(2) YA Illustrated by Maine Diaz. Mallory Marsh wants to keep her friends and family happy, even if it means becoming a chameleon who constantly wears different faces to mirror those around her. The one place where she feels free to express herself is her web comic, a sci-fi story full of characters inspired by her life. The juggling act becomes increasingly precarious when Mal secretly attends comic club, where she meets Noa, a nonbinary kid who quickly becomes a friend and a crush she desperately wants to impress. Soon, the multiple lives and web of lies catch up to Mal. Her comic goes viral, with everyone at school on the verge of discovering who is behind it, and she must find the courage to show her true self. Leahy weaves a realistic and at times painfully resonant narrative about the cost of not asserting your own opinions and needs; the various threads of the story reinforce the theme of how the desire for validation and fear of rejection can lead people astray. The book also touches on the experience of questioning one's sexuality without making it the primary conflict, and still creates a largely queer-affirming space for the characters and readers.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(4) 1-3 Makers Make It Work series. Illustrated by Maine Diaz. In each of these early-reader stories, the main character employs a makerspace skill--chemistry, rocketry, beekeeping, and sewing--to solve a problem. If the child's first effort fails, he or she persists to achieve success. The various illustrations (by different artists) are serviceable and the stories are fairly engaging, but kids will likely be more interested in the instructions for hands-on activities. Useful for early-elementary classrooms and makerspaces. Review covers these Makers Make It Work titles: Slime King, Rocket Rivals, The Broken Bees' Nest, and The Lost and Found Weekend.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) 1-3 Makers Make It Work series. Illustrated by Maine Diaz. In each of these early-reader stories, the main character learns a makerspace skill--woodworking, robotics, 3D printing, and baking--to solve a problem. If the child's first effort fails, he or she persists to achieve success. The various illustrations (by different artists) are serviceable and the stories are fairly engaging, but kids will likely be more interested in the included hands-on activities. Useful for early-elementary classrooms and makerspaces. Review covers these Makers Make It Work titles: Double or Nothing, The Color Day Coach, Robot to the Rescue, and The Runaway Chicken.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson