(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerry Jordan. Johnson's compelling text tells the inspirational true story of a Black suffragist who fought injustice all her life. This biography of Wells begins with her birth in 1862, a year before the Emancipation Proclamation freed her parents. The Fifteenth Amendment nominally enfranchised Black men, but after Ida's father voted for the first time, his white boss fired him, which led him to open his own business, Wells's Carpentry. At sixteen, Ida lost her parents and younger brother to yellow fever, and she began teaching and pursuing an education to support her siblings. Wells refused to accept discriminatory laws or the racist treatment of Black citizens on public transportation and fought against the brutal practice of lynching. The last half of the book focuses on her suffrage work, including her founding of the Alpha Suffrage Club and participation in the 1913 march of the National American Woman Suffrage Association -- an association that fought exclusively for white women's suffrage. Wells and other women of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, including Mary Church Terrell, participated to show that they, too, required the vote. Jordan's skillfully crafted oil on cloth illustrations effectively capture the historical era in which Wells lived and the determination she showed regardless of the challenge. The detailed back matter -- including an author's note, a timeline, photographs, and source notes -- offers readers ample resources for learning more about a person and history that all young people should know.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) 4-6 After eleven-year-old Amra's brother's death from complications of Marfan syndrome, her mother's remedy for Amra's grief is to arrange for her cousin Zana to spend summers with Amra in Bihac, Bosnia. This vividly told and moving memoir takes place over three consecutive summers in the years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide (preceding the events of The Cat I Never Named, rev. 1/21). The first summer of romantic crushes and days spent lazing on the banks of the River Una helps Amra to heal. "I am ancient in the ways of trauma...but [Zana] shows me another way of being." A sense of impending violence, however, undergirds the book's carefree summer setting as simmering political and sectarian tensions slowly heat up. Tata (her father) is detained, interrogated, and loses his job, while anti-Muslim sentiments become more freely voiced. An author's note provides a timeline for the Bosnian Genocide along with a "where they are now" update. The book smartly contrasts more lighthearted preteen drama with looming ethnic and religious tensions, resulting in an engaging reflection on disability and ethnic difference.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(4) 4-6 American Citizenship series. These books are designed to give young readers an overview of how the American political system was created and how it operates. Primary sources (e.g., an excerpt from Washington's farewell address) extend the serviceable texts, but related core-standards-geared prompts and activities may distract general researchers. Photographs and charts provide additional insight. "Fast Facts" and discussion questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following American Citizenship titles: Modern Political Parties, Our Electoral Leaders, Voting and Elections, and Constitutional Rights.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA If Only series. Katie and Drew fall in love despite the fact that their parents are both running for president of the United States (Red). Holly can't believe that the rich and famous Malik Buchannan is in love with her--or that she's stupid enough to keep lying to him (Everything). Both romance novels have breezy, accessible plots, but readers wanting emotional depth should look elsewhere. Review Covers these If Only titles: Red Girl, Blue Boy and Everything But the Truth.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Inside Elections series. This series examines political issues that are pertinent to an informed citizenry participating in a democracy. Each book covers some phase of the voting process and provides adequate information for a basic understanding of the selected topic. Inserts present pros and cons of viewpoints held by opposition groups. The dense texts are illustrated with small photographs and charts. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Inside Elections titles: Media, Special Interests, Voters, and Political Parties.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 In a series of self-aggrandizements and petty comebacks, Donkey and Elephant try to convince the reader to "Vote for me!" It's more a drawn-out quibble than a story--until a twist ending kids won't see coming. Adults will appreciate the underlying political joke, while children will appreciate the language ("nincompoop!" "smellypants!") and hilarious black-and-white drawings on rich blue or red backgrounds.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 U.S. Government: How It Works series. Archival photographs and paintings and sidebars combine with informative text to present a comprehensive discussion of the political parties and processes that define U.S. government. Each title adequately provides the historical context necessary to understand the featured subject, though the density of text may put off some readers. There are five other new books in this series. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these U.S. Government: How It Works titles: How the Constitution Was Created, The Impeachment Process, The History of the Democratic Party, The History of the Republican Party, and How the President Is Elected.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) 4-6 U.S. Government: How It Works series. Archival photographs and paintings and sidebars combine with informative text to present a comprehensive discussion of the political parties and processes that define U.S. government. Each title adequately provides the historical context necessary to understand the featured subject, though the density of text may put off some readers. There are five other new books in this series. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these U.S. Government: How It Works titles: How the Constitution Was Created, The Impeachment Process, The History of the Democratic Party, The History of the Republican Party, and How the President Is Elected.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) YA From the Federalist-Jeffersonian Republican conflict in the early days of the American republic, political parties have emerged, disappeared, and reappeared in different forms. Morin provides a readable, informative overview of the causes and results of these changes. Black-and-white drawings (including caricatures from nineteenth-century newspapers and magazines) enhance the text. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman