Otis Dooda: Downright Dangerous

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 27, 2014

Review

"Otis Dooda: Downright Dangerous" is the hilarious of Otis, his family and friends, and the ridiculous (and dangerous!) situations he gets himself into. In this book (the second in a series), Otis battles another kid for the title of "Greatest Lego Genius Who Ever Lived," (barely) lives through the embarrassment of his dog-training mother who bites dogs who try to bite her, learns not to stick baby carrots up his nose, and survives a curse cast upon him by the mysterious boy who hides behind a potted plant and curses anyone who doesn't leave him candy in a bucket as they pass.

Similar to the "Wimpy Kid" and "Big Nate" books, "Otis Dooda" is partially text and partially illustrations. I couldn't quite figure out if the illustrations were supposed to be drawn by Otis, or if they are official book illustrations, but either way, they add a lot to the book.

Kids who love funny books and gross humor will really enjoy this book.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Potter, Ellen

Illustrator: Heatley, David

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250011770

Price: 13.99

This Book's Maine Connection: Maine author

Sometimes You Barf

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 28, 2014

Review

I am not familiar with any other nonfiction books about throwing up, so I was glad to see this one. The topic is certainly not unfamiliar to kids, and throwing up can be scary and, in school, embarrassing.

"Sometimes You Barf" is a decent book about the topic, and I recommend it for libraries because there aren't many, if any, other picture books on the topic.

Carlson did make the book silly and fun while covering a topic that is not silly or fun at all. She shows a number of animals throwing up, including worms and aardvarks! In addition, she hopes that if you do have to barf, you'll barf on your math test. She also covers the steps of being sick quite well: the initial, horrible throwing up, followed by drinking water, nibbling crackers, having soup, and finally being able to eat again! She also realistically talks about the reactions of students and teachers if you throw up at school.

However, I did have some concerns about the book. First, Carlson only talks about throwing up in the context of the flu. She doesn't talk about eating something gross or getting car sick, for example. Second, she includes a random "Interesting Made-Up Fact!" about lizards turning pink when they barf. Strangely, this is the only "Interesting Made-Up Fact!" in the book. I could understand it if these were scattered throughout the book, but just one is confusing and odd. In addition, younger children may not understand the concept of a made-up fact in the context of a nonfiction book. Finally, while she initially writes about barfing anywhere, Carlson ends up focusing on throwing up at school. It might have been helpful to cover other locations.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Carlson, Nancy

Illustrator: Carlson, Nancy

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: preschool, grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467714129

Price: 16.95

Strange & Ever After

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 31, 2014

Review

*Disclaimer: this was the third book in a trilogy. I did not read the first two books. Therefore, some of my comments are stated without the big picture, and may not be completely accurate because of that.

I enjoy teen steampunk fiction, but I did not enjoy this book very much. From the first, the author and editor did very poorly in taking the time to quickly set up what was happening and introducing the characters for a new reader. I know doing so is possible, even in a trilogy, because I have experienced second or third books that had me excited to read the earlier books. Even by the very end of this book, I was still partly lost.

The plot was nonstop and exciting, and if I had known what was happening, it might have been even more compelling.

The characters were diverse and fully-formed, but without the background of the first two books, I did not become very attached to them. In addition, one character named Daniel was supposed to be a boy from the streets. Unfortunately, part of the time his speech reflected this (with "ain't", etc.), but the rest of the time his speech was the same as the other characters. This was similar for another character, Joseph. Joseph is creole, but his speech only reflected this part of the time.

I did go on Amazon.com to read the customer reviews. While one can never be completely certain who is writing the reviews, many appeared to be written by teens, and they were overwhelmingly positive. So again, my dislike of this book may be due to reading the third book in isolation.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Dennard, Susan

Publisher: HarperTeen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 7-9, grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780062083326

Price: 17.99

Roller Derby Rivals

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 31, 2014

Review

"Roller Derby Rivals" is written and illustrated by the duo who brought readers "Basketball Belles." Sue Macy loves writing about fearless women, and it certainly shows in this book!

Macy gives a short and understandable introduction to roller derby on the very first page. This is smart, given that roller derby may be a sport that many kids are not familiar with. The book does focus on the rivalry between two famous roller derby stars: Toughie Brasuhn and Gerry Murray. While Macy is honest about the violence in roller derby, she also is careful to show that each of the women is equally tough, and even points out that off the rink the women are friends.

Interestingly, this book is set during a real race set after WWII in 1948. The television was a new invention at the time, and Macy explains how roller derby helped make televisions more ubiquitous, and televisions make roller derby more widely known.

The race itself is action packed and exciting.

I am always critical of nonfiction that is missing what I consider key components. While this book does not have an index, "Roller Derby Rivals" is not written in a way that makes and index necessary. However, to my delight the book does have further information at the end of the story. In the Author's Note, Macy delves into more detail about roller derby and its relationship with television, as well as an excellent timeline. The author and illustrator are also careful to note that the book is based on press coverage and interviews, since no televised recordings exist. They admit that they have dramatized dialogue and the illustrations, but that they've worked very hard to re-create the race as accurately as possible. Photos of Toughie and Gerry are also included.

For those kids who want to know more about roller derby (which they definitely will after reading this book), the author provides further resources, including film clips, web sites and books.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Macy, Sue

Illustrator: Collins, Matt

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: graphic novel

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823429233

Price: 16.95

Clariel

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2015

Review

"Clariel" is the prequel to Garth Nix's "Old Kingdom" series, which includes "Sabriel," "Lirael," and "Abhorsen." I had previously read and loved this trilogy and came to this reading with high expectations. "Clariel" definitely delivered.

A reader does not need to have read the first three books in the "Old Kingdom" series to enjoy this book. The world is fully created, and no part of the plot is dependent on the original trilogy. At the same time, those who have read the first three books will find much that is familiar. This is a hard balance to strike, and Garth Nix succeeded.

In this high fantasy, lead protagonist Clariel is forced to move to the capital city and away from her beloved forest. She does not fit in and does not like city. Nevertheless, she is dragged into political and magical intrigue, which leads her astray.

Without giving away the plot ending, I do feel compelled to share that this book does not end well (which I, personally, often think adds legitimacy to good fantasy). Neither the city nor Clariel has a happy ending.

Older kids and teens who like high fantasy will love this book. However, as stated above, it is not for readers who need their endings tidied up and happy.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Nix, Garth

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

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

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780061561559

Price: 18.99

Behold the Beautiful Dung Beetle

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2015

Review

"Behold the Beautiful Dung Beetle" is an excellent informational picture book. One of the best elements is that it can be read at two different levels. Some of the text is written in large type. The large type can be read as basic information, but is still cohesive and clear. For older children, or younger children who are interested, the additional smaller type can be read as well. The smaller type provides further information presented by the larger type. Each size type is on a separate page.

The language is rich, and many kids will find the contents hilarious as well as informative. "One animal's waste is the dung beetle's treasure." "For these beetles, dung is a precious pile of food and drink." One can just picture a classroom of kids laughing hysterically, yet wanting to know more.

The illustrations are wonderful, though I am slightly disappointed that there are no photographs at all. Photos are important elements of science books.

The book also includes extra information at the end: - Finding Dung Beetles - Fascinating Facts About Dung Beetles - Glossary (best entry: "poop: see dung") - Selected Bibiography

However, there is no index, and the book contains enough information that I wish one was available.

The fact that amazed me the most was that dung beetles are what the Egyptians called scarabs!

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Bardoe, Cheryl

Illustrator: Marks, Alan

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Charlesbridge

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781580895545

Price: 16.95

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: July 8, 2015

Review

Though this picture book is fiction, it is based on the real figure of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, the first female drummer in Cuba. Told in verse, the story follows the "drum dream girl" and her dreams of playing the drums. Told by everyone that drums are only for boys, she continues to dream and practice. Her father eventually allows a drum teacher to evaluate her ability and, stunned, the teacher recognizes her talent. Off she goes!

The lyrical style of the free verse is lovely and adds to the feeling of the rhythm of the drums. Though the tale is clearly a "girl power" book, the story remains calm. There are no revolutions here; instead, the drum dream girl succeeds because of the interest and understanding of a few key people in her life.

The book contains an historical note briefly telling the real story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who became such a famous drummer that she ended up playing for FDR's birthday ("enthusiastically cheered" on by Eleanor Roosevelt -- one feminist to another!).

In addition, it should be noted that the drum dream girl is Chinese-African-Cuban.

Lopez's gorgeous, colorful illustrations are perfect for the book. The illustrations seamlessly meld reality and dream sequences. Nodding to the Chinese-African-Cuban heritage of the heroine, Lopez shows her watching and dreaming at both Carnival and Chinese New Year.

In a lovely, final illustration Lopez slips in an image that I hope readers notice. As the author writes "...and both girls and boys should feel free to dream," Lopez illustrates a boy sitting on a cloud with a sketch pad and pencil, watching and drawing (the reader assumes)the drum dream girl play her drums while people dance. In addition, the Man in the Moon peers over the boy's shoulder at his drawing.

This book is important in so many ways. In addition to simply being a wonderful book, it highlights: mixed heritage and various cultures (dominated by Cuban culture), girl power, perseverance, music, poetry, and art.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Engle, Margarita

Illustrator: Lopez, Rafael

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy,realistic fiction,historical fiction,fiction in verse / poetry

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780544102293

Price: 16.99

Everybody Says Shalom

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

"Everybody Says Shalom" is a non-fiction picture book which introduces children to Israel via the word "shalom." The text explains that "shalom" means hello, good-bye, and peace. A visiting family uses the word as they travel around Israel.

The book is a very basic introduction to Israel. While there is not a table of contents or index, pages in the back do provide extra information about each of the destinations the traveling family visits. However, the book does fall victim to one of my greatest pet peeves: no pronunciation guide is given.

Some of the text is a little vague, even for this basic book. After introducing the word "shalom," the next few pages of text say "When in Israel...everybody says shalom! Going out...or coming home. Right to left and left to right. In the morning...late at night." "Right to left and left to right" is illustrated by two children writing "shalom" in the sand on a beach: one in English and one in Hebrew. While adults might figure this out, it would need to be explained to children.

The reading level is appropriate for ages preschool through 3rd grade. The rhyming text is basic enough for very young children, while older kids can discuss the locations and specific destinations.

The illustrations are done in watercolor and fit the text quite well. While the illustrations are not detailed, neither is the text, so they fit well together. In addition, there is a little gecko hidden in each layout. It's fun to search for the gecko, and it's not necessarily easy!

Books about Israel for this age group are quite rare. While many picture book characters live in or visit other cities or countries throughout the world, Israel is not common. I believe this book will fill a need in children's travel/country collections, and, luckily, the book is well done. While the book is too simple for a country report or study, it is a wonderful introduction to the country.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kimmelman, Leslie

Illustrator: Shipman, Talitha

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385383363

Price: 17.99

Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

This picture book biography of Wangari Maathai is an excellent source of information and a beautiful book.

Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her multifaceted work replanting trees in Kenya, working tirelessly for democracy in Kenya, promoting peace among tribes, and protecting forests and wildlife.

Compared to "Wangari's Trees of Peace" by Jeanette Winter, "Wangari Maathai" is much more in-depth. Wangari's entire life is explored, from her early childhood to her work in the Kenyan government.

Beyond the primary biography, the book is chock full of relevant extras. There is not a table of contents (it's a picture book, after all), but there are: - photographs of Wangari Maathai - a timeline of her life (and other events that affected her life) - a climate map of Kenya - a description of life in Kenya today - a brief summary of the state of forests and animals in Kenya today - direct quotes from Maathai's autobiography and Nobel speech - a bibliography - websites for further information

This is truly a well-written, thorough, yet accessible book. Originally published in French in 2012, it was translated into English this year (2015).

The illustrations are very unique and fit both the story and the text beautifully.

The text is clear, though not appropriate for children younger than kindergarten, and is probably more appropriate for grades 2 and 3.

Children will be drawn to this book because of the eye-catching illustrations, but will stay for the fascinating story of Wangari Maathai.

Teachers can use this book in many ways. Despite it being a picture book, the extras at the back provide a wealth of information for a report or biography assignment. It can also be used as an example of positive African people. Elementary school studies of Africa often focus on the poor and desperate state of many countries in Africa, and this book shows a different side. In addition, Wangari Maathai herself is an example of a powerful woman. The book can be well used for Women's Hisoty Month.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Prevot, Franck

Illustrator: Fronty, Aurelia

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Charlesbridge

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781580896269

Price: 17.95

Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

"Granddaddy's Turn" is the story of a young boy who accompanies his African-American grandfather to vote for the first time.

The writing is simple, yet poignant. I will admit that I actually cried during the last third of the book. The grandfather is given an unfair literacy test and denied the right to vote that day. Years later, after the grandfather has passed away, the boy becomes old enough to vote and remembers his granddaddy's experience on voting day long ago.

While the book is fiction, the story is all too true of many African-American voters in the southeast during the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, the author provides a brief note about voting rights during the Civil Rights Movement, and how long it took for a federal act to put an end to unfair testing.

As usual with James E. Ransome's watercolor illustrations, these incredibly detailed paintings support the text beautifully. In true picture book style, the illustrations provide much of the story and feeling that the words cannot.

While there have been a fair number of picture books published about the Civil Rights Movement, I have not encountered one specifically about voting rights. Luckily, this story is accurate and realistic, and would be an excellent addition to any collection.

While most parents wouldn't pick this book up to take home, it is a gentle introduction to voting rights for grades K-3. The concept of fair and unfair, very prevalent in that age group, will have students outraged in the very best way.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Bandy, Michael

Illustrator: Ransome, James

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction,historical fiction

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763665937

Price: 16.99

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

"Emmanuel's Dream" is the true story of a boy born with only one strong leg. His mother tells him he can do anything, and after a frustrating life of a disabled person in Ghana, he rides a bike across the entire country. He continues to advocate for the rights of disabled persons.

The writing clearly explains that Emmanuel has a disability and describes his difficulties in life. But at no point does the author pity Emmanuel. This is not a sob story. However, children will clearly understand that a boy overcame a true hardship in a country that was not understanding.

At the back of the book, the author includes a note briefly outlining Yeboah's life after the end of the book; primarily, his work on behalf of disabled persons in Ghana.

The illustrations are mixed media and quite stark. They do not provide much of a sense of place. However, the illustrations do put the focus on Emmanuel, and perhaps that was the illustrator's intent. Still, I would have liked to see the country of Ghana emphasized a bit more. The illustrations do complement the text. Some of the text, without visual cues, might have been hard for children to envision.

I think this book will be enjoyed by parents/caregivers, children and teachers alike. At it's most general, it's the wonderful story of a likable protagonist overcoming obstacles. However, it's also a wonderful book when talking about or teaching about disabilities, particularly because there is no sentimentality in the book. Finally, it would be an excellent book to share when learning about Africa. While it highlights that Ghana was behind both socially and governmentally in terms of supporting the rights of disabled persons, it also shows the power of one person to institute change.

This would be a lovely book to pair with "Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees" by Franck Prevot.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Thompson, Laurie Ann

Illustrator: Qualls, Sean

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780449817445

Price: 17.99

Naptime with Theo & Beau

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

"Naptime with Theo & Beau" is simply a joyous book. Beau is a toddler, and Theo is an adopted dog. In this story, photographs of Beau and Theo napping accompany short sentences. Almost all of the photographs are double spreads, and the text has been written to highlight the photos, rather than the other way around. An example: "Sleeping on our backs." is accompanied by a photo of the two sleeping on their backs.

Though I can't know for sure, I suspect the photos are not posed. The puppy and Beau seem to be genuinely asleep, and Beau is wearing different clothes every time.

Do not miss the end papers! Both front and back are photo collages of Beau and Theo sleeping. In addition, if you remove the dust jacket, the inside is a poster of the two sound asleep!

The author (mother) includes a note in the back of the book explaining how the family chose Theo at the animal shelter.

This book will appeal to appeal to children ages 1-5 years and their families. In addition, the photographs are so large, and the text so simple, that it is definitely a winner for toddler and/or preschool story times. Because it's non-fiction, it's one of the hard-to-find story time books that can support the Common Core.

Whether you love dogs, toddlers, naptime, or just cute books, "Naptime for Theo & Beau" is for you.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Shyba, Jessica

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781250059062

Price: 10.61

Boo!

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

Leslie Patricelli has provided us with another funny book featuring her baby-with-a-curl-on-his-head character. This one revolves around Halloween.

In a twist, however, this book has much more text that her other board books (such as "Yummy YUCKY" and "Toot") and, in fact, has a plot. The illustrations are also a bit more busy and detailed than readers may be used to (there are fun elements for the grown-ups, too, such as the stems of the jack-o'-lanterns mirroring the baby's curl).

However, as expected, the book is fun! The baby has adventures while choosing a pumpkin (in his signature diaper), choosing a costume, and trick-or-treating. The book also continues with some of the concepts Patricelli's other board books include: pumpkins are "too small," "too BIG," and "Just right." A number of jack-o'-lantern faces and emotions are shown before baby chooses.

In a nod to a baby's or toddler's Halloween reality, the baby character is scared by the bigger kids' costumes while trick-or-treating in the dark. Thank goodness Daddy is there!

In short, this is another wonderful Leslie Patricelli board book, but readers who are used to one or two words per page will be surprised.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Patricelli, Leslie

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure,realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: other

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763663209

Price: 6.99

Bilby: Secrets of an Australian Marsupial

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: August 11, 2015

Review

This picture book is an introduction to the bilby, an Australian marsupial. The book has two parts: the first is story-like and follows a baby bilby from birth to adulthood. The second provides additional facts supporting the actions of the baby bilby and its mother. Each two-page spread includes the "story" part of the book and the factual paragraphs. However, they are differentiated only by typeface -- there are no sidebars, separate boxes, or even different text colors to highlight the information. At times, I almost missed the difference. For an informational book, the language is quite flowery: "In the moonlight, Bilby canters -- tail aloft like a banner -- across the spiny grass..." It's lovely, but detracts slightly from the information.

Strangely, a three-paragraph introduction to the bilby is on the front right endpaper; not as decoration, but what would normally be the first page of text.

While the mixed-media illustrations would be lovely as pure art, they are not appropriate for this book. I have a bias for photographs when it comes to science books (including animals). However, if an author chooses to use illustrations, they should be clear and detailed, like Gail Gibbons' work. These illustrations are hazy and unclear, and do not even support the text. For example, the mother has a "crested tail with its horny spur at the tip." I didn't know bilbies had horny spurs on their tails and desperately wanted to see one, but the accompanying illustration did not show one. It was very frustrating.

There are not a lot of informational books about the bilby for young children, but I still do not recommend adding this book to your collection in either a public or school library. If a student needs information about the bilby, I would recommend a book on Australia with a page about the bilby, or a book about marsupials, over this picture book.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Wignell, Edel

Illustrator: Jackson, mark

Illustration Quality: poor

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763667597

Price: 16.99

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: September 22, 2015

Review

"From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess" picks up where the "Princess Diaries" series left off. Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a middle schooler who lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins because her father travels constantly and her mother died in a car crash. At least, that's what she thought. It turns out that Olivia is actually the sister (of a different mother) of Mia, the heroine of the "Princess Diaries" series. That means, of course, that her father is the Crown Prince of Genovia, and Olivia is a princess. When Mia comes to pick Olivia up at school one day, Olivia's life changes forever.

This is simply a fun story, whether or not the reader has devoured the "Princess Diaries" books or not. It is a typical tale of a normal kid finding out she is something special, a la Harry Potter and a multitude of others. The book is completely predictable. This is not a bad thing, as the age group for which it is written is in a developmental reading stage that adores expected outcomes. The plot is entertaining, a quick read, and absorbing. Even though it's anticipated, readers will cheer when Olivia's aunt and uncle are exposed for being the horrible criminals and relatives that they are, and Olivia is reunited with her father, sister, and grandmother. Everything is nicely wrapped up in the end. Olivia moves to Genovia, but her best friend in New Jersey has carte blanche use of the royal jet. There are no loose ends in this book!

The book also has minimal illustrations. While the story is billed as a "diary," it only partially reads as such. Despite Olivia being an artist, the illustrations (doodles that go with the diary entries) are few. Given her artistic bent, I would have expected more.

In addition, the tone seemed younger than a middle schooler to me. Not by much, but enough that I questioned Olivia's age a few times. For that reason, it will appeal to younger readers -- grades 4-6 -- rather than older middle schoolers.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Cabot, Meg

Illustrator: Cabot, Meg

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781250066022

Price: 16.99

The Big Princess

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

"The Big Princess" is a wonderful, alternative take on the traditional princess fairy tale. A King and Queen who cannot have children are granted a child who starts out the size of a flower's leaf, but then grows every day until she is bigger than the tallest castle tower. The King breaks the spell by discovering a seed hidden in her belly button. Once removed, the princess shrinks down. However, in a nod to this altered story, the princess still remains bigger than other people.

"The Big Princess" is written and illustrated by an author from Japan. The story can be just a little dark at times, but I find that darkness in fairy tales is expected in every country but the U.S.

The illustrations are gorgeous. Miura is a graphic designer in addition to an illustrator, and the pages reflect this. Most of the images are of block, geometric shapes. However, in surprising additions to those elements are random collage cut-outs, black-and-white drawings, and even a photograph. Rather than distracting from the illustrations, these additions add to the visual side of the story.

While this is an odd book, it is fun and filled with a story and illustrations that kids will find interesting and entertaining.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Miura, Taro

Illustrator: Miura, Taro

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763674595

Price: 14.99

Emergency Vehicles

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

As is obvious, this non-fiction book is about emergency vehicles. The biggest difficulty for libraries -- school or public -- is getting this book into the hand of the correct child.

The information is incredibly detailed, which one would not guess from looking at the cover of the book. In order to read the information, a child would need to have good reading skills and high-level vocabulary. However, if the right child gets his/her hands on this book, s/he will soak up the in-depth information. In addition to the information on the pages, each emergency vehicle has multiple lift-the-flaps with even more information inside. Finally, this book goes beyond the typical emergency vehicles. After years of helping children find books about various "things that go," there were several vehicles in this title that I had never heard of.

While there is nothing particularly special about the illustrations, they are astoundingly detailed, which matches the high level of information. However, the diversity of the people depicted was disappointing. While there are a few token women, there is not a single person of color among what must be close to 80 people illustrated in the book. In this case, there is no reason for this lack of diversity.

While the flaps are well made out of heavy cardboard, if any are torn out or fall out after heavy use, the information will be gone. The information about the inner workings of each vehicle is written on the flap itself.

If this book is recommended one-on-one by the librarian, or if the right child finds it, this book will be a hit. However, because the outer shell doesn't give any indication of the level of detail on the inside, most kids who would love this book may not pick it up.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Green, Rod

Illustrator: Biesty, Stephen

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: templar books

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763679590

Price: 15.99

What James Said

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

"What James Said" is an excellent book on almost every level. Like a game of telephone, James told a friend something about the protagonist. By the time it got back to the protagonist, it was awful, and she became very angry with James. In the end, she realizes that what she heard was not what James said at all.

This story is realistic in so many ways. The spreading of rumors and talking about other people is utterly true to life in elementary school. In addition, the protagonist's resulting actions are very real. She becomes angry at James, stops talking to him or sitting by him, and even when James (who has no idea what is wrong) tries to talk to her, she completely ignores him. In her mind, she's also being very mean to James (she can't tell him out loud because she's not talking to him!). When they make up, the author has also set out a realistic early elementary school situation. The misunderstanding does not last long, and the protagonist's anger melts away quickly. This book does not try to sugarcoat a situation like this. She lets the misunderstanding play out and allows the characters to feel their emotions and behave accordingly.

The illustrations align perfectly with the text. The characters are painted exquisitely, and their expressions and feelings -- essential in this book -- are realistically rendered and clear to the reader. In addition, other means of communicating emotion really add to the illustrations. For example, the protagonist loves art, and when she draws or paints James, she then slops paint all over him or scratches him out.

The characters are diverse, but the diversity has no bearing on the book, which is still, unfortunately, a rare thing, so needs to be celebrated when it appears.

For a school librarian, this is a great book to give a child who is experiencing this situation or just wants a great story. Teachers will also like it to highlight emotions or deal with a class issue. In the public library, librarians can recommend this book to a parent or child who asks for such a book for bibliotherapy purposes or, again, kids who just want a great story.

I would recommend this book for every school and public library. It is superior to many of the "emotion books" out there.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Rosenberg, Liz

Illustrator: Myers, Matt

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Roaring Book Press/Neal Porter Book

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781596439085

Price: 16.99

Vamonos! Let's Go!

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

As the cover of this book says, this is "an adaptation of 'The Wheels on the Bus' in English and Spanish." I really enjoy the way this song was adapted to emphasize more common words in both languages. Rather than the bus being the central point of the song, the kids riding the bus see various "things that go" from the windows: train, truck, motorcycle, etc. Along with the type of vehicle, each verse includes the sound that the vehicle makes.

What I love most about the bilingualism of the text is that EVERYTHING is bilingual, including sounds. While an English train goes "choo choo choo," in Spanish, the train says "chucu chucu chu."

I appreciate that the book has a pronunciation guide for the Spanish words as well as the sheet music in the back. However, pronunciation guides do not guarantee that English-speakers will get the subtleties of the Spanish words correct. Nor does the sheet music ensure that that the different language will fit the tune the way the English does. I dearly wish that this book came with a CD.

The illustrations are perfect for the book. They are simple, fun, and show everyone having a great time! And with no verses about paying bus fare or crying babies, why not have a wonderful day? Not surprisingly for a bilingual book, the characters are very diverse racially, gender-wise, and age-wise. (The motorcycle rider isn't a young, flashy guy, but an old man with a big walrus mustache!)

I recommend this book to patrons or librarians who speak Spanish themselves to read to English-speaking kids.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Colato Lainez, Rene

Illustrator: Cepeda, Joe

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Holiday House

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780823434428

Price: 16.95

The House That Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams

Reviewed by: Shannon Schinagl - Maine State Library, Augusta, Central Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

This biography of Jane Addams particularly focuses on her work in Chicago creating the Hull House. It touches briefly on her childhood, anti-war work, and Nobel Peace Prize, but these are merely presented as facts leading to the Hull House.

The writing is clear and precise, and written at an age level appropriate to the audience. While the topics are necessarily simplified, the author does not shy away from difficult issues such as poverty and war.

The end of the book includes "Author's Note: A Little Bit More." As "A Little Bit More" suggests, this note adds a tad more information, but, most interesting to me, provides photographs of Jane Addams and some children she worked with.

The illustrations in the book are lovely and compliment the text well. They are detailed enough that children will enjoy staring at the illustrations, and noting the expressions and activities of the many people shown.

To a small extent, I wish the destitute people were more obviously in need. When one studies the illustrations, one notices the frayed sleeves and hems. However, if a teacher read this book to a group, the children might have a hard time distinguishing the needy from the non-needy. In some cases, the clothes are not frayed, and the people are wearing hats and shoes. Even the homes look to be in fine condition. Without the text, a reader would not know the people are poor at all. However, a balance between representation of the poor and caricature would be very difficult to strike.

However, this is a wonderful book to introduce the concept of poverty, Jane Addams, women's history, community centers, and other topics. Teachers will find the most use for it, though librarians may find it an excellent read during Women's History Month.

In addition, children may choose the book because it is exciting and a good story, and the illustrations, as noted, are very engaging, and there are many details to notice that a child wouldn't see in a group read.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Stone, Tanya Lee

Illustrator: Brown, Kathryn

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre: historical fiction,biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3

Binding Type: Choose Binding Type

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780805090499

Price: 17.88