(2) YA In this historical verse novel, teenage Lucille comes of age against the uneasy backdrop of 1930s Haiti. The American colonizers have removed their troops, and political discussions among Haiti's new leaders about the country's future are turning incendiary. Lucille discovers she has the gift of hearing her deceased mother's spirit in their mapou tree, and the only one who understands her gift is Fifina, Lucille's best friend and first love. Fifina vanishes under terrible circumstances, which leads Lucille to a confrontation at the section chief's house; she must then leave home. Now a servant in Madame Ovide's house, Lucille is intrigued by conversations she hears about progress, but to quell Lucille's growing relationship with her son, Oreste, Madame Ovide sends Lucille to another one of her homes, to help an eccentric American who has come to the island to do fieldwork in folklore: Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston's presence angers some powerful Haitian politicians, and Lucille finds herself in a race to save Zora, Oreste, Fifina, and herself. The novel addresses issues of classism, colorism, misogyny, and activism with nuance. While the resolution is somewhat abrupt, the detailed, lyrical free verse makes for an impressive debut.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA To avoid being expelled after a school presentation accidentally lands a classmate in the hospital, Alaine Beauparlant is sent to Haiti, her parents' birthplace. There she learns about Haitian history and her family's role in the country's beginnings. She also gets the chance to end a family curse, with the help of the cute intern at her aunt's charitable-support-app company. The story is told entertainingly through diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, emails, and text messages; and the protagonist's snark, as she calls it, comes through clearly.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. A girl explores her Haitian heritage when she visits Auntie Luce, a painter. The aunt describes Haiti's history and their shared family stories. As she paints a portrait of the child, Auntie Luce helps the girl to better understand herself as a daughter of two cultures. Daley's acrylic paintings are lush and vibrant. An appended note provides more about the author's inspiration and Haitian history. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Tangled History series. A socially and environmentally significant event is humanized, to wrenching effect, for middle-grade reading or research. The devastation of the 2010 earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti is related, day by day, from the perspective of several survivors; full-color photographs accompany the chronological narrative. An epilogue summarizes the earthquake's toll and updates readers on the survivors' lives. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aaron Boyd. Traveling from Haiti to America in a small rowboat, Henri loses his parents; saved by another immigrant boat, Henri is eventually brought to New York by his uncle. Through a friendship with neighbor Karrine, who lost her father during Hurricane Katrina, and by playing his water bucket as a drum, Henri slowly regains his voice and joy. Expressive watercolors evoke the emotions of displacement.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Natural Disaster True Survival Stories series. In a series about real-life disaster survival, this volume focuses on the earthquake that decimated Haiti in 2010. A brief introduction describes the disaster, followed by five chapters that detail real individuals' involvement. Gripping, you-are-there narratives are supplemented with primary source quotations (footnoted and sourced); photos and other graphics (maps, graphs, diagrams, etc.) provide additional insight. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA In the standalone companion to Salvage, Haitian teen Miyole's first deep-space voyage as a scientific assistant fulfills a lifelong dream. But when Cassia sets out to rescue her brother, kidnapped by space pirates, Miyole abandons everything to help. Too late, Miyole wonders if Cassia even returns her romantic feelings. Robust world-building, including a collage of Earth cultures, supports a gripping plot arc.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA The 2010 earthquake takes Magdalie's house and her aunt, the only mother she has ever known. Soon afterward, her like-a-sister cousin Nadine leaves. Before the quake, Magdalie was a naive schoolgirl. Now she must negotiate the dangers of the tent camp. A respectful text by an anthropologist who lived in Haiti during the earthquake gives readers a unique perspective on life in modern Haiti. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) 4-6 Serafina lives in modern rural Haiti. Food is scarce, and her mother is pregnant again. Serafina longs to attend school and become a doctor like Antoinette Solaine, who tried unsuccessfully to save Serafina's baby brother, Pierre. Woven into the spare first-person free-verse poems is the history of Haiti and Serafina's family. Rich details of everyday life add texture to this emotional, fast-moving tale. Glos.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(2) YA Beneath the rubble of the recent Haiti earthquake lies a teenage boy, waiting to be rescued. He has had a bleak and violent life but draws strength from the story of the revolutionary Toussaint L'Ouverture, whose presence seems to visit him. Leisurely pacing allows Lake to develop his unforgettable characters and harrowing settings and lay the foundation for his timely and relevant themes.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2012

(4) 4-6 Code Red series. Twelve double-page spreads present the 2010 natural disaster in Haiti. The text first describes the earthquake and its immediate aftermath, then explores worldwide reactions and ongoing relief efforts. While the writing is stiff, the photographs effectively reflect the enormity of the disaster. A final spread briefly profiles four people (including Bill Clinton) with roles in the event. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alix Delinois. A boy buried in the Port-au-Prince rubble imagines doing things he loves on each of eight days awaiting rescue. These include flying kites and playing soccer; on the sad fifth day, though, his best friend, also trapped, dies. Every double-page spread is filled with deep acrylic strokes as bright as the tropics, with the boy's hopeful eyes looking directly at readers.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(4) YA Essential Events series. Focusing mainly on the January 2010 earthquake disaster, this book also touches on the challenges Haiti has faced from Columbus days to the present: slavery, extreme poverty, frequent hurricanes, historically corrupt political leaders, etc. Efforts to rebuild and stabilize the country are also discussed. Sidebars and photographs extend the readable text but tend to crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Some earthquake-displaced Haitian children living in a soccer-stadium shelter play soccer with a ball made of rags--until it's replaced by a gift from a kindly stranger. Despite its big heart, the book has some shortcomings: the dialogue is stilted and the plotting is formulaic. More successful are the vivid acrylic illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. This book touches on sophisticated ideas of race, politics, and national identity that influenced the life of eighteenth-century Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L'Ouverture. Background information detailing the history of Haiti and international relations between France and England enhance this cradle-to-grave story. Christie's expressively shaded gouache illustrations handsomely decorate a lesser-known chapter of world history. An author's note and "Cast of Characters" are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) 4-6 Royal Diaries series. In a mature voice, young Anacaona, a future Taíno chief, contemplates life as she records her daily activities. Disturbing premonitions foretell the invasion of European treasure seekers; her village must defend their culture and their lives. Set in Haiti in 1490, the story ends on a hopeful note, but an illustrated afterword recounts the near annihilation of the Taínos. Glos.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Saport. Facile wants to offer his new sister a gift--a mango tree--but doesn't anticipate trouble getting the seed to grow. This simple tale suffers from the reader's need to consult the book's glossary each time a Haitian Creole word crops up, but the charcoal and pastel images in rich, blended tones provide a welcome introduction to rural Haiti.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Changing Face of North America: Immigration since 1965 series. These volumes explore how specific aspects of immigration affect both the United States and Canada. The books provide historical background, include plenty of supporting statistics, and address the impact of terrorism on immigration in the post-9/11 world. The informative but dryly written texts are illustrated with stock photos. There are four other spring 2004 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Changing Face of North America: Immigration since 1965 titles: Refugees, Haitian Immigration, Asylees, and Deported Aliens.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 In simple language and childlike art, this picture book describes the living conditions for street children in Haiti and details some solutions to their plight. An excellent supplementary essay by Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat is directed toward adults, who may be able to share some of its contents with child readers.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Welcome to My Country series. Simple text and clear, captioned photos convey the turbulent history and present-day political upheaval (although the book went to press before Aristide's ouster) and stressed economic condition of Haiti. This modicum of information about the climate, history, government, economy, people, and culture may satisfy the youngest report writers. maps, reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr