(1) 4-6 During their first year attending middle school in New Orleans, Greer, Joya Mia, and Kiki become inseparable friends when they collaborate on a project interviewing neighbors and family members about the impact of Hurricane Katrina. A year later, that friendship appears to fade as Greer withdraws, blaming herself for her sister's disabling accident; the girls "were like a tricycle with one loose wheel." Kiki, ever the one with the big (but often haphazard) ideas, decides that to rebuild the friendship the three should participate in a local relay triathlon, even though they are ill-equipped to compete: Joya Mia, the designated cyclist, rides a rusty old two-wheeler; Kiki, the swimmer, needs to learn how; and Greer, the track star, has given up running. Although the race, and preparations for it, provide the novel's main arc, it is the girls' slowly deepening understanding of themselves that gives this book its heart. Like their rebuilt city, this friendship cannot reconstitute as an exact replica of what they had before. The simple passage of time generates new circumstances; family relationships mature and new friends expand the boundaries of their once-exclusive group, resulting in thoughtful self-examination. Holt takes time developing these characters, allowing readers to see both their individual and collective growth in this appealing and sensitive novel.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) 4-6 The narrator of this sequel to National Book Award winner When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (rev. 11/99) is Rylee Wilson, daughter of the first book's protagonist, Toby. At the beginning of seventh grade, Rylee watches Twig, her former BFF, pull away, seeking new friends and new interests. In a prophetic observation, Toby tells Rylee: "People come and go even when we don't want them to." And one person who unexpectedly comes into Rylee's life is Joe, unhappily transplanted from Brooklyn to Rylee's hometown of Antler, a place he immediately dubs as Nowhere, Texas. As self-proclaimed ambassador Rylee tries to get Joe to accept and appreciate her town (and herself to understand her changed relationship with Twig), the two begin a quest to track down Zachary Beaver, Rylee's father's onetime friend. She wonders about the wisdom of such a search, but, as Joe tells her, "If you're a true friend, you're a friend for life." Toby, now a social studies teacher, believes that history is about people. Mirroring that belief, Holt deftly intertwines the stories of the individuals from both books, each set at a pivotal time in our country's past, the earlier work during the Vietnam War and the latter in the aftermath of 9/11. This volume is a literary reunion of sorts, but more important is its deep examination of the meaning and responsibilities of friendship, family, and community. While Holt's latest can stand alone, its considerable strengths shine brighter when read with Zachary Beaver [see also "Hello Again" on page 34].

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jonathan Bean. Nine-year-old Daniel is unenthusiastic about moving after his parents divorce, but middle-aged Tilda is delighted to have a child neighbor. Co-protagonist Tilda--who can magically talk with animals--takes an interest in Daniel while his mother works long hours. A broad cast of well-defined secondary characters reinforces the book's sense of community, while the talking animals provide both occasional profundity and frequent comic relief.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Stevie Grace Tanner's parents' sudden deaths uncover a maternal grandfather, crotchety Winston, who lets Stevie live with him at his rundown Texas motel. The two tiptoe around each other as Stevie gently tries to pry out information about her mother's early life and find the "heart in that man's chest." Stevie's character is deep and complex enough to propel the familiar plot.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) 4-6 In 1948, eleven-year-old Tate chooses country singer Hank Williams as a pen pal. It quickly becomes clear that Tate is using her letters as a therapeutic diary--and that she's an unreliable narrator. When Tate finally reveals her true circumstances (resolving underlying tension about her situation), she shows the gumption that defines her character. Deftly including historical context, Holt creates a character for the ages.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker. In preparation for dinner with the Highbrow family, Bernard Worrywart's mother teaches him all about manners. However, when the protagonist finally dines with the unruly clan, they break every rule he's learned. The book teeters on pedantic, but the humor (which includes burping, singing at the table, and other shenanigans) and animated oil-paint and cut-paper illustrations keep it from falling over the edge.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Piper and her family move yet again, joining friends in Norfolk, Virginia. Piper is sure their Gypsy Club will pick up where it left off but quickly discovers otherwise. Holt's characterization is consistently lively, as are Davenier's line drawings. Devotees of the series will be disappointed only in the revelation that this is Piper’s final venture.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Piper Reed knows how hard it is to be the new kid. Nevertheless, she has trouble being nice to motor-mouth Stanley Hampshire. That is, until she takes on a new mission: finding something Stanley is good at. A Halloween camping trip with family and friends (and Stanley) turns into a series of small adventures in this lighthearted, likable book.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. While the Clearwater family is heading West, Granny and "Little Critter" are thrown from the wagon and must find their way back, surviving by Granny's wits. Employing tongue-in-cheek Western twang and vocabulary, Holt seems more interested in introducing readers to a time and place in America's past than in telling a story--a problem offset somewhat by the tall-tale-teasing art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Amos Kincaid has a gift for dowsing--finding water--just like his father, but when Amos's family makes their way west across the frontier he hides his ability from his father, who considers it a curse. As Amos grows, he learns to accept his disappointments, losses, and his destiny as a dowser. A flowery but earnest narrative style brings integrity to this gentle tale.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. In her third book, Piper hires herself out as an illustrator, birthday party planner, and substitute babysitter--all at the same time--to raise money for a Gypsy Club clubhouse. She also has a big biography project due, which is dead last on the dyslexic, reluctant student's list. With a little outside-the-box thinking, Piper solves her problems.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. In her second book, Navy brat Piper's optimistic outlook never flags, even with changes afoot. This appealing Navy family is loving without being cloying, strong without being perfect, and optimistic without seeming unbelievable. The black-and-white illustrations are as down-to-earth as the Reeds and move the episodic story along without intruding.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Donald Saaf. Although polar bear Benny tries to shoo a stray dog away from his bakery, the nattily dressed pooch hangs around. When Benny falls and breaks his leg, the dog pulls a Lassie, and the baker is finally won over. While the story's logic fails in places, the mixed-media paintings, in nicely varied design, feature an eminently likable doggy hero.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Being a Navy brat is full of activity and challenges--just the way irrepressible nine-year-old Piper Reed likes it. When Chief Reed announces they'll be moving to Pensacola, Florida, Piper's optimistic spirit gets her through. Holt writes with a light touch as she captures the details of military life through Piper's personable voice. Davenier's pen and wash sketches are aptly exuberant.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2007

(2) YA Holt's affectionate multigenerational portrait starts in 1939 Louisiana with fourteen-year-old Rose, then skips ahead eighteen years to Rose's thirteen-year-old son. Following the family through the perspectives of two more generations of teens, up through Rose's great-grandson in 2004, Holt accentuates her characters' individuality while drawing out the subtle traits, including a sometimes dormant love of literature, that keep them connected.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(2) YA While this is foremost the story of Isabel's recovery from her mother's suicide, the novel--a series of brief vignettes, inspired by the author's childhood years in Guam--brings to life the people around Isabel as well. The family's loss is palpable, but Holt provides breathing space for her readers through numerous engaging subplots and her depiction of the beautiful village of Malesso.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2003

(2) 4-6 After losing his wife and moving in with straight-shooting narrator Jaynell's family, Grandpap purchases a 1962 convertible and allows a "white trash" family to move into his empty house. Then there's the secret of Grandpap's past, the truth of which becomes important when he dies, leaving his car and his homeplace as legacies. In sorting out who gets what, Holt finds a way for feisty Jaynell and her family to "soar to the moon."

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2001

(1) 4-6 The summer of '71 brings a lot of change for some residents of the small town of Antler, Texas. Toby's mother leaves, his best friend Cal's brother is killed in Vietnam, and Zachary Beaver, self-proclaimed fattest-boy-in-the world, has arrived in town. In her own down-to-earth, people-smart way, Holt provides not a night out in the big city but a lovely, at times even giddy, date with real life.

Reviewer: Mary Burkey | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1999

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. There's no reason eleven-year-old Jolene shouldn't like Leroy Redfield, except that he takes Momma dancing on Friday nights. Jolene, like the reader, senses the inevitable and deals with it the way any headstrong girl still hurting from the loss of her own father would. Despite its predictability, this down-to-earth story of an African-American family living in a 1940s Louisiana milltown unfolds at a steady pace.

Reviewer: Mary Burkey | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1998

(1) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Tiger Ann Parker wishes her parents would be more like Aunt Dorie Kay, who has a fancy job in Baton Rouge. But Tiger's parents are "different"--some say "retarded." After her caretaking grandmother dies, Tiger moves in with her aunt, but begins to miss her parents' ways that, while not glamorous or book-smart, root her to home and to herself. Holt never resorts to over-dramatization or sentimentality in developing her uncannily credible characters.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.