(2) YA In this ambitious work, Bray alternates three seemingly disparate stories, briefly braiding them into one near the novel's end. In 1940s Germany, Sophie and Hanna are devotees of the Bridegroom's Oak, a hollow tree famed as a post box for exchanging love letters. As the Nazi regime becomes increasingly brutal and the girls work for the resistance, what better use for it than as a drop for forged documents? In the 1980s, overprotected Texan teen Jenny, who has moved with her family to West Berlin, takes on a new, rebellious life when she falls in love with punk band founder Lena, who is determined to pull off a dangerous rescue in East Berlin. And in 2020s Brooklyn, under COVID-19 lockdown, Miles and Chloe use their Zoom meetings to translate clippings and letters belonging to Chloe's German grandmother. The novel's strength lies in Bray's careful characterization of Sophie and Hanna and in the suspenseful life-or-death stakes of their story, generating momentum for the three-strand plot: how are the girls connected to characters in Berlin and Brooklyn? Thematic connections among the three milieux are patent, from fascist "making Germany great again" to perilously restrictive communist East Germany to the murder of George Floyd. Occasional peculiarities of expression ("one day, that fish who had been a boy would grow into a great whale") appear in writing that is generally sharply effective. Throughout, Bray stresses the value of resistance to "our flawed world's inhumanity, intolerance, and authoritarianism" by means of "acts both large and small."

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Brosgol (most recently Plain Jane and the Mermaid, rev. 5/24) pivots from graphic novels and picture books to an illustrated middle-grade novel (finished art unseen). After the death of his father, ten-year-old Oliver and his mother have "moved on, and on, and on, exploring the corners of his mom's address book," relying on the kindness of relatives for places to live. When his eccentric great-aunt Barb dies, leaving her small New York City apartment to Oliver's mother, Oliver wonders how long it will be until they have to move again. It's a creepy place: butterflies pinned to the walls, dead caterpillars in the oven, a taxidermied cat perched on a stool, and a neighbor (named Elizabeth Appleblood) who considers Oliver "a perfectly edible child." Odder still is a mail slot in the living room wall that leads nowhere. When Oliver discovers that it grants wishes, the novel's "be careful what you wish for" theme kicks in. First, a free pizza is delivered. Expensive sneakers help him fit in better at his new ultra-wealthy private school (where his mother works as a custodian). But the wishes have unforeseen repercussions, and Oliver and his new friend, Colette, must navigate the school as outsiders and face the consequences of their actions. Readers with a taste for absurdity and social satire will relish this imaginative tale.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Chuck Groenink. The first half of this informational picture book is narrated by the collective “we” of generations of humpback whales: “Before there were ships and streets and buildings and a city called New York, we were here.” Subsequent pages depict whales and other sea creatures cavorting in what would soon become New York Harbor, with devastating harpooning and ship traffic and choking pollution to follow. The once-rich waters are no longer habitable, and the whales take off for “cleaner waters and a safer home.” In a (somewhat abrupt) turn, the art and text shift perspective, moving onto the land, and the narrative “we” becomes the voice of New York’s human inhabitants in the decades before and after passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Diverse groups of New ­Yorkers are shown marching in support of environmental action; later, people clear litter from the river and enjoy boating, fishing, and other activities—eventually rejoined by a new generation of New York Harbor whales. Detailed back matter includes whale facts, a timeline, brief profiles of significant activists, and calls to action. Castaldo’s text, accompanied by Groenink’s detailed and expansive gouache and graphite illustrations, offers hope for aspiring citizen activists and makes a compelling case for taking the long view and not giving up the fight.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gordon C. James. Few writers have commanded the English language like James Baldwin (1924-1987). As a child in Harlem, Jimmy was expected to care for his eight siblings while his mother did domestic work. He endured a domineering stepfather, bullying, racism, and police violence. All the while, he escaped through the world of words and books. He eventually moved to France, where he used his pen to reconcile his experiences as a Black man in the United States. The result was his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, which sparked a successful literary career. Harris lyrically narrates Baldwin's childhood and his pathway to becoming a published author, highlighting how reading captivated him at a young age ("in the library, Jimmy could hear the books singing to him") and capturing the essence of a man whose literature still resonates today. James's oil on board illustrations are resplendent in rich jewel tones, with double-page spreads that are at times reminiscent of impressionist paintings. The delight of the library stacks, the fervor of Sunday service, the solitude on a hill in Central Park are all lavishly rendered. This is a beautiful tribute to Baldwin and the book that ignited his career. Back matter includes more information about Baldwin and a list of select sources, along with author and illustrator notes. Pair with Meadows and Law's Jimmy's Rhythm and Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin (rev. 3/24).

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA When seventh grader Finn Connelly is caught on a surveillance camera kicking over a headstone in a local Lake Placid cemetery, little does he know it was the grave of Edna Grace Thomas, "Queen of the High Peaks," one of the first women 46ers: those who have climbed all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks. Edna's daughter, Kelly, sets Finn on a mission of atonement: to climb all forty-six mountains in memory of her mother. She suspects that Finn can use what the peaks offer: "The power to heal. / To help a troubled soul find peace. / Make a broken person whole." Finn begins a hero's journey, accompanied by Seymour, "the most slobbery, / drooly-faced, / smelly-furred, / farty-butted dog / in the world," along with a series of 46er "trail nannies," and soon realizes that "the trouble with long hikes / is that your brain has to come with you." He has plenty of time to think about the mess he has made of his life recently and about his anger and grief over the (unprocessed) loss of his father two years earlier. Messner relates Finn's story through an animated first-person narrative and through the poems Finn must write for a school project, mixing in text messages with his mother, letters to his English teacher, cookie recipes, and more. This verse novel covers a lot of ground, literally and metaphorically, and thoughtfully grapples with the big ideas of life.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Selina Alko. In 1966, a "trusted keeper [of stories]" (identified in the back matter as the library at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City) suffered a terrible fire, which destroyed thousands of books and other items, many not found elsewhere -- including books and ritual objects that had been rescued from the Nazis. Books that didn't burn were waterlogged and becoming more damaged by the minute. But through the help and persistence of the surrounding community, all was not lost. Idea after idea was proposed, but the ultimate solution was a simple yet elegant one that saved 170,000 volumes: layering paper towels between the pages of each sodden book. This story focuses equally on the effort that brought a community together, on the importance of libraries as repositories of stories, and on the books themselves as representatives of history and culture. Evocative illustrations combine painting and collage, including words in multiple languages, with occasional references to specific titles and others to language and content more generally. The narrative ends with the resonant refrain "our stories were not consumed." Back matter includes information about the Jewish Theological Seminary Library, a brief bibliography, and period photographs of the fire and its aftermath. An author's note provides additional historical context and draws contemporary connections between the fire, the importance of books, and the divisiveness of our current society.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) YA In this verse novel with a basis in Caribbean folklore, fifteen-year-old Marisol and her mother, Lourdes, have recently emigrated from the Caribbean to Brooklyn. The two are soucouyant, shapeshifting "monsters" who shed their skin during the new moon to feed on the souls of their enemies. As a poor Black immigrant girl, Marisol finds that the world she inhabits sees her as monstrous in more ways than one. Seventeen-year-old Genevieve, by contrast, has lived in New York her whole life with her white father and stepmother (she has a Black biological mother). Although she enjoys privileges such as wealth, light skin, and U.S. citizenship, Genevieve feels trapped in her own body: enflamed rashes make her feel like her skin "will burn and melt / right off my fucking bones." The two girls' lives intersect when Lourdes is hired as a full-time nanny by Genevieve's stepmother for her newborn twins, and they come to realize that despite their very different upbringings, their worlds are more interconnected than they could have imagined. Expressive verse alternates between Marisol and Genevieve's perspectives, with judicious shifts in placement emphasizing connections between them. In a story that explores class, nationalism, colorism, colonialism, and ancestry, Zoboi skillfully captures the complexities of identity and belonging, offering a powerful narrative about two girls struggling to understand who they are and where they come from.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Winnie Nash has been out as gay since age four when she kissed another girl at preschool. It's never been an issue. At twelve, she's much more worried about her mom, who is pregnant again after several miscarriages. Winnie's parents are sending her to stay with a grandmother she barely knows for the whole summer, and they warn her not to share their family's private business, including her mom's severe clinical depression and the fact that Winnie is gay. They tell her just to have an enjoyable summer at the Jersey Shore -- but how can she do that when anytime she smiles, she feels like she's stealing a smile from her mom? All she wants is to escape to New York City to attend the Pride parade, where she won't have to hide. In the moody and contrarian Winnie, Melleby has crafted a believable, compelling portrait of a middle schooler struggling to process big, difficult emotions. Though Winnie's family situation makes this novel at times a somber read, joy shines through in unexpected places, as when Winnie delights in playing canasta at the senior center, or in the vivid descriptions of beaches. Winnie's relationship with her grandma is a highlight -- complicated, sometimes tumultuous, but deeply rewarding once she discovers that we really do need to talk about the hard things.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 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) K-3 Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. It's a new school year, and Ernesto, an Afro Dominican boy wearing "lucky kicks" and "his favorite Mets cap," is finally allowed to walk the six blocks to school without his parents. Before he leaves, his mom hands him a shiny quarter "for emergencies" -- to call home using a pay phone if he needs to. Throughout the week, Ernesto saves his daily coin, despite temptations to spend the change on baseball cards, cheese puffs, or games at the arcade like his friends do. Friday arrives, and the irresistible smell of a street vendor's empanadas at the bargain price of $1.25 is well worth the expense. Matias's story is thematically rich, serving as an early math lesson on money and savings, while the depiction of a working-class family and community is matter-of-fact and welcome. Matias's text adeptly conveys the internal world of a child as he explores his new independence, while adhering to his mother's loving precautions. Zhang's ink, gouache, and watercolor illustrations capture the warmth of Ernesto's family's apartment and pay homage to the vibrant Queens, New York, setting with such local landmarks as the 7 train and the Lemon Ice King of Corona shop. A note preceding the text gives context to payphones, quarters, and Matias's real-life memories. Many details are snapshots of decades past, but the themes in the tender narrative are timeless.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(4) 4-6 Historical fiction mainstay Avi presents a slow-burn turn-of-the-previous-century novel detailing the harrowing experience of one Italian immigrant as he navigates a new world where “no one cares about immigrants unless they want you to do something unpleasant.” At the request of his father who immigrated to America years earlier, thirteen-year-old (“perhaps fourteen”) Santo, along with his mother and siblings, leave Italy for the promise of a better life. The family is separated on Ellis Island; alone and unable to find his father, Santo is effectively forced into a gang of young thieves. Run by a tyrannical teen leader, the gang becomes an uneasy source of security for Santo. In the end, the family is (mostly) reunited—arguably through a series of slightly implausible events. The first-person narrative is concise; short chapters and multiple cliffhangers will compel readers forward. An author’s note provides brief historical context on the crime ring presented in the book, plus select resources.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall

(2) 4-6 Moko Magic series. It's the summer before sixth grade, and Misty and her mother have recently moved from Trinidad to live with family in Brooklyn. Despite Misty's outgoing and determined nature, she feels like an outsider, attempting to adapt to her new environment and missing her old home, particularly with her father still in Trinidad due to visa issues. One day, while searching for craft supplies in the basement, Misty and her cousin Aidan stumble upon a magical entity made from sequins, feathers, and other assorted materials. The discovery surprises the children but is less startling to the adults, who reveal that their family descends from a lineage of mokos: healers, protectors, and seers with special powers to safeguard their community. As the next generation of mokos, Misty, Aidan, and their cousin Brooke are assigned the duty of protecting the Brooklyn Carnival. Their new roles are soon challenged by a mysterious force threatening both the celebration and those who celebrate it. Baptiste's fast-paced narrative skillfully blends humor, history, and heart. Readers familiar with her Jumbies series and other works rich in Caribbean lore will find this story both entertaining and resonant, celebrating family, community, history, and the power of storytelling.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Molly Mendoza. Front-matter illustrations introduce Granny Dee, a cat-eye-glasses-wearing Black "glamma" from Harlem, who visits her granddaughter for fun weekend routines: lounging, pampering themselves, napping, and exploring the city. Narrating in Caribbean English, the girl shares her grandmother’s zest for life. When Granny Dee falls ill, the girl takes on her roles, keeping her legacy alive. The warm, effervescent illustrations reflect joy, intergenerational bonds, and the importance of celebrating life amidst mortality.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Siara Faison. In this feel-good chapter book, the first in a series, fifth-grader Miguel rescues a stray cat outside of his family’s bodega, beginning a close friendship. The cat, named Lolo, describes how he adjusts to being part of a loving family. In alternating chapters, Miguel narrates how Lolo inspires him to be brave and tell his parents he wants to pursue art. In the end, both learn a lesson about helping others. Black-and-white illustrations, including panels from Miguel’s comic-book art, break up the text.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 From a red cabin in a forest, the young protagonist calls for her dog. "Peppermint! Where is that pesky pup? I'm going out to look for Peppermint! You come too." In the panel-style illustrations that follow, the girl takes readers on a tour of her favorite features of the forest, while the cagey Peppermint comments from a circle inset on each spread. When there are reminiscences (about the time, for instance, when Peppermint came home with a snout full of porcupine quills), the action appears as childlike drawings in the girl's sketchbook (Peppermint: "Maybe not my finest hour"). A mix of the informative and the homey, the narration encompasses elements of history and geology (how millennia earlier, glaciers dropped erratic boulders), botany, zoology (the time a coyote chased them home and they later returned to find its den), and folk wisdom (how to make a whistle out of an acorn cupule), in a visually inviting and intellectually stimulating way. When the naughty Peppermint is at last reunited with her owner, they're rewarded with one of the girl's life-list ambitions: the sight of an elusive fisher regarding them silently from high in a tree. The back matter includes a note from the author about his home and a map showing the Adirondack Mountains, sidebars about porcupines and fishers, and a list of "a few good forest books."

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) Illustrated by Vesper Stamper. This picture-book biography tells the story of Cahan (1860–1951), cofounder and later editor of the Forverts, the Yiddish newspaper known in English as The Jewish Daily Forward. Finkelstein's clear text traces Cahan's journey from the Pale of Settlement -- he fled after being questioned by czarist police over his support of workers -- to New York, as well as his experiences as a new immigrant before the paper's founding. The book's depiction of Cahan's work on the paper emphasizes his understanding of and advocacy for the needs of other Jews, immigrants, and workers. Stamper's bustling street scenes, classrooms, and newspaper offices include plenty of instances of print to pore over in multiple languages (Cahan "loved words" in English, Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish). Back matter includes more information on Cahan and on Yiddish, an author's note, a timeline, a bibliography, and suggested further reading.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lewis E. B.. "SNAP!" The camera clicks on a young boy creating chalk art. "SNAP!" The camera finds a crumpled soda can on the street. Photographer DeCarava (1919–2009) depicts the people, places, and spirit of Harlem. A spare, poetic text emphasizes his love for the neighborhood where he grew up, which was the subject of his long, prolific career. In addition to his photography and other artwork, DeCarava also taught for more than three decades. Lewis's realistic illustrations take on a painterly tone with soft, muted colors and effective play between light and shadow. The watercolors create a fluid, dreamy world where DeCarava could quietly snap away while walking the streets of Harlem on a warm, sunny afternoon. The pictures portray a neighborhood in motion, not directly aware of the artist who spent a lifetime reflecting the vibrancy of a place and people. Back matter gives biographical information and a timeline of the artist's life, providing a more complete picture of one of the most influential Black photographers of our time.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Krystal Quiles. This picture book follows a day in the life of a churro vendor in New York City, as narrated by her young daughter. Pastel-hued gouache and acrylic illustrations sprinkled with small starbursts highlight the sweet and beautiful aspects of this career, but the text does not over-glamorize, mentioning Mamá’s soreness and the anxieties the family feels about selling enough churros. The book ends in happy, delicious collaboration with a fellow vendor. Concurrently published in Spanish as El carrito de churros.

Reviewer:

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Krystal Quiles. Pastel-hued gouache and acrylic illustrations sprinkled with small starbursts are complemented by a smooth Spanish version of the English edition of Churro Stand. There are some cultural translations (“Mamá” becomes “mami”), and this version loses the light bilingual element of the English edition, but the text is still lively and full of sweet admiration (tempered with the challenging realities of vending) from the churro vendor’s child. The author’s note and “Una llamada a la acción” highlighting organizations supporting street vendor and food service worker rights remain in the backmatter, though (understandably) no glossary is included.

Reviewer:

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Morrison. Harper and Morrison's vibrant picture book focuses on a Black tween girl's trip through her city neighborhood on her way to a dance audition. She leaps -- sometimes exuberantly blowing a pink bubble-gum bubble in the air -- joyfully through scenes that include a subway, a street crossing, a busy playground, and other locations, with a multicultural group of people in the background. The narrator champions her neighborhood as a home to "brilliant minds" and "the birthplace of aerosol masterpieces, lyrical wordplay, and cardboard dance floors." Morrison's illustrations provide rich sensory detail and energy to support the narrator's observations of those who "sparkle under streetlamps." At the same time, words and images work collectively to challenge readers to slow down and pay attention to the wonders of city life that are easy to misunderstand or dismiss, as seen through the narrator's experience. Though the narrator says, "The streets look mean / from a birds-eye view," the text is a counternarrative for those with limited understandings of urban places that veer to the negative or deficit-based, challenging readers to "forget what you heard," look closer, and stay awhile. Harper's block (she hails from the Bronx) is alive, aptly called "my soul," and supported by Morrison's images and warm colors, a refreshing invitation to visit or imagine this memorable place.

Reviewer: Kim Parker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024