(2) 4-6 In this collection of linked short stories, a nasty storm strikes Chicago's (fictional) Gateway International Airport, delaying flights and suspending travel plans. Twelve-year-old Paul and his family, who are flying to Thailand to visit family, are stopped by security when his grandfather's remains, which his grandmother is trying to bring aboard the plane, trigger an alarm; then Paul's missing little sister causes subsequent delays. In the midst of the chaos, readers meet eleven other Asian American young people throughout the airport who find themselves in situations where they witness and experience (and also stand up to) racism: Mindy, an adoptee from Korea who doesn't feel ready to visit the country of her biological origin; Ari, who is tired of explaining that she is Jewish and Chinese; Jane, whose Gonggong (grandfather) was attacked for simply being Asian. Oh and the other eleven short-story authors--who include Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Linda Sue Park, and Christina Soontornvat--paint a picture of what it means to navigate being Asian American in a post-2020 world, where the burden of being blamed for COVID-19 is thrust on young shoulders. An editor's note defines the term Asian American and explains the rationale for highlighting East and Southeast Asian American experiences.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) YA Coauthored with Huda al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and S. K. Ali. The (fictional) Zora Neale Hurston Airport is bustling with travelers, many of whom are Muslim American families heading home after the annual MONA (Muslims of North America) conference. Twelve-year-old Feek takes his rambunctious younger sister, Ruqi, to a play area and loses track of her when she abruptly runs off. Hanna, Nora, and Sami, who all attended the conference and are around Feek's age, meet for the first time and help Feek look for his sister (she is found). When a storm grounds all flights indefinitely, the group comes together again, this time to help Hanna on her quest to find Snickerdoodle, a missing cat. That detective work takes many hilarious turns as the kids sneak into a first-class lounge, a closed store, and restricted hallways. Chapters alternate points of view, cycling through Hanna's, Sami's, Feek's, and Nora's perspectives, slowly revealing that each is dealing with a larger issue, such as communicating honestly with their parents. This is more than a cute kitty caper with humorous airport antics: it's a thought-provoking adventure about growing up and the need for individuality, independence, and autonomy.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Tooth fairy sisters April and Esme (April and Esme, Tooth Fairies, rev. 9/10), along with dog Ariel and new baby brother Vincent, are fluttering in for a sleepover with their grandparents while their parents go out on assignment ("Urgent molar pickup on Main Street"). Grandma and Grandad live in a cozy teapot near the airport, and the illustrations overflow with clever Borrowers-like details--bottle-cap stools, a tea-bag punching bag for Grandad's fitness, a huge dandelion centerpiece on a table. "Grandma and Grandad's! A whole day and night. Where the tea is always hot, there's a bed for weary wings, and pancakes with syrup for breakfast." When a call comes about a child named Akuba with a baby tooth out who is incoming on flight 417 from Ghana, the tooth fairy sisters (with Grandma in tow) fill in for their parents. The enormous airport is teeming with people and other smaller beings flying high above--cupids who "help people meet" and angels who "do the sad arrivals" or "just watch over" or "help push trolleys." At last, Akuba appears and the sisters swap her pocketed tooth for a coin, luckily found in a vending machine, as Grandma had forgotten to bring one. The soft ink and watercolor illustrations deftly blend funny and touching details to build a magical world within our own. Readers who find comfort or pleasure in this tooth fairy realm, replete with old-fashioned charm as well as modern conveniences--and troubles--should check out the previous volume as well.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(3) YA Three Alabama teens spend the summer working at Unclaimed Baggage, a store that sells the contents of luggage left behind at airports. Local girl Doris is a talented finder of things, Nell is a Chicago transplant desperate for a job, and Grant is a former football hero struggling with addiction. The lost-and-found metaphor is an apt one for a summer of self-discovery and newfound friends in this thoughtful, nuanced novel.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA Aspiring musician Sari and her boyfriend, Zev, have the perfect spring break planned in Florida--until he ruins it by kissing another girl. Worse, her flight back to New York is cancelled because of a storm. There may be a way to get there in time for Sari's big gig, but it involves sticking with Zev. A light treatment of trusting others as well as oneself.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) YA Desperate to get home for the anniversary of her best friend's accidental death, Ryn is trapped in the Denver airport by a blizzard on New Year's Eve. Swoon-worthy stranger Xander draws Ryn out of her anxious bubble and into a variety of unexpected airport exploits. This funny and rollicking romance has a colorful cast of side characters, genuine emotional heft, and a strong voice.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(4) PS Illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell. Adar, adopted from Ethiopia (per the flag on his "Gotcha Day" scrapbook), goes to the airport with his brother and father to meet Mommy and his new baby sister from China. The rhymes are sometimes strained and the messages on birth and adoption rather muddled, but spirited illustrations offer humorous glimpses of family life and make good use of "photos" from the children's adoption scrapbooks.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA British teen Charlotte and New Yorker Anthony, both recovering from breakups, meet by chance at JFK Airport on Christmas Eve. Loosely following a self-help book's ten-step advice about getting over an ex, they embark on an impulsive NYC adventure, falling for each other along the way. The plot is predictable and bland, though devoted romance fans may enjoy the love-after-heartbreak premise.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 4-6 Four diverse young strangers from different states are at O'Hare Airport on September 9, 2001. On the tenth and eleventh, they are each home and experience the attacks from afar (except for a boy from Brooklyn). The story's conclusion, which takes place at the Ground Zero site on the first anniversary, feels pat, but the realistic story, told in alternating chapters, is affecting. Author's note included.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(1) K-3 An (interracial) family leaves its city apartment for the airport. Narrated by the older brother, a straightforward but lively main text provides basic information while dialogue bubbles and pictures tell a more complex--and wildly entertaining--story. Brown's simultaneously clean and detailed India ink and watercolor pictures follow dozens of characters on the flight. Sky-high in concept, execution, and kid appeal.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by R. H. Lazzell. Cat Mr. Pants, his sisters, and their human mommy are snowed in at an airport on Halloween, which means they'll miss trick-or-treating and the big Zombie Tag competition. But Mr. Pants is determined, and the zany felines make their own creative (and rambunctious) fun. Fans of the first two graphic novels will enjoy more of the same frenzied silliness in this third escapade.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) PS A counting book, an airport primer, an introduction to international signage, and a simple travel story--van Lieshout's book packs a lot into its pages. Each spread features a numeral (from one to ten, then one hundred and up), a common pictogram, and a few words of text ("Check-in desk"; "Security officers"). The cleanly designed spreads hold up well in this smaller-size board-book edition.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(2) PS "Five drivers for five trucks" begins this concept book, as five workers head out across a tarmac to prepare an airplane for take-off. At close inspection, there's more to see--a boy, his dad, and an overstuffed, rainbow-colored plaid suitcase pop up in various illustrations. The book's simplicity is engaging and age appropriate--even those who are vague about airport operations will catch on quickly.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: April, 1999

(3) PS Kitty Yoko and Mama head to the airport to fly to Japan. Pre-readers will enjoy decoding all the symbols on various signs along with Yoko--for the correct airline, luggage carts, restrooms, and so on. When she loses Mama, Yoko follows signs for the police and the two are reunited. Wells's gouache and collage illustrations are as appealing as ever.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) 1-3 Cam Jansen Adventure series. Illustrated by Joy Allen. Cam and her best friend Eric are at the airport with Cam's dad to pick up his childhood friend, Spaghetti Max. Meanwhile, they also look for a lost little girl. Can Cam's photographic memory help find the girl and Spaghetti Max in the bustling airport? The standard mystery, illustrated with black-and-white drawings, fits in with the rest of the long-running series.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) PS A counting book, an airport primer, an introduction to international signage, and a simple travel story--van Lieshout's book packs a lot into its cleanly designed pages. Each spread features a numeral (from one to ten, then one hundred and up), a common pictogram, and one or two words interpreting the image: e.g., "Check-in desk"; "Security officers." Perfect for pre- and in-flight entertainment.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(2) PS In Biggs's second transportation celebration (after Everything Goes: On Land), Henry and his parents walk through a busy airport en route to their flight. Their speech-bubble conversation touches on aviation history, modern airplanes, helicopters, hot-air balloons, and blimps. The cheery cartoon illustrations are chock-full of details and visual surprises. This accessible survey also serves as a handy what-to-expect introduction for young, less-frequent fliers.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(3) 4-6 Seventh graders Anna, José, and Henry band together to uncover the truth behind the heist of the Star-Spangled Banner flag (Capture). In Hide the kids, now junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, travel from Washington, DC, to the Costa Rican rainforest to track down the stolen Jaguar Cup. These breezy novels will draw in mystery and adventure fans. Review covers these titles: Capture the Flag and Hide and Seek.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) 4-6 Technology at Work series. These books examine and explain various technology-related topics, from airport security mechanisms to firefighter training to how toilets work. Each double-page spread focuses on a different subject, keeping the texts concise; at the same time, the volumes lack cohesion and the information can be oversimplified. The coordination between texts and well-captioned visuals, including photographs and diagrams, is effective. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Technology at Work titles: At the Factory, At the Fire Station, In the Home, At the Airport, and At the Construction Site.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) PS Illustrated by Edward Miller. Plane-crazy toddlers might like this very basic encyclopedia of planes because it includes an abbreviated history of aviation, the kinds of work planes do, and what happens in the control tower and cockpit. The bland, featureless illustrations add nothing to the appeal, but the numerous aircraft pictured and catalogued on the endpapers will delight young fans.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam