(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Del is running away--actually, driving away--from the latest in a string of foster homes. She's barely left before she finds herself stuck in a massive all-day traffic jam. Alternating chapters contain a one-woman play about a traffic jam written and performed by a twenty-five-year-old Del. The two voices mesh neatly; the story is moving--and given its static setting, that's quite an achievement.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by James Ransome. After examining pre-Revolutionary War efforts by slaves to escape, the authors recount several escape stories, both familiar and lesser known. A strength of the book is the discussion of the increased role of archaeology to both support and question longstanding legends surrounding the Railroad. The straightforward narrative is highly readable, and its unsolved-mystery aspects will engage young readers. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2003

(4) YA Dvorák spent several years as head of New York's National Conservatory of Music in the 1890s immersed in America's musical scene. African- American baritone Harry Burleigh; a summer in Spillville, Iowa; and Longfellow's Hiawatha influenced his New World Symphony. Blandly written, this biographical work was created in tandem with Robert Winter and Peter Bogdanoff's DVD From the New World: A Celebrated Composer in America and is illustrated with vintage black-and-white photos. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Beginning with a history of pitching, Kisseloff then combines statistics, brief biographies, and some of the game's most thrilling anecdotes in this alphabetical profile of thirty-three great starting pitchers. This study of the game's pitching elite should satisfy most baseball fans, but readers expecting profiles of contemporary pitchers may be disappointed--only four active players make the cut. Reading list.

Reviewer: Kayla Cottingham

(4) YA In place of the pseudonymous authors of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, McAlpine posits a real Frank Dixon and Carolyn Keene. Both walk away from childhoods similar to (though darker than) those of their fictional creations, mingle with famous expats in Paris, and hone their crafts (as private detective and as writer). Intriguing, though some of the literary invention is a touch labored.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) 4-6 Self-taught artist Rembert, raised by sharecroppers, was almost lynched and ultimately jailed for participating in a civil rights demonstration. While in prison, he learned leather work and is now a celebrated folk artist. Eleven of his leather paintings, documenting events from his life, are reproduced here and accompanied by Rembert's own insightful text. Though overdesigned, this book rewards close examination. Reading list.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) YA Independent and feisty, Schulke has worked as a photojournalist for over fifty years. Heavily illustrated with his dramatic photos, most notably those covering the civil-rights movement and natural history work both on land and underwater, Schulke's story, alternating between a third-person narrator and first-person quotes, adds little more than extended captions to his photos of the times he has witnessed. Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(2) YA With Marc Aronson and Marianne Carus. "We have asked a number of our favorite writers to reflect on September 11." Though some contributions have a makeshift or desultory quality, the best essays put the attacks in historical or autobiographical perspective. The variety of forms and perspectives provide not only a natural array for discussion but a model for young people responding on their own.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002

(3) YA Desperate to save his girlfriend's family from eviction, sixteen-year-old Blue is hired by a wealthy filmmaker to play a dirty trick on an old nemesis. Blue's scheme works, but then he's faced with a moral decision about how to use the money he's earned. As with other books in this clever series, the sprawling plot is almost secondary to the inventive narrative style and eccentric characters.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 This book introduces eight artists living in America whose family histories stem from countries along the ancient Silk Road. In recounting backgrounds and influences, the authors touch on ethnic customs, conflicts, and beliefs, as well as on the present-day American immigrant experience. Along with well-placed illustrations and photos, a map and an annotated reading list enhance this contribution to intercultural understanding. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(4) YA Bountiful imagery and an intense focus characterize this sensuous if rarefied first-person romance. While the writing, shaped into prose-poem paragraphs, is more effective than the plotting, the evocation of Stephanie and Denny's affair is richly felt.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) 4-6 This is an anthology of poems, stories, and reminiscences of Latino life in America. Some are in Spanish, others are in English, and some are in "Spanglish," a mixture of the two. The authors provide a broad overview of the diversity of Latino culture, from Puerto Rico to Cuba to the Dominican Republic to Mexico and much in between. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(1) YA Using a script format, Rob relates his experiences growing up listening to local and distant radio stations, searching for the disk jockey father who abandoned him before birth. Seeking his father's voice, he ultimately finds his own. Fleischman does wonders with his unique format, creating a musical blend of rhythmic, almost metered prose that begs to be read aloud.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2001