(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julianna Swaney. Born in Scotland in 1857, Fleming faced many obstacles in her life but a curious mind kept her focused on "decod[ing]...the secrets of the universe." After moving to Boston with her new husband (who then disappeared), she worked as a maid for the Harvard College Observatory's director. Eventually, she became one of the observatory's "human computers"--women whose work "laid the groundwork for twentieth-century astronomy." Lasky includes context for the women's accomplishments: they had to use data collected by male astronomers because women were considered too fragile to use the telescope. Astronomical concepts might challenge some, but overall, the text is accessible. Swaney's inviting mixed-media illustrations capture Fleming's tenacious spirit. A short timeline, glossary, and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. This picture book biography focuses on Newton's early years, showing how young he was when he began making major contributions to science. Words and pictures in combination do a good job of rendering complex and theoretical concepts for elementary-age readers, and Lasky does her best to dispel the myth of the falling apple and emphasize the groundbreaking nature of Newton's discoveries. Bib.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old pilot Valentina longs to be a Night Witch--female pilots in the Soviet Union's 588th Regiment--like her older sister, but she's too young to enlist. After their mother is killed, Valya finds herself alone in war-torn Stalingrad and thrust into battle. Tactical descriptions and historical background sometimes stall the action, but WWII-fiction fans won't mind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Horses of the Dawn series. Estrella, leader of a band of wild horses, must take them safely away from their captor, over a perilous mountain range to refuge in a land of sweet grass. Lasky suffuses her animal fantasy with poetic imagery. With a treacherous journey, evil villains, and sympathetic horses, this is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Ricardo Tercio. Eleven-year-old Ryder discovers that Rory, the heroic television-cartoon character her late mother created for her, is about to be turned into a helpless princess. Ryder magically enters Rory's animated world to save the day and keep Rory strong. The plot is garbled, but the grrl-power story line may hold readers' attention.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(3) 4-6 Horses of the Dawn series. Cursed as "Lame Boy," Tijo faces exile when his caretaker dies. But soon he meets Hold On, a blind horse who is similarly alone and in need of community. Together, they set out to protect the filly Estrella and her herd from the villainous conquistador, El Miedo, before he captures and enslaves them. Lyrical writing and sympathetic characters abound in this second book.

Reviewer: Lauren Rizzuto

(3) 4-6 Horses of the Dawn series. Filly Estrella is born on a ship en route to the New World. When provisions run low, the crew pushes some horses into the sea--Estrella and her mother Perlina among them. Perlina dies in a shark attack; Estrella leads the other horses to safety (albeit fleeting) on an island. Lasky weaves prehistory, legend, and historical fiction into her engaging animal fantasy.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Wolves of the Beyond series. To reach the Distant Blue, their new home, gifted wolf Faolan guides his ragtag pack across an ice bridge, but Heep, a megalomaniac wolf set on revenge, follows them to kill his former mate Caila. The combination of portentous spirituality with strained attempts at humor creates an uneven tone, but the rising plot and well-evoked arctic landscape help form a coherent whole.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) YA Lilo is fifteen when she and her family, ethnic Romani, are picked up by the Nazis and conscripted as "extras" in a film made by Hitler's favorite filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl. Lilo is a strong heroine who survives the war by a combination of luck, determination, and wits. This disturbing novel covers a little-known aspect of European history.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. During the War of the Ice Claws in the Northern Kingdoms of Ga'Hoole, Whiskered Screech Owl Lyze grows from hatchling to cadet and joins the struggle against Bylyric the Orphan Maker. His strategic mind propels his rise through the ranks as he revolutionizes owl warfare. Fans of the Ga'Hoole franchise will love this solidly plotted prequel venture into the world of militaristic owls.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) YA Adopted Lucy has never fit in with her minister father and socialite mother. But when they move to Maine for the summer, Lucy transforms into a mermaid in the water and finally feels at peace. The plot of this 1899-set story largely focuses on high society and all of its trappings, but it's nicely buoyed by the fantastical mermaid thread.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Paul Lee. Phillis Wheatley's experience of being sold into slavery and her growth as a poet are, along with some fictionalized elements, set against the events of the American Revolution. Although Lasky milks the story for sentiment and handles some of the racial issues clumsily, she does convey the extraordinary quality of Wheatley's achievements. Workmanlike acrylics illustrate scenes from Wheatley's life in this "reformatted edition."

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Nneka Bennett. This well-written and informative biography captures the entrepreneurial character of America's first woman millionaire. Frustrated by the lack of hair care products for African American women, Walker founded her own cosmetics company in 1905, becoming one of the most successful business owners of her day and a role model for black women. The spacious illustrations evoke the time period in this "reformatted edition."

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 4-6 Deadlies series. Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. This sequel to Felix Takes the Stage finds the Deadlies spider family (living in the Boston Public Library) befriending a brown walnut spider named Buster and investigating theft from the rare books room. The series continues to bring a unique mix of kid-friendly adventure and creepy (and/or factual) spider details, all accompanied by humorous black-and-white cartoon illustrations.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) 4-6 Wolves of the Beyond series. Physically malformed but spiritually endowed wolf Faolan (Lone Wolf, Shadow Wolf) adjusts to life as a "watch wolf" guarding the Ember of Hoole. Meanwhile, the MacHeath clan is fomenting war against Faolan's adoptive mother's clan, the bears. There are some contrivances in the commingling of fantasy elements with natural history detailing wolf behavior, but the strongly drawn characters invite reader engagement.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Photographs by Christopher G. Knight. Lasky shadows arachnologist Greta Binford as she investigates Loxosceles spiders. The text attentively explains the research in absorbing detail, clearly showing how each piece of data provides evidence for the species' migration and evolution. This care extends to the numerous photographs and diagrams that portray Binford's meticulous research techniques, the spiders themselves, and the people who find them fascinating. Websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2011

(3) YA Fifteen-year-old May's parents keep her holed up in their lighthouse, adamant that she stay away from the sea. On a clandestine swim, May discovers that she is a mermaid. May accepts this new identity, but a love interest, an aggressive fisherman, and a long-lost sister complicate her life. May's longing is palpable, and the turn-of-the-twentieth-century Maine island setting is evocative.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(2) YA In 1932 Berlin, thirteen-year-old, privileged Gaby Schramm refuses to join the Hitler Youth. Lasky effectively explicates the complex history while also depicting the comforts, loyalties, and Nazi-induced tribulations of a thoughtful and humane "Aryan" family. Lasky ends with Germany heading toward world war; of the Schramms' future, we see only their despairing flight from their homeland.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2010

(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

(3) 4-6 Wolves of the Beyond series. Born malcadh (cursed) because of a malformed paw, Faolan, an abandoned wolf cub, is raised by Thunderheart, a grizzly bear. As he grows and recognizes his talents, Faolan contemplates rejoining his pack. The start of a new series in Lasky's Ga'Hoole world, this tale explores spirituality while combining natural history and anthropomorphized animal behavior.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam