(2) 4-6 In this gorgeous graphic novel with minimal text, it's an ordinary day as Poppy takes her dog, Pepper, out for a walk, all the while listening to music, scrolling mindlessly through her cell phone. Pepper, spotting a fox, breaks free and runs off into the woods, unplugging Poppy from the digital world and immersing her in the natural one. They encounter another child, who is fully engrossed in the woodland life around them. Poppy returns to the woods the next day, and the day after that. Nature walks become routine, and Poppy begins to notice the birds, plants, and sounds all around. She tells her mom -- who, in grieving her own mother's death, can't seem to get off the couch -- about her adventures when she gets home. The illustrations ("drawn in Biro, painted using inks and tweaked in Photoshop") portray nature in moody sepia tones that challenge viewers to use their imaginations to fill the pages with color. In the first chapter, the text asks: "What does the wild speak?" This question is explored throughout the story, and Kurimoto's detailed illustrations capture the essence of a walk through the woods; depictions of flora and fauna bring the sounds of the woods (including the wild "morning chorus") and movements of new buds to life, along with the layered emotions that nature can evoke. Readers are reminded that in an increasingly connected digital world, reconnecting with the natural world just outside of our doors can provide joy and healing.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) 4-6 In this cautionary tale, the sequel to Finally Seen (rev. 1/23), the perks and perils of social media play a pivotal -- and educational -- role. The Gaos still struggle with bills, and Lina's mom joins Instagram to sell more bath bombs. Fifth grader Lina gets her first smartphone, and while technology offers some positives (video-chatting with her Beijing grandma, promoting her neighbors' small businesses), they are outweighed by the negatives. She envies her classmates' fancy homes, worries about her physical appearance, and experiences cyberbullying (as both a target and a bully); and her best friend gets catfished by an adult. Everything converges when the school holds a "Dangers of Social Media" event and a "Justice Session" to discuss student online behavior. Yang integrates facts about how social media is addictive and detrimental to people's mental health into the story and back matter. She helpfully shows readers a way to cut through social media's downsides -- by having honest conversations "brainstorming how to break the dopamine loop. How to not be played by the algorithm."

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA Without knowing the identity of the man who was her sperm donor, seventeen-year-old Harper feels that "half of her is a blank." Then she meets Dario, her half-brother, and learns that there are forty-two half-siblings...and that they've located the man himself. So Harper, Dario, and two other half-siblings travel to Hawaii to meet Beau Zane, where, to Harper's relief, Beau and his mother welcome them. Beau teaches them how to dive, his passion, which quickly becomes Harper's passion, too, and when their beloved diving spot is threatened, Harper and her new family feel compelled to try to preserve it. Caletti (One Great Lie, rev. 9/21) captures our collective anxieties (the story is set in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as the constant intrusion of electronic devices, especially the numbing, manufactured perfection of social-media "squares." The natural world is offered as the antidote: when Harper sees a jellyfish on her first dive, she is "so there, so present in this profound moment, that if you reminded her again that she once felt empty, she'd hardly believe it." The summer is full of similar moments of wonder, in which Harper feels connected to Beau, her newfound siblings, history, and "every living thing"--including herself. A rich, contemplative story about looking beneath the (literal and figurative) surface to find love, purpose, and joy.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(1) K-3 What is going on in our brains, on our phones, and in the world when we send or receive a text message? Emberley's skillfully crafted picture book answers this not-so-simple question in a delightful mix of illustrations, diagrams, and captions with a clear through-line narration that makes the complicated science behind our electronic interactions comprehensible. Readers follow along when a late-night text message awakens a child from their sleep, as a series of physiological events ("cells inside the eyes detect the photons, then translate the photon's message into an electronic signal, which travels through soft threads of hollow nerves...straight into the brain") results in a reply that must travel halfway around the world. Emberley illustrates every step in the process as the message travels through the air ("as a unique, invisible, electromagnetic radio wave"), through wires (both copper and glass), underground, and below the ocean before finding its way to the recipient's--as we learn, the child's mom's--screen. Detailed illustrations feature numerous labels, and offset captions further illuminate the scientific and technological explanations, allowing the narrative to focus on the larger actions as the message's digital signal races on. Readers will never again think the same way about the basic act of sending a text message. Back matter provides additional technical details, including an explanation of when and under what conditions satellites become involved in the process. A list of resources for further reading is included.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(4) PS Illustrated by Brady Smith. One day at the park, a dad is fixated on his phone; "You're missing it!" his young son, surrounded by park excitement, yells more than once. What's it going to take to snap Dad out of it? Although the book's ending is lackluster, the put-down-your-phone message is solid. Fittingly, the cartoony, spring-toned art was created without digital interference.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Magic School Bus Rides Again series. Keesha is applying to astronaut camp, so a trip into space on the Magic School Bus to fix a satellite sounds perfect. Disaster strikes, though, when Keesha tries to take a selfie for her application and accidentally bumps the satellite out of orbit. The latest episode in the rebooted series offers early-chapter-book readers humorous adventure with a good dose of STEM education. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) 4-6 TBH series. Ari and Kaylan (11 Before 12) return for seventh grade with twelve new goals before their thirteenth birthdays. But Ari struggles to balance her new summer-camp friends and BFF Kaylan, and Ari's parents are having financial trouble. This installment isn't the freshest, but Ari's bat mitzvah preparations allow for authentic reflection on her place in her Jewish community and in the larger world.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 TBH series. Sixth graders Cecily, Gabby, and Prianka are BFFAE (best friends forever and ever). A new girl forces her way into their group texts, causing damage to their IRL friendship (Awkward); the trio is tested again during spring-fair planning (TMI). Told entirely through emoji-heavy texts, emails, etc., these accessible and appealing (if gimmicky) stories lightly broach social pressure and bullying in tweens' tech-dominated lives. Text-speak glossary appended. Review covers these TBH titles: TBH, This Is SO Awkward and TBH, This May Be TMI.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(2) 4-6 Babymouse: Tales from the Locker series. Illustrated by Matthew Holm. Babymouse has a lot to learn when she gets her first smartphone. Her forays into the quagmire of social media intensify her obsession with popularity and make her vulnerable to the middle schooler's nightmare: public humiliation. Babymouse's phone troubles are LOL funny, but her misguided attempts to reinvent herself will definitely resonate with fans. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations are integral to advancing the story, second in the spinoff series.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Cooper Vega discovers his new cellphone is haunted by an Elizabethan ghost named Roderick, who claims he's the true author of Romeo and Juliet. Coincidentally, the play is being performed at Cooper's new school. Themes of bullying and belonging give this entertaining read some heft, but Korman's trademark humor is always evident, especially when Roderick gives Cooper romantic advice.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Florence Weiser. "Sebastian knows he's a good-looking fox." So why can't he take a decent selfie? He tries wearing snazzy accessories and using different backgrounds (the moon, Hollywood), to no avail. It takes a photobomb by Sebastian's best buddy to expose what's been missing. The art, which has the look of marker drawings, enhances the wit in this wily plug for friendship.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Xavier Bonet. Bart doesn't fit in at his new middle school and is targeted by bullies. But secretly he's been fine-tuning the code on his own interactive smartphone game, and it eventually becomes the game of the moment. When Bart orchestrates a very public revenge on his bullies, he ultimately connects with them instead. Cartoonlike black-and-white illustrations bring the game to life and add to the laughs.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Savvy: Girlology series. A series of infographics creates a snapshot of current social-media use, leveraging its prevalence among tweens to discuss pitfalls such as hacking, cyberbullying, and phone addiction. A final discussion of positive uses provides a counterbalance to the overall cautionary tone. The tables, graphs, timelines, trivia bits, and photographs of a diverse set of tween girls create a visually engaging, magazine-style volume.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: The World of Gaming series. Each of these informative titles introduces young readers to a specific popular video game, sharing--over four or five brief chapters--the history of each game's development, success, and fandom. Full-page sidebars feature key developers and related careers. Photos of game content, creators, and actual fans appear on every page and highlight the gaming industry's racial and gender diversity. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: The World of Gaming titles: The World of Angry Birds, The World of Minecraft, The World of Mario Bros., and The World of Pokémon.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: The World of Gaming series. Each of these informative titles introduces young readers to a specific popular video game, sharing--over four or five brief chapters--the history of each game's development, success, and fandom. Full-page sidebars feature key developers and related careers. Photos of game content, creators, and actual fans appear on every page and highlight the gaming industry's racial and gender diversity. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: The World of Gaming titles: The World of Angry Birds, The World of Minecraft, The World of Mario Bros., and The World of Pokémon.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(2) 4-6 After cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, students begin communicating via Post-it notes. As it turns out, Post-its work just as well for insults and anonymous cruelty. Narrator Frost is a perfect guide to this underworld of middle-school hell. Acute observations about social media and school life and a smart, engaging protagonist make this a journey worth taking.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) YA When a hacker releases compromising photos, texts, and internet searches from the phones of Alexandria Prep students, socially phobic Anna tries to help unmask the perp before her own secrets are revealed. Blake's reliance on pop-culture references will date the book, and her portrayal of Anna's anxiety lacks conviction. Still, this is a compelling, relevant story that probes the dark side of the social media age.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) K-3 Kids Get Coding series. Illustrated by Alex Westgate & Dan Crisp. These introductory titles for elementary-age readers focus on how we can use computers and coding in daily life. Simply designed text boxes bolster readability; blocky illustrations with polka-dot backgrounds underscore the digital subject matter and should appeal to a child audience. Quizzes and coding challenges are engaging; online activities provide additional worksheets and simple exercises. Glos., ind. Review covers these Kids Get Coding titles: Coding in the Real World, Coding to Create and Communicate, Programming Awesome Apps, and Programming Games and Animation.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 On Emily's twelfth birthday, she does not receive the cellphone she asked for but instead begins an "absurdly dangerous" adventure when she finds a magical smartphone-mimicking stone. Already suffering under bullies at her new school, Emily sees an opportunity to regain some control though the Spellstone's powerful genie-like demon, Gorgo. This humorous underdog fantasy features a snarky third-person narrator and strong supporting characters.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(4) YA Keeley accidentally swaps phones with Talon, who leaves for football camp before they realize the mistake. The teens--who've never met in person--fall for each other via text; Keeley doesn't know that Talon is actually her popular twin brother's rival. The potential to meaningfully explore how people's behavior differs when texting versus face-to-face is sadly unmet, but the romantic banter is entertaining.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay