(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. In an original combination of portal fantasy, historical fiction, and time travel with a hint of alt-history, this story, set in 1511, centers on (real-life historical figure) Federico II Gonzaga. When eleven-year-old Federico, confined to Rome and hostage to the pope, discovers a time-travel wardrobe constructed by Leonardo da Vinci, the fun begins. Bee, also eleven, has stepped into the wardrobe in present-day New Jersey and hurtled back in time five hundred years. The two kids meet and forge a common goal: to convince the painter Raphael to draw a portrait of Bee while also persuading Raphael's enemy Michelangelo to continue work on the Sistine Chapel. Bee's motives are to save an elderly friend back home; Federico's are bound up with survival and politics, but really he just wants a friend. It's an intricate plot, macramé-like in its action and logic, but as Bee says, "Just go with me. This is what happens in time travel." The narrative is rich in characters--Federico, equal parts arrogance and vulnerability; sleazy Pope Julius II; grumpy and smelly Michelangelo; thoroughly modern, unflappable Bee; Juno, the charming cat of the title. The most compelling character, however, is Renaissance Rome itself--complicated, immediate, and fully realized in sounds, smells, intrigue, squalor, brio, and opulence. Murdock is as at home in that world as she was in the Middle Ages of her Newbery Honor–winning Book of Boy (rev. 7/18).

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Ian Schoenherr. Secundus, a pilgrim, and Boy, a goatherd, travel together from France to Rome in 1350, each mysterious character on a quest. Murdock is in complete control of her medieval material, limning a world of bleak, plague-decimated villages and steeped in religious belief. The fantastical story is beautifully served by its generous page design, thick deckle-edged paper, and gorgeous woodcut-style illustrations. Most remarkable is the complex, compelling character of Boy.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(2) YA Science-nerd Sarah adores her best friend Curtis (the laconic younger brother of Dairy Queen's DJ), but no one at school believes they're just friends. Meanwhile, Sarah visits Italy with her grandmother and learns some uncomfortable family secrets. Both narrative threads are compelling, but they don't entirely mesh. However, Sarah's voice is tart and inquisitive, and her observations make the book come alive.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(2) YA Murdock's gleeful nontraditional fairy tale stars feisty Princess Wisdom; loyal inn-worker-turned-lady-in-waiting Trudy; and gallant acrobat Tips, who captures both girls' hearts. Letters, diaries, a biography, and--most amusingly--a play are incorporated into the distinctive narrative structure. Royal politics, magic, a nasty villain, and a narcissistic cat combine for a witty, unconventional tale that's highly original.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(2) YA Giving up football to focus on basketball, D.J. (Dairy Queen, The Off Season) must decide whether she's up to playing for a Big Ten school. She also contends with romantic attentions--and conflicting feelings. Murdock imparts with uncommon realism the particulars of farm life, high school relationships, and college decisions, showcasing unexpected dramas of everyday characters making mundane but essential life decisions.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(1) YA Fifteen-year-old Ben--plump, petulant, indulged--happens upon a mysterious tower, where she learns conjuring and enchantment. Political intrigue, romance, and self-actualization are skillfully interwoven in this frothy yet substantial fairy tale. Murdock's prose blends a formal syntax with an intimate tone that bonds readers with Ben as she transforms from a selfish child into a competent, compassionate woman.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(2) YA D.J. (Dairy Queen) fought hard to play football. But now her romantic relationship is exposed, her best friend leaves town, the family farm is in peril, and her brother is hospitalized with a spinal injury. This book provides an insightful glimpse into the challenges of middle-American farm families. It's also a broad-strokes portrait of a quintessential tomboy who's easy to cheer for.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2007