(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Casson. Wordless panels explore intergenerational friendships, nature, and the process of grief, starting when a young girl and her mom move into a new neighborhood. Riding around on her tricycle, the child notices her elderly neighbor across the street feeding the birds. As time passes (the tricycle makes way for a bicycle; the girl gets taller), the child and her neighbor begin to care for the birds together, as well as playing cards and sharing stories. The two delight in the natural world, observing, among other wonders, a hummingbird, a majestic hawk, and baby birds hatching and then fledging. One night the girl wakes to see her neighbor being carried away on a stretcher; in the illustrations, disturbing red circles from the ambulance lights add to the sense of tension and urgency. Over the space of a few intense panels, autumn turns to winter, the birds are left to fend for themselves, and the neighbor's house is sold and then razed. A found memento of their friendship finally triggers the girl into reckoning with her grief. When spring arrives, she begins to care for the birds again on her own, honoring her friend and bringing the joys of nature back to her neighborhood. Equally heartbreaking and encouraging, this moving look at meaningful friendship offers valuable honesty and insight.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(3) 4-6 Quiet and reserved, Evelyn is the product of a strict and structured home life. Newcomer Queen, on the other hand, revels in his uniqueness and remains unfazed by the bullying his name inspires. While the friendship that develops between these two can only be expected, it is Evelyn's emerging acceptance of her own creativity that brings the novella to a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Viki Ash

(4) YA Orca Soundings series. Angie and her mother and brother are living in their car while they wait for public housing and for her absent father to return. When she starts participating in poetry slams, Angie finds some comfort. The solutions to the family's problems are offered too easily, rendering the characters passive; but the resourceful family is likable, and readers will be invested in the story's outcome.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) 4-6 Orca Currents series. In this sequel to Slick, Liza and her friends from "GRRR!" (Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!) investigate both the death of a homeless man (who was a friend to Liza's family), and a fungus overrunning the neighborhood apple trees. Though the book tends to get preachy, Liza's activism may attract reluctant readers interested in social justice.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 Orca Currents series. Though Liza's mother is environmentally conscious, her new boyfriend (dubbed "Slick" by skeptical Liza) works for an oil company that's wreaking havoc on Guatemala--an injustice that enrages the young teen and inspires her to take action. Liza's determination and activism set a powerful example. The story is sometimes didactic, but the topic is relevant and will engage young socially aware readers.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen