(2) YA Sixteen-year-old Eleanor is obsessed with learning all she can about her birth father, tech mogul Hugo Harrison, who ended his relationship with her mother long before Eleanor can remember. When the opportunity presents itself, she takes a summer job under an assumed name as a nanny for his two-year-old son, Arlo, and in the process gets to know Hugo's young wife, Aurora. As Eleanor takes a front-row seat to a family she thought she knew all about from social media, readers may be less surprised than she is at how much isn't what it seems; however, it's easy to empathize with her wish to know her father and to believe the best of him. And Eleanor, who makes frequent, admiring reference to an early comic-book heroine named Miss Fury, becomes more heroic herself as she grows to question Hugo's ethics in developing his AI projects, including his treatment of both Aurora and Arlo. Her questions are likely to prompt readers' own about how to know what to believe, and about what makes AI (or anything else) go "from cool and interesting to creepy and disturbing."

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Exuberant nine-year-old Gabby Torres volunteers to start a social media account for her ocean-conservation club, the Sea Musketeers, to prove her maturity to its older members. Though her parents are initially wary, they ultimately agree to let her run the account under their strict supervision and with limited access. Gabby is excited to learn about hashtags, promote the club's mission, and score new followers, but after she receives a rude comment from an anonymous account, she begins to view everyone -- from friends to family members to teachers -- as potential culprits. As her accusations intensify and her desire to identify the commenter drives her to break her parents' rules, Gabby finds that her desperation is alienating those around her and distracting her from her good intentions. Dominguez has created an instantly endearing protagonist in Gabby: though she still has growth to undergo, her zeal feels wholly natural in a preteen whose enthusiasm for a cause and desire for acceptance override her common sense. Gabby's close relationship with her Mexican American family provides an affectionate, grounding presence. While the story is not without its messages, it's also charmingly funny. Vignette illustrations and/or comics panels on every page depict Gabby's imaginative perception of the world (e.g., she assumes "Miss Information" is a woman who spreads fabrications online). Gabby's future exploits are sure to have followers -- though maybe not quite a billion.

Reviewer: Ed Spicer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Jo is quick to list qualities she's learned are "the trouble with girls like me." She's "wild," "difficult," "a slut." A social outcast after a classmate leaked nude photos, she's mostly ignored by her parents and failing school. When her ex-best friend, Maddie, one of the popular girls, asks for help, Jo can't imagine why -- but before Maddie can explain, she disappears. Everyone thinks she ran away, but Jo believes it's not that simple. She teams up with Hudson, a friend (or maybe more) who has his own reasons to investigate Maddie's disappearance; together, they uncover a schoolwide scandal with dangerous implications. The mystery has all the elements of a good thriller: characters you can't necessarily trust; nail-biting suspense; and a twisty, surprising conclusion. But there's another layer: what happened to Jo at age fifteen, when she and Maddie stopped being friends. Jo's experience, once revealed, is clearly sexual assault, contextualizing her bitterness, rage, and self-blame. It takes time, and some help, for Jo to recognize it, too, and reclaim her body and her voice. Adamo writes with compassion for "girls like me" (an author's note acknowledges firsthand experience) who deserve to be listened to, believed, and loved -- and nothing less.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Sixteen-year-old Samira feels restricted by the watchful eyes of her tight-knit Sudanese American community, especially those of her protective mother. The community has labeled her a "bad girl" because of a false rumor that a boy started years ago. Now, while trying to sneak out to a party with friends, Samira is caught by her mom and grounded. Forbidden from leaving the house, she turns to an online poetry forum to stay connected. She begins chatting with an older poet, Horus, with whom she quickly finds herself falling in love. She begins to question him, though, when he pretends her poem is his. Through vivid free-verse poetry, text messages, and emails, Elhillo (Home Is Not a Country, rev. 7/21) creates a realistic picture of a teenage girl trying to push against unfair perceptions. She also highlights the fears of parents who are trying to raise children in a foreign country. In addition, the book offers a glimpse into the world of poetry and how young artists may be manipulated by older ones. Readers will appreciate the believable portrayal of a teen who is dealing with complex issues of family, friendship, and romantic love.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA A teenager newly arrived in the United States from Nigeria uses movies such as Sixteen Candles, Mean Girls, and Heathers to prepare for attending an American high school. Enore Adesuwa's family immigrates just two months after the death of her father. Her younger sister appears to adjust more easily to life in a small town in New York's Hudson Valley than Enore, who spends most of her time at home watching DVDs. These movies influence Enore to set ten rules about surviving in a U.S. high school; e.g., steer clear of the popular kids, "no crushes," and avoid the spotlight, rules she breaks when her audition for the school musical goes viral. And rules or no rules, sparks fly during a chance encounter with cute Brazilian American boy Davi Santiago. Their friendship leads to an eventual romance, which helps Enore to deal with her grief. Davi also helps the protagonist handle her fear of disappointing her mother, who is pressuring her to follow in her footsteps and become a doctor. Igharo deftly handles the excitement, intensity, and confusion surrounding young love as well as the mountain of emotions one goes through when mourning a loved one, through characters who are relatable and genuine. A highly entertaining and heartwarming story with a couple to root for.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Eighth grader Emily Laurence aspires to be a social media influencer, if only her mom would let her post pictures of herself on her YouHappy account. For now, she'll have to settle for producing the Cedarview Middle School podcast. Before she can gain internet fame, Emily has a lot to juggle in the real world. She and her mom have moved in with Mom's new boyfriend and his obnoxious eight-year-old son; and a new classmate, Amelie, adds an unwelcome dynamic to Emily's friendships. Emily channels her frustrations into producing a podcast story about an upcoming climate march, but the principal thinks the topic isn't appropriate for middle school students and cancels the episode. When a school visit from (fictional) social media influencer (and Emily's idol) Asha Jamil is rescheduled for the same day as the climate march, Emily can't keep quiet about her suspicions of censorship. She tries to emulate her namesake, Emily Post -- whom our protagonist sees as one of the world's first influencers -- to help her manage with tact and courtesy. With a relatable and thoughtful main character, the story offers timely reflections on social media, complicated friendships, climate activism, and what it really means to have influence.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Boys at seventh grader Mani's school have been assaulting girls in the "grope-'n'-go" social media challenge, and school administrators dismiss the boys' behavior. Overwhelmed with emotion in reaction to the situation at school, Mani can barely speak; when she learns that her deceased aunt and her own mother were feminist activists in Guatemala, Mani wants to find the strong "quetzal voice" her abuelita encourages her to have. As events escalate, Mani and her friend group, Las Nerdas, unite for a presentation to shake up the school. While the complexity, pervasiveness, and intensity of these topics could make the story feel overwrought, Lapera's writing shines in the rendering of connection and levity with friends and family. There are laugh-out-loud moments, from the everyday to the bizarre (e.g., stealing a used tampon in a misguided but well-meaning attempt to support a friend). There is inspiration and hope in the steadfastness with which Las Nerdas organize a protest against the harassment and within the stirringly written passages both in old letters from Mani's tia and in the support found with other students at school. Amid the frankness about challenging topics, readers will also encounter warmth and a pervading sense of capability and inner strength in finding their own voices.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA Illustrated by Maine Diaz. Mallory Marsh wants to keep her friends and family happy, even if it means becoming a chameleon who constantly wears different faces to mirror those around her. The one place where she feels free to express herself is her web comic, a sci-fi story full of characters inspired by her life. The juggling act becomes increasingly precarious when Mal secretly attends comic club, where she meets Noa, a nonbinary kid who quickly becomes a friend and a crush she desperately wants to impress. Soon, the multiple lives and web of lies catch up to Mal. Her comic goes viral, with everyone at school on the verge of discovering who is behind it, and she must find the courage to show her true self. Leahy weaves a realistic and at times painfully resonant narrative about the cost of not asserting your own opinions and needs; the various threads of the story reinforce the theme of how the desire for validation and fear of rejection can lead people astray. The book also touches on the experience of questioning one's sexuality without making it the primary conflict, and still creates a largely queer-affirming space for the characters and readers.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(3) PS Illustrated by Leah Giles. This jaunty rhyme celebrates bellies big and little, round and flat. The verse's buoyant joy is echoed in Giles's bold collages with a cut-paper look. The book anticipates young listeners' responses with a double-page spread near the end featuring a tot exclaiming "AGAIN!" On the final spread, the entire verse is repeated as an encore. The text can be sung to a tune by YouTuber Mother Moon, accessible by scanning the QR code on the back cover. From the same team, ­Showing I Love You honors familial bonds. For more body positivity, look for My Body and Me: My First Body ­Positivity Book (Soaring Kite) by Ceece Kelley, illustrated by Betania Zacarias.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Lucia Cruz loves the consistency of her daily routine. During a trip to San Diego for her cousin's debut -- a traditional Filipino coming-of-age party in which Luz has no interest -- her world is turned on its head. Her best friend, Esme, reveals her discontent with their customary patterns, and Luz finds out that her mom has been planning her debut, complete with an Eighteen Roses ceremony, behind her back. She returns home to contend with the possibility of trying new things, connecting with classmates besides Esme, and cobbling together an extravagant birthday celebration. Throughout Luz's last year of high school, Rogers sheds light on the overwhelming nature of self-discovery as well as the messiness of conflict between friends and of complicated families (Luz and her younger sister begrudgingly split their time between their Filipina mom and white dad, who is remarried to a younger, now-pregnant Filipina woman). Many of the protagonist's critical observations are based on fear and anxiety and, as it turns out, can be transformed into humor. Despite feeling abandoned by Esme, Luz manages to develop connections with classmates through a stand-up comedy club. And with the power of TikTok, she puts together a unique Eighteen Roses ceremony that fits her personality and style. While she often feels powerless, Luz's courage allows her to build unexpected connections, self-confidence, and community.

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

(2) K-3 Alligator Bob (Chez Bob, rev. 9/21), proprietor of his bird friends' favorite restaurant, is blindsided when an energetic young alligator rolls into town with an exciting new business: Chez Ryan "delivers pizza while doing cool bike tricks!" Bob doesn't handle the competition well and falls into a funk fueled by sad music, snack food, and self-pity. With Chez Bob's shuttered, the birds flock to enjoy the convivial atmosphere at Ryan's, while Bob follows his jealous thoughts to a dark place: the "internest." Posting under various pseudonyms ("smartbirdwhoisnotbob," "trustworthybird226"), he relieves his anxiety by slandering Ryan and pizza -- and expressing those "very bad things made Bob feel very good." Lest readers think this is an endorsement of internet troll-dom, Shea's comical illustrations turn dark and shadowy as Bob wages his online smear campaign by the light of his laptop. Skilled use of color and perspective throughout effectively conveys mood and plays up the overall silliness. Ryan is understandably furious when Bob confesses, but Bob's heartfelt apology helps Ryan forgive him. In the "sappy ending" that the two chefs agree is "gross," they team up to run a new fusion restaurant serving birdseed pizza. This satisfying second course will be a crowd pleaser.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Phoenny, a thirteen-year-old Chinese American girl, is ecstatic to return to SCCWEE (Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience) -- Camp Squee for short. It is sure to be another awesome summer with her best friends, the Squad. However, new (and initially unfriendly) campers arrive who aren't as familiar with Chinese language and culture as the Squad is; their extra numbers cause the friends to be split into different groups. Suddenly, Phee is unsure about the summer, even as she unpacks her sewing machine and shares handmade, eye-catching costumes with her friends. Nightly camper meetings lead to honest and transformative conversations about what it means to be Chinese; for example, some newcomers are adoptees living in white families with different perspectives on identity and culture. Then, internet trolls post nasty social media comments that threaten the camp, and Phee feels fragile and afraid. Wang's tightly woven plotting and lively dialogue paint a rich portrait of the ups and downs of middle school friendships, social awkwardness, and a desperate desire to belong. Add in a few crushes, lots of hilarious camp hijinks, and an ingenious solution to the troll problem, and you have an excellent companion to Kelly Yang's Front Desk series (Front Desk, rev. 7/18, and sequels) and Grace Lin's Pacy Lin series (The Year of the Dog, rev. 3/06, and sequels).

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(3) 4-6 In this compelling companion to Jawbreaker, tall seventh grader Stephanie “Stevie” Crumb navigates demoralizing family dynamics, uncomfortable attention, and growing pains in New York City. Joining the debate team boosts her confidence, offering a safe space to test self-expression and boundaries. With themes of body autonomy, social media safety, and self-acceptance, this heartfelt, relatable, empowering story will resonate with readers facing similar challenges. Includes an author’s note.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(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) 4-6 Sicily Jordan had been excited about starting sixth grade with her friend group, the "Tether Squad" (including coordinated "outfits for almost the entire first month"). A last-minute redistricting plan means she has to transfer to Shirley Chisholm Middle School--without her squad. She's devastated and worries about making friends with a whole new group of people. Her "It's My Culture" presentation for class results in ignorant questions about her heritage: how can she be Black and speak Spanish? Is her family really from Panama? Sicily's frustrations are compounded at home, where her beloved abuela has become increasingly vocal about her dislike of her granddaughter's braided hair, calling it "low-class and poor and ghetto." While other family members and friends provide some support and levity, it's an opportunity to write for the school's online magazine that gives the biggest boost. In searching for topics, Sicily also begins to research her culture--and discovers that her biggest advocate just might be herself. Issues of colorism, culture, and immigration are skillfully discussed, and Sicily's journal entries introduce the rich history of Black Panamanians.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA Colors by Sarah Davidson. After an embarrassing mishap on social media, almost-fourteen-year-old Aria unplugs for the summer. She visits Nainai, her Taiwanese grandmother, in San Francisco, to help run her boba shop. When Bao, the cafe cat, gives birth to eight kittens, Aria attracts more customers by rebranding the shop as a boba cat cafe. But there are mysteries that she can't make sense of: prairie dogs hang out in the shop's back lot, Nainai gets strangely upset when the cafe fails to close on time, and the shop's kitchen is strictly off limits. Aria eventually learns that for nearly forty years her grandmother has been staving off an underground monster that rocks the city, triggering huge earthquakes unless it is fed -- and she decides to help free Nainai from this burden. Chanani's (Pashmina, rev. 1/18; Jukebox) inventive graphic novel, featuring an endearing granddaughter-grandmother relationship, explores themes of healing, making new friends, taking personal responsibility, and communicating across generations. The illustrations feature plenty of warmth and cartoonish cuteness. Scene-setting depictions of San Francisco highlight iconic sites, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts; images of bakeries, eateries, and small shops in residential neighborhoods create a vibrant sense of community.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Gaiman, who serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, used social media to ask people about their memories of being warm, to draw attention to--and raise money for--those unhoused or displaced due to violent conflict. He wove respondents' words into the free-verse poem that is this compelling picture book's text. The twelve loose stanzas are vivid and specific with relatable details. Each is interpreted by a different artist (with fascinating explanatory notes from the illustrators appended), including Yuliya Gwilym, Petr Horaek, Oliver Jeffers, and Nadine Kaadan. What makes us warm? Physical things like blankets, radiators, fireplaces, coats and gloves, and hot cocoa, as well as more abstract concepts such as a smile, memories, safety, or a kind word. The double-page spreads create entire scenes that expand both the context and the meaning of the lines--all in only three colors: shades of black, white, and orange. It's an unusual palette; the orange is especially effective in conveying heat and warmth, and the grayscale provides a unifying thread across the various artistic styles. Midway, the illustrations feature several scenes of refugees and migrants, but the hopeful conclusion depicts children at play and at home with the words, "You have the right to be here." One other intriguing element is the graphic look of the text, with spacing that varies and key words in a larger font size--creating another telegraphic poem-within-a-poem.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 "After a cold, hard winter" (and "written in the time of Covid," per the dedication page), Graham tells and shows a story of children making a world with art. The setting initially appears unpromising: a brutalist, gray apartment building enlivened only by some lines of faded laundry. But then children spill out from the front door "like candies from a box." Amanda has a supply of sidewalk chalk, and the diverse group of kids proceeds to a basketball court and draws a giant garden complete with flowers, trees, snails, insects, aliens, and "The Queen of Swirls." Graham does a heart-lifting job of portraying the kind of creativity that flourishes without planning, goals, or adult input when children engage in parallel play--beside but not exactly "with" one another. A photo taken of the resulting work of art goes viral, and we see the worldwide ripple effect of this spontaneous event. What happens when it rains? Jackson, Lovejoy, Janet, the twins, Indira, Arthur, and the whole gang reappear, and new creative opportunities present themselves. In this joyous offering, Graham (most recently Jigsaw, rev. 9/22) cements his role as the master of the optimistic picture book.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) YA In this novel in verse, Lockington's (In the Key of Us, rev. 5/22) first book for young adults, sixteen-year-old Sadie has anxiety that means "when I panic, I stop being a girl / I become a thread unraveling / from some dark and blanketed expanse of time." When she witnesses a Black girl near her age being forcefully arrested by the police, the experience leaves her feeling unsafe and afraid to leave her house. With the help of her therapist, Sadie begins to find ways to cope with her anxiety and agoraphobia and shares her thoughts and poetry live on social media to create a sense of connection, and ultimately overcomes her fear. Lockington effectively mixes verse narration with social media posts to create an authentic teenage narrator. She thoughtfully explores mental health, sexuality (Sadie is bisexual), family, anti-Blackness, Black girl joy, and activism. Back matter includes an author's note, mental health resources focusing on Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, and a list of Sadie's favorite reads. Recommended for readers who appreciate books about Black teens' mental health, such as Parker's Who Put This Song On? (rev. 1/20) and Stone's Chaos Theory (rev. 1/23).

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Harriet Douglass and her father live on modern-day Westwood Plantation, a Louisiana sugar plantation where enslaved Africans once lived, which is now one of the few plantation museums run by Black people. Since her mother's death from cancer, Harriet runs tours with her historian father that keep the legacy of those who were captive on the land alive. But when new owners take over the plantation next door, Harriet is appalled to find out that they plan to turn it into a wedding venue. Even worse, her high school decides to host the prom there as well. Harriet campaigns via social media against the erasure and commodifying of the enslaved. Though burdened with grief over her mother's death and righteous anger for the people whose memories she keeps alive through the museum, Harriet is a full, well-rounded character and an often amusing narrator. Themes of community, grief, mental health, activism, allyship, and racism are explored in the pursuit of reconciling and healing a difficult history.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023