notice he has burned a hole in his sheet and he has no idea how it happened. But when his mom sees it, she doesn't tell him why, only that the two of them have to leave the planet they are on, Phoenix, right away. And the only way to do that is to find a space ship piloted by the Axxa aliens that will take them on as passengers, which will be tricky as humans and the Axxa do not get along. This is an action packed book that has fighting, space travel, and stars that seem to be alive. The Axxa Lucky meets aren't nice to him right off which was totally real, but they help him because it's the right thing to do. As he gets to know them better, he begins to wonder if they are really the evil beings he thought they were. Parts of the book are actually funny, but the war between the Axxa and humans means there is death and sadness as well. There are cool mysterious black and white drawings throughout the book that capture the feeling of what is going on with the stars, a key element to the whole story. Sci-fi and fantasy readers won't want to miss this one.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Said, S.F.

Illustrator: McKean, Dave

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763688509

Price: 19.99

Walk This World at Christmas

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

This book is styled after a Christmas Advent calendar. Each 2 page spread focuses on 2-4 countries and the way they celebrate Christmas. On the pages are several doors that when opened reveal the way the country celebrates Christmas. The drawings themselves really capture the feeling of the countries being described. Unfortunately, the sayings behind each door are not always labeled as to which country they are referring to and some of the sayings themselves really are generic, like, "In early December, Christmas shopping begins! Buy your outfit for Christmas day." or "A surfboard for Christmas-time to hit the waves!". Also, random doors are giving numbers 1-25 which are supposed to represent the 25 days of an advent calendar. There are many more than 25 doors so this is a bit confusing and readers will wonder why the different doors were chosen but not others. A great idea for a book, but it has too many flaws to make it work.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Powell, Debbie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763689216

Price: 17.99

Ryan Quinn and the Rebel's Escape

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 12, 2016

Review

Ryan's parents have always traveled and he has been part of their adventures. Now they have finally settled in New York, and he's glad. The out of the blue, his dad disappears and his mom gets kidnapped, he isn't so sure it was a good idea. But what is even more terrifying is the secret he finds out about his parents- they have are part of a secret organization that rescues people. And now he need to find out what he can do to rescue them. This is a terrific thriller/action adventure. Ryan has all kinds of skills that he didn't know about, he just thought his parents were teaching him cool stuff, but as an undercover rescue agent, it comes in very handy. Readers will love the way Ryan gets out of situations and the way the plot races along.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

McGee, Ron

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062421647

Price: 16.99

Sticks & Stones

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 13, 2016

Review

6th grader Elyse has a rare disease called CAV. As a result, every word that others say about her or ones she thinks about herself appear on her skin. In spite of this, Elyse decides to try to be the class Explorer Leader. This student gets to be in charge of the end of the year 6th grade trip. But getting chosen isn't easy, and lots of students want the spot. This story has a bit of magic in it, but the idea of words hurting more than people realize, is something that doesn't take magic to relate to. Elyse has to figure out a way to deal with bullies and the mean words they use but still feel good about herself which, with the help of an anonymous friend, she is able to do. I did think the ending seemed a bit unreal and doubt that a school would let students be put in that kind of danger, still, this is a good story about being bullied and standing up for who you want to be.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Cooper, Abby

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Farrar Straus GGiroux

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374302870

Price: 16.99

Top Prospect

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 13, 2016

Review

Football is everything to 8th grader Travis. His older brother has just got a scholarship to Gainesville University and Travis wants to join him there someday. He gets that chance when he is promised a scholarship as a QB to the same university in 5 years. Travis is determined to keep that scholarship and works like crazy to be the best. But his recognition starts to change the person that he is and his ego and choices aren’t always the best. This sports novel is filled with lots of football action. It also deals with the doping that goes on even at the high school level and the deadly impact it can have on young athletes. It might seem unreal that an 8th grader would be offered such a scholarship but the afterward gives examples of several cases very similar to Travis'.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Volponi, Paul

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781467794336

Price: 17.99

Song of the Poison Dragon

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

The new Dragon Master is coming to the castle to bond with her 4-headed dragon. But she is afraid and might not be able to handle the dragon which will put the king in danger. This is book 5 in the series Dragon Masters. There is just enough danger to be exciting but not to be scary. It is terrific early chapter book for new readers and I didn't have any problem starting with this book. There are several black and white drawing throughout the book and the text is a bit larger to make reading easier. Readers will want to read about all the other dragons and their masters after they read this one. Great series for readers interested in dragons and fantasy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

West, Tracey

Illustrator: Jones, Damien

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545913874

Price: 4.99

Save Me a Seat

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 2, 2017

Review

At first, Ravee's attitude towards Joe is just like the bully in the class, he makes fun of Joe and doesn't want anything to do with him. This reaction seemed very real especially since Ravee was used to being the top dog at his old school and making fun of classmates not as smart as he was. It's also easy to empathize with Joe and how he gets super embarrassed by his mom. I did think that the time frame for Ravee and Joe's friendship to start was to quick for everything that happened (it takes place in a week), still, a good book about judging people before getting to know them.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Weeks, Sara

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545846608

Price: 16.99

The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 2, 2017

Review

Jacob Tibbs is a ships cat, and he is telling the story. He was born on a ship in the mid 1800s and is in charge of ridding the ship of rats but also helping predict bad weather. When Jacob sets out on his first ship voyage, all kinds of things happen. There are storms, a mutiny, and even a few deaths among the crew. But no matter what, it's his job to get the captain and crew to believe that he, Jacob Tibbs, will be the best ship cat ever At first I wasn't sure about this story- it's a cat telling a story about sailing adventures. But it works. And, it's pretty easy to get caught up in the survival of the captain and crew on the ship. What makes the tale even better is that there were actually ships cats back in the mid 1800s. Nice historical fiction novel with an animal twist.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Busby, Cylin

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553511239

Price: 16.99

Cloud and Wallfish

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 7, 2017

Review

Cloud and Wallfish are 2 of the characters in this book. They meet in East Berlin in the late 1980s right before "The Wall" comes down. Wallfish or Jonah is an eleven-year-old American in East Berlin with his parents for 6 months. Cloud or Claudia is about the same age and is trapped in East Berlin with her grandmother because her parents have both died. The two become friends, even though it is forbidden, and their friendship draws them both into the dangers behind the Iron Curtain. This historical fiction novel gives a glimpse into what it was like behind the Iron Curtain. The spying, bugging and intolerance for Western ways is woven throughout the story. Jonah's ability to piece together exactly what is going on is interesting. Unfortunately, the pace of the book is a bit slow and may loser readers' attention. Historical fiction fans will like the chapters that give actual information about what was going in East Germany, although these parts might be a bit technical at times for some younger readers.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Nesbet, Anne

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763688035

Price: 16.99

Falling Over Sideways

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 8, 2017

Review

This story is about an 8th grader named Claire. She's definitely not in the popular crowd and gets teased by a guy named Ryder (the weird thing is that he used to be one of her best friends). Claire really likes to dance but instead of moving up to the older/top dance group like her two friends do, she gets left behind with the younger less accomplished dancers. But the worst thing of all is when her dad just collapses at the breakfast table one morning and Claire has to call 911. Now he is not the same and might not ever be, or, she might just loose him forever. Some of the stuff Claire says and does, her dad too, is really funny even though what happens to her dad is pretty scary and sad. Claire deals with the situations she finds herself in, in a realistic way and many young people will find them totally relatable. Her friends are quite funny and the way they support her is not always the way you'd expect- even Claire doesn't get it sometimes. The humor in this story is spot on and helps everyone deal with difficult situations that could arise in anyone's life.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Sonnenblick, Jordan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545863247

Price: 17.99

Snow White A Graphic Novel

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 8, 2017

Review

This is a retelling of the fairy tale Snow White. The story takes place in the 1920s and continues through the Great Depression. Most of the black and white drawings are a bit on the creepy side and fit the tone of the story. The twist in the story is wonderful and the use of homeless boys instead of elves is effective. But, sometimes it was hard to follow the story line because of the darkness (literally) of the drawings. Also, the scene where the heart is cut out of the huntsman and disposed of was a bit brutal as was the evil stepmother's electrifying death. An interesting take on the classic Snow White tale that will be better suited to an older crowd.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Phelan, Matt

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763672331

Price: 19.99

Under Water, Under Earth

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 7, 2017

Review

This book has some incredible facts about thing that you would find under water and under the Earth. Half of the book deals with the water, then when the book is flipped around, you get the under-Earth information. This definitely adds to the interest of the book. But what really makes the book is that it covers so many topics and uses speech bubble and drawings that are almost cartoonish. This graphic novel style approach makes this book very accessible to a variety of readers. On top of that the information isn't just about things in the US, it covers a variety of things from all over, I mean all under, the world. The only thing that took just a bit away from the book were some of the labels that weren't as clear as they could have been. Still this is a super interesting book that would be great in a classroom or in the hands of any an individual.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Mizielinska, Aleksandra

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763689223

Price: 35

It Ain't So Awful Falafel

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

This story is about a young girl named Cindy (actually that's not her real name, her real name is Zomorod but she changes it so she has an American name). It takes place in the 1970s in the US right as the Iran hostage crisis was taking place. Cindy is an Iran teen living in the US at that time. But when the hostages get taken, her whole family comes under attack. The prejudices they have to deal with seem kind of extreme and even crazy, but they are very real. This is a great look at what happens when one group of people is singled out and blamed for what is going on in the world and in the US. The story itself is definitely sad at times but Dumas injects quite a bit of humor making it not as heavy of a read as one might think. The story also did a terrific job of explaining what happened in the Iran hostage crisis, something most young people might not be familiar with. This is definitely a book you do not want to judge by it’s cover. It might look like it’s for the younger crowd, but it will resonate best with older (12 and up) readers.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Dumas, Firoozeh

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780544612310

Price: 16.99

Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community School, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

Blood Brothers is a biography of a civil rights activist named Jonathan Daniels. Daniels was a seminary student that became involved in the Civil Rights movement in Alabama in the 1960s. He worked in an area of the country that wasn't ready to allow black people to vote, even though it was the law. And because he was a white man helping to get this changed, people resented and hated him. This story is filled with photos and descriptions of what happened right up to the moment Daniels was murdered. It also looks at his trial and why the man that murdered him did not end up behind bars. Interesting read on this time period in US history.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Wallace, Rich & Sandra Neil

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Highlights Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781629790947

Price: 18.95

Boy X

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 5, 2017

Review

This story is about a 12-year-old boy, Ash that wakes up on an island with an IV drip in his arm and at first has no idea why or how he got there. He quickly figures out that both he and his mom (she's a scientist) have been kidnapped. Both are trapped on an island where people have just stolen a deadly virus from the island's lab and Ash is one of the only people that can stop them from escaping with it.

This is a total page turner. Ash and Isabel, another teen Ash meets on the island, have to use homemade bombs and their smarts to try to figure out a way to stop the bad guys. What makes this book even suspenseful is that it is hard to know which people are bad and which are good- they all seem bad but claim to be good. Fast action packed thriller that will keep you up late finishing.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Smith, Dan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781338065640

Price: 16.99

The Murderer's Ape

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Feeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2017

Review

Sally Jones is an ape. She might not be able to talk, but she understands what people say and can communicate in her own way. Which is a good thing because when her good friend and captain of the ship they sail on is accused of murder, she is the only one that can prove he is innocent. This story is told from Sally's point of view. She has many adventures trying to set her friend free. The way Sally is portrayed is very believable, some of her adventures seem a bit far-fetched, but overall an interesting adventure.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Wegelius, Jakob

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781101931752

Price: 17.99

Lesser Spottted Animals

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

This book gives a 2-page spread to a number of animals that aren't very well known. For each animal, there are cool fact and fun illustrations. The drawings are accurate but there is a bit of humor in them as well. A really nice feature is the text box at the bottom of every page that gives the size of the animal, where it lives, what it eats, an interesting fact or 2 about it and if it is endangered or not. A nice and humorous resource for those animals you might not have heard of.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Brown, Martin

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781338089349

Price: 18.99

Real Friends

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2017

Review

Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends forever but then things start changing and cliques start forming. Shannon is left out and lost without her best friend. Also, things at home aren't going well, she and her sister fight and Shannon doesn't know how to make that stop and go back to them being friends. The main theme in this books seems to be Shannon trying to find her way with her family and friends. Readers will be able to relate to situations that Shannon gets in. The story did seem to jump around a bit at times and there were a few religious references to Jesus that seemed to not fit in with the rest of the story. Still most readers will really enjoy Shannon's experiences and find them very real.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Hale, Shannon

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: First Seconrd

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781626727854

Price: 12.99

Star Scouts

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Librar, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

This graphic novel is about a young girl named Avani and she is in a scout troop that she just doesn't fit in with. The things the scouts do are things that she isn't interested in. But then she accidently gets picked up by an alien scout that was trying to pick up a newt. And the alien that picks her up? She is a scout too. Luckily for Avani the things they do in her scout troop are nothing like Avani has ever seen, and boy, does she like it!

This graphic novel has terrific illustrations in it, they totally capture the humor and the action in the story. Avani is by no means a perfect character which adds quite a bit to the story and makes her character believable. She isn't always nice, and readers will find they keep hoping she will be. But the best part of the book is the humor, some of the nick names for the aliens that breath methane gas instead of oxygen are just awesome. Really fun with lots of action and terrific illustrations, highly recommended. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Lawrence, Mike

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781626722804

Price: 14.99

Spill Zone

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2017

Review

This graphic novel is about an area called the Spill Zone in New York. No one knows exactly what happened there but now it's got these weird creatures in it, dead floating people and cars that are no longer 3 dimensional, they are 2 dimensional (basically flat like a piece of paper). Nobody is allowed in there because it's so dangerous, but Addison goes in there to takes pictures so she can sell them and make money to take care of her little sister.

This story is really creepy and the drawings add to it. Addison's little sister Lexa's rag doll is probably the creepiest thing in the story. It talks to Lexa and is somehow connected to the spill, which is probably not a good thing. Great graphic novel for the older crowd.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Puvilland, Alex

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: First Second

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781596439368

Price: 22.99

Dogs at War: Military Canine Heroes

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2017

Review

This book tells about MWDs which stands for Military Working Dogs. These dogs have been trained to help soldiers deal with all kinds of things. They can help sniff out bombs, weapons, and even people that are enemies. And this isn’t something new, dogs have been used in times of war for a long time which is talked about in here. One of the best parts of the book are the actual stories handlers, those are the people that get to have an MWD, tell. The things that dogs have done to protect people is just amazing. Another great feature in the book is the information provided in case you want to help with MWDs when they are sent into a dangerous situation like a war, or, maybe even adopt one. This books does a solid good job of looking at the whole process of how a dog becomes a MWD and what happens to them when their time of service is up.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Goldsmith, Connie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Lerner Publishing

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781512410129

Price: 35.99

5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 5, 2017

Review

This story is about a place that is made up of 5 worlds. Each of these worlds has a beacon that needs to be lit or all of the worlds will die. Unfortunately getting them lit is tough especially with the Toki people trying to stop anyone from attempting it. But Oona Lee and her 2 friends, An Tzu and Jax Amboy are willing to risk everything, even their lives, to get the beacons lit. The drawings in here are beautiful. They are colorful and full of interesting people and cool details. The story is definitely interesting but I wish there had been more of it to help explain things a bit better. Still, this is a fun, action packed graphic novel that fantasy readers will definitely like.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Siegel, Mark & Alexis

Illustrator: Bouma & Rockefeller & Sun, Xanthe & Matt & Boya

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781101935866

Price: 18.99

Hero Therapy Dogs

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 6, 2017

Review

This nonfiction book, geared towards young readers, takes a look at a variety of therapy dogs. Each chapter focuses on a different type of therapy dog and then uses photos and examples to describe what the dogs do. On top of that, there is a brief history of how therapy dogs came to be. What makes this book stand out for young readers is the large text, colorful photos and clear labeling. It also offers quite a bit of information at the appropriate level without talking down to young readers. Therapy dogs are becoming more common in schools, libraries and hospitals so having such an accessible book on this topic would be an asset for any library or classroom.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Fishman, Jon M.

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781512425406

Price: 26.65

Look, A Dolphin

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 6, 2017

Review

This nonfiction early reader is all about dolphins. The text is not overwhelming and each page has a large photo of a dolphin. At the end of the book there is a nicely labeled photo of a dolphin and its features. What would have been better is if these features had been labeled on the photos of dolphins earlier in the book when they were being discussed. Also, the book asks the reader a few questions about dolphins but never offers an answer. For young readers, having an answer at the end of the book would be helpful.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Kenan, Tessa

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781512414240

Price: 25.32

Fairy Felicity's Moonlight Adventure

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 6, 2017

Review

This is a sweet story written in rhyme about a fairy following a snail. The snail leaves a sparkling silver trail for the fairy (and readers) to follow throughout the story. On the way, other creatures join the fairy as she follows the trail to her surprise. Children will love the gentle, sweet drawings and have fun following the snail’s silvery trail which zig zags all over the pages from start to finish. The silver snail trail can be followed if a child wants to interact with the book, but it is not necessary. Simply looking at the little fairy and where she heads works too. A sweet, fun book.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Murray, Alison

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Preaa

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763689452

Price: 15.99

Exploring Space, From Galileo to the Mars Rover and Beyond

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

This book looks at how humans have explored space in the past and where we are headed now. It starts with a look at Voyager 1 and 2 and their mission to help us find investigate our solar system and the space beyond it. From there, it touches on very early explorations of space, moves on to more current history and ends with where we are headed in regards to future space exploration. What sets this book apart is not just the informative yet easy to understand text, it’s the cutout drawings. Each page includes at least one drawing and many include cutout illustrations so the reader can really see and get a feel for the structures being explained. Fabulous book for space aficionados and everyone else. A definite must for any library. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Jenkins, Martin

Illustrator: Biesty, Stephen

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763689315

Price: 17.99

The Search for Olinguito

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

This the true story of how a group of scientists stumbled upon the little mammal olinguito by accident and then took over 10 years to prove that it really exits, which they did in 2013. The story is well documented with excellent photos and details. It reads like a bit of a mystery as the scientists try to track down and prove that the olinguito is indeed a new species. The book includes a "Find Out More" section for curious readers that want to know more about the olinguito as well as a "Be a Science Detective" section which would be an excellent tool for classroom teachers. The section asks great questions that will get readers thinking about not only the olinguito but the whole process that scientists go thru when they discover new things. Excellent choice for non-fiction readers, animal lovers and readers that love a good story with a satisfying ending. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Markle, Sandra

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781512410150

Price: 18.49

Traveler

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

Tessa is something called a traveler. She can move between alternate realities and then live in them. But she is dying in those realities and unless she can stop that from happening, she will cease to exist. Very interesting time travel book. The young man that she sees in many of her other realities, Finn, is a great character- mysterious, romantic and caring. His role in protecting her was a wonderful thread throughout the book. The twists in here were good and the revelation of why she is dying and who plays a part in killing her over and over again, was hard to see coming. Very good action packed time travel book. Very Good

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

DeLano, L.E.

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250100405

Price: 10.99

Way of the Warrior Kid

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

Marc is a fifth grader getting ready to go into 6th grade, that gets bullied and doesn't have a lot of friends. He is also weak and not good at any physical activity. His uncle, a Navy Seal comes to spend the summer with Marc's family and he begins to teach Marc how to work hard and stand up for himself. This is an inspiring book for young readers. It looks at what hard work can do for a person's confidence and physical fitness. Sometimes Marc's uncle was a bit over the top on forcing him to do and try things that Marc was uncomfortable with. It definitely had a military feel to it when it came to the training Marc's uncle but him through. The ending was good but Marc was a more aggressive than fit his character. Good

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Willink, Jocko

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250151070

Price: 13.99

The Football Girl

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

Tessa has been playing football with her friends forever. Now that they are going to high school that is starting to change. They want her to give it up and do something else because it isn't a sport girls play. But Tessa has other plans. There are some great moments in here between Tessa and her new friend turned boyfriend Caleb. The pressure both come under from family and friends on how they should act and what they do with Tessa's desire to play on the high school football team, seemed very real. Tessa herself is an interesting character that seems unsure of why she wants something other than she does, something lots of us will identify with. The ending is a bit disappointing though, not because of Tessa's choice but because it felt rushed and not as thoughtful as Tessa was throughout the book. Very Good

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Heldring, Thatcher

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press imprint of Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780385741835

Price: 16.99

Babymouse Tales from the Locker

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

This chapter book is about Babymouse in middle school. She wants to be popular and figures that directing a movie for the film club is her ticket. But it's a lot of work being in charge of everything and sometimes, it is easy to become bossy when you are in charge and step all over others that are part of your team. This book did a good job of letting the reader watch as Babymouse begins to control everything in the film she is working on at the expense of her friendships. Lots of great black and white drawings helped capture the mood of the this in the characters. The story itself was good, but not as good as the Babymouse graphic novels. Good

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Holm, Jennifer L.

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780399554384

Price: 13.99

11 Before 12

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

Two best friends, Arianna and Kaylan, have plans for what they are going do before their 12th birthdays which they are going to celebrate together. Unfortunately, things happen and their friendship gets strained so their party plans just might not happen after all. Arianna and Kaylan are very good friends but when misunderstandings happen, their friendship takes a deep hit. Even though they still care for each other, hurtful things, which happen in many friendships, damage their friendship. The story itself seemed very typical of middle school drama stories, nothing really makes it stand out. For readers that enjoy books about middle school drama.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Greenwald, Lisa

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062411747

Price: 16.00

Hunted

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

Hunted is about a young woman named Yeva (her nickname is Beauty) that has grown up hunting with her father, but when he goes missing in the forest chasing/hunting a magical creature, she heads off to find him. But once in the forest the magical creature begins to hunt her and she has to use all of her wit and hunting skills to outsmart it. This is an interesting take on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. There is lots of action and twists throughout the book and the Beast is more haunting. The middle does seem to slow a bit and may cause some readers to lose interest. But the ending is clever and worth reading through to the end. Fantasy readers that like fairy tales will enjoy this one. Very good

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Spooner, Meagan

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062422286

Price: 17.99

Little Red Riding Hood

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

This is retelling of the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. It starts out with Little Red riding Hood heading off to bring her grandmother a basket of goodies. On the way, she finds several items to bring to her as well. And it is a good thing that she does because she will need them to take on the Big Bad Wolf. This is a fun version of this classic. The drawings are bright and not too scary. Children will enjoy the tricks that clever Little Red Riding Hood plays on the Big Bad Wolf. A nice, at times funny, version of the fairy tale for young readers not wanting too much scare.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Bryan, Ed

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780763693312

Price: 9.99

Frogkisser!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2017

Review

Frogkisser is the nick name given to Princess Anya. She is called that because she has figured out a way to kiss and turn back into humans all of the people her evil stepfather has turned into frogs (or any other animal). But to do that she has to make a special potion that requires her to go on a quest, one that is dangerous and something she had not planned on at all. This book puts a really fun twist on the original Frog Princess fairy tale. The main character Princess Anya is believable and her royal dog sidekick is protective but funny (he can hardly control his urge to eat the frogs). Great choice for readers looking for a fantasy read with adventure and humor. Cream.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Nix, Garth

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781338052084

Price: 18.99

The Lost Kingdom of the Bamarre

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

This story is about a young girl Peregrine, that was taken away from her family when just a toddler and raised by a wealthy, powerful lord and lady. Perry, that is her nick name, was so little when it happened that she doesn't remember anything about her family or her past life. That is until a fairy visits her, and tells her that she is a Bamarre, the very people her adoptive father despises and treats as if they were worthless. Now Perry has to decide what to do with that information. This is really good fantasy. The fact that the reader knows all about Perry's past from the get-go will grab their interest and make them want to find out what will happen if and when Perry finds out. This story has a very fairy tale like feel to it. It also has a few twists and quite a bit of adventure. There definitely is fighting and death in the story so don't pick this one up if you are looking for a sweet, mild fairy tale/fantasy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Levine, Gail Carson

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062074669

Price: 16.99

Slider

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 11, 2017

Review

This story is about a young boy David that can eat a ton of stuff- and all at once. For example he can eat 20 small burgers in about 3 minutes. The thing is, David just does it for fun until he accidentally uses his mom's credit (which she doesn't know he did) to buy something that cost way more than he thought it would, and now his only hope of paying her back is to enter an eating contest and use the winnings from it to pay her back. This book is filled with humor. David's "skill" of eating loads of food all at once is crazy, but super funny, too. Readers will definitively find themselves feeling sorry for David about the credit card issue and wanting to hide it from his mom. One of the wonderful parts of this book is how David, throughout the story and with everything going on, helps out with his autistic brother Mal. The responsibility David is given to take care of him by his parents is big and lets you see what that it might be like for a sibling to be put in that position. You might not want to enter an eating contest after reading this, but you'll love reading about it. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Hautman, Pete

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Candlewick

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9870763690700

Price: 16.99

The Quest to the Uncharted Lands

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 11, 2017

Review

Stella, the main character of this story, stows away on an airship that is going to heading to an uncharted area. Stella stows away on the ship so she can be with her parents that are on board the ship. Once on the airship, Stella discovers that she is not the only one trying to stow away. A boy named Cyrus is trying to do the same thing. But there is something about him that's different, something that doesn't feel right. This book is a terrific steampunk adventure. Both of the main characters draw the reader in right away, especially Cyrus. He is very mysterious which adds quite a bit of intrigue to the story. Stella is a strong female character that is clever but with enough flaws to make her believable. This is the 3rd story by the author that takes place in Solace, but it stands alone. Great read for fantasy and steampunk/sci-fi fans.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Johnson, Jaleigh

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Book Type: Choose Book Type

Genre: adventure,fantasy,science fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781101933121

Price: 16.99

Sled Dog School

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 11, 2017

Review

This story is about a middle schooler named Matt that has an interesting math project. He has to come up with a business idea and then try it- which means he has to actually design and run a business with 3 or more clients and then show mathematically if it is successful or not. Matt is terrific with sled dogs and being a musher so he decides to start a sled dog school as his business. But getting clients and being a good teacher are things that can be tricky, especially when you are only 11.

Matt is a great character that as the story moves along begins to figure out what he need to do to be successful and then find the courage to do it. Loads of interesting details about dog sledding and what it take to become a musher. Another part of this book that goes on in the background, is Matt's weakness in math. Thanks to his desire to have a successful sled dog school, he learns that he might need to get help in that area. The message is there but not overdone.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Johnson, Terry Lynn

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780544873315

Price: 16.99

Podkin One-Ear

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 11, 2017

Review

This story is about a rabbit named Podkin that is the son of a warrior chief. He is not what you'd expect a warrior's son to be like- he never wants to practice fighting, he doesn't want to go to any classes and well, he is a pretty lazy guy. But when his warren gets attacked by these vicious rabbits called the Gorm, he begins to change. It's either that, or lose his life, his brother's and sister's life and the treasure their dad fought to save. This animal adventure has some great black and white drawings in it that give you a picture of what Podkin is up against when it comes to the Gorm. It also has humor in it, scary parts, and lots of fighting. The story is being told by a rabbit bard. This was a nice touch as it slows down the story just enough and also gives the reader a bit more information about Podkin. For fans of Erin Hunter’s Warriors series, this will be a hit.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Larwood, Kieran

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Clarion Books

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781328695826

Price: 16.99

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 11, 2017

Review

This story is about a young girl Peregrine, that is taken away from her family when just a toddler and raised by a wealthy, powerful lord and lady. Perry, that is her nick name, was so little when it happened that she doesn't remember anything about her family or her past life. That is until a fairy visits her, and tells her that she is a Bamarre, the very people her adoptive father despises and treats as if they are worthless. Now Perry has to decide what to do with that information, and whose side to fight on. This is a really good fantasy. The fact that the reader knows all about Perry's past from the get-go will make them want to find out what will happen if and when Perry finds out. This story has a very fairy tale like feel to it. It also has a few twists and quite a bit of adventure. It would be a good fit for readers that like this combination. There definitely is fighting and death so don't pick this one up if you are looking for a sweet, mild fairy tale/fantasy.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Levine, Gail Carson

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,romance

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062074669

Price: 16.99

Nyxia

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 14, 2018

Review

Emmett is one of several teens chosen to compete for a spot on a voyage to a planet called Eden. What he and the others didn't realize is that they are not all going to make it, only the best will get to continue on to Eden and that means destroying others so they can. There is quite a bit of violence throughout the story. Emmett is a passionate young man that has good morals but sometimes they falter in the situations he gets into. A bit Ender's Game, a bit Hunger games, good sci-fi action packed book.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Reintgen, Scott

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9870399556791

Price: 17.99

Writing Radar

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeprot, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 14, 2018

Review

Gantos has a great sense of humor and the stories he shares about his childhood are a hoot. For new writers, his tip of using your life around you to write stories with, will be very helpful. Gantos also covers basic story structure and gives some writing exercises in the back to help writers get started. While the book is filled with information for young aspiring writers, that might be the limit of its appeal or for teachers looking for an informal text to use in a classroom.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Gantos, Jack

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374304559

Price: 17.99

Renegades

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 14, 2018

Review

Nova is a villain, and she wants to take down the good guys, the Renegades. But to do it she will have to get close to them and figure out their weak spots, which means infiltrating their ranks by becoming one of them. But sometimes when you meet the people you are trying to destroy; you end up caring for them more than you thought you would. Lots of action, twists, suspense and fighting. It was pretty cool that many of the villains and superheroes had unusual super powers. I really liked that the reader is forced to think about the whole superhero/villain labeling, it's not always as black and white as it appears. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Meyer, Marissa

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250044662

Price: 19.99

The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 14, 2018

Review

Lily is a high school student with ADHD. Not only does it make it hard for her to get her work done and pay attention in class. One day Lily breaks something during class and is sent to the principal's office along with fellow student Abelard. Before Lily realizes it, she kisses Abelard on impulse and a romance is set in motion. The thing is Abelard has his own disabilities and making their relationship work won't be easy. Lily is a terrific character. She gives you an idea into what it would be like to have ADHD and what you might be willing to do to change that. Even though there is some swearing, the romance itself is lovely. You will find yourself wishing Lily would make different choices, but then she wouldn't be Lily. Quirky, wonderful romance, would be good for Eleanor and Park fans. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Creedle, Laura

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780544932050

Price: 17.99

love Sugar Magic

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 13, 2018

Review

This sweet story is about 5 sisters. All of them, except the youngest, Leo, work in the family bakery shop. Leo is desperate to be part of the baking team so while her family begin baking for a big festival, she sneaks into the bakery to watch them. What she discovers is that not only are they bakers but they are also brujas- witches of Mexican ancestry. And, the cool thing is they can do magic which means she might be able to do magic as well. This is a fun fantasy that could really be called magic realism. Leo can not wait to try magic even though she knows she is not supposed to until she is older. Readers will totally empathize with her but will still cringe at the mistakes she makes. This story is just right for a young reader looking for a book with magic but not violence. There are many Spanish words and phrases through out the book that definitely add to the realistic feel of the story. The recipes in the back of the book are a big bonus as they are some of the same recipes that Leo and her family make- with out the magic of course:)

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Meriano, Anna

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Waldon Pond Press/Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062498465

Price: 16.99

Ice Wolves

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 13, 2018

Review

Anders and Rayna are twins that are orphans living on the street. They live in a village filled with Ice Wolves, creatures that protect their village from Scorch Dragons. The wolves and dragons used to work together but something happened and now the 2 factions are at war with each other. Anders and Rayna are thrown into the conflict between the 2 when Rayna finds out she is actually a scorch dragon and Anders an ice wolf. This fantasy is full of action and fast paced. At first it seems that the dragons are killers and the reason for all of the bad thing happening in the village. But as the story evolves, the dragons might not be as harmful as the wolves say they are. Lots of twists in this one which makes for a highly entertaining read.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Kaufman, Amie

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062457981

Price: 16.99

Not If I Save You First

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Choose Library District

Review Date: May 13, 2018

Review

Maddie (her dad is the president’s body guard) and Logan (his dad is the US president) used to be best friends when they were little. But when Maddie’s dad leaves it all behind to go live in Alaska and takes her with him, that friendship seems to end. Until out of the blue Logan shows up to hang out for awhile and unbeknownst to everyone, an assassin is on his tail. Lots of action in this one and dodging and escaping from assassins. Unfortunately it gets a bit hard to believe especially after all of Maddie's injuries.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Carter, Ally

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781338134148

Price: 18.99

The 11:11 Wish

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 11, 2018

Review

Megan has moved to a new school and is determined to be popular this time. She has all kinds of plans but her first day there starts out with her getting caught between two groups of girls and one of them, mean girl Rhena, is out to get her. But Megan decides to change that by making a wish on a cat clock. Her wish come true, but at a cost, a cost that makes her more and more cat like with every wish. Megan has a tough time being caught up in the mean girl stuff going on at her new school. Sometimes it seemed a bit much and that teachers, her little sister and her crush weren’t aware of what was going on, even though it was quite obvious. The wishing on the clock was fun and the cat consequences (Megan begins to develop all kinds of cat traits) was a neat twist. Readers that like stories heavy on mean girl stuff and magic will enjoy this one.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Tomsic, Kim

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Haroer Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062654946

Price: 16.99

Just Like Jackie

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeprt Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 20, 2018

Review

Robinson is getting in trouble at school for not keeping her hands to herself. The problem is the class bully, Alex, keeps teasing her and she can't take it. She'd rather be home helping her grandfather with cars or playing baseball than at school with Alex. But she ends up doing her homework in a group with her school counselor that includes Alex and a few other students. All of the students have problems in their lives and working together seems impossible, at least at first. Robinson's temper is quick and very real. Readers will feel for her and her frustration at the class bully Alex. But they will also begin to empathize with Alex when what is going on in his life is revealed. There is quite a bit of baseball and car jargon in here that may not appeal to all readers but the group work the students do together is worth reading even if you aren't a car or baseball fan. Readers that like realistic fiction dealing with tough situations in a child's home life or past will like this one.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Stoddard, Lindsey

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062652911

Price: 16.99

Dig In! 12 Easy Gardening Projects Using Kitchen Scraps

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 24, 2018

Review

This is not your typical gardening book. It does have features you'll find in many gardening books-great photos and explanations of how to grow things- but in this book you are going to learn how to grow plants from table scraps. What makes it really cool is that many of these scraps aren't started from seeds but from part of the plant. One of my favorites was using the top of a pineapple to grow your own pineapple plant. In addition it discusses many plant processes, directions on how to make newspaper seedling pots and recipes for every plant they talk about. Such a cool book. Great for science classrooms or home projects and you don't need lots of fancy stuff to try the projects.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Cornell, Kar

Illustrator: Larson, Jennifer S.

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Milbrook Press/Lerner

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781512430653

Price: 31.99

Sneak Thief

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

Hush lives in an RV park with a very abusive mother. Her mom locks her out of the RV, calls her names and doesn't provide her with food or protect her from the boyfriends she has over. These things have made Hush resourceful but quite possibly lead to a problem Hush can't control- she steals things. And not because she needs or wants them, she can’t help it, she just has to do it. When she gets caught one day, Hush gets a chance to change. With the help of her new friend Desiree and temporary foster mom Mabel, she might be able to. Hush is a wonderful character. A thief yes but pretty honest about things otherwise and the way she deals with things was real, sad and funny at times. Her friendship with Desiree is genuine and key to the success of this story. But it's the care and love of foster mom Mabel that will win readers over. Mabel gets Hush and loves her for who she is, which is what Hush needs. The mom's change was a bit unreal at the end, but young readers might not be as bothered by that as adults will be.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Harkey, Faith

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781524717476

Price: 16.99

The Book of Pearl

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

A young prince is is supposed to be killed by a hateful king, his brother. But instead, a family friend from the fairy tale world he lives in transports him to our world, where no-one believes in magic and he might be kept safe. Joshua as he is now called leaves behind so many thing but one is the fairy he has fallen in love with and is desperate to get back to at all costs. This is an interesting fantasy. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of the characters and where the story is headed but still a solid choice for older fantasy readers that like a bit of mystery to their read.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

de Frombelle, Timothee

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 7-9

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763691264

Price: 17.99

Granted

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

Ophelia is a fairy that grants wishes to people. There are less and less wished granted these days because there is less magic in the world than there used to be. When Ophelia gets the chance to grant a wish she is thrilled but it isn’t as easy or straight forward as she thought and sometimes the wish that is most important gets passed over. The relationship between Ophelia and Sam the dog she befriends is wonderful. Sam is such a dog, any one that owns one or loves them will see that and fall in love with him. And Ophelia’s dilemma about fulfilling the wish she is supposed to when there are other wishes that seem so much more important is a feeling readers will easily empathize with. Wonderful book with humor, adventure, sad touches and happiness.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Anderson, John David

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Walden Pond Press/Harper Collins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062643865

Price: 16.99

Today I'm a Dancer

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Commuity Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

This toddler board book is shaped like the dancer it talks about. On one side of the page is a description of what the dancer is doing starting with Monday and ending with Sunday. On the opposite page has things the dancer is using that day. Each item is labeled. Some of the words will be over a toddler's head but the reader can always use a word that the child is familiar with or explain what they are. There are a few boys in here but not enough. The ballet page only has girls. For a book that is explaining about being a dancer it would have been better to have included more boys in the drawings. This is part of the “Today I am“ series.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Polansky, Marisa

Illustrator: Lee, Maxine

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Farra Straus Giroux

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374304409

Price: 8.99

Today I 'm a Consrtuction Worker

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

This toddler board book is shaped like the construction worker it talks about. On one side of the page is a description of what the worker is doing starting with Monday and ending with Sunday. On the opposite page has things the worker is using that day. Each item is labeled. Some of the words will be over a toddler’s head but the reader can always use a word that the child is familiar with or explain what they are. The main character is a boy but the electrician is a girl and so is one of the crew. This book will be very popular with young readers interested in tools, building and construction. This is part of the “Today I am “series.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Polansky, Marisa

Illustrator: Lee, Maxine

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374304416

Price: 8.99

Today I'm a Race Car Driver

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

This toddler board book is shaped like the race car driver it talks about. On one side of the page is a description of what the driver is doing starting with Monday and ending with Sunday. On the opposite page has things the driver is using that day. Each item is labeled. Some of the words will be over a toddler’s head but the reader can always use a word that the child is familiar with or explain what they are. Very boy centered, it would have been nice to have a girl racer even as one of the competitors. This is part of the “Today I am “series.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Polansky, Marisa

Illustrator: Lee, Maxine

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374304393

Price: 8.99

Today I'm a Veterinarian

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

This toddler board book is shaped like the vet it talks about. On one side of the page is a description of what the vet is doing starting with Monday and ending with Sunday. On the opposite page has things the vet is using that day. Each item is labeled. Some of the words will be over a toddler’s head but the reader can always use a word that the child is familiar with or explain what they are. It would be great book to introduce young children to things that happen at the vet before they go with their pet. This is part of the “Today I am “series.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Polansky, Marisa

Illustrator: Lee, Maxine

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374304423

Price: 8.99

Contrary Dogs

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

This board book will be a hit with toddlers. Each page has dogs doing opposite things. To uncover the opposite "thing" or concept, the reader needs to lift the flap.Flaps are sturdy and the drawings are really fun. The last opposite in the book is not as good as the rest, still a fun book that would a be great addition to anyone's board book collection.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Elo, none

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781536200621

Price: 12.00

Pig and Cat are Pals

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 7, 2018

Review

Pig and cat are friends but when dog shows up, cat feels left out. This is a very nice early reader. The words are well suited to a beginning readers and they are repeated often to reinforce them. The illustrations are good, like what a child might draw. This might appeal more to parents than children but shouldn't stop a young reader from picking this one up.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Florian, Douglas

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823438587

Price: 14.95

The Way You Make me Feel

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2018

Review

Clara is the class clown in high school. But when she ends up taking one of her pranks too far, she, and another student (Rose) involved in the prank have to work in her dad's food truck all summer. And the other student Rose? Well, she and Clara pretty much hate each other. This seems like it's going to be a mean girl read but it actually more about getting to know someone before you decide what they are all about. It was also cool to read about what goes on behind the scenes in food trucks. Clara's "running away" part to visit her mom seemed s bit unreal, but the rest, including a sweet romance, was well done.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Goo, Maurene

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374304089

Price: 17.99

Life L1k3 (Like)

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date:

Review

Eve lives in a place were androids and robots are integrated into everyday life. Eve herself is a mechanic that fixes all kinds of things including robots. But one day, when she is out battling in the arena against another robot, something happens. Now she is on the run and if she gets caught, she will probably die. This sci-fi story is a page turner from the start. The language/jargon used is sometimes hard to follow, but the story itself is still solid. Kristoff delivers not only an action packed sci-fi adventure, but one that makes the readers think- if robots were made to be more human like, should they be in control of what they do or, should they be under human control. And if robots are free to choose, what is to stop them from harming their less powerful creatures, humans.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kristoff, Jay

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction,romance

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781524713928

Price: 18.99

The Stone Girl's Story

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2018

Review

Mayka is made of stone but she is alive. Her father, her creator, has passed and the living things he made have survived him. But, the marks on their stone bodies that keep them alive are fading. Someone needs to find another stonemason like Mayka's father to re-carve those marks to keep them alive. Mayke decided to head off to find a stonemason that can do that. But as she soon finds out, not all stonemasons have good intentions. The premise of this story is wonderful. And the stone creatures were really interesting and all so different. The story does start out a bit slowly so it might lose readers because of that. It definitely picks up later on and that along with the issue of the merits of controlling all stone creatures will keep readers engaged. The ending however is not as exciting as the rest of the story, which may leave readers feeling disappointed at the end.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Durst, Sarah Beth

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781328729453

Price: 16.99

Sparks!

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2018

Review

Two cats team up to be a superhero dog (they use a dog suit that they fit into) and perform good deeds. Why? Because everyone loves a dog. The tricky part is that there is someone out there trying to capture them and use them to control all of the animals in the world. This is a fun graphic novel with silly scenes, cool, bright illustrations, and a crazy plot. The robotic litter box is one of my favorite parts of the book- so much humor here with just the right amount of action. Cream

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Boothby, Ian

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Scholastic

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781338029468

Price: 12.99

Camp Panda

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2018

Review

This book is all about how the giant panda bear is being saved from extinction. The beginning of the book is just ok. There were good photos and some cool facts, but it might not grab a reader's attention enough to make them continue reading. However, when the story of Tao Tao, a real baby giant panda, is introduced, the story was became very interesting. How humans worked to enable him to be an independent giant panda that could survive in the wild was pretty amazing.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Thimmesh, Catherine

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780544818910

Price: 17.99