(2) 4-6 Because her father is in the Air Force, eleven-year-old Delphinia Baker moves to a new state every year, making it difficult to form lasting friendships. Del is grateful for the one constant in her life: her grandmother. However, when Gramma falls ill while Del's father is deployed, Del is sent to stay with her great-grandmother, Nana Rose, who runs a school on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Del didn't know she had a great-grandmother--nor did she know that she comes from a long line of conjurers, spell workers whose magic is tied to the land and the community. At first, Del wants nothing to do with the strange school, but she soon learns that magic is more than incantations and enchantments. Magic is family, community, and life. Still, the mystery remains: why did her grandmother hide the existence of the school, the island, and her family? This heartfelt fantastical novel discusses resonant topics such as belonging, friendship, and grief. Royce's (Root Magic, rev. 3/21) narrative is filled with magic, but the heart of the story lies in its connection to Southern conjure and Gullah Geechee culture. Share with readers who enjoyed Dumas's Wildseed Witch and Clayton's The Marvellers (rev. 5/22).

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Jezebel's family has done "rootwork" for generations. In 1963, many of the people on their South Carolina island frequent her grandmother and uncle's cabin for the healing potions they make, while others, including "other Negroes," ridicule them as old-fashioned and ignorant. Deputy Collins, a white police officer, has made it his mission to harass and terrorize the root workers. When Gran dies, Jezebel and her twin brother, Jay, begin lessons in rootwork with Uncle Doc. As Jezebel begins to learn "root magic," she also begins to notice more about her own powers. After hearing a voice in the marsh, Jezebel discovers that her spirit can fly free from her body and begins to take nightly trips around the island. But those trips come at a cost. Over time, Jezebel learns how to use her powers to protect those she loves. Royce sets her novel during a time of social change (the integration of South Carolina schools, the assassination of JFK) while introducing readers to centuries-old Gullah traditions. For fans of Tracey Baptiste's The Jumbies, this book, with its rich language and evocative setting, is a great addition to the literature based on folklore that has sustained many people of color in their island communities.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021