(3) YA Biracial sixteen-year-old Isaac takes the rap when a car heist goes wrong. He'll be out of juvie in thirty days if he sticks to his story, and he's determined to help his younger sister get away from their alcoholic mom. With strong, emotional storytelling, McLaughlin realistically portrays juvenile delinquency and how hard it can be to break the cycle.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) PS Illustrated by Meilo So. Though inspired by real personal experience (per the author's note), McLaughlin endows her heartfelt rhyming story with a fairy-tale tone. A birth mother searches earnestly for the right adoptive parents; the new parents then describe their delight and plans for the future with the child, "Wonderful You." So's illustrations build on the enchanted vibe, with the family floating joyfully, like figures in a Chagall painting.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. In her second investigative case, Mitzi receives help from friends in the apartment building in determining whether her dad is sneaking vegetables into muffins. They collect evidence, examine it, and test their theory (it's carrots!). Subtle humor highlights preschoolers' ways of thinking in a relatable fashion that avoids being cloying. Expressive, black-outlined color illustrations depict a multiethnic community and emphasize a love of science.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) PS Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Mitzi uses clues around the house to figure out what's different on a special Sunday. Through encounters with family members and investigating strange smells, she discovers that it's her fourth birthday! Subtle humor highlights a preschooler's way of thinking and is relatable for both parents and kids without being cloying. Bright, lively illustrations use the space creatively and depict a mixed-race family.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) YA In McLaughlin's dystopic future, teens receive monthly "scores": numbers (presumably based on behavior) that dictate their futures, as determined by an omniscient, corporate-owned software program. Imani is devastated when her score dramatically drops, until a partnership with an "unscored" makes her question the system she takes for granted. This is a thought-provoking, eerily plausible critique of society--and a riveting story, too.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Jill, who turns into a boy (and a whole other person--Jack) four days of each month, moves to NYC with her best friend (who's also Jack's girlfriend) post–high school. Convoluted, clichéd romantic drama, sexual exploration, and New York miscellany crowd out the real point of interest: watching the line between Jack's and Jill's psyches start to blur.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) YA Four days of every month, Jill's body betrays her and turns her into a boy, Jack, who exists as a separate consciousness. When Jack falls for Jill's best friend, Jill's life spirals out of control. Though the story sometimes succumbs to gender stereotyping, it also manages surprising moments of insight, particularly in shaping the character of Tommy, Jill's bisexual crush.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross