(3) 4-6 This (stronger) sequel to Sheep is the engrossing tale of aging sheep dog Jack and his hopes to protect his farm and family from a rabid wolf. The main omniscient narration gives both the dog's and the humans' points of view as they weigh the cost and benefit of using guns to protect valuable livestock; snippets from the wolf's perspective add suspense.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Sixth-grader Minnie knows that her father lost his job for "blowing a whistle," but she doesn't understand that--or much else since her family's move. Then she forms a friendship with an equally isolated Muslim student and is challenged by an eccentric teacher. Minnie ultimately learns about loyalty and what it means to stand up for the truth in this touching story.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jennifer Thermes. Alternating chapters follow dog Oliver, homeless after his owner dies, and orphan Maggie, turned out onto the streets of turn-of-the-last-century Boston with only a mysterious gold locket. Pluck, gumption, and optimism help them both cope with cold, hunger, and loneliness. Things look up when their stories intersect. This is well-orchestrated, straightforward storytelling, with a bonus of warm pencil drawings.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(4) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Lucy navigates a rocky social landscape, including a sometimes embarrassing friendship with her neighbor Eddie, who has Down syndrome. Lucy looks forward to vacation at her grandmother's lake house, but once she's there it becomes apparent that her beloved grandmother is slipping into dementia. The novel drags initially but gains momentum and ultimately provides a layered portrait of a girl in transition.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) YA Smart outsiders Winifred and Bernie are a match made in geek heaven. After Bernie's mom dies, though, he loses his grip, and eventually Winifred heads off to college without him. Hobbs tells an absorbing, often-painful story of first love, first heartbreak, and first-year-of-college, as Bernie and Winifred each take turns pursuing and trying to win back the other.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(2) YA After her husband of thirteen weeks gives her a black eye, sixteen-year-old Texan Jody locks herself in a gas station bathroom until Bobby James finally drives off, abandoning her in the "foreign state" of Florida. The story may be a familiar one, but Jody makes it a memorable tale, narrating in a voice full of generosity and humor.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(3) 4-6 In this sequel to Carolina Crow Girl, Stefan goes to Oregon to visit his good friend Carolina. There they become involved in saving an old-growth forest from logging, and Stefan discovers that he has romantic feelings for Carolina. This readable novel does not require familiarity with the previous story.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) YA When her grandmother dies, fifteen-year-old Liv must go live with her father, an abalone diver, who abandoned her when her mother died in childbirth. Readers will relate to Liv's mood swings and to her contradictory needs to both escape from her father's cold presence and grow closer to him. In the end, Hobbs offers readers the promise of a better relationship between Liv and her father without the glibness of problems solved overnight.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(2) 4-6 Full of anger that his parents are separating, eleven-year-old Charlie only intends to run away for a day or two but ends up accepting a ride with Doo, a fourteen-year-old runaway who's planning to drive to L.A. to find her father. Charlie's journey from his sheltered, secure world to the drug-infested streets of L.A. is compellingly told, and his odd-couple friendship with reckless Doo unfolds naturally. This is an engaging novel about accepting fallibility in those we love--and in ourselves.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2000

(4) 4-6 Living a transient life with her mother and baby sister, Carolina nurtures a baby crow and becomes friends with a boy who uses a wheelchair. When her mother decides to move on, Carolina, craving stability, contrives to move in with the boy's family. His wealthy parents are stock characters, and the obvious symbolism of cages, flying, and nests is heavy-handed in this otherwise smoothly written novel.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta