(1) YA All Nala has on her summer agenda is to pick a new hairstyle, spend time with her "cousin-sister-friend" Imani, and find love. Nala is not very inspired by Imani's activism or her activist friends, finding them pretentious--that is, until she meets Tye, a new member of Imani's Inspire Harlem group, with whom she has an instant connection. Nala tells a few little white lies about her own activism and volunteerism to help stoke the embers of attraction, but soon finds that being anyone other than your truest self makes real intimacy difficult. With her carefully created masquerade revealed, Nala is challenged to expand her definition of love. Watson (Piecing Me Together, rev. 7/17) offers a rom-com that is as much an ode to New York, especially Harlem, as it is to Black love. As Nala soon finds out, love is more than romantic relationships and extends to her family (she lives with her aunt's family due to a strained relationship with her mother), friends, and community, and most of all, to herself. A rare "fat" protagonist, Nala is "not down with the Say-It-Loud-I'm-Fat-and-I'm-Proud movement" but grows to embrace her body. Watson's deft ability to write characters that are relatable yet flawed offers readers a nuanced, non-saccharine love story.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) YA Black straight boy Coop deeply values his best friend Jupiter but is secretly in love with her. Black-Latinx lesbian Jupiter is enamored of new girl Rae Chin but doesn't want to get burned. Meanwhile, Chinese-Jamaican Rae is questioning her sexuality while bonding with Coop over a shared mystery from their respective childhoods. A sexy teen love triangle unfolds over three parts, one in each protagonist's distinct, conversational voice.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(1) YA Natasha, an undocumented immigrant from Jamaica facing immediate deportation, believes in science and rationality. Daniel, burdened with his Korean-immigrant parents' expectations, believes in destiny and poetry. When their paths cross unexpectedly, and repeatedly, over one day, Daniel is convinced he's going to fall in love. In a twelve-hour race against the clock, the teens' alternating first-person narratives are fresh and compelling.

Reviewer: Kazia Berkley-Cramer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(4) YA After the accidental death of her brother, thirteen-year-old Dellie is wracked with guilt. So when Corey, a neglected child, moves into her building in the projects, Dellie hopes to make up for the past. In doing so, she not only helps Corey but also begins to forgive herself. Occasional plot contrivances somewhat mar this emotionally charged debut.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) YA New Immigrants series. These books provide facts and figures about immigrant groups' countries of origin and their contributions to America, both politically and culturally (e.g., food, music, art, literature). Though the texts tend to generalize, their chatty narrative style may engage readers. Photographs, charts, diagrams, and "First-Person Accounts" are included; study questions end each chapter. Jamaican and Ukrainian have recipes. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these New Immigrants titles: Korean Americans, Jamaican Americans, Ukrainian Americans, Mexican Americans, Vietnamese Americans, and Filipino Americans.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) K-3 New immigrant Angelina yearns for her Jamaican home. Participating in a Carnival parade helps her feel like New York is her "island in the sun." The conclusion is too tidy and the contrast between new life and old overly sentimentalized. But Angelina's story should help children gain appreciation for the adjustment new immigrants must make.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Elaine Pedlar. Zettie and her widowed mom are immigrants from Jamaica; because Mama doesn't have a steady job, they must live in their car, inspiring taunts of "Junk Car Zettie!" from some school kids. It's unclear how Mama and Zettie would have a car in the first place, but readers will find eye-opening both Gunning's well-chosen details and Pedlar's brooding, expressionistic art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Condon. A collection of poems recounting a young girl's move from Jamaica to the United States, this book chronicles both the excitement and hardship of the immigrant experience, giving voice to a point of view not often heard in poetry for young children. Clear and straightforward, the poems vary in quality, with some more compelling than others. Warm illustrations of city life accompany the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) YA Notable Americans series. Born in Jamaica, Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914, immigrated to (and was later deported from) the United States, and was an advocate in the Back to Africa movement. Illustrated with black-and-white photos, this biography acknowledges many of Garvey's professional and personal difficulties but also affirms his importance as a historical figure who influenced pride in racial heritage. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 African-American Biographies series. These books provide overviews of the lives of prominent African Americans. The readable text superficially covers each subject's childhood, mentors he or she encountered, struggles through adversity, and contributions to society. The accompanying photographs don't always match the text, but the books are sufficient introductions for report writers. There are ten other new books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. [Review covers these African-American Biographies titles: Zora Neale Hurston, Marcus Garvey, Robert Parris Moses, Paul Robeson, Bessie Smith, and Medgar Evers.]

Reviewer: Lauren Rizzuto