(2) 4-6 In this novel set during the Great Depression, protagonist Hurricane, like the eye of the storm that raged during her birth, has a quiet center. She is shy, hesitant, and often unable to speak up among classmates and strangers. With her father killed in WWI and her mother dead from tuberculosis, Hurricane lives in the family's remote coastal home with her beloved dog and her older sister, Bronte. But when Bronte also contracts tuberculosis and must go to a sanitarium, life changes. Hurricane's great-aunt Claire swoops in from the city and takes the girl to live with her and her kind, multi-talented chauffeur/cook/housekeeper, Mr. Keats. Having married into money, Aunt Claire adopted many highfalutin ways to appease her now-deceased husband and now wants to force Hurricane into the mold of "proper" young lady -- an image far removed from the girl's freer spirit. When Mr. Keats discovers a stray cat, he and Hurricane slowly coax it into trusting them, a clear metaphor for the protagonist's gradual acceptance of her new home, an acceptance not coincidently accompanied by the realization that she can speak for herself. Fusco takes her time developing the Depression-era setting and the backgrounds of each character, giving this heartwarming novel depth and authenticity.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Rosie's father has suffered a debilitating stroke, her mother has moved away, and her gruff grandfather takes care of her (seemingly) begrudgingly. Before leaving, her mother gave away Rosie's beloved dog, Augustus. Rosie is determined to find him against all odds, and her obsession isolates her and magnifies her unhappiness. Rosie's eventual realization of the futility of attacking every obstacle in her path is abrupt but not improbable.

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

(2) 4-6 With a large diamond-shaped birthmark on her cheek, Bee knows no other life than the traveling carney environment of 1942 when she meets two old women who not only welcome her but also appear to expect her. That they're ghosts of ancestral grandmothers is slowly revealed, but Bee's matter-of-fact, first-person account and slow understanding allow for a smooth transition from realism to fantasy.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2013

(3) 4-6 During the Depression, Charlie Anne suffers many hardships: her mother has died, her father and brother move North for work, and she's stuck living with her strict cousin, Mirabel. When Phoebe, a young African American girl, moves in next door, the two forge a friendship that must endure the prejudice surrounding them. Strong characters and complex themes make the story engaging.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) YA When her mother takes off with a new boyfriend, ninth-grader Cornelia is left with a great-aunt she has never met. Corney teaches prickly old Agatha to read, while Agatha helps Corney overcome her self-consciousness about stuttering. The plot may be familiar, but the sympathetic young narrator and uplifting story will draw readers.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander