(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Melodye Benson Rosales. This slight collection includes verses about African-American characters experiencing different types of love. Included are poems about crushes on the opposite sex, a child's-eye-view of loving family members, and love between friends. Some subjects would seem to appeal to pre-teens, others to younger children, making it hard to know what audience the book is intended for. Realistic paintings accompany the poems.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(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