(3) 4-6 Cousins Nouri, a Shiite, and Talib, half Sunni, describe life in Baghdad amid the second Iraq War, during which Iraqis also fought amongst themselves over religious differences. But in winter 2008, snow covered the city for the "first time in anyone's memory," sparking an unofficial ceasefire. Though the reader is aware that peace won't last, this poignant wartime narrative is subtly hopeful. Glos.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(3) YA Patrik is a typical thirteen-year-old: he's in love with his childhood friend, Danika; he enjoys rock music and pulling pranks with his friends. Except they aren't just innocent gags in 1960s Czechoslovakia with the occupying Communist party watching. Things heat up for Patrik and his family as longtime friends become untrustworthy. This historical novel is both accessible and tension-filled.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 Rosalba, nine, lives in a Mayan community in rural Mexico. She worries about her group's way of life when bulldozers invade the forest and its wildlife--not to mention when she finds out that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012. Rosalba draws her strength from traditional culture in an uncertain new world throughout this thoughtful book. An author's note is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Pina and Susanna, eleven, both live in a home for abandoned children outside of Naples. Biracial Susanna is sure that beautiful blond Pina will be adopted first. When Susanna's birth father appears unexpectedly, the girls' friendship is tested. Marsden's incisive prose spares no emotional moment; alternating points of view allow each girl's experience equal time in this moving story. Glos.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 In 1964 Rhodesia, missionary's son Evan is torn between his white schoolmates, with their anti-black beliefs, and his African sahwira (dear friend), Blessing. Blessing, son of the Mission's pastor, tries to live a Christian life but prickles when whites treat Africans like servants. Alternating chapters describe Rhodesia's budding chimurenga (liberation war) from each boy's perspective. This affecting story raises thoughtful questions. Glos.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(3) 4-6 When a powerful storm strikes the coast of Vietnam, ten-year-old Tinh feels responsible for the damage done to his family's all-important fishing boat. Drawing strength and comfort from Buddhist teachings, he strives to make amends and gain his father's approval. Evocative writing vividly portrays his struggle and illuminates the village setting. An author's note supplies background information. Glos.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 Nine-year-old Binh lives with her family in Vietnam. Her aunt Thao, a child of 1975's Operation Babylift, is returning to Vietnam for the first time. Marsden's story perceptively and sensitively explores the complex emotions surrounding the visit, which is not exactly what Binh, her extended family, or Thao herself expected. Glos.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) 4-6 Fifth-grader Gregory, his mother, and his baby sister live in a shelter in Tucson after drought plagues their Navajo reservation village. What keeps Gregory going are his imaginary friend and his art therapy class. Marsden's understated third-person narration is focused tightly through Gregory's perceptions, only gradually letting readers understand his trauma. This is a sensitive portrayal of a family on the edge.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2007

(3) 4-6 Ginny, the only Chinese American girl in second grade, longs for a best friend. She has high hopes when Stephanie arrives, but she's surprised to discover that Stephanie, who's Chinese, was adopted by Caucasian parents and doesn't seem interested in her Chinese heritage. Themes of friendship, culture, and identity are skillfully intertwined in this sensitive novel. Glos.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 Fourth-grader Mina worries that her friendship with Ruth will dissolve if Mina beats Ruth in the fifty-meter race. This short novel does a fine job of expressing the conflicting feelings of a child who values both doing her best and saving a friendship. Marsden's characters are realistic and likable.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 When Noi's older sister begins working in a factory, Noi fears she'll meet the same fate--unless she can learn to paint umbrellas as well as her ailing grandmother. Some readers will be impatient with the slow-to-act Noi, but they'll also be moved by this carefully crafted story and intrigued by the formality of Thai kids' interactions with adults.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Gloria must go with her mother to her job at a fancy hotel on Christmas day, where she realizes how different her life is from those of the wealthy guests. It's not until evening at her nana's across the border in Mexico that Gloria's confusion and hurt feelings dissolve in the simple comforts of being with the family who loves her. Gloria is likable, and the short chapter book, with black-and-white drawings, is warm but unsentimental.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) 1-3 When Oy, who emigrated from Thailand to the United States with her family when she was four, begins fourth grade at a new school, she is teased and excluded because she's different. After she sees a chance to gain some social cachet, she risks both a beloved Thai dress and her self-respect. Marsden avoids clichéd characterizations, and her careful, detail-oriented prose vividly expresses Oy's conundrum.

Reviewer: Nell Beram