(2) YA In an appealing and innovative collection, Wilson (One Last Shot, rev. 3/23) brings together a dozen authors (David Bowles, Margarita Engle, Eric Gansworth, Mariama J. Lockington, among others), each creating a different short story in verse around the overarching theme of love. The tales explore this theme from various perspectives: love that is new, controlling, forbidden, rejected, familial, spiritual, same sex, among friends, and for our pets. The poets each bring their unique storytelling style -- some accessibly conversational, some more layered and narratively complex -- with stories ranging from fantasy to contemporary and historical fiction. Poetic language builds each story: in the heartbreaking but hopeful "Kaleidoscope," for instance, Alexandra Alessandri writes, "I can learn to find beauty in the ashes, / to choose joy in the hard places, / to make art from broken pieces." Each entry stands strongly on its own, while the collection creates a compelling picture of the many dimensions of love.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) 1-3 Tiny Bean's Big Adventures series. Meet hedgehogs Bean and Grandma in this pitch-perfect collection of eleven brief stories for early readers, ranging from two to eight pages long. An omniscient narrator introduces this duo's sweet and loving intergenerational relationship. Caregiver Grandma is always there to look after Bean, from fixing too-small blankets and sweaters to tucking her in every night "like a Bean burrito." When "Bean is in a mood, a dramatic moping mood, where nothing seems quite right and she wants to go away," Grandma gives her the space she needs: "Don't forget your hat. Off you go now. Toodle-oo!" Activities with Grandma include choosing a new houseplant (a cactus, of course) and helping with chores such as picking giant strawberries...and then eating them. Readers also see Bean at play: practicing her "BOOs" disguised as a ghost, swinging, and using her imagination. Recurring characters (Bean's stuffed piglet Clem, her cat friend Gus, the badger mail carrier, and rabbit florist Mr. Green) lend familiarity for new readers, while the straightforward text is the right mix of simple and slightly complex words. Graegin's first solo venture beyond picture books features cozy digital illustrations in an earthy palette that suits the natural setting of the critters' world. Lively and mixed page design accentuates Bean's playfulness. Bean and Grandma's heartwarming everyday adventures, complete with subtle and genuine humor, are ripe for repeat reads and further series entries.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) 1-3 In the latest installment of this enjoyable early chapter book series (Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories, rev. 5/23), an average Tuesday takes a few minor twists and turns for the titular best friends. In "The Nothing" -- the first of four brief, episodic chapters -- Bear visits Bird for their weekly cloud-watching expedition. Bird is under the weather; Bear outdoes himself trying to comfort her but finally lets her voice her own desire to rest, and the two share cozy, quiet moments doing nothing. Rejuvenated, Bird rallies for the remaining three stories, in which the duo faces additional low-stakes conflicts while traveling about their forested neighborhood. As usual, they watch their good intentions land slightly off-target; memorably, while attempting to fend off a rival best friend, Bird performs an original, unintentionally offensive song entitled "Oh, What a Smelly Bear." Jarvis approaches these misunderstandings with gentle humor; his resolutions never feel condescending or prescriptive. The loose-lined, textured, and occasionally fanciful art also helps maintain a playful tone. Bear and Bird's everyday exploits -- and their canny, child's-eye perspective on conflict resolution -- continue to be witty, tender, and surprising.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 1-3 With four new stories, Jarvis continues to give young readers the emotionally satisfying, highly readable tales characteristic of the series. In "The Test," Bird investigates her friend Bear to make sure that he is indeed who he claims to be, rather than his almost identical cousin. By the end, they have smoothed their friendship hiccup, while readers are invited to ponder a more philosophical question: how do you really know that your friend is themself? The two celebrate together in "The Day" even though each comes to the wrong conclusion about why the date is circled on the calendar. In "The Cave," when the ball they are playing with rolls into a creepy cave, they bravely enter, only to discover the rumors of stinky goo and talking mushrooms are untrue. "The Umbrella" features a magical (or is it?) conveyance. Jarvis's digital illustrations, with their soft edges and simple lines, perfectly match the gentle tone of the stories; even the entrance to the creepy cave is not too scary.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(3) YA Illustrated by Debbie Fong. This anthology -- featuring targeted authors such as Maia Kobabe, Elana K. Arnold, Bill Konigsberg, and Ellen Hopkins -- serves as a guide for young people concerned about book banning and censorship in their communities. The personal essays (some quite dark), poetry, graphic stories, illustrations, and short fiction powerfully advocate against bans and support the value of the voices being removed from shelves. Book lists and additional resources, including practical advice for fighting bans at your school or library, are included throughout.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Shannon Hochman. In this collection of fourteen Passover-themed tales by different authors -- Laurel Snyder, Adam Gidwitz, Veera Hiranandani, among others -- one story is assigned to each step of the Seder. Each piece is preceded by an explanation of that step and four reflection questions. The engaging tales cover a vast range of Jewish experiences, including emigration from Eastern Europe and Cuba, Orthodox family life, women's varied roles in Jewish ritual, and interfaith families; as well as parts of life beyond the holiday, including losing a grandparent, coming out, being bullied, and neurodiversity. Most readers will find something that speaks to them and reflects who they are. The formats are also diverse, including realistic fiction, autobiography, fantasy, verse, and a story partially told in comics format. The tales invite readers to think about their personal relationships to the themes of family, freedom, and identity. Hochman's stark and atmospheric black-and-white drawings at the start of each story may remind readers of some Haggadah illustrations. Appended recipes invite hands-on interaction.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. This imaginative collection presents thirteen stories from an all-star team of authors, including Nikki Grimes, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Linda Sue Park. A heartfelt introduction by the coeditors sets up the theme and through line: these are short stories of middle-school kids growing in self-knowledge and empathy as they realize that they each have some sort of gift. ("Because everyone has a power, and that power matters, no matter how small or inconvenient it may seem.") The compilation is cleverly organized into two parts: "The Power of Discovering Who We Are" and "The Power of Being Who We Are." Abilities portrayed include time-jumping, shape-shifting, telepathy, the courage to speak truth to power, the ability to sense when avocados are ripe, and more. In Kyle Lukoff's story, a child learns to take steps to trust and affirm his own wishes about his gender identity; in Mitali Perkins's, a chameleon gives a girl magical cultural code switching abilities. Whether big or small, silly or serious (or both), every power is brought to life through a nuanced, diverse cast of characters and entertaining, thought-provoking plots. While the narratives lean whimsical, this entire project offers readers a careful, serious, and profound invitation to reflect on issues of identity, responsibility, social justice, and the myriad ways that people's gifts -- in both perception and application -- can affect others' lives, relationships, and the wider world. Illustrations not seen.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Focused on a community center in the fictional town of Maple Grove, New Jersey, this powerful collection of short stories celebrates the broad diversity of middle schoolers from the South Asian community, commonly referred to as desi. Over the course of the eleven interrelated stories, protagonists celebrate major life events, holidays, and the more mundane at the community center. The dilapidated building serves as the focal point for a heavily Asian American community but is also a target of xenophobic opportunists, who use coded (and sometimes overt) language to try to shut it down. "Together at the Center" by Khan, "Out in the Open" by Rajani LaRocca, and "The Map of Home" by Sayantani DasGupta showcase the importance of open dialogue, community, and speaking out against anti-Asian/South Asian and Islamophobic incidents. Mitali Perkins's "Smile Number Seven" and "Answered Prayers" by N. H. Senzai address in-group judgment, both real and perceived, ethnic and religious; resulting self-defense mechanisms are handled with nuance and care in relation to single-parent households, disability, and domestic violence. Back matter includes a note from Khan and contributing authors' bios.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Composed of twelve stories written by a dozen different authors, this We Need Diverse Books anthology is organized by apartment number in a New York City building. Each tale is narrated by a young person from one of the building's immigrant families. Ro Chen, in Andrea Wang's entry, attends Chinese school on the weekends and wants to join the lion dancing class, which seems limited to boys only. Yaniel Fernandez, in Adrianna Cuevas's story, learns that his abuela, who works in a school cafeteria, was once a civil engineer in Cuba who designed bridges. Alex Kim, in Oh's tale, secretly leaves Korean food for a cranky neighbor. Through its series of brief slice-of-life vignettes, the collection paints a vivid picture of urban life for the children of immigrant parents. Immigrant experiences are a thread that connects each story, but it is neither a single experience nor the sole focus -- it's something shifting, multifaceted, and multidimensional that coalesces in the closing scene: a building potluck party. While the offerings are interconnected, many individual pieces will stay with readers for a long time. An engaging, thought-provoking collection that can be read from front to back for a more novelistic approach or experienced (and savored) by dipping in and out.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Common early adolescent issues and those particular to Black girls are covered with depth and heart in this short story collection by fifteen authors. The protagonists are all in middle school, and many of them are struggling to fit in with their peers. Several entries deal with the fissure that often develops among friends as children transition from elementary to middle school. In "The Sleepover" by Kekla Magoon, for example, Cordie is mortified when a group of girls discovers that she's brought a stuffie to her first slumber party. "This humiliation would follow her for the rest of her life, she was sure." Fans of fantasy and magical realism will also find tales to enjoy, such as "First Bite" by Dhonielle Clayton and "The House Downstairs" by Amerie. Reneé Watson's prose poem, "Black Girl, Be," sums up the theme of this anthology: "Your birthright is brilliance and creativity... / Be Black girl. Be."

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman. In the harrowing world of these thirteen creative short stories, bicycles can be demonic, your classmates might be zombies, and a fortune cookie might contain more than a harmless slip of paper. In a third collection of scary tales, Allen (Out to Get You; Only if You Dare, rev. 9/21) taps into the "what-ifs": what if, instead of your feeling like the invisible middle child, everyone truly forgot that you existed? What if, instead of your growing out of being afraid of creatures in the dark, those very creatures were just waiting for you to turn out the light and take your time hopping into bed? What if nobody in your new class believed that your old house was haunted by a ghost girl who wanted to chop off your fingers? Coleman's grayscale illustrations match the mild horror of the narratives, which, while not particularly gory, are not for the faint of heart. (Many of the stories' endings imply that the child protagonists die horrible deaths.) The dark fates and creepy buildups will appeal strongly to young readers who love to indulge their fears, and the stories are compelling enough to be read in one or two sittings. Fans of Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (rev. 2/82) will have a great time reading this collection -- although, maybe, a hard time falling asleep.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) 4-6 K is a bourgeois school boy in what appears to be late-nineteenth-century Bohemia. He is frail, anxious, and lonely, isolated at home, withdrawn at school. In each of five graphic short stories, Clement presents a situation of powerlessness, oppression, or ennui in which K encounters a small moment of grace. An errand to buy a carp turns into a nightmare of chaos and alienation, but when K finally makes it back home, pursued by angry townspeople, his mother stands up for him. Faced with the cruel, absurdist bureaucracy of his school, K is comforted by a helpful beetle who advises him to write about it all one day. Based loosely on the life and work of Franz Kafka, this volume makes adept use of the graphic format, as everything from the pace of the panels to the size of the type effectively conveys the feeling of being small, quiet, and timid in a world that can be giant, loud, and aggressive. This isn't parody, pastiche, or melodrama but rather a sympathetic and respectful portrait of the condition of being a child, a condition as familiar now as then. Pair with Theule's Kafka and the Doll for an introduction to a sad boy who became one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Manuel Preitano. Jenkins presents a cadre of overlapping dog-lovers' stories set in a Brooklyn neighborhood in this heartwarming tale of mischief and misunderstandings. Finely attuned to the stresses and changes of sixth-grade friendships and family dynamics, Jenkins's third-person narrative deftly conveys each character's experience. Ezra, while walking active puppy Cup-Cup, grapples with the distance his longtime friend Kaleb, owner of Mr. Cashmere, has put between them. Jilly adjusts to life with her aunt Valeria and her two less-than-welcoming terriers, Grover and Lottie. Meanwhile, Mei-Alice juggles a starring role in the school play with a chocolate-hungry "corgi-adjacent" pet at home. The sundry group of dogs, whose inner thoughts and barked conversations appear in italics, get themselves and their owners into trouble along the way. Black-and-white illustrations bring the diverse cast to life, and, thankfully, an introductory portrait of "The Best Dogs" and "Their People" offers a reference point. A sharp, humorous, and sweet story for dog lovers and more.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(1) 4-6 This humorous collection features twenty-five story-poems presented in an innovative comic format. Kooky cartoon characters star in the wildly colorful digital illustrations full of vivid purple, orange, and lime green. The zany cast includes (alongside a diverse group of children and grownups) ghost guppies, Squishosaurs, a salesmoose, and of course the titular dragon and Nozzlewock -- "the nose with super-vacuum strength." They tell their intersecting stories in continuous rollicking rhymes full of wordplay, hyperbole, and deadpan humor. Madan delights in infusing his poems with advanced, even complicated vocabulary that will both challenge and intrigue young readers. For example, in "Apocalypse," a mummy tries to terrify three kids: "Beware my wrath! My timeless grudge! / Prepare to face my primal curse! / My hex, unfurled, will end your world / once I recite my vengeful verse!" The kids aren't scared -- it turns out they're zombies -- and all four form a rock band, "The Rolling Moans." Madan employs tongue twisters for humorous effect in "Chores"; a profusion of words beginning with imp- in "A Hatful of Imps"; and a poem in panels that can be rearranged in twenty trillion different ways (which he explains) in "T.T.T.S.U.I.T.M." (a.k.a. "This Thing That Showed Up in the Mail"). He plays with the panels on the page, with shifting perspective, and with embedding countless, thrilling tiny details to discover in the illustrations.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 Magic-wish stories, in folklore and fiction, are perfect vehicles for exploring unintended consequences. Voigt takes full advantage of this narrative device in a compilation of, essentially, four novellas featuring middle-grade children who are each given a pair of wishes. Bug wishes for a skateboard. Zoe wishes her parents would stop having "Ugly Fights." Casey wishes for a dog. Billy wishes for a unicorn. The upshot of these wishes includes alienation from friends, a parental separation, a threat to a tenuous living situation, and a sobering realization about the misuse of power in relationships. In each case, the first wish is the mess-up wish and the second is the tidy-up wish. In working out these dilemmas toward plausible happy endings, Voigt treads a skillful line between magic and concrete human realities, between getting what you want and discovering what you value -- all with convincing, flawed characters, child and adult, in a variety of family situations. The narrative voice, complete with direct address to the reader, is ever-present here, and the moral lessons learned -- honesty, compassion, generosity, humility, grit -- are made explicit in a way appropriate for fable, which is really the storytelling territory these tales inhabit.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA Luna, Heavenly Water, menses, period, monthly moon--menstruation by any name is a fact of life for the BIPOC main characters in these short stories that focus on cultural celebrations, social stigma, gender identity, and the myriad physical and emotional changes taking place during puberty. Christina Soontornvat's "Rules of the Lake" is a humorous and touching tale of a Thai American girl who is surprised by her first period during a school field trip. "Turning Point" by Leah Henderson is about a Black soccer player and her ballet instructor mother who find common ground in celebrating her first period. Mason J.'s "The Gender Creamsicle," written in verse, offers a much-needed perspective on the experience of a gender-nonconforming protagonist: "I am a gender Creamsicle: orange and white. / Not a Popsicle or ice cream. I am in between." The stories have broad appeal and are unified by a common thread of growing up. Issues related to race and gender, immigration status, and language diversity are set alongside culturally rich narratives about a singular and pivotal life event, giving young people an opportunity to feel seen, and less alone.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) 4-6 In this collection of linked short stories, a nasty storm strikes Chicago's (fictional) Gateway International Airport, delaying flights and suspending travel plans. Twelve-year-old Paul and his family, who are flying to Thailand to visit family, are stopped by security when his grandfather's remains, which his grandmother is trying to bring aboard the plane, trigger an alarm; then Paul's missing little sister causes subsequent delays. In the midst of the chaos, readers meet eleven other Asian American young people throughout the airport who find themselves in situations where they witness and experience (and also stand up to) racism: Mindy, an adoptee from Korea who doesn't feel ready to visit the country of her biological origin; Ari, who is tired of explaining that she is Jewish and Chinese; Jane, whose Gonggong (grandfather) was attacked for simply being Asian. Oh and the other eleven short-story authors--who include Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Linda Sue Park, and Christina Soontornvat--paint a picture of what it means to navigate being Asian American in a post-2020 world, where the burden of being blamed for COVID-19 is thrust on young shoulders. An editor's note defines the term Asian American and explains the rationale for highlighting East and Southeast Asian American experiences.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) 4-6 These graphic-format retellings of three Indonesian folktales steer their female protagonists away from traditional "superficial tropes" and render them as empowered, intelligent characters who determine their own fates. A young woman trapped in a snail's shell by her jealous younger sister is finally freed when she seeks to help someone other than herself in "Keong Mas." A newly blended family brings two girls together as sisters in "Bawang Merah Bawang Putih." Though tragedy unexpectedly strikes, the sisters keep their hearts open and forge a path forward together: "because Merah had Putih and Putih had Merah. And that was enough." A medicine woman in "Timun Mas" builds a life for herself despite opposing societal norms and expectations. When a giant knocks on her door demanding that she surrender what she deems most precious, she refuses to accept defeat. The panel illustrations feature deep purples, earthy greens, and rich golden hues. Angkasa's expressive art transports readers through the rolling waves, flowing rivers, and lush forests that make up the over seventeen thousand Indonesian islands. Brief prose retellings of the original stories are provided for reference and comparison; an author's note makes personal connections.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) YA Brown, an artist and storyteller, grew up in Selma, Alabama, in the 1950s and 1960s. In her memoir in stories, she focuses on remembrances of 1965 when she was twelve and living through pivotal events of the civil rights movement. Vivid sensory language is the book's great strength. The titular story is a beautiful evocation of time and place: "My Selma was a place that emitted the rich, clean odor of black dirt and sour clay, that smelled of sage and pork sausages, ham, and biscuits...blowing through dew-covered Johnson grass and across foggy highways at five a.m. on any morning." Other stories read more like family tales told around a supper table, contributing to an overall warm narrative about the great beauty and joy that coexisted with the ugliness and pain of racism. Brown's twelve stories confront the prejudice her family faced when moving into a mostly white neighborhood, being called the n-word (spelled out in the book) for the first time, and the terror when white men tried to break into her house. Through it all came a rising protest, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and hundreds of frustrated and angry residents converged at the Brown Chapel Church and the iconic march from Selma to Montgomery began. In her afterword, Brown says that "hope is in the telling," and her stories offer a strong voice still needed in the ongoing struggle for justice. An excellent match with Elizabeth Partridge's Marching for Freedom (rev. 11/09).

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by twenty-one accomplished artists from around the globe, each of the twenty "tiny tales" gives the reader just enough in word and picture to generate curiosity and discussion. Thea Lu illustrates the prompt "the x-rays reveal writing etched onto all of my bones" with an image of someone carrying an x-ray and holding a casted arm in a sling. Look closely at the x-ray to see that each bone is shown with an expiration date. Does that January 14, 2030, date signify the person's death? Shaun Tan's beautifully creepy painting centers an enormous human skull, sitting in a farmyard. A ladder leans against the skull, and a relatively diminutive human, on hands and knees, paints adornments on it: "Every year they honored their son by decorating his skull." Why is the skull so much larger than the humans? Do the window curtains suggest that the people live inside? Do the decorations mean anything? What happened? Coelho's extensive afterword suggests ways for young writers and artists to build on the stories. Like Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, this is a book for older children to pore over and let their imaginations flower. With twenty-one different illustrators representing many styles, media, and settings, each of the spreads stands apart so viewers can concentrate on a single page or read the book through for a disquieting experience.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023