Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern - ESSENTIAL

Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern, 278 pages. Candlewick Press, 2021. $17 

Language: G (1 swear); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL-ESSENTIAL; MS-ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Intelligent, creative Maple Mehta-Cohen, has always faked her way through school, hiding the fact that when she looks at words,she can’t understand them. But her qfifth grade teacher noticed and now she has to repeat fifth grade, while her best friends move on to sixth grade. Maple feels embarrassed, and as she starts fifth grade again, she secretly tells Jack Wells, who is new and also in the lowest reading group, that she is repeating fifth grade as a special teacher’s helper. Now she is in the middle of a story of mystery and intrigue, not unlike the stories that she loves to create.

This was a cute story about learning differences, discovering your talents, family and friendship. Maple is a storyteller, and the author does a great job of having one voice for the narrative, and another voice for Maple’s stories. I felt like some of the characters should have been more developed, but Maple is well developed and it’s her story, so that is good. This story would be an essential read aloud for any older child with a learning difference to help them discover that their disability is not the most important part of who they are. Maple is a Hin-Jew, as her parents call her - Dad is Indian; Mom is Jewish.

Reviewer: J. Rosskopf 

The Graveyard Riddle by Lisa Thompson - ADVISABLE

The Graveyard Riddle by Lisa Thompson, 291 pages. Scholastic Press, 2021. $18

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

13yo Melody is taking her dog for a walk around the neighborhood and wanders a bit further than usual and finds herself at the cemetery. She discovers on the outskirts of the cemetery an old abandoned building and decides to check it out. Much to her surprise, she finds someone staying there. A kid that looks to be a few years older than she is, maybe 15 or 16. He tells her his name is Hal and that he is a spy working for M18. His team is in the area watching for criminal activity, although, at the moment, he has lost communication with them. He asks Melody if she would help him watch for anything suspicious. Melody finds herself agreeing, but what exactly did she agree to? Who has ever heard of a teenage spy? 

 What I thought I was getting was just a mystery, but what I got was also a heartfelt story about friendship and growing up. I was completely engaged through the entire story and really enjoyed it. I liked the mystery, found Melody to be a great character, and loved how she knew the exact moment that Hal’s situation was a problem she couldn’t fix and went to her mom for help. 

Reviewer: Rebel 

Forbidden City by James Ponti - ESSENTIAL

Forbidden City (City Spies #3) by James Ponti, 442 pages. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2022. $18

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

MI6 needs to thwart Umbra’s attempts to recruit a prominent North Korean nuclear physicist, and the youthful City Spies are up to the task. This mission takes place on two continents and involves serious undercover work and a code so baffling it is deemed unbreakable. Paris becomes the star of this mission when he goes undercover at a chess tournament where he can make contact with the nuclear physicist’s chess prodigy son. The rest of the team has challenging and dangerous roles as well: breaking codes and going undercover as a reporter.

This is the third installment of the City Spies series and it holds up well. The plot doesn’t disappoint and the action is steady and engaging. The characters are likeable and I found myself worried for their safety. There are some great chess analogies and the boy band was a nice touch. I found myself swept up in the story and the great locales. Fun read with action, family, friendship, and intrigue.

Michelle in the Middle 

Liars’ Room by Dan Poblocki - HIGH

Liars’ Room by Dan Poblocki, 240 pages. Scholastic Press, 2021. $18

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Blended families are never easy, but when Stella and Alex move to a creepy old house with their new stepbrother, it seems his lies become increasingly unbelievable. Wildwyck isn’t just any old house either, it was a former schoolhouse for misbehaved boys and it has a dark past that seems to be resurfacing. As events in the home escalate and danger builds, it becomes harder to know who to trust and who is lying and where the real danger lies.

Standard Dan Poblocki. If you like ghost stories with an element of danger, this is your book. It’s a fast read and the combination of super creepy house, hidden rooms where children were put to punish them, a graveyard out back, death, and mysterious journal entries make this a great ghost story. Elements of blended families, and trust make it relevant, though the ending left me with more questions than answers.

Michelle in the Middle 

Realm of the Blue Mist by Amy Kim Kibuishi - ESSENTIAL

Realm of the Blue Mist (The Rema Chronicles #1) by Amy Kim Kibuishi, 272 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Scholastic. 2022. $13

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Tabby Simon’s father was found dead after researching a mysterious tree that leaks mist. Tabby keeps returning to the tree to figure out what happened when one day she unexpectedly ends up in Rema, a distant world of magic and beauty that has extensive problems of its own. Tabby meets a handsome blue-haired boy named Phillip who helps her as she searches for the reasons behind her father’s death and a way back home. 

The world building is cool and the mysterious tree and ghost woman that visits it are intriguing. Fans of manga will relate to the art and the Tabby and Phillip are drawn to each other, making a nice little romance that adds to the story but doesn’t detract from the danger or the plotline. Sign me up for the next one.

Michelle in the Middle 

The Curse of the Crystal Cavern by Francesco Sedita, Prescott Seraydaria and Steve Hamaker - ESSENTIAL

The Curse of the Crystal Cavern (The Pathfinder’s Society #2) by Francesco Sedita and Prescott Seraydarian, illustrated by Steve Hamaker. 174 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Viking (Penguin Random House). 2021. $13

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

The five Pathfinder friends are continuing their search for hidden clues leading to a priceless treasure in this second installment. Those clues, left by an eccentric explorer, are enigmatic and sometimes dangerous. They don’t seem to be the only ones looking either, and time is of the essence. 

This is a great series. The art is fun and the clues even more fun. This book will make you wish you could live in a weird town and stumble across clues that take you on a grand adventure. Whatever the Pathfinders end up finding will most likely have far-reaching effects. Totally engaging thrilling ride.

Michelle in the Middle 

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon and Dean Hale and Asiah Fulmore - HIGH

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by Asiah Fulmore. 160 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. DC Comics. 2021. $10

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Princess Amaya of Gemworld is always getting in trouble with her younger brother. When one prank goes too far, Amaya is grounded to earth for a week to teach her a lesson, since she has no powers there. Unfortunately, something goes wrong and with the loss of her power comes a loss of memory, and the week’s stay turns into three years. Now called Amy, she attends middle school until a prince of the realm manages to bring her home where her magical powers are restored, just in time to help Gemworld through a crisis. 

Even though the story seems a little cliché on paper, Amethyst turns out to be a fun story with likable characters. Amy has to decide what to do with her new powers and how to use them. She discovers friends and family and how to kick butt. Fun read that will lead into more adventures with a cool princess. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Shelter by Christie Matheson - ADVISABLE

Shelter by Christie Matheson, 178 pages. Random House, 2021. $17 

Content: G

 BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

 AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Maya, 11yo, lives in San Francisco with her mom, dad and baby sister. Her dad has been in a bad accident and is in the hospital. Maya, her mom and sister have to move out of their cute, little house and into the homeless shelter. Maya is embarrassed and feels really bad about the whole situation they are in. The story follows Maya through one whole day. She is hungry, she gets wet, she is worried, and she does not dare share her secret with anybody, not even her very best friend. She has a hard time concentrating, her backpack is stolen by a really mean girl. All the things Maya owns are in that backpack. Once in a while Maya thinks back to how things were before.

Matheson did a great job handling such a sensitive subject. She gives great understanding and insight through the way Maya struggles through the day. She is doing her best to be a great student, a great daughter and a good friend. She carries the big secret and it weighs so heavy on her. Maya is strong and tough, yet tender hearted and kind. I admire May and I could not put the book down.

 Ellen-Anita , LMS 

The Deadliest Diseases Then and Now by Deborah Hopkinson - OPTIONAL

The Deadliest Diseases Then and Now by Deborah Hopkinson, 224 pages. NON-FICTION. Scholastic, 2021. $8

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Readers may be surprised to learn that deadly pandemics have always been a part of history. Hopkinson covers how pandemics were treated, their effect, and what we have learned from history, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The book is well researched with pictures throughout. There is a glossary and some activities at the back. I wanted to like this book more than I did. It dragged for me and I wish there would have been more stories to increase the urgency and engagement. The facts seemed too sterile and clinical for me, though highly relevant. 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Rauf - OPTIONAL

The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Rauf, 239 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2022. $17. 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

10yo Hector is always up for jokes and pranks. When he is bested by a homeless man in the park, however, Hector takes things too far and sends the man’s entire cart of belongings into the pond. The next time Hector sees Thomas, the homeless man, something strange happens – all the lights in downtown London are clicked off and something important is stolen. No one will believe Hector when he tries to tell, especially Mei Li, a girl from Hector’s grade, who knows Thomas from her work at a homeless food kitchen. The more Hector tries to prove Thomas is the culprit, the less sure Hector is that Thomas really is the bad guy. 

If the book sounds complicated, that’s because it is. And the bit of magical realism/mechanical magic in the book don’t help – Hector is not very interesting and the book didn’t hold my attention. Hector and his family default to white (no descriptions) and while there are some ethnic sounding names, none of that matters within the context of the book. 

 Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Whispering Alaska by Brendan Jones - ESSENTIAL

Whispering Alaska by Brendan Jones, 274 pages. Delacorte Press (Random), 2021. $17 

Content: G

 BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Nicky and Josie are twin sisters. Not just twins, but mirror twins. Their mother, an ER doctor, has just died from Covid-19. Their dad decides what they all need is a fresh start, closer to family – in Alaska. Nicky and Josie have drifted apart and are each dealing with the grief of losing their mother in different ways. In the part of Alaska they settle in, the main livelihood are logging and fishing. Nicky and Josie instantly get drawn into the high drama at the island - a huge debate of whether a large tract of huge, old trees should be cut down or preserved. However, they end up on different sides of the issue. Will this break the sisters apart, or will they be able to work out their differences?

I liked how the family pulled together for support and how the girls were included in what was going on. This is a very realistic, beautiful story. The forest and trees are so realistically described that I felt like I was there with the characters. Through what they learn about the forest, life on the island and the people there, the girls are able to work out their differences and help out the community at the same time. 

Ellen-Anita , LMS 

Bearnard Writes a Book by Deborah Underwood and Misa Saburi - ADVISABLE

Bearnard Writes a Book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Misa Saburi. PICTURE BOOK. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2022. $19. 9781250261458 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Now that Bearnard has his own book, he wants his BFF Gertie to have a book too. He needs some help though, so he follows the map of Storybook Land thru the library for research - Character City, Setting Village, Problem Plaza. With a stop at The Writer’s Room, Bearnard thinks he might be done, but realizes his story is short and boring. Luckily, he can REVISE! 

What a cute look at the story-writing process! I would even read this to any level that teaches Creative Writing. 

 Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS