(2) YA Tess's family just moved, and she is happy to start eighth grade in a school where no one knows her dad passed away three years ago. Sharing homemade treats -- her dad taught her how to bake -- helps win friends, and she's invited to return to a youth baking competition that holds both positive and painful memories. But worsening stomachaches since the move have forced her to create a lengthy "do-not-eat" list. The pain in her gut that she first compares to a woodpecker rapidly upgrades to a porcupine ("with laser-sharp quills") and then to "the Knife." Tess is sure her can-do attitude and sense of humor will pull her through, but when competition preparation wears her out so much that she passes out in school, she must finally fess up to family and friends about her stomach issues to enlist their help. The story offers a realistic and often funny portrayal of middle school life and treats grief and chronic illness sensitively and with a light touch. Tess is an endearing character with an equally likable support network. The appended "Letter from Kirby and Quinn" explains how the mother-and-daughter team were careful to include accurate details about living with Crohn's disease based on Wyatt's own experience with the illness.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(3) 4-6 In alternating narratives, Larson relates the World War II tales of Billie, an eleven-year-old girl, and a Marine named Denny, a Navajo Code Talker. The story focuses on Billie's longing for friendship and Denny's desire to preserve his Navajo heritage. Bear, an abused dog rescued by Denny and given to Billie, brings the two together. Historical fiction lovers will be drawn to the heartwarming story.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Audacity (Audacity Jones to the Rescue) and best friend Bimmy venture from Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls with Cypher, now a detective, on a new adventure in NYC. They must stop a plot to sabotage Harry Houdini's latest illusion: making an elephant disappear. Multiple viewpoints converge to swiftly propel the story forward while historical elements imbue the mystery with an appropriate old-fashioned feel.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old orphan Audacity Jones longs for the kind of adventure she reads about at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls. She gets more than she bargained for, though, when she's mysteriously shuttled to Washington, DC, to help prevent a revenge plot against President Taft. Evocative descriptions, lively characters, and well-integrated historical details make this a sure bet for genre fans. Author's note included.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(2) 4-6 In WWII-era New Orleans, polio survivor Fish rescues a stray dog. White Fish's friendship with his African American neighbor, Olympia, feels natural, the two having bonded over the dog's welfare. He also gets help from seventeen-year-old Erich, a German POW whose story is told in intermittent chapters. Larson's historical setting comes alive with vivid details and draws readers in with a heartfelt dog-and-child relationship.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(2) 4-6 After Pearl Harbor, Mitsi Kashino's family has to go live in a "camp." Worse, her beloved dog, Dash, isn't allowed to accompany them. Luckily, elderly neighbor Mrs. Bowker takes Dash in. When amusing letters "from Dash" start arriving at camp, they help Mitsi make friends and spread happiness. A companion novel to Duke, Dash is another diverting wartime dog story.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(3) 4-6 With his father flying B-24s in WWII Europe, Hobie Hanson feels pressure to do his part. But when he volunteers his beloved German shepherd, Duke, for the new K9 program, he immediately regrets his decision. The time period, evoked through both product placement (such as Lux soap and Unguentine) and daily activities (such as listening to radio serials), unobtrusively frames this diverting read.

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

(2) YA Montana homesteader Hattie (Hattie's Big Sky) follows a traveling vaudeville troupe to San Francisco to pursue her dream of becoming a reporter. Larson's excellent research makes the early twentieth century come alive: Hattie experiences an earthquake, flies in an airplane, and interviews President Woodrow Wilson, transforming from a "country mouse" into a confident, independent young woman.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2013

(3) 4-6 Miss Kanagawa is one of fifty-eight dolls sent to the United States from Japan as an Ambassador of Friendship. Her purpose is revealed as she travels around during the Great Depression. Readers meet four young girls who are helped by Miss Kanagawa in desperate times and witness the doll's own growth in compassion and friendship as she carries out her mission.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) 4-6 Dear America series. Three reissued titles find orphaned Margaret as companion to a wealthy woman aboard the Titanic; Abigail describing Valley Forge; and "Mem" telling of the Mayflower voyage. In new series entry Fences, Piper discusses her family's involvement in WWII. Each of the fictional diaries, in addition to presenting one girl's unique perspective, conveys engaging information about the story's time period. Review covers these Dear America titles: The Winter of Red Snow, The Fences Between Us, A Journey to the New World, and Voyage on the Great Titanic.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Photographs trace the story of Major Brian Dennis, a Marine serving in Iraq, and a wild dog that Brian named Nubs. The climax of Nubs's story--trekking seventy miles across the desert to find Brian--is inspiring. At times, the text is distractingly anthropomorphized ("As the pack leader, he faced constant challenges from younger dogs wanting his job").

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jean Cassels. Abandoned during Hurricane Katrina, a dog (Bobbi) and a blind cat (Bob Cat) survive together for months before receiving care and ultimately a new owner through various animal protection groups. Although some illustrations look stiff, the heartwarming story deserves a place in collections. An afterword includes a photograph of the two devoted animal companions.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) YA Set in Montana during World War I, Larson's novel tells a gripping story of frontier life through the eyes of an unlikely homesteader--a sixteen-year-old orphan girl. Pressures to be a "loyal" American complicate her situation after she befriends a German couple. Evocative yet straightforward language ably depicts Hattie's joys and struggles. Recipes and an author's note are included. Reading list.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. When an old woman knocks on her door looking for a place to sleep, cantankerous Griselda reluctantly allows her in. In return, the woman gives Griselda a kerchief, which she claims brings riches. And Griselda soon finds herself overcome, not by money, but by her own generous behavior. Both the good-natured story and the pastel-colored art incorporate traditional fairy tale elements.

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