(2) YA In this “brother novel” to The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In (rev. 3/21), Flake explores the connection between fathers and sons. John-John McIntyre and his best friend, Caleb, enjoy archery, Star Wars, and puzzles: “geeky nerd stuff,” as he puts it. John-John imagines that his father wishes he had a different son—Big John always talks about how popular he was with girls when he was in high school and how John-John needs to toughen up and start dating. He wishes his dad were more like Caleb’s father; even though Mr. P. hasn’t been the same since he suffered a brain aneurysm, he still listens to and respects Caleb. When John-John tries to live up to his father’s expectations, he finds himself saying and doing things that get him in trouble with his friends and at home. As with Flake’s previous books, readers will be able to relate to the struggles many young people face when they don’t fit their family’s perceived ideal.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(1) 4-6 In sparkling free verse, Flake delivers a rich and compassionate story of family love centered on forgiveness. Eleven-year-old James Henry and his twin sister, Hattie Mae, live with their grandmother in North Carolina, in the Jim Crow South. After a traumatic incident involving their mother and a beloved stray dog, James Henry becomes reclusive, never leaving the house or communicating with anyone except Grand and his sister. Shouldering tremendous guilt, James Henry, an astronomy buff, copes by pretending to fly to outer space with his steadfast companion and constant protector, Hattie Mae. But when she makes a new friend, his troubles become more complicated as now he has to compete for his twin's attention. He knows the only solution to his problems is to confront his anxieties. His first steps out of the house turn into an adventurous odyssey under the luminous guidance of a mystical blue moon that Grand calls a "wishing moon." "What you want for, wish for / or need / on that day is yours / according to her." An evocative, immediate novel with compelling characters and a wonderfully well-paced plot.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) YA At sixteen, Char (the bully from The Skin I'm In, 1998), who's been expelled from several schools, is on the way to live with her grandparents, sent by her sister in hopes of turning her life around. During the multi-day bus ride (where most of the story takes place), Char decides to try to make it on her own; she also befriends a young mother--who then disappears from a station, leaving Char with the baby. Char encounters a man named Anthony, who approaches her with money and kind words, but the dangerous motives behind his generosity are quickly revealed. This compelling look into the sex trafficking world through the eyes of a complex protagonist should help to start conversations about the painful realities of many young victims. For Char, the nightmare ends--thankfully--when she escapes, and her friends and family begin to help her recover. Back matter includes an author's note explaining Flake's rationale for telling this story, as well as a bibliography.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(4) PS Illustrated by Anna Raff. "I am a cat. Meow," says a duck. But a cat isn't having it: "You are a duck. Quack, quack." This not-quite-battle of wills--the duck seems too dim to have one--is rousing, although the ending doesn't provide the impact the story deserves. Colorful mixed-media art shows the expressive pair humorously debating an underlying serious subject: the right to define oneself.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 African American Octobia May lives with her boardinghouse-owner auntie Shuma. Octobia May is convinced boarder Mr. Davenport is a vampire, but no one believes her. Unstoppable indeed is the dogged, imaginative protagonist of this fast-paced mystery set in 1953. Once Octobia May gets an idea into her head, she follows it as far as it will take her, defying gender norms and racial prejudice.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(1) YA Ninth-grader Autumn is great at wrestling and cooking, not reading. Her forthright, colloquial chapters alternate with Adonis's, whose speech is formal. Born without legs, Adonis manages the school wrestling team, and Autumn unabashedly loves him despite his prickly superiority. The distinctive voices enhance the story's depth and complexity; Autumn's viewpoint on reading, and the book's romance, may appeal to reluctant readers.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(3) YA This volume includes both lucid short stories and poems, some of which have echoes of freestyle rap. The subtitle could be more specific; these short pieces are decidedly about troubled, urban boys. Flake has readers spend time with three-dimensional young males who contract HIV, wear gang colors, or live up to teachers' low expectations, but she never allows stereotypes to overtake humanity.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Colin Bootman. Stuck-up fifth-grader Queen Marie Rosseau is "Queen of Thirty-third Street." When smelly Leroy insists that he's really a prince from Senegal, Queen decides to find out the truth. Complex characters and a rich urban setting defy stereotyping and will appeal to readers beginning to see themselves through others' eyes. Occasional pencil illustrations add a welcome dimension.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2007

(2) YA These stories go right to the deepest longings, fears, and needs of teens. In ten first-person narratives, Flake holds back nothing but judgment, allowing these young black women and men plenty of room for missteps in their search for love and self-esteem. Flake considers the particular dynamics of relationships for black adolescents while addressing issues central to all teenage lives with insight and humor.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2004

(4) 4-6 In this sequel to Money Hungry, Raspberry impulsively steals some money from her best friend. She only admits her guilt when, in an overly neat coincidence, Raspberry herself experiences what it's like to be ripped off by someone close to her. This novel is bogged down by too many subplots, including the reappearance of Raspberry's addict father and the identity issues of a biracial friend, but it's stronger than its predecessor.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Thirteen-year-old African-American Maleeka suffers from acute low self-esteem, stemming from the taunts she receives mainly because of her dark complexion. Into her life walks Miss Saunders, a teacher whose rare skin condition also sets her apart. Miss Saunders is almost too good to be true, but the reader slowly sees her vulnerability. This first novel is fast-paced and realistic.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson