(2) K-3 Illustrated by K-Fai Steele. Max's life can be more than a little hectic. Whether getting distracted and missing the bus, forgetting to do every item on various lists of important things, or careening across the playground like a whirlwind, the protagonist's differently wired mind is always working overtime, which can lead to a lot of fun, or a lot of trouble -- or sometimes both. When you're someone like Max, "that always happens sometimes." Then one day Max is assigned to a group project where each team competes to build the tallest index-card tower, and it becomes the perfect opportunity for Max's creative mind to shine. Frank's first-person narration makes apt use of run-on sentences packed with many clauses and sentence fragments to simulate the frenetic energy of racing thoughts that make constant connections and leaps. Steele's watercolor and ink illustrations add to the zany vibe by depicting the characters' googly eyes with exaggeratedly large whites and tiny beady pupils. The strategic use of visual elements such as the gutter, perspective, and speech bubbles with stylized text reinforces Max's unique personality, perspective, and social relationships. A humorous and empathetic tribute to the neurodivergent kids out there who march to the beat of their own drums.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) 4-6 In the aftermath of her estranged grandfather's death, Rayma is bequeathed a mysterious book and the cryptic message "Beware the Sirens." She subsequently discovers she has the ability to see through Glamours ("a magical shield...that supernatural beings use to disguise themselves") and detect the occult inhabitants of Edinburgh, Scotland. Rayma finds it hard to get along in her special school (she has dyspraxia, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects gross and fine motor skills), and her emotionally absent parents don't help her adjust to her learning differences. The mission her grandfather left her, to document the Hidden Folk and unite them in one community, gives her a sense of purpose. The Sirens, however--no longer bound to the water but able to use their powers of manipulation to cause division and strife in society--are making the world colder and meaner, and Rayma is the only one who can stop them. A decidedly unaffable protagonist, Rayma is nonetheless sympathetic, determined to value herself despite the pressures her academic challenges have placed on her prickly personality. Her insistence on focusing on her strengths in a world that only sees her deficits is admirable. With a plot that emphasizes family reunification, and unexplored avenues including a mysterious Stranger who guides Rayma, McNicoll leaves herself plenty of room for possible sequels to this passionate, solidly constructed middle-grade fantasy.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(1) 4-6 Reflecting on some memorable moments of his life, celebrated author-illustrator Pinkney offers an intimate look back to his childhood in this poignant, posthumously published memoir. The book opens in 1949 in a close-knit African American community in Philadelphia, where nine-year-old Jerry's days are filled with the camaraderie of his "buddies" and their escapades in the neighborhood. Having drawn for as long as he could remember, Pinkney recalled, "It was my way of living in my imagination, and breaking free of the constraints I was growing up with. Everything I saw, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled, I'd think of as a picture." He thrived in a nurturing, sometimes chaotic home; his supportive family recognized his talent, but he faced challenges in school due to undiagnosed dyslexia. At age thirteen, while working at a newsstand, he met a comics artist who invited Pinkney to visit his studio, leading the young man to believe "that my talents might lead to an actual profession." Pinkney's conversational text, printed in a dyslexia-friendly font (per the book's introduction), is accompanied by equally energetic and copious sketches that weave in and out of the pages; final art had not been completed upon his death. An opening editor's note explains Pinkney's vision for the book, which he had been thinking about and working on for a decade, until he died in 2021: "This book has been visually composed in a way that differs from Jerry's intention but hopefully still captures his goal...to believably bring readers into the world in which he grew up [through] a visually immersive approach." A list of key dates and selected accomplishments of this extraordinary artist is appended.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) PS From the moment readers open this book, they are treated to an album of beautiful, joyous children, all with one salient feature: "Everybody has a body." But not every body is the same. There's a youngster using a rollator who says, "I like to take a walk." There are two bespectacled kids, one of whom shares the information that "glasses make me see better." Other differences, such as one child who has "to get checkups for my heart," are not apparent from the photos but are nonetheless noted in accompanying text. This photo-essay shows children participating in a range of activities, including rock wall climbing, swimming, and reading. The message--"Even though we're the same in many ways, we're different in our own ways too. Let's be kind to everybody and every kind of body!"--has been expressed before, but rarely through such memorable images. Brief sketches of three of the children with disabilities as well as one adult advocate and a glossary of physical and learning differences complete the book.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Lark is sure that once they hit fifty thousand Twitter followers, an agent will pick up their novel, and they'll finally be able to prove they're "worthy of being loved." Lark--who lives in West Philly and is Black, nonbinary, polyamorous, and neurodivergent--takes summer writing classes with other Black, queer teens, including their ex-best friend Kasim. Lark and Kasim butt heads because Lark believes in unconditional love and forgiveness, while revolutionary Kasim would rather "burn down" everything wrong with society. But when Kasim accidentally posts about his own unrequited love from Lark's Twitter account, the thread goes viral, and Lark takes credit. As Lark lies for internet fame, they can't help but wonder: who is Kasim really in love with? And does Lark even love themself? The Twitter posts re-created throughout are sometimes hilarious, sometimes unsettlingly real, exploring internet callout culture and what it truly takes to grow from one's mistakes. The novel can be didactic at times, but the characters and their relationships are complex, engaging, and delightfully flawed. References to the COVID-19 pandemic are seamlessly interwoven into everyday life; frank discussions of topics like autism and ADHD in the Black community, and how to navigate polyamorous relationships, feel fresh and necessary in the YA sphere. A brief writing guide for aspiring teen authors is appended.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 4-6 Max is not in a good place at the beginning of sixth grade: his ADHD makes school a challenge; a recent growth spurt causes people to think he's an adult instead of an eleven-year-old; and--thanks to an incident no one wants to talk about--one of his friends is in a coma, and the others are avoiding him. Max worries that he's to blame for the injury that landed Will in the hospital, but as he starts to remember more about that night in the woods, he realizes someone is covering up the truth. With the help of his new friend Samantha, an aspiring journalist, Max follows clues to figure out what really happened. Max's life is also upended by a visit from his uncle Cal, a woodworker who lives out of his van. The two bond as Max helps Cal build a display case for Samantha's family's bakery, and Max gradually realizes that he might not be the only family member with ADHD--and that his neurotypical sister and parents aren't as perfect as they seem. The mystery is pitched just right for a middle-grade audience, with high stakes and plausible developments. The plot is well paced, with a good balance between chasing down clues and moments of introspection. Max's ADHD is a constant presence, but one that doesn't overwhelm the story, and the book's many flawed but well-meaning adults add depth to the tween-driven action.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 With his ADHD, Elliott feels most at home in the kitchen--the one place where he isn't "­extra-disorganized" and forgetful; the place he feels focused, confident, and decisive. But which kitchen? After his parents' divorce, Elliott and his mother move into "a cozy jumble" of a house with plants everywhere. At his dad and stepmom Kate's house, there are a lot of rules and everything matches. How do you find your true self when your life seems so divided? When super-smart and popular Maribel Martinez agrees to be Elliott's partner for a middle-school group project in Ms. Choi's Advisory period (involving baking gluten-free pies), Elliott knows "this is either the best thing that's ever happened to me or the worst thing that's ever happened to me." But, as it turns out, Maribel is looking for her true self, too, which she has realized is not part of the popular group. They make an odd duo; but through the pie project Elliott comes to realize how lucky he is to have a whole big pie of a community that includes Mom, Dad, Kate, new baby Jonah, Maribel, and other friends, too. This is a slice-of-pie, er, life novel with all the right ingredients for a satisfying read.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) YA Two teens--both brown, trans, and neurodivergent--reunite years after a chance meeting and find themselves bound together by their most personal experiences and by the magic of a local lake. Bastián copes with ADHD and the next step of their gender transition by creating alebrijes--brightly painted, fantastical, papier-mâché creatures--and sending them into the lake. Lore, who is dyslexic and was bullied at their old school, moved to town after a devastating fight. As the lake's magic breaks its usual boundaries, seeping into Bastián's and Lore's lives on dry land, they realize that it is responding to the painful emotions they've released into the water (Bastián via alebrijes, Lore through cans of paint) and that they can't reject their own pain or imperfections. The book is committed to its characters' gender, racial, and neurodivergent identities; while this focus can feel overworked at points, the intimacy and seriousness with which it addresses neurodivergence in particular is welcome. McLemore (The Mirror Season, rev. 5/21) successfully binds the novel's fantasy elements to the inner lives of their characters, strengthening the narrative effects of both the mundane and the magical. Readers with identities in common with the protagonists will find relief and recognition in this impassioned book, and teens in general should feel welcomed by its warmly open storytelling.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 4-6 In this middle-grade sci-fi tale set in the near future, twelve-year-old Cora meets Adrien (and his wealthy family) at a grown-up party. Both children are neuro-diverse: Adrien has ADHD, Cora is autistic, and they bond over a shared love of adventure and the feeling that neurodiverse people shouldn't have to change what makes them unique to be accepted. Adrien's father runs Pomegranate, a company that creates holograms to give its customers a chance to hobnob with celebrities and revisit loved ones--a concept that appeals to Cora, who would love to be able to interact with her recently deceased mother. But after a devastating accident, Cora discovers that Pomegranate has flattened Adrien's neurodiverse traits to make him seem more neurotypical. Horrified by the "digital eugenics," she makes it her mission to expose the corporation's deception and cruelty, while coming to terms with her own perceptions of death and grief. Adrien and Cora are smart and funny characters who make relatable the work of navigating life in an often-unsympathetic world. McNicoll's suspenseful story has a lot to say about what makes a person worthy of respect.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) 4-6 This graphic memoir describes what it can be like to grow up with ADHD. When Tyler is eight years old, he whips out his penknife and proceeds to cut the seat of his school bus, landing him first in the principal's office and eventually in group counseling. It's not an isolated incident but rather part of a sustained pattern of behavior: distracted, impulsive, and out of control. It will ultimately lead to an ADHD diagnosis and a Ritalin prescription. The Ritalin is a mixed bag: it does help Tyler focus, but it brings some unwanted physical changes, such as constipation and weight gain. As if that isn't bad enough, Tyler is trying to navigate the difficult years of adolescence, even as his home life is fraught with tension. His father also has telltale signs of ADHD, frequently throws temper tantrums, and is verbally abusive; his mother contemplates divorce and comes close to leaving, despite medication for Tyler's dad and family counseling. It's a lot for Tyler to process, but he gets a handle on things by the time he graduates from high school--sort of. Page's storytelling incorporates an appealing mix of humor, angst, school story, relationship drama, and medical information; it's a winning tried-and-true formula à la Telgemeier's Smile, etc. Informational vignettes about ADHD--what it is, how it affects people, why treatments work--appear intermittently throughout the book.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tiffany Rose. Gregarious Abdul loves to tell stories to his classmates--as long as he does not have to write them down. Letters are confusing, and figuring out how to spell words is frustrating. Not to mention that the books he reads at school do not feature people who look like him or the people in his neighborhood: "Some stories are for books, Abdul decided, but not his." Then an author named Mr. Muhammad comes to visit his class. By encouraging the boy to focus on his ideas instead of on mechanics, Mr. ­Muhammad helps Abdul to unleash the writer inside of him. Abdul, who is Black and Muslim, is a relatable character not typically represented in similar narratives, and Mr. Muhammad, who is also Black, Muslim, and neurodivergent, offers encouragement as the caring adult who has learned to manage his own writing challenges. This is a story within a story, not just about the tales Abdul wants to write but also about his journey as a learner; exploring the topic of learning disabilities can be challenging, especially the social-emotional fallout for children who are struggling, but Thompkins-Bigelow accomplishes the task. Rose's lively and colorful illustrations are eye-pleasing and showcase diversity. This is an engaging story that not only offers empowerment but also models understanding and acceptance of learning differences.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) 4-6 Yang's (Front Desk, rev. 7/18; Three Keys, rev. 11/20) pandemic-set tale, based partly on her own experiences, focuses on a biracial Chinese American expat family in January 2020. Impulsive middle-child Knox Wei-Evans, ten, is filled with dread when he, his siblings, and their high-powered banker mother relocate to the Bay Area while his best friend--his father--stays in Hong Kong. Drama ensues as the kids struggle to fit in at school, Knox is diagnosed with ADHD, and the family's finances become precarious when Mom loses her job. The Wei-Evanses also experience several instances of racism, such as bullying in the form of "coronavirus tag" and accusations of being "virus carriers." Yang presents these incidents in a realistic way and defuses them by emphasizing the importance of educating others and speaking up. Despite the serious subject matter, Yang includes plenty of humor, with wry observations about Zoom schooling and the kids' efforts to "help out" with a garage sale and LinkedIn job hunt. Knox's experience with ADHD is portrayed with nuance and empathy. Some quibbles aside (the plot can feel a bit forced, and Yang largely skirts the mainland China–Hong Kong political conflict), this is a strong and timely novel about a family weathering adversity. An author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) YA The Disability Visibility Project, founded by Wong in 2014 as an oral history project, grew into an online community and later an anthology of thirty-seven personal narratives; this is the abridged young-readers' volume. The selections are well organized into four topical sections ("Being," "Becoming," "Doing," "Connecting"); when appropriate, a content note warns of potentially distressing subject matter within a story. Wong emphasizes in her introduction--as do many of the contributors--that the book is not meant for instruction or inspiration. Rather, the seventeen essays provide powerful and empathetic windows into living with (or, often, learning to live with and coming to terms with) a broad range of disabilities.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. Coauthor Leffler (the adult daughter of Cocca-Leffler), who was born with cerebral palsy, describes how she loved attending public school. Sadly, "it hadn't always been that way" for kids with disabilities. In 1971, seven kids (each named in a tidily illustrated vignette portrait) were denied schooling until their families' outcries led to Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia, which secured the right to public education for children with disabilities. The text describes events and facts gently while making a strong case for the ruling; the illustrations showcase people with disabilities on every spread. A wealth of appended contextual material, including a timeline and selected sources, enriches the historical account.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mikela Prevost. Zahra's classmate Kyle struggles with reading and penmanship (and other fine motor tasks), and he sits on a large ball, instead of a chair like the other students. When their teacher asks for someone to help Kyle, Zahra always volunteers, because Kyle is generous and kind and she enjoys spending time with him. Then a group of classmates starts picking on her about it. She caves to peer pressure, avoids contact with Kyle, and refuses to help, telling him to "do it yourself!" Zahra later moves to a new school without ever having apologized to Kyle or ­making amends, and she is haunted by her actions (à la Woodson and Lewis's Each Kindness, rev. 1/13). She decides from then on to be the kind of person who is helpful, and reaches out to a new classmate in need of assistance. Mixed-media illustrations home in on facial expressions, ranging from openness to disapproval to delight. The strength-based representation of a child with a disability is welcome; Kyle is a whole person with some challenges but many gifts. Author and illustrator notes delve into the autobiographical roots of the story and reinforce the message that "being kind is always the right decision."

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Ariel Goldberg lives with her parents and older sister Leah, eighteen, in 1960s Connecticut, her family having left Brooklyn for more space and "better schools." Now they own Gertie's Bakery, named for the girls' grandmother, where after school Ari helps bake the challah and other items (among the rest of the bakery offerings) that recall their Jewish roots. Then "good girl" Leah shares some news: she has fallen in love with Raj, who is from India and a Hindu. The girls' parents' insistence on marriage inside the faith leads to painful estrangement, with Ari left dumbfounded by their reaction. At school she is struggling, too, both with her classwork and with antisemitic bullying. A supportive teacher, a loyal friend, and a newfound love of poetry help her cope; and she hatches a plan to find her sister in NYC, where Leah now lives with Raj. The text's second-person perspective brings readers directly into dialogue with Ari as she contemplates heavy issues of family, religion, racism, generational trauma, financial insecurity, and more. Pop-culture references and historical details (MLK's murder; Loving v. Virginia) that underscore the book's themes are naturally incorporated. After much tsuris (Ma's word), the story ends on a hopeful note, with the future of this family--including its next generation--bringing understanding and unity. An author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) 4-6 Fourth grader Austin, who has dyslexia, is used to starting at new schools, due to his single mother's frequent moves, but his first day at this one is a surprise. His teacher, Ms. G., is especially welcoming; he doesn't have to do the dreaded "introduction" for his classmates; and he's immediately taken under the wing of the extremely talkative Bertie. Austin tentatively reciprocates her friendship but remains concerned that his mother will decide to relocate at any moment, especially if the school takes note of his learning difficulties. As he settles in, Austin hopes to become a Safety, one of the yellow-vested fifth graders who act as crossing guards and hallway monitors--but first he has to pass the Safety test, which requires him to do some reading. The characters drive this story more than the plot does. Austin is a fully realized protagonist, and Swender gives readers many paths into his thoughts--his conversations with his phone's voice-activated assistant, his discovery of Bridge to Terabithia, his tendency to identify colors by the exact names of the crayons in his box. The story will appeal to fans of quiet books who appreciate moments of growth and realistically happy endings.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 "Drawing always came naturally to me," says the protagonist of this autobiographical picture book based on Talbott's early life. Words are another story. Though he loves words "one at a time," long sentences make him feel lost in the woods--a theme picked up by the book's title and by the illustrations' imagery. In the watercolor, colored-pencil, and ink pictures, books fly at him like so many bats or birds of prey; trees are menacingly twisted into and around words; and an entire spread of newsprint becomes a gray, densely packed "Wall of Shame." He feels "alone and lost in a world of words" and worries: what if his classmates find out he can't keep up with them? As he comes up with strategies to forge his own path--reading at his own pace, looking for words he knows and letting them lead him into a story--the illustrations' palette slowly lightens. Then he begins to experiment with how to write stories. He tears down his Wall of Shame and creates a Hall of Fame of slow readers--Einstein and Shakespeare among them. And now the wall carries a new sign: "Slow readers savor the story!" In an appended note, Talbott relates his childhood struggle with dyslexia and how he wrote this story to help others.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) 4-6 Set in a quirky tourist town on the Washington State coast, this story presents an original variation on the relationship triangle. Frankie and her twin sister share a best friend until, as is often the way of middle-school friendship challenges, they don't. When the best friend, Colette, disappears, this dynamic is intensified, and the narrative becomes a detective novel. Patrick makes adept use of secrets, red herrings, disappeared documents, and phone videos to construct a clever and suspenseful mystery where, in time-honored tradition, kids defy authority and solve the puzzle themselves. Frankie, the narrator, hovers between reliable and unreliable as her "several neurological conditions: attention deficit disorder, Asperger's syndrome, and sensory processing disorder" influence her perspective. We get right inside her distinctive take on the world, and in her specificity, Frankie joins other memorable protagonists who are not neurologically typical, such as Willow in Counting by 7s (rev. 9/13) and Rose in Rain Reign (rev. 9/14). Her tendency to overexplain makes sense in the circumstances, but it does overwhelm the ­storytelling at points, especially at its tragic denouement. However, the detailed setting and a strong cast of supporting characters, including the twins' exhausted mother and a kindly boy who like likes Frankie, make this a satisfying reading experience.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Clea struggles with organization, attention, and school assignments, so her parents have her evaluated for ADHD. The approachable, realistic novel handles Clea's trials with sensitivity while giving readers plenty of solid information about the disorder. Once she has a diagnosis and appropriate support, Clea's small steps toward school success are both believable and encouraging.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth