(3) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Davy bonds with his wealthy employer’s son, Clive “Jacks” Lewis, but their friendship is tested as Jacks attends boarding school and Davy labors in the shipyards. With Jacks’ encouragement, Davy pursues drawing, which improves his station in life. Set in 1908 Belfast, this fictionalized account of C. S. Lewis’s childhood offers a memorable exploration of friendship, creativity, and class. Lyrical, immersive writing beautifully evokes the era. Informative frontmatter explores Lewis’s Irish background, enriching the historical context.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Dooling. In the midst of Northern Ireland's "Troubles," two young girls--one Catholic, the other Protestant--reach out to each other on a crowded street and exchange peaceful tokens and honest words. While hopeful, Bunting's lengthy and purposeful text is more lesson than story. Dooling's subdued paintings convey mood, but figures sometimes look posed.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Photographs by Alan O'Connor. This slice-of-life photo essay follows eleven-year-old Liam as he attends school, spends time with his family, and intensely prepares for a boxing match. That Liam is a Catholic boy living in a city long divided by "the Troubles" is evident throughout the present-tense text and in the sharp color photos, but the book's emphasis is on how normal childhood activities abide, even when restricted and somewhat shaped by social conflict.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta