(2) 4-6 Geetha and her mother, who lives with depression, move from Chennai, India, to Rhode Island, leaving behind the rest of their family and settling in an apartment near Narragansett Bay. Geetha is lonely at school and is made fun of for her accent, food, and thrift-store clothes. She often fights to "hold back the dam of anger building," though regular trips to the library and composing music on her bamboo flute provide release. She befriends Miguel, a Mexican American boy, and the two find a harp seal that has been injured by a fishing line; after it's taken in by the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, they visit it as it convalesces. Inspired to prevent further injury to animals from pollution, the two organize a community beach cleanup. Written in verse, this compact, emotional story brims with metaphors about the ocean and sea life that echo its themes of home and the scary process of learning to let go of people, things, and beliefs. Additionally, there is a strong marine conservationist message that may inspire readers to learn more and take action. An author's note contextualizes Geetha's story in Venkatraman's own experiences; resources about marine life, bullying, and mental health are also appended.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(3) YA Teenage photographer Zara has a strained relationship with her mother, Nadja, a refugee from the Bosnian War. Zara doesn't understand her mother's trauma until a bombing at a Rhode Island farmer's market leaves Zara badly injured and traumatized and her mother in a coma. This deeply sad and affecting mother-daughter story shifts between Nadja's 1990s experiences and Zara's present-day path to healing and understanding. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Hannah, the daughter of the present-day caretaker of The Elms museum, swaps lives with Maggie, a wealthy teen who summered at the Newport mansion in 1905. The girls alternate narration as they describe their new circumstances and stop a historic art theft. Stilted dialogue, excessive pop-culture references, and a heavy-handed girl-power message weigh down the otherwise compelling mystery in this Freaky Friday/time-travel mash-up.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 During a six-week visit with her family to a seaside Rhode Island town with a "hidden, half-forgotten" pond, preteen Jessie takes to rafting with local girl Terri. Terri's father is abusive and her family as a whole is subject to not-always-justified suspicion. This atmospheric novel is full of well-developed characters whose lives are informed by slowly revealed secrets from the past.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) YA Kelsey is trying to forget the fight she had with her best friend, David, a year ago. Now at a new school, with a doting boyfriend, Kelsey's surprised when David shows up as a new student. Though the plot--consisting of Kelsey pushing David away, then going back to him--is formulaic, these two have chemistry that will satisfy romance fans.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA The End Times approach. Teenage witch Nadia (Spellcaster; Steadfast), bound to serve the evil Elizabeth and the One Beneath, must save her Steadfast Mateo, her friends, and the whole town of Captive's Sound from falling apart. Gray delves more deeply into the characters and the complex structure of magic in this third book, creating a tightly woven conclusion to the series.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(4) YA This sequel to Spellcaster picks up shortly after Nadia, Mateo, and Verlaine saved the town of Captive's Sound from evil witch Elizabeth. In addition to fighting their own inner demons, the teens now must battle Elizabeth and her attractive demon helper. While the magical system Gray creates is fascinating, the characters are rather two-dimensional. Fans of L. J. Smith's Secret Circle books will enjoy this series.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(2) YA In this faux investigative biography, Griffin conjures an edgy artist--Addison Stone--who died tragically at age eighteen. To chronicle her subject's life and probe her suspicious death, Griffin presents material from (fictional) interviews, along with photographs of Addison and reproductions of her artwork. What could feel disjointed instead works to provide an intimate and cohesive portrait of a complex girl.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(2) YA When his fisherman father went missing, Jake and his mother lost their house, and now the family diner is in danger of being repossessed. A mysterious character named Captain and seasoned fisherman Gene Hassard help Jake earn money by learning the ways of the bay. With a lushly detailed sense of place and character, the story examines a boy coming to terms with his situation.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(4) YA Guards of the Shadowlands series. Having overrun the afterlife, the vampire-like Mazikin invade the human world, and Lela returns to her human life with a new role: Captain of the Guards, charged with eliminating the Mazikin. Despite Lela's unbelievability as Captain, the clash between human and supernatural worlds charges the plot of this second book, and questions about the Mazikin's true endgame opens new ground for future volumes.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) YA Teenage witch Nadia inherited power but has no teacher after her mother left. When Nadia's family moves to mysterious Captive's Sound, a Rhode Island town under a dark spell, she discovers only she can save her love interest Mateo's family from an old curse. Despite the forced romance and some clichés, Gray's world-building and complex magical system will hook readers.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) 4-6 Top gymnast Joey loves her sport and can't understand why her best friend would quit just to have a social life--or why Joey's older sister quit after winning Nationals, or why their parents find competitions too stressful to watch. Former competitive gymnast Freitas provides an absorbing look at the challenging but rewarding life of a thirteen-year-old athlete.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) YA After learning a shocking family secret, Camelia is attending a summer arts program at a Rhode Island college. Not coincidentally, a teenage girl has disappeared nearby; Camelia can sense the girl's crying and feels compelled to help. There are few surprises--series fans know that Camelia's psychometric powers will save the day--though, as usual, the mystery is set up and resolved impeccably.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA Working as an au pair on posh island Little Bly, Jamie gets wrapped up in a supernatural mystery surrounding the deaths of a young couple who had been vacationing there the previous summer. Jamie is not only able to see their ghosts, she also bears an uncanny resemblance to the woman who died. Suspense lovers will be rewarded with a satisfying twist ending.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea U'Ren. After illness disabled her lighthouse keeper father, Ida Lewis took over his duties. In 1858, at age sixteen, she heroically rescued four boys whose boat had capsized--the first of many rescues during a lifelong career. The stirring events are beautifully visualized in painterly watercolor, ink, and acrylic art. An author's note further highlights the significance of Ida's career.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011

(4) 4-6 When her family moves to Rhode Island, sixth-grader Annabelle Cabrera misses her home, her abuela, and her band. Once the bassist of "the most popular kid band in New York," Annabelle is determined to start her own group, despite battles with bullies and preoccupied parents. Annabelle sounds distractingly older than twelve, but Farrar enriches his new-tween-in-town story with engaging rock music details.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) YA A car accident involving alcohol leaves younger sister Nellie, a gymnast, with a traumatic brain injury. Older sister Claire, who was driving, feels guilty about destroying her sibling's Olympic chances. Several narrative voices (e.g., the sisters' boyfriends, "Nellie's Brain") contribute to the chatter in this somewhat compelling melodrama. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(2) 4-6 Kenji, whose parents are Manzanar detainees, comes to Bird's small Rhode Island town. While fishing, Bird and Kenji spot a submarine, but their story is dismissed; in fact, there is a spy in their midst, with plans to kill President Roosevelt. There's enough detail about the times, characters, and the airplanes Bird loves to keep the exciting narrative from becoming too over-the-top.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(3) YA Lucas is powerless to stop his friend Derek's wicked stepmother from dragging the family onto a reality television show called Loserville. Always a little unpredictable, Derek starts to really unravel after his appearance. The story is told in a spare, unemotional style, and its strength is its characters, most of whom are on the edge and some of whom can't bring themselves back.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(2) YA Fifteen-year-old Antonia, whose family owns an Italian market in Providence, Rhode Island, has two passions: saints and Catholic-high-school hottie Andy Rotellini. Antonia petitions the Vatican, modestly offering herself as the ideal candidate for sainthood, while simultaneously working toward getting her first kiss. Freitas provides an amusing glimpse at how a passion for religion can happily co-exist alongside other, less-exalted kinds.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2008