(2) 4-6 When eleven-year-old Frenchie Livernois, who is nonvocal and neuroatypical, goes missing in the Maine woods, Aurora Petrequin blames herself. Frenchie has been her best (and only) friend since third grade; now in sixth grade, Aurora (who has sensory and behavioral differences herself--"All my ideas were the loud kind. Hard to keep inside") still takes seriously her self-appointed responsibility to look out for him. In this nuanced novel, Connor gives readers an authentic friendship between two neurodivergent kids, each of whom has a deep appreciation of the natural world. Through Aurora, we see Frenchie's humanity; in turn, Aurora's patience, perceptiveness, and empathy shine--traits that few of her peers bother to notice. While the bulk of the narrative centers on the painstaking and nerve-wracking search for Frenchie, Connor weaves experiences from the friends' recent past into the present drama, adding complexity to the story and characters. Aurora's assured first-person voice is funny, heartwarming, and keenly observant ("My hair is doing that thing where it flattens onto my face. Clinging. Like scared hair"). Intermittent chapters are narrated in the third person from the perspective of a few key characters, which heightens the tension and moves the finely crafted plot forward to a well-earned happy resolution.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) 4-6 Dyslexic seventh-grader Mason is grieving the death of his best friend, Benny, and is a victim of intense bullying. Lieutenant Baird of the local police believes Mason knows more than he's saying about Benny's death. When new friend Calvin goes missing, too, Mason is again under suspicion. Mason's voice is honest and true, and the multifaceted characters both enrich and propel the narrative.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) 4-6 Raised inside a minimum security facility by his loving, incarcerated mom and extended prison family, eleven-year-old Perry is content--until the DA decides that his situation constitutes a crime. Equal parts mystery, prison narrative, and courtroom drama, this strikingly original story follows Perry's quest for family and forgiveness through the labyrinth of the law's gray areas. Action and heart carry this emotionally resonant tale.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(2) YA Sophomore Bettina is thrilled to be dating adorable Brady Cullen, who even won over her strict Greek American dad. Then the once-charming Brady turns possessive and violent, and Bettina finds herself falling for an older guy, a kind twenty-something named Cowboy. Connor lets Bettina's realization of the situation play out slowly, a choice that deepens characterization and elevates the book above simple problem-novel territory.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(2) 4-6 When a severe fuel shortage strands their parents, the five Marriss children hold down the fort--and the family's bike business. With fewer cars on the highway, the now-growing shop is about to overrun the kids' abilities. Connor's narrative ambles pleasantly along; a feel-good denouement brings the community together, with neighbors willing to learn how to help themselves and others.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Addison lives in a trailer, never knowing how long her moody, unreliable mom will be gone. Despite a bevy of concerned individuals, Addie keeps her mother's absences a secret. Connor convincingly portrays the protagonist's beyond-her-years resourcefulness and the feelings that drive her to protect the life she has while longing to be part of a "normal" home.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mary Azarian. In 1856, young Miss Bridie immigrates to America, bringing a shovel with her. She uses the shovel as she finds work, marries, raises a family, improves their farm, and eventually plants a tree in her husband's memory. Azarian's woodcuts and Connor's spare, direct, but lyrical text work together to tell a story that is both particular and emblematic of the immigrant experience.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth