(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson. Descended from generations of dressmakers in the Deep South, Ann Lowe attended a segregated design school in 1917 NYC--and was "best in her class"; her genius remained underrecognized until she designed gowns for "the wedding of the year" (Jaqueline Bouvier to JFK). The narrative varies its tone to echo both talent and tenacity: flowery descriptions of Lowe's couture (silk roses "soft as dew") trade with tighter passages on process ("Measure, snip, pin up the hems"). The digital illustrations can look slick but do justice to the rich colors and textures.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. "Church said / Help your neighbor. / Mama said / Lift as you climb." So began the lifework of civil rights activist Ella Baker. The granddaughter of a formerly enslaved couple who bought the land on which they had toiled, Baker was raised to help the less fortunate. As a civil rights leader, she would go to churches and schools, picnics and barbershops, and listen to what the people needed, believing the leadership could come from "the bottom up." This devotion to self-­empowerment is captured with the refrain "What do you hope to accomplish?" Her leadership style sometimes put her at odds with others ("She ­challenged Reverend King with her ideas. Rather than just the elite and the middle class--what about the poorest? What about the people at the bottom? Dr. King didn't always agree with Ella. But he respected her"), but her successes led her to spearhead the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), which later became SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating ­Committee). The relaxed pacing, absence of quotation marks, and natural line breaks ensure a smooth read-aloud. Christie's ­painterly illustrations reinforce the details of Baker's life--the cool, relaxed blue and green background of her childhood gives way to bright, energetic yellows and pinks as she works for the movement. Varied use of line adds subtle context--the contrast between the ordered array of men to whom Dr. King preaches and the roundtable discussion of the women is telling. Extensive back matter includes an author's note, a glossary of organizations mentioned in the story, a timeline, and a bibliography.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rachel Himes. This smart, lively biography in verse tells the story of Lillian Hardin Armstrong--her talent as a musician and composer, her drive, and her instrumental role in popularizing both the career of husband Louis Armstrong and jazz itself. The black-and-white illustrations' gracefully energetic lines echo and underscore the strength and elegance of the "First Lady of Jazz." Robust back matter complements the concise text. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Karl James Mountford. Mia's frustrated that her homemade card won't reach Grandpa before Christmas. She discovers a magical mailbox that transports her to the Reindeer Express office. With help from a flying reindeer, she hand-delivers the card--and a hug--to Grandpa at his Arctic cabin. The simple text focuses on Mia's emotions and sensory details of the season. Thoughtful die-cuts and flaps enhance the jewel-toned illustrations, by turns fantastical and homey.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(4) 4-6 Spacejackers series. Teenage space pirate Jake survived an attack that killed most leaders of the independent colonies (The Lost Sword). Jake musters his surviving allies for a final showdown to free the galaxy from the Interstellar Navy's corrupt regime. Despite a rushed and somewhat trite resolution, Jake's maturation as leader of this rag-tag band of rebels combines with dynamic space battles for a satisfying finale.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Native American Oral Histories series. Each book provides information about the Native American tribes of the region, retells several traditional stories, and quotes contemporary Native storytellers discussing the tradition. Color photos and maps break up the accessible texts; researchers may find the writing prompts and links in this Common Core–focused series distracting. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Native American Oral Histories titles: Traditional Stories of the Southwest Nations, Traditional Stories of the Great Basin and Plateau Nations, Traditional Stories of the Arctic and Subarctic Nations, and Traditional Stories of the Northeast Nations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) YA As finalists on a musical reality show competition, Lucy and her bandmates spend a summer in L.A. preparing for the show's finale. The girls become celebrities, perfect their album, and find romance, but they also uncover the dark side of fame. The jarring murder of one of the girls seems incompatible with the rest of the rock-and-roll wish-fulfillment story.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) YA Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. Alternating first-person, free-verse narratives, beginning in 1952, tell of Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving's romance, which grows into a marriage that violated Virginia's interracial marriage ban and led to the Supreme Court case in 1967. Energetic drawings capture many personal moments, while ample primary source material vividly depicts the social environment. Interviews with the Lovings' family and friends add impressive detail. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Ernie Cox | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(3) 4-6 Spacejackers series. Teenage space pirate Jake, first introduced in Spacejackers, is on the run from the corrupt, warmongering Interstellar Navy. Jake must prove his birthright as leader of the planet Altus and rally the independent colonies before the Navy can destroy the remaining free worlds. This action-packed sequel raises the stakes and expands the rag-tag cast of characters.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Word Families series. Illustrated by Amy Cartwright. Each choppy but mildly humorous story highlights members of a single word family (e.g., "handed," "hunted," and "wanted" in the "-ed" family). Friendly, animation-like illustrations supply characters' personalities and occasionally elaborate on the narratives. Each volume ends with an oversimplified definition of "word families," followed by a list of the book's featured word-family members. Review covers the following Word Families titles: Dan Can!, Go to Bed, Ted!, The Map Trap, Stop, Pop!, When, Jen?, and Win, Min!

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Word Families series. Illustrated by Amy Cartwright. Each choppy but mildly humorous story highlights members of a single word family (e.g., "handed," "hunted," and "wanted" in the "-ed" family). Friendly, animation-like illustrations supply characters' personalities and occasionally elaborate on the narratives. Each volume ends with an oversimplified definition of "word families," followed by a list of the book's featured word-family members. Review covers the following Word Families titles: Dan Can!, Go to Bed, Ted!, The Map Trap, Stop, Pop!, When, Jen?, and Win, Min!

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Word Families series. Illustrated by Amy Cartwright. Each choppy but mildly humorous story highlights members of a single word family (e.g., "handed," "hunted," and "wanted" in the "-ed" family). Friendly, animation-like illustrations supply characters' personalities and occasionally elaborate on the narratives. Each volume ends with an oversimplified definition of "word families," followed by a list of the book's featured word-family members. Review covers the following Word Families titles: Dan Can!, Go to Bed, Ted!, The Map Trap, Stop, Pop!, When, Jen?, and Win, Min!

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Word Families series. Illustrated by Amy Cartwright. Each choppy but mildly humorous story highlights members of a single word family (e.g., "handed," "hunted," and "wanted" in the "-ed" family). Friendly, animation-like illustrations supply characters' personalities and occasionally elaborate on the narratives. Each volume ends with an oversimplified definition of "word families," followed by a list of the book's featured word-family members. Review covers the following Word Families titles: Dan Can!, Go to Bed, Ted!, The Map Trap, Stop, Pop!, When, Jen?, and Win, Min!

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Word Families series. Illustrated by Amy Cartwright. Each choppy but mildly humorous story highlights members of a single word family (e.g., "handed," "hunted," and "wanted" in the "-ed" family). Friendly, animation-like illustrations supply characters' personalities and occasionally elaborate on the narratives. Each volume ends with an oversimplified definition of "word families," followed by a list of the book's featured word-family members. Review covers the following Word Families titles: Dan Can!, Go to Bed, Ted!, The Map Trap, Stop, Pop!, When, Jen?, and Win, Min!

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Word Families series. Illustrated by Amy Cartwright. Each choppy but mildly humorous story highlights members of a single word family (e.g., "handed," "hunted," and "wanted" in the "-ed" family). Friendly, animation-like illustrations supply characters' personalities and occasionally elaborate on the narratives. Each volume ends with an oversimplified definition of "word families," followed by a list of the book's featured word-family members. Review covers the following Word Families titles: Dan Can!, Go to Bed, Ted!, The Map Trap, Stop, Pop!, When, Jen?, and Win, Min!

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Smythe. A cat shirks responsibility for cleaning up its mess ("We could just...shove it over here!"); a dog is the voice of reason ("Is that a good idea?"). The squabbling is hilarious, and Smythe makes fine slapstick use of the mess, a mountain of colorful debris that cat, dog, and animal friends repurpose as a party scene. (Guess who cleans up?)

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 After his surrogate home is attacked, Jake is rescued by a "fortune seeker" who believes Jake is the key to finding a legendary planet. Alongside a motley crew of space pirates, the pair searches for answers while being hunted by the corrupt Interstellar Navy. The colorful pirate crew and thrilling space battles establish an exciting sci-fi world for this trilogy-opener.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Vowels series. Each formulaic, easy-to-read title introduces sounds (long or short) and placements (at the beginning, middle, or end of a word) of a specific vowel. The vowel's unique features are also highlighted (e.g., "A can even be a word by itself"). Bright, full-page stock photos accompany the approachable language-arts lessons, but the books don't rise above their intended purpose. Review covers these Vowels titles: What Good Is a U?, What Good Is a Y?, What Good Is an A?, What Good Is an E?, What Good Is an I?, and What Good Is an O?.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Vowels series. Each formulaic, easy-to-read title introduces sounds (long or short) and placements (at the beginning, middle, or end of a word) of a specific vowel. The vowel's unique features are also highlighted (e.g., "A can even be a word by itself"). Bright, full-page stock photos accompany the approachable language-arts lessons, but the books don't rise above their intended purpose. Review covers these Vowels titles: What Good Is a U?, What Good Is a Y?, What Good Is an A?, What Good Is an E?, What Good Is an I?, and What Good Is an O?.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Vowels series. Each formulaic, easy-to-read title introduces sounds (long or short) and placements (at the beginning, middle, or end of a word) of a specific vowel. The vowel's unique features are also highlighted (e.g., "A can even be a word by itself"). Bright, full-page stock photos accompany the approachable language-arts lessons, but the books don't rise above their intended purpose. Review covers these Vowels titles: What Good Is a U?, What Good Is a Y?, What Good Is an A?, What Good Is an E?, What Good Is an I?, and What Good Is an O?.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox