(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Hillary D. Wilson. Historical African leaders--Egyptian pharaohs, Aesop, Hannibal, Mansa Musa, and queens Amanirenas and Idia, and others--are introduced in thrilling accounts (some poetic license taken) of their lives; each entry is accompanied by an eye-catching full-color (speculative) portrait. To convey the breadth and depth of pre-Colonial African culture, Baptiste includes accessible overviews of historical developments such as Carthaginian dominance in the Mediterranean and the formation of trans-Saharan trade routes with the kingdoms of Mali and Ghana. Maps, illustrations, and photos of relevant artifacts (an ivory mask of Queen Idia; a fourteenth-century illustration of Mansa Musa) are sprinkled throughout. An author's note, source notes, bibliography, links for "further exploration," and an index are among the back matter in this fascinating history.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 After defeating her vengeful jumbie aunt and out-dealing the treacherous water jumbie Mama D'Leau (Rise of the Jumbies), Corinne worries that an off-season hurricane has the hallmarks of Mama's cruel mischief. But this is the work of an angry god, and half-jumbie Corinne has no idea how to stop a god's wrath and save her Caribbean island. Baptiste successfully blends fantastical and realistic elements, punctuating the plot with true and terrifying details.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) 4-6 When several children go missing, suspicion falls on the mischievous jumbies and on half-jumbie Corinne (The Jumbies). Corinne and friends set out across (and under) the ocean to secure help from powerful water jumbie Mama D'Leau. As Baptiste's rich seascape of Caribbean myth expands to Ghana's coast, she fully integrates the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on Caribbean people into her complex and deeply thoughtful narrative.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(4) 4-6 Corinne La Mer, who has lived all her life on an unspecified Caribbean island, fights off a violent uprising of jumbies, fantastical indigenous creatures led by a female figure she discovers was actually her dead mother's sister. Despite some heavy-handed messaging, Baptiste's story, based on a Haitian folktale, is action-packed and original with an appealing cast of characters.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Character Education series. Readers are presented with real-life examples, practice exercises, and possible strategies to help them deal with everyday issues that may create some challenging moral dilemmas. Though the series is inherently didactic, students and their mentors may find it a useful tool for discussion and conflict resolution. Photographs and sidebars add some interest. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Character Education titles: Overcoming Prejudice, Handling Peer Pressure, Being Fair and Honest, and Handling Teamwork and Respect for Others.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) 4-6 While spending the summer with relatives in Trinidad, Grace discovers an old photograph of a stranger with a birthmark just like her own. Grace is determined to discover his identity--and her own. Although Grace seems unfazed by her life-changing discoveries, readers will be intrigued by her quest. An evocative setting and a focused narrative make for a promising first novel.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl