Curse of the Boggin by D.J. MacHale - ESSENTIAL

MacHale, D.J.  Curse of the Boggin (The Library Book 1), 242 pgs. Random House Children’s Books, 2016.  $16.99. Language G; Mature Content G; Violence PG (general spookiness).

Nine-year old Alec Swenor witnesses a supernatural murder.  His story soon entwines with 7^th grader Marcus O’Mara, who has a propensity for getting into trouble.  Marcus gets swept up in the supernatural while serving time in detention and almost getting gored by a bull that doesn’t exist.   Marcus pulls in the help of his two friends, Lu and Theo, who help him fight what they determine to be a Boggin.  The mysterious Library holds some of the answers Marcus seeks, but he must act quickly to save those he loves.  

Plusses for this book:  MacHale has states that this is the first book in a series, and that it needs to be read first for the set-up, but that subsequent books can be read in any order. After finishing this book, I can totally see how each book can be unique but feed off the premise of this first book. The writing is engaging and fun with just the right amount of spookiness.  

MS-ESSENTIAL.  Michelle in the Middle

Bear Likes Jam by Ciara Gavin - ADVISABLE

Gavin, Ciara Bear Likes Jam. PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf, 2017. $16.99. 

Bear's very favorite thing to eat is jam. He eats it right out of the jar--sometimes several jars at a time--until his mom puts her foot down. Bear must eat a balanced diet with vegetables before he can have more jam. Eating the vegetables is initially really hard for Bear, but eventually his siblings help turn it into a game and Bear starts to happily eat his vegetables regularly. Now that his eating is more balanced, he gets jam as the occasional treat. 

This is a really cute take on the classic battle of getting kids to eat their vegetables. The illustrations are amusing, the text is the perfect length, and most kids will relate well to Bear. The book will obviously appeal to parents who hope the story will encourage vegetable eating in their own home, but kids will enjoy the story even without a lesson being pushed at them. 

EL(K-3), EL -- ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC

Antoinette by Kelly DiPucchio - ADVISABLE

DiPucchio Kelly, Antoinette, illustrated by Christian Robinson. PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon and Schuster), 2017. $17.99. Content: G. 

Antoinette is a small poodle in a family of bulldogs (see “Gaston” for an explanation) Each of her brothers has something special about him, but Antoinette hasn’t discovered what she is good at.  Then, one day at the park, while playing with Gaston and his family, one of Gaston’s sisters gets lost.  Antoinette won’t give up until she finds her.  

The situation makes a great story, but unless the child is familiar with “Gaston” the plot may be confusing. (Antoinette looks exactly like Gaston’s sisters), however, it is a great companion book - I hope to see more puppyhood adventures of Gaston and Antoinette.  The message - be patient and your “special’ will show up is well told and the illustrations are cute, witty and charming.  If you have Gaston, you need Antoinette.  

EL (K-2) - ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon - ADVISABLE

Yoon, Nicola The Sun is Also a Star, 344 pgs. Penguin Random House (Delacourt) 2016. $18.99. Language: R (39 swears, 14 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG.  

Are our lives predetermined by fate? Are certain people destined to fall in love, or is it all chance?  Natasha and Daniel have a very important busy day; Natasha lives in New York with her family, but they are undocumented immigrants from Jamaica, and, because their dad got a DUI, are being deported at 10:00 pm.  Natasha is desperately trying to get help so she can stay - she has an appointment with an attorney who might be able to help.  Daniel, whose Korean parents are insisting he go to medical school at Yale, has a college interview. He is on his way to get a haircut before his appointment when he sees Natasha.  This chance meeting changes everything.  As they spend the day together, and slowly share their lives with each other, they try not to fall in love - but fate might be thinking differently.  

This is a marvelous character study.  Told in alternating perspectives (mostly Daniel’s and Natasha’s - but also the people they come in contact with) the writing is superb, and the story makes you think about love, life, family, culture and what’s really important.  Sad, funny and heartfelt - this story of meeting and falling in love over the course of one day is sexy but not graphic, poignant without being sappy and a beautiful read.  

HS - ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

Nemesis by Anna Banks - ADVISABLE

Banks, Anna  Nemesis, 356 pgs.  Feiwel and Friends, 2016.  $17.99 

Language: G; Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13.  

Sepora is a Forger, which means she produces spectorium a mineral that her people use for energy.  When Sepora’s father abuses Sepora’s forging in an attempt to start a war with all the kingdoms, Sephora runs away to the neighboring kingdom of Theoria where her royalty stays anonymous.  Through a series of events, she ends up befriending Tarik the king of Theoria and Sepora has to decide if she is willing to use her forging skills to help others and how she will help all the kingdoms to remain peaceful.  

I really liked this book.  The first chapter was overwhelming because of the many different names and places (which I would have appreciated a map and possibly a character list), but once the story got going it was easy to keep track of everyone.  I like Sepora’s strong, independent, but kind and peaceful character.  The chemistry between Sepora and Tarik was entertaining and the idea was creative.  I can’t wait to read the next in the series because this is a cliffhanger.  

MS, HS – ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Ticket to India by N.H. Senzai - OPTIONAL

Senzai, N.H. Ticket to India, 288 pgs. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2015. $16.99. Language: PG (1 swear); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

Maya and her family have traveled to Pakistan for the funeral of her grandfather. This visit quickly changes from a family gathering to honor her grandfather to Maya, her sister, and grandmother sneaking away to India to retrieve long lost treasure. Twelve-year-old Maya always believed that her family was from Pakistan, but she is finally learning the truth of her grandmother’s past in India. What was supposed to be a brief trip to retrieve a hidden treasure from her grandmother’s childhood home changes dramatically and dangerously as Maya finds herself separated from her family and makes the decision to seek out the treasure on her own.

It is evident throughout this book what the author is trying to accomplish. Educating young children as to the history of Pakistan and India’s partition is a noble one, but is an overall failure. The insertion of historical fact is clumsy and awkward and the main plot is implausible. The main characters are charming and the reader will want only the best for them, but the plot devices used to move the story forward and lend a constant feel of peril are tedious. Young readers may find themselves with an increased interest in the history of the region and will learn about the formation of Pakistan and the affect it had on the Muslim population, which does give some merit to the effort.

EL, MS—OPTIONAL AEB