(4) K-3 Illustrated by Colin Bootman. In 1957, a bright African-American girl starts attending an "advanced school" to get a better education. In the somewhat didactic story, Dana learns how to fit in at her new school and still keep her old friends; she also figures out when to use Standard English and when to use "Black English." While the illustrations are occasionally awkward, they capture the story's many moods.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Hays. Realistic paintings document an African-American boy and his dad's day together, during which they have fun cleaning the house, then going out to the park, a movie, and dinner as a reward. Plentiful repetition--"Next we fix, fix, fix the faucets, / squeeze, squeeze, squeeze the soap"--gives this account of nontraditional male bonding a pleasant rhythm.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Melodye Benson Rosales. In this story of a slave tradition, the author sheds some light on how slaves turned the arduous job of shucking corn into a celebration of life and living. Jess's struggle and eventual triumph over a bully give readers a satisfying connection to the story even while many aspects of it remain unclear. Rosales's rich illustrations supply another dimension to a little-known aspect of slavery in America.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson