(2) 4-6 The time-tested premise of three magic wishes foolishly squandered meets a djinni right out of the Thousand and One Nights and a pastiche late–Victorian London setting in this lively boarding school romp/fantasy/mystery/adventure. Maeve Merritt, reluctant student at Miss Salamanca's School for Upright Young Ladies, unleashes a grumpy djinni named Mermeros from a tin of sardines, and mayhem ensues. Maeve, our impulsive, plucky heroine with a talent for getting into scrapes, wastes her first wish in a fit of temper against the school's requisite mean girl. For her second wish, she treats herself and her two friends, a true-blue sidekick and a neglected orphan boy, to a magical whirlwind flight across Europe to Mermeros's homeland in Persia. As we wait on tenterhooks for Maeve's third and final wish, the plot gets a little overwrought, with the backstory of a curse, a mysterious ginger-bearded stalker, a creepy abandoned mansion, and threats posed by an evil, rapacious captain of industry. But all is saved by Berry's (The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, rev. 9/14; The Emperor's Ostrich, rev. 7/17) palpable joy in original use of language. There are plums on every page. Maeve scorns her mother's choice of suitable companions for her as "the fluffy daughters of her feathery friends." The oppressive headmistress has "bewildering teeth." And who could resist a protagonist who describes a bloodcurdling scream as "eldritch"?

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(2) PS Illustrated by Annie Won. In Berry's soothing, lullaby-like rhyming text, a modern-day mother compares the details of the Nativity story to the relationship she has with her own baby. Won's lush, vibrant, evocative illustrations alternate between the two parallel (and perhaps overlapping) narratives, highlighting a loving cast of characters, both past and present, with a variety of skin tones. This timeless story is full of tender sentiment.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(1) YA After the Greek god Hephaestus catches his wife Aphrodite, goddess of love, in a passionate affair during WWII, Aphrodite defends her actions by relating--with pathos and wit--two intertwined love stories involving four mortals swept up in WWI. Masterful storyteller Berry's tight, short, descriptive chapters span years, continents, and multiple perspectives. This poignant saga will make readers by turns laugh, cry, and swoon. Extensive historical notes on WWI appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) PS Illustrated by Charles Santoso. An unlikely duo takes a firm stance against any and all nighttime rituals in this lighthearted bedtime book. In speech-bubble dialogue, pajama-clad Penguin and Shrimp reject toothbrushes and pillows while cartoony digital illustrations portray the livelier activities they offer as substitute ("fireworks! / OH YEAH! Now we're talking!"). Even if their eventual submission to slumber is foreseeable, young listeners will enjoy the playful defiance.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) 4-6 Pursued by nefarious individuals, a young emperor, a milkmaid, and a determinedly chivalrous young man (along with a cow and an eight-foot-tall ostrich) reluctantly join forces and carom from one suspenseful adventure to the next. In this rollicking entertainment of magic, wit, hidden identities, and determination, Berry hits all the right notes to please fairy tale–loving readers--and, of course, there are happy endings for all.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(1) YA A (fictional) Catholic mystic, Dolssa de Stigata, escapes being burned as a heretic in 1241 France; mostly, this is the story of Botille, an enterprising young matchmaker from a tiny fishing village who rescues Dolssa. Botille's spirited character, the heart-rending suspense of events, and the terrifying context of the Inquisition in medieval Europe all render the novel irresistibly compelling. Historical note appended. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(3) PS Illustrated by Gemma Correll. Pig and Pug, two pocket-sized, nearly identical pets, immediately identify with each other, but each has difficulty believing the other isn't exactly like himself. Disagreements and back-and-forth teasing ensue, but eventually a mutual understanding is reached. The minimal and sometimes tongue-twisting text allows the appealing, simple line drawings in muted green and red to illustrate the ups and downs of the friendship.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) PS Illustrated by Luke LaMarca. "I am the...Master of Illusion!" A top-hatted squid presents a series of tricks; each one (e.g., "behold: the cuttlefish has turned to gold!") is denounced by his sister ("You KNOW that is not magic. Cuttlefish change colors ALL THE TIME"). Fish facts, squabbling siblings, gag-revealing gatefolds in bracing colors, a riotous incantation ("Smelly yellow jellyfish!")--the combination is magic.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Teen Pagan, a 1960s Hollywood star, is given a second chance by her movie studio after she kills her family in a drunk driving accident. She's taken to the divided city of Berlin, where she finds herself in a situation more sinister than the typical film shoot. This historical spy thriller combines Cold War politics with a sixties ambiance.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: First-Person Histories series. These well-conceived texts use primary-source accounts to access moments in American history. Pages with bold two-tone color schemes offer diary excerpts, archival photos and period illustrations, vocabulary definitions, and relevant sidebars. An introduction provides historical context for the account; back matter includes a timeline juxtaposing the subject's life with political history and Common Core critical thinking questions. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: First-Person Histories titles: Diary of Carrie Berry and Diary of Charlotte Forten.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(2) 4-6 This airy confection is part murder mystery, part girls'-school story, part dark drawing-room comedy. In 1890 England, seven students--our heroines--attempt to solve the murder of their headmistress and her ne'er-do-well brother while concealing the deaths to remain together at the school. Berry takes her madcap seriously, never breaking character when it comes to the old-timey setting or details. An entertaining, smart, and frothy diversion.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(4) YA Voices in Poetry series. Illustrated by Stasys Eidrigevicius. In these revised editions, excerpts from each poet's work alternate with biographical passages describing major influences or periods in the artist's life. The arty design calls attention to itself; every page is decorated with a photograph (in Shakespeare's case, a drawing) or a themed illustration: flowers for Dickinson, historical postal stamps for Hughes, leaves for Whitman, etc. The tiny type may put off some readers. Ind. Review covers these Voices in Poetry titles: E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA Voices in Poetry series. In these revised editions, excerpts from each poet's work alternate with biographical passages describing major influences or periods in the artist's life. The arty design calls attention to itself; every page is decorated with a photograph (in Shakespeare's case, a drawing) or a themed illustration: flowers for Dickinson, historical postal stamps for Hughes, leaves for Whitman, etc. The tiny type may put off some readers. Ind. Review covers these Voices in Poetry titles: E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA Voices in Poetry series. Illustrated by Dugald Stermer. In these revised editions, excerpts from each poet's work alternate with biographical passages describing major influences or periods in the artist's life. The arty design calls attention to itself; every page is decorated with a photograph (in Shakespeare's case, a drawing) or a themed illustration: flowers for Dickinson, historical postal stamps for Hughes, leaves for Whitman, etc. The tiny type may put off some readers. Ind. Review covers these Voices in Poetry titles: E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(1) YA Berry's novel is set in a claustrophobic village that seems to resemble an early American colonial settlement. Readers gradually learn "all the truth" from eighteen-year-old narrator Judith, who speaks directly (though only in her head) to her love, Lucas. Berry keeps readers on edge, tantalizing us with pieces of the puzzle right up until the gripping conclusion.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. A goat and a hen must cross a moat to deliver goods to the queen. But how? "Science!" Their amusing attempts to get a barrel to serve as their boat guide readers through the concept of buoyancy. The determined goat and the good-sport hen's rhyming banter is comical, and their earnest efforts are humorously captured in Cordell's cartoon illustrations.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 WF Studio series. Three distinct illustration styles are analyzed with profuse examples and stepped instructions (in small type) for young artists to try. Legendary characters, manga chibis, and womens' fashion designs are detailed from the first sketch to the final color product. For an imaginative aspiring artist, each volume is a workbook with lots of ideas for practice. The required skill level may put off beginners. Review covers these Walter Foster Studio titles: How to Draw Magical, Monstrous & Mythological Creatures, Fashion Design Workshop, and How to Draw Manga Chibis & Cute Critters.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) YA During a perilous journey to the capital, Evie chalks up her unusual luck to the gypsy charms she wears. However, a shipwreck reveals the truth: she’s a serpentina with magical powers and a devoted leviathan (sea serpent) to attend her. The magic isn't as well imagined as it could be, but the grounded and believable characters sustain the story.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) PS Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Bouncy rhyming couplets describe five ducklings and their bicycle expedition to an apple tree: "Wind-swept ducklings coast to a stop / At a rock by a tree with a snack on top." Standing on tippy toes, they gather apples, cycle home, and make a delicious pie. Loose watercolor and ink illustrations lend an appropriately spontaneous air to the lighthearted outing.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) 4-6 This tale becomes a recognizable Cinderella story as the plot unfolds. Yet it also features a determined, resourceful heroine eager to change her fate, and far more action (thievery, deception, jailbreak, midnight pursuit) than the traditional version. Readers will enjoy the touch of the familiar in Berry's tale, but will still be surprised--and satisfied--by the twist at the end.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009