(2) 4-6 This historical novel in verse is based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez, a twelve-year-old Mexican American boy who was the lead plaintiff in a 1931 school segregation case in California. Mexican American students from Lemon Grove are slated to be sent to a segregated school in a retrofitted barn. The plan, made without public input, angers Roberto's parents: "We cannot send our son to be educated en / una caballeriza!" The community decides to keep their children home rather than comply. Roberto is expelled for truancy, one family is deported, and others are threatened with job losses and forfeiture of government benefits. But the families persist, choosing bilingual and academically successful Roberto to represent them, and eventually win in court. Aguila effectively conveys Roberto's innocence. When he is first removed from his school, he wonders, "Why are they doing this? / I have the neatest handwriting in my class / and perfect attendance." He's also baffled and discouraged to learn that segregation is common in the United States. In shining a spotlight on this important case, Aguila lays bare some of the harsh realities of discrimination, including some use of ethnic slurs (greaser, beaner), and readers may notice disturbingly timely parallels. Background information about the incident, an author's note, and a bibliography are appended.

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

(2) 4-6 Julia on the Go! series. Illustrated by Julie Kim. Picking up right where Swimming into Trouble (rev. 3/24) left off, the story finds Julia Nam, having recovered from her ear infection, back in the water, preparing for a regional swim meet. When Coach Marissa takes a leave of absence because of a family health emergency, a new coach steps in. Julia is sure that Coach Nathan "was the angriest, shoutiest swimming coach that the Vancouver Vipers had ever had." His harsh and commanding coaching style, bitter tone of voice, and sour facial expressions cause several swimmers to leave the team, including Julia's best friend. She becomes closer to Olivia, who she previously thought was unfriendly but now realizes is a lot of fun. Julia suspects that she needs to look differently at things she doesn't like and ultimately realizes that she jumped to negative conclusions about Coach Nathan. Black-and-white illustrations help bring the swim team, coach drama, and friend dynamics to life. A lighthearted story that challenges readers to look deeper and see what's beneath the surface.

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

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jerry Craft. Two fifth graders vie to win their middle school’s annual creative storytelling contest. Both are already experienced storytellers: J illustrates books without words, and K writes stories without illustrations. In real life, Craft and Alexander have a lively friendly rivalry on display in social media posts and joint school visits, and this highly illustrated novel (cartoonlike black-and-white drawings appear throughout; final art unseen) is the perfect playground for their fictional ­counterparts—and for themselves, as both authors interject regularly with notes. Ever competitive, J and K try undermining each other’s chances for winning the contest by giving bad advice: draw with your nondominant hand, write what you don’t know, write in “sixth person.” Readers will soon suspect that J and K will join forces to write a book together, combining their talents, and indeed they enter the contest with their frog story collaboration, “Croak and Swagger: The Most Ribbiting Story Ever Told.” The culminating award ceremony, related with suspense and humor, isn’t the final word. Not only are readers told “To Be Continued…” but Craft and Alexander also offer “more fun…with this QR code” and write each other’s author bios with more of their trash talk.

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

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Charles Santoso. Narrator Zephyrina, a crafty cat (she prefers "tiger trapped in a kitty costume"), goes out at night looking for abandoned toys to deliver to the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, operated by a girl named Dasha. Zephyrina sees herself as the "Robin Hood of felines" and brings her findings to her best friend, Pocket Bear, who provides order and emotional support to the newly rescued toys, which come to life at midnight. One evening Zephyrina finds a bear in a trash can, but Berwon is no ordinary toy. His background makes him a target of an unscrupulous toy dealer, and it takes every ounce of Zephyrina's cunning to keep him safe. Although the story's setting is contemporary, the characters' manner of speaking and the featured toys' connections to the past also give this novel a historical feel. Middle-grade veteran Applegate (most recently The One and Only Family, rev. 7/24) effortlessly weaves a believable animal fantasy while providing a fair amount of information about war: Pocket Bear was created to comfort an American soldier on the battlefield in WWI, while Berwon belonged to a soldier from Germany; Dasha's dad died in the war in Ukraine, and her leg "was badly injured when a bomb hit her house." An author's note explains the novel's origins and more about the toys that inspired Pocket Bear and Berwon.

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

(2) 4-6 Atkins (Hidden Powers, rev. 5/22, and others) continues uncovering stories of real women of science who have made unsung contributions to their fields. Here, her focus is on (Mary) Agnes Chase (1869–1963), who rose to the position of senior botanist at the ­Smithsonian Institution despite receiving no formal education beyond eighth grade; and Marguerite Thomas Williams (1895–1991), the first African American to earn a PhD in geology. This novel in verse goes back and forth between the two women as their childhoods and early schooling set the stage for their fascination with rocks, rivers, grasses, and nature. Atkins weaves together important historical details with spare, lyrical verse that is descriptive and illuminating: “Once they were girls whose dreams, / dark and rich as good earth, / were invisible even to them.” We learn of their struggles and their hard-won successes, as both women uplift those who come after them and will inspire young readers today. Helpful back matter includes an author’s note, a timeline of major events in each woman’s life, and short biographical entries that serve as a “who’s who” of the scientists and artists in their respective circles.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) 4-6 Peter Nimble and Sophie Quire (Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard and Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes) are on a rescue mission: Hazelport, Peter’s home, is in trouble. But when they mistakenly crash a royal wedding, Sophie and Peter discover that the threat to Hazelport is more insidious than they’d thought: Sir Cuitous of the heinous League of Maps, with his calipers and notebooks, has been “taking the measure of things” and draining the magic from Hazelport’s protective flora and fauna. Auxier’s thoughtful departure from the good/bad, hero/villain paradigm shows Peter and Sophie aligning themselves separately with those they once considered opponents. Sophie responds to the wonders of scientific inquiry pursued by the League of Maps; Peter begins to understand the stories behind the Rooks, deadly child warriors. The tale is chock-a-block with characters and places old and new, but most of all with ideas political, psychological, literary, and fantastic. Engaging with ideas is “like picking a lock…When you crack an idea open, it’s like a door. It reveals new paths within. New questions.” There’s much to feed the mind and heart here (such as that choice is the “oldest and most powerful magic”), and, in a suitable paradox, Auxier closes his story in a move both unexpected and time-honored.

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

(2) 4-6 Jazzy, this graphic novel's protagonist, dreads the upcoming flying parade that will be held in honor of a supermoon. All the other witches in her family and community assume she'll embrace her magical abilities, but she has a secret: bicycle racing is more her speed. As the big day approaches, her best friend, Aggie, helps her covertly but tries to steer her toward flying and witchcraft; "boring traditions," says Jazzy, and thus begins a rift in their friendship. Dynamic digital illustrations in a palette heavy on purple reflect the swooping fun of flying and complement the story's amusing witchy details (a wisecracking bat familiar, rhyming spells, oatmeal that may or may not contain pond scum). Amid the magic, this is a community-expectations-versus-individual-interests tale told with nuance, much of which Jazzy discovers along with readers. Witchcraft hasn't always come as easily to the adults in her life as she thinks, and her interests don't have to be all or nothing. Cozy family scenes with Mom, Mama, and Granny Titch, who along with Jazzy are depicted with varied dark skin tones, are a highlight and bring elements of real-world traditions into this magical world (e.g., Mom and Mama recall jumping the broom at their wedding). Cartoon instructions for making broomsticks -- and spore prints, because Aggie finds an interest of her own -- are appended. Add New series title: Jazzy the Witch

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Niki Smith. This heartfelt graphic novel explores the uncharted waters of growing up, friendship, and self-discovery. Soon after Janey finishes third grade, she and her family move onto their red-sailed schooner to live and to sail the Caribbean Islands. Janey misses her home and wishes for an ordinary life with a "Normal House" and "Real School" rather than "Fourth Grade in a Box" (what Mom calls homeschool). But then she befriends Astrid, another boat kid who is older and more daring. Janey finds herself both drawn to and frustrated by her new friend's unpredictable personality until she learns that Astrid harbors her own secrets and wishes. Janey discovers the value of leaving your comfort zone as she is forced to confront fears, examine boundaries, and understand what it means to trust others. Bakes's narrative effectively integrates ideas of belonging and gratitude and uses the ocean and weather as metaphors for personal growth. Smith's colorful illustrations reflect the ocean's -- and the protagonist's -- ever-changing moods. Inventive panels that showcase handwritten letters, maps, and annotated sketches further immerse readers in Janey's world. An appended author's note explains connections to Bakes's childhood.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Banks weaves mystery, history, and heart into a fast-paced adventure. Twelve-year-old Zeus is the only one who still believes in his grandfather’s incredible stories about the Harlem Renaissance, including tales of a legendary magazine called Burn!!! and a lost ancestor and hidden treasure. When Zeus stumbles upon a page from Burn!!! stashed in a toaster, and his grandfather mysteriously disappears, the lines between myth and reality blur. Zeus and his friends are thrust into a high-stakes race, following a treasure map filled with riddles, clues, and long-buried secrets. The narrative does an excellent job connecting young readers to important elements of Black history and the Harlem Renaissance, while puzzles and surprises add an interactive element. Beyond the action and mystery, the story explores themes of family, identity, and the power of legacy in shaping the future. As readers cheer for Zeus as he navigates the dangers and discoveries that come with chasing a legend, they will be delighted by engaging characters, an irresistible plot, and a breathtaking cliffhanger ending.

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

(2) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Henson Blayze is about to start eighth grade and, as his friend Menkah tells him, "The whole town, the whole state of Mississippi has been waiting on you." He'll be playing football with the high school team; his mostly white town of Great Mountain has never before had a Black athlete to pin their hopes on, but now they have "a 'Negro' of their own." And it is a charmed first day -- adoring students, special food, an exclusive area in the lunchroom, even an ode written to him by last year's class president. But the head of the cafeteria, Mrs. Pendegrass, a Black woman, warns him: "Watch yourself, Henson. Ya hear? When they start acting like this -- and I done seen it before -- it never ends well. Just protect yourself, baby." Barnes creates something bigger than a traditional sports novel with an effective combination of well-realized characters, a contemporary setting rooted in history, and mythic elements that lend a transcendent feel. Especially well drawn is Henson's internal conflict: he loves football but doesn't want to feel "owned" by white fans; he loves his father and the heritage of the Blayze land, but being the one to carry on the family legacy feels claustrophobic when you want to find own your place in the world. By book's end, readers will feel that Henson will figure it out. A memorable story (with a powerful opening author's note) that takes a strong stand for true history.

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

(2) 4-6 Eighth grader Finn Katz's mother says that if a wildfire ever threatens their small California town, they should be sure to save the black-and-white photograph above the fireplace of Finn's great-grandfather Phineas Katz, a Jewish immigrant. It will "remind us of what is important / where we've come from, and what we've been through." Though readers learn little about Phineas beyond what he stands for, Mrs. Katz's words prove prophetic: a fire does come; the family must flee their house (with the photograph); and ordinary middle-school life quickly turns into a survival tale amidst an apocalypse. Baron's verse novel successfully takes readers into Finn's world, from daily life with family, friends, and school to their frantic escape from the "fires everywhere." As the fires gather power, so do the poems -- with active verbs, short lines, white space, and propulsive energy. When it's safe to return home, the poem "Hope" sets another tone in its elegant simplicity, speaking to the essential theme: finding hope "once everything in your life has changed." As Finn ultimately realizes, a spark can start a fire, but it can also ignite change. The novel ends with a return home and a commitment to roots, rebuilding, and the environment. An author's note describes Baron's real-life experiences with wildfires fueled by climate change and overdevelopment.

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

(2) 4-6 Montgomery Bonbon series. Illustrated by Claire Powell. Bonnie Montgomery, the protagonist of this romp, is an ordinary ten-year-old English girl with best-friend problems, a fear of heights, and a kindly grandfather. However, in her alter ego as a (rather short) detective, she is Montgomery Bonbon, complete with false moustache, trench coat, and a French-adjacent accent. In this, her second case (following Murder at the Museum), she travels to Odde Island, where she tackles the recent murder of a lighthouse keeper. Another suspicious death complicates matters. More cerebral detective than action hero, Bonbon uses logic and clever fact-gathering to sort out who is keeping a secret, who is lying, who has a motive, and who’s smuggling onions onto the island (they are banned). But it’s not all little gray cells either, as a final scene has Bonbon confronting the murderer at the top of the lighthouse during a thunderstorm. Silly in the best British sense, this adventure provides the reader with many treats, chief among them an unrelenting series of epic similes. “‘Whaddya want?’ rumbled a voice like a sackful of gravel in a tumble dryer.” The book design—with its caricature-rich illustrations, page decorations, and a variety of dapper typefaces—suits the wacky, parodic, genially satirical tone to a T.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) 4-6 Bea Bellerose Mystery series. Twelve-year-old Bea Bellerose (from New Jersey) is spending her summer vacation in Paris. Bea longs to explore the city's landmarks, but, alas, she is confined to Aunt Juliette's apartment while her aunt works long days. The only place Bea is permitted to go is her grandmother's antique store, the titular House of Found Objects. When a sketch of her great-great-grandfather drawn by a young Henri Matisse goes missing and a clue to its whereabouts appears under her aunt's door, Bea decides to take up the case. She and her French cousin, Celine, stealthily travel all over Paris, from the Jardin des Plantes to Sacre-Coeur, searching for mysteriously placed clues and solving puzzles. Though they are hardly friends at first sight, Bea and Celine learn to work together to find the missing heirloom. The story is lighthearted and entertaining, with the sweetness of self-discovery sprinkled throughout as Bea becomes more confident and more proud of the person she's becoming. Readers with an eye for puzzles and a knack for code-cracking will enjoy this first entry in a projected new mystery series.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Eleven-year-old Gwen MacKinnon -- neglected, unwanted, shuttled between self-centered parents -- has been sent to stay with her great uncle Matthew near Boston. There she discovers that the town's library is named for an ancestor. "Nothing in Gwen's life had suggested there could be a building named after a MacKinnon -- they weren't that kind of family." Even more surprising, Gwen learns from the preschooler who lives upstairs that the library is home to a large clan of Lahdukan, eight-inch-tall, winged creatures who emigrated from Scotland with the original MacKinnon and have since thrived under the care of generations of MacKinnon girls initiated to be their Qalbas, or caretakers. Gwen learns that the library building is set to be remodeled, and so the Lahdukan will lose their home. With the help of a former Qalba, Matthew's grown daughter Nora, Gwen moves the MacKinnon Lahdukan to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where they join up with another clan. Gwen's role in this grand plan requires both diplomacy and physical bravery, but the rewards are great. With the help of her understanding uncle, an exemplary children's librarian, and the Lahdukan themselves, Gwen learns that she is worthy of love and respect. Birdsall's endearing fantasy features loving and lovable new friends both human and Lahdukan, with Phelan's winsome black-and-white illustrations interspersed.

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

(3) 4-6 Young German girl Marta and her papa are passengers on the Lusitania during WWI. They both survive its sinking, but Papa is captured and imprisoned. Marta, taken in by an Irish family in England, hides her German identity, aided by her acting skills and facility with accents. The appealing heroine’s arc is set within an engaging adventure, though readers may be quicker than Marta and others to grasp the novel’s messages against prejudices tied to war. An author’s note adds historical background.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 Twenty-eight years after Tangerine (rev. 7/97) was published, Bloor returns with a sequel to his classic debut that picks up after the first book ends. Having been expelled from public school, Paul Fisher is finishing up seventh grade at St. Anthony's Prep, but he cannot wait to return to Tangerine Middle School for eighth grade to rejoin their championship soccer team as goalie. Once again, his sociopathic older brother, Erik, has escaped the consequences of his actions -- his involvement in a series of robberies and in a boy's death -- and has been sentenced to house arrest rather than incarceration. As the summer wears on, Paul stays away from Erik, befriends a Jewish boy facing antisemitism, practices with the War Eagles, and avoids the new family who has moved into the community to open a sandwich franchise. The parents are soliciting investors, while the daughter aggressively pushes coupon sales, and Paul is convinced that the oldest boy robbed the local 7-Eleven. As a tropical storm passes through Tangerine, everything comes to a head, and Paul is named as the sole witness to an alleged crime. He'll need to weigh competing claims of truth, loyalty, justice, and mercy to find a path through the ethical dilemma. If Bloor's villains seem a bit over the top, they fit perfectly in Tangerine County with its sinkholes, underground fires, and frequent lightning strikes. A welcome reunion with a memorable character.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

(2) 4-6 It's June 1941 in West Branch, Iowa, and twelve-year-old Peggy's summer becomes marked by two secrets. The first is that she's fallen for Gunther, who is handsome, older (sixteen), and, most importantly, from away. A German Jew, Gunther is staying at a local refugee hostel run by Quakers. The second secret, involving Peggy's cousin and close friend, Delia, is more complicated. Delia has leukemia and has at most six months to live, but this reality is being withheld from the sick girl, who believes that she's simply anemic. The events of the summer and fall -- first love, revelations at the hostel against a background of war -- all play out within the context of Peggy's guilt, anger, resentment, confusion, preemptive grieving, and doomed determination to "fix" her cousin. By the end of six months, she has confronted the difficult truth that the distinctions among stories, lies, and history are not as clear as she had assumed. Bouwman's (Gossamer Summer, rev. 7/23) writing is crisp and specific, painting a convincing picture of rural life of the period, and she stays firmly in the consciousness of her spirited, questing, analytical, mathematically inclined heroine.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Maggie Lou series. Illustrated by Karlene Harvey. In this sequel to Maggie Lou, Firefox (rev. 11/23), Bowes (Metis) adds a character who rivals the feisty narrator Maggie Lou: her new cousin by marriage, Rosie. The two girls are so similar they are "almost like twins," and at first their competitiveness is a little mean-spirited. But soon, like the sister stars in the story their kohkom (grandmother) tells them, they agree that "maybe if they stopped fighting, they could be bigger and brighter together." Maggie works hard to learn to ride a horse the way Rosie does, and Rosie eventually accepts Maggie's leadership of their relay-race team. Bowes's lively writing carries readers through Maggie's adventures, with occasional black-and-white illustrations by Harvey; and the portrayal of strong female Indigenous characters is both lighthearted and inspiring. Details drawn from real life, such as family storytelling, eating bannock, and smudging running shoes to protect against tripping, also introduce aspects of Metis culture to those unfamiliar with them. A rodeo, horseback riding, farm chores, canoeing, hunting, and other such elements may hold special interest for kids who live in rural areas. The inclusion of Northern Michif words normalizes the use of Native language, and a helpful glossary is appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Nilah Magruder. Color by Ellis P. Background inks by Akem. After moving to a rural town, confident young Black equestrian Nora struggles to adjust to a rundown barn, a new school, and frequent microaggressions but gradually finds connection and purpose in her new community. This graphic novel explores race, class, and belonging with humor and heart. Though some imprecise equine terminology undercuts the story’s strengths, the energetic art and lively pacing make it an engaging read for horse lovers and outsiders alike.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) 4-6 Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, Caleb has been averse to change. So when his parents, who work for the State Department, get a new posting in Vietnam, Caleb successfully lobbies to stay in Seattle with his grandfather, Poppy, rather than be separated from his friends and, most essentially, his aging Irish wolfhound, Ronan. When a new strain of avian flu breaks out and Poppy gets sick, Caleb is sent to Bainbridge Island to live with a prickly great-aunt, who hates dogs. Consequently, Ronan is left alone to await Caleb's mom's imminent return -- but not for long. Desperate to reunite with Caleb, Ronan escapes, only to become injured and stranded in the woods. As a massive storm bears down, Caleb grows increasingly fearful about Ronan's whereabouts and takes matters into his own hands. Brockenbrough's (To Catch a Thief, rev. 5/23) latest is an adventure story with a big heart, told in two first-person voices: Caleb's (complete with text threads from his group chat) and Ronan's, which is both lyrical and wise: "To love as a dog is to let go of the small things, the false things, so that there is nothing left but the truth of you." The fast-paced narrative successfully weaves numerous strands about forgiveness, growth, and change -- but the overarching message is one of a love fierce enough to fight for. Animal lovers won't want to miss this canine-centered tale of loyalty and determination.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025