(2) 4-6 Marsh's affecting historical novel, inspired by her own family's story, describes the social and political backdrop of the Holodomor, a famine that killed millions of Ukrainians in the 1930s and was covered up by the Soviets (Ukraine was a republic of the USSR at the time). It opens by introducing Matthew, a present-day, screen-obsessed thirteen-year-old living in New Jersey, "basically under house arrest" during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been asked to help Nadiya, his hundred-year-old great-grandmother, to sort through her belongings; in so doing he starts to piece together the Lomachenko family story. Matthew's chapters alternate with those of Mila, a Young Pioneer living in 1930s Kyiv under the watchful eye of her doting widowed father (and Papa Stalin), and of Nadiya's cousin Helen in Depression-era Brooklyn. The harsh realities of the Stalin regime--where citizens could be declared "class enemies," evicted from their homes, and sent to labor colonies for any perceived anti-Party infraction--come to light. The horrors of state-sanctioned starvation and the desperation of would-be refugees are palpable and disturbing to read, but they are made palatable because the experiences are filtered through the viewpoints and sensibilities of young people caught up in the disaster. The multiple voices come together to bear witness and remind us that history is a collection of stories, "and it matters enormously who gets to tell them." A compelling and timely look at the historically complex and fraught relationship between Ukraine and Russia.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(3) YA In 2015 Belgium, Syrian refugee Ahmed hides in the wine cellar of the house where American Max and his family are staying for a year; eventually, Max and new Belgian friends hatch a scheme on Ahmed's behalf. In third-person narration that alternates between the two boys, Marsh delivers a suspenseful but hopeful story of young people helping each other in a very difficult situation.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Twelve-year-old orphan Mary can hardly believe her luck when she is adopted by Madame Zolotaya. Then Mary discovers Madame Zolotaya's true identity: Baba Yaga, that old crone from Russian folklore known for eating children. Instead of fearing her, Mary decides to ask Baba Yaga to teach her magic. Plucky Mary is a heroine to root for; figures from Russian folklore pop up throughout.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016

(3) YA Jepp never felt that his size was remarkable. But then a stranger invites him to become a court dwarf for the Spanish Infanta. The posh surroundings offer only ridicule and humiliation, so Jepp escapes, soon finding an eccentric master in astronomer Tycho Brahe. The sixteenth-century European settings are richly detailed, historical figures are intriguingly represented, and Jepp is a likable and believably flawed protagonist.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 In this sequel to The Night Tourist, Jack finds himself drawn into the underworld once again, this time with a deadly serious mission to get himself and his crush, Cora, out alive. In addition to familiar dangers, Jack and Cora face new challenges and some awkward interpersonal moments. The story skillfully adapts familiar elements of classical mythology to create a unique adventure.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio

(3) 4-6 A car accident prompts fourteen-year-old Jack to travel to Manhattan for the first time since his mother's death. There he meets Euri, a mysterious girl who leads him to Manhattan's spiritual underworld, where he becomes obsessed with finding his mother. Highly creative and eerily enchanting, this emotionally charged tale features elements of classical mythology.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio