(2) 4-6 Voice of the Wilderness series. Illustrated by Mónica Armiño. This companion volume to A Wolf Called Wander gives Warm, the beloved wolf brother of Swift, his own voice and tale. Warm is small and gentle, a watcher by nature and an unlikely hero for a survival story, but, as his wise mother maintains, "Big is not the only good thing for a wolf to be." In the opening chapters we follow Warm in his first year, and Parry sticks closely to realistic wolf behavior and biology, creating a plain and rhythmical language that balances the familiar and the strange. Warm says of his siblings in the den, "I know them all by sound and smell and their lifebeats are always near me." When the family is attacked by a hostile wolf pack and Warm must learn to rely on his own resources, the tone of the narrative changes, becoming more fablelike, a story in which our own human dilemmas are all too familiar. Warm's pack has all the usual family squabbles, but they survive by cooperation. The hostile pack is strictly hierarchical, with pack leaders maintaining their positions through intimidation and cruelty. A suspenseful, dramatic plot spins above the big grounding question of how we can survive and live with one another with respect and consideration. Dynamic illustrations along with extensive back matter (including essays on wolf biology, animal tracks, forest ecology, and youth climate activism) make for an appealing presentation.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this near-future dystopian novel, a solar flare has left a fraction of humanity alive. The book opens with Millie burying her stepdad outside their Appalachian bunker while her stepsister Rose looks on. Millie, who cheekily wishes that having a Native grandmother would give her intuitive survival skills, takes charge of their baby brother Sammy, with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and a lot of anxiety. Rose, a non-Native southerner, is impulsive, angry, and possibly neurodivergent. The novel's point of view switches between the two siblings, and readers may have to get used to the southern vernacular not only in dialogue but throughout the third-person narrative. Millie and Rose set out to find Millie's grandma, a Seminole elder in South Carolina -- though Rose has hopes of finding the Sanctuary, a coalition of survivors fighting the Hive, a lair of the mega-rich with a kill-or-be-killed mentality. The siblings encounter a group of kids their own age led by their former camp counselor, who drives a renovated school bus running on scavenged gas. Millie and Rose learn that living through the apocalypse means "we all just get to be whatever we wanna be. Whyever we wanna be it." Edgmon, who identifies as Indigenous and trans/nonbinary, has written an anti-capitalist, intersectional cautionary tale accessible to a middle-grade audience.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 "This is a story that will have a happy ending, so don't worry too much!" With that reassuring front-matter spoiler, Brantley-Newton launches into her tale about a little singing goat. Conflict is immediately introduced, as those around her despise the goat's voice and dislike her penchant for climbing. Seemingly oblivious to others' annoyance, she seeks adventure, only to fall into a deep, dry well. Making good use of the book's materiality, Brantley-Newton offers an illustration that must be rotated ninety degrees for proper viewing, showing the goat at the bottom of the well and only the neighbors' and animals' feet visible up top. They've assembled after hearing her piteous cries but quickly abandon trying to save her, deciding instead to "give her a decent burial." This alarming twist is softened by the established light and humorous tone of text and illustrations. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" reads the all-caps print in bold colors as shovelfuls of dirt rain down on a close-up image of the beleaguered, incredulous goat. She's also clever and resourceful as she shakes off the dirt and packs it down, singing to herself, "Shake it off. Pack it under!" A sequence of wordless panel illustrations shows the dirt rising under her hooves until she emerges, dirty but victorious, having gained new respect from her neighbors. The potential for the story (reminiscent of the parable of the donkey in the well) to be read metaphorically is encouraged by Brantley-Newton's dedication to "every child who has been counted out" and her author's note about overcoming childhood struggles with stuttering, dyslexia, and bullying.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(1) 1-3 Translated by Celyn Harding-Jones. When four animals discover an egg while playing in the forest one day, they decide to take turns caring for it. At Mouse's house, the egg begins to talk, and Mouse must figure out how to keep it warm. The next day, at Bear's house, the egg hatches, producing a yellow chick. Little Bird discovers what foods she likes while at Hare's house. And at Turtle's house, Little Bird learns how to use her imagination. With the knowledge she's gained from her new friends, an industrious Little Bird builds her own house. Though the others are at first surprised and worried for her, when they visit they discover that Little Bird, who now wishes to be called Clara, is quite an independent thinker, leading them to reconsider what their names could be ("Nico?" "Marcel?" "Lola?" "Winnie?"). Seven easily digestible sections, a picture-book trim size, and graphic novel like format (straightforward panels, dialogue balloons) make Dubuc's satisfying hybrid story a perfect match for both reading novices and slightly younger listeners. She gives each animal unique attributes (e.g., Bear is a creative builder and likes to exercise: "An active body for an active brain"), and her appealing pastel-toned ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil illustrations contain lots of recurring details that are entertaining to spot on repeat reads. Hand this to fans of Ruzzier's Fox + Chick series.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 After "a bunch of water ruin[s] her life," all that our twelve-year-old protagonist wants to do is get back to normal. But what does normal look like for "Temple Baxter, flood victim"? It doesn't look like living in temporary quarters for weeks, switching schools, and constantly babysitting her three-year-old sister while her parents work and deal with the extensive repairs on their home. When her former private school friends ghost her, she's further unmoored. A natural organizer, Temple lands on the coping strategy of planning a fundraiser. With the help of neighborhood frenemy Jesse and new friend Asha, whose reframing of "flood victim" as "aquatic adventurer" helps Temple find her footing, she recruits local media, some big-name acts, and (just in time) a venue. With a plot that leans on the "plucky kids save the day with a big show" trope, this could read like a heartwarming feature story on the local news. But Faris elevates it with a keen sensitivity to Temple's emotional development as the tween comes to a maturing sense of her place in her family and community. Her desperate insistence that her parents level with her will strike chords of recognition in readers who are also teetering on the brink of agency. Sincere and heartfelt.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) YA Translated by Bill Nagelkerke. Illustrated by Annette Fienieg. Silke and her twin brother, Janis, are fated to cause each other's demise, or so predicted Madame Petrova when she read the cards for Papa and Mama before the children's birth. Now orphaned and afraid their grasping cousins will make them fulfill this terrible destiny, Silke and Janis flee. With only a handwritten volume of their mother's juvenile poems as a guide, Silke tries to lead Janis through an uncertain world, but to where? A spell with a traveling fortuneteller entangles them in debt; a rural innkeeper is happy to enlist their help cleaning up after rowdy soldier guests, but she can't keep them forever. Then Silke thinks to send a letter to the grandparents whose names conclude their mother's book of verse. The story's preindustrial rural setting, with its wandering orphans, fortunetellers, and snowy forests, hints at the magic of a fairy tale, but Hof's Silke is the work of realism -- in her burden of anxious responsibility, her intermittent fractiousness, and especially her yearning for care. "Never to have to think about anything again," is her desire when she finally finds a home. The disassembling of Madame Petrova's curse is skillfully rendered and surprising, but no more so than the dismantling and reassembling of Silke's understanding of her very being. Hof entices us with the winsomeness of folklore and offers canny humor and a valiant, persistent love that emerges from loneliness and neglect.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(1) YA Quagmire Tiarello, so often misunderstood by his peers and the adults in his life, has a strong sense of loyalty and fairness but little tolerance for rules or authority. This companion to Playing Through the Turnaround (rev. 9/22) focuses on Quag's life the summer before ninth grade -- and, given the situation, his attitude seems appropriate. Longtime loner Quag is still processing the unexpected connections he made at the end of eighth grade, and when his crush Cassie shows up wanting him to join her team at the local YMCA's ArtCamp to create sound effects for their radio play, he agrees in order to be near her. He also (accidentally) takes up bird watching. Meanwhile, his mother is "spinning" again, and while Quag has always managed her erratic behavior on his own, it's worse this time. Everything spirals out of control until Quag finds himself trapped in the car with his mom, many states west of home and going too fast. His abrupt exit from camp adds frustration to the rapidly escalating tension as his circumstances shift from concerning to dangerous overnight. Interspersed throughout are descriptions of audio files collected at pivotal moments and interesting facts about birds that help develop the plot in thought-provoking ways. Moving and quick-paced, this novel gives readers valuable insight into a character who normally avoids such attention and thus sympathy too. An author's note includes more information about the story with specifics about mental health challenges.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA "I guess magic ran out / or the city burned too bright / or maybe, I guess the ancestors / in the sky had a different plan." Onyx, who is Black, carries the weight of the world on his young shoulders. At twelve, he is coping with the loss of his grandmother and is now caring for his mother, who has early-onset dementia. Onyx lives each day fearful and anxious that he will be separated from his mom and feels he has to keep her illness a secret. It's a lonely and difficult period for the boy; however, his mind is also in the clouds -- more specifically, in the stars, as his fascination with space and flying offers him a place of respite and a possible solution to his dilemma. Before her passing, Onyx's grandmother had encouraged his vivid imagination and his dreams of becoming an astronaut. Written in verse, this tender story is set in the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the subsequent uprisings, which leave an indelible impression upon the protagonist, adding to his unease and his need for safety. Onyx proves a resourceful, compassionate character whose village shows up for him and his mother and relieves him of the burdens that he has carried alone for too long. As Onyx's departed grandmother shares with him in a dream: "Kids shouldn't have to do what adults should be doing."

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) 4-6 This survival novel is set in the awe-inspiring Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Owen, Vivian, and Amy (two tweens and an eight-year-old) plan a late-summer overnight trip alone in the wilderness. Sisters Vivian and Amy are exploring their home state of California, and their cousin Owen is visiting from the East Coast. Their grownups camp nearby -- they believe the kids' experience on their own will do each of them some good. When an earthquake triggers a rockfall and their path back to the adults is blocked, the resourceful and determined children must take an uncharted path to safety. The cousins use their impressive skills and knowledge (they are excellent at food rationing, first aid, and more) as they encounter wildlife, volatile weather, and treacherous heights. Moments of excitement are interwoven with heartwarming scenes of bonding and introspection, as the trio gives one another "trail names" and has deep conversations about embracing the real world, fears around new beginnings, moving forward from trauma, and the power of love and nature to heal: "[Owen] felt this amazing mix of things, all at once: happy and sad and alive." The plot -- told in the third person and never too harrowing -- is fast-paced and rich in setting. Sights, sounds, and smells are vividly delineated, creating a picturesque backdrop to center the cousins' journey and its transformative effects.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) 4-6 Since narrator Fern was six, she and her mother have lived on the Ranch, an isolated "sustainable futurist community" in upstate New York. Now twelve, Fern is completely accustomed to the unquestioned authority of Ranch leader Dr. Ben and his "ideals," which emphasize a reverence for nature. Readers may begin to realize long before the protagonist does that the Ranch's way of life has its flaws; as the story opens, a teen community member has died during a rite of passage. But still, when Mom recognizes those extremes and escapes to California with Fern, it's understandable that Fern finds the outside world scary and, even as she begins to reacclimate, is determined to find a way to go "home." As in Lasagna Means I Love You (rev. 3/23), O'Shaughnessy presents a high-stakes situation and zeroes in on a child narrator's believable emotions. That tight focus on the young narrator even when she is misguided or doesn't have all the facts allows readers to draw their own conclusions based on the gradually increasing information she has -- about the events that led her mother to choose the Ranch, and in separating what can sound like positive environmentalist values from the dangerous reality of a cult.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 It's 1881 in Destiny, Colorado. Fourteen-year-old Henry Upton and his three younger brothers have just buried their father. Their mother passed away several years earlier, and now they must manage the homestead by themselves. Henry comes up with a plan to help them get by: he writes stories and sends them east to be published. These stories feature The Kid, a young hometown hero who thwarts a variety of evildoers; they are the product of Henry's imagination, but he has passed them off as true stories -- and they are successful beyond his wildest imagination. Indeed, his editor, Herbert ("pronounced air-bear. It's French"), heads west to encourage him to write even more. Also headed west is Snake-Eye Sam, a would-be-notorious criminal who is newly escaped from an Arkansas prison and headed to Destiny for his own rendezvous with The Kid. Their narrative strands are interwoven with Henry's main narrative and the occasional story about The Kid (in a typewriter-esque font). Henry and company ultimately prevail--for real, this time--but not without lots of adventure, dollops of humor, and a little bit of heart. There aren't too many Westerns written for middle-grade and middle-school readers nowadays, but Schill's debut is an entertaining genre entry.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Tig has been abandoned by her mother and has lived for four months on her own, with no money, no food, and no electricity. Now Uncle Scott and his partner, Manny, are at the police station to take her home. Tig has been traumatized by the circumstances of her life: her father died when she was four, her mother used to disappear for days at a time before leaving for good, and her mother's boyfriend Eddy was abusive. Reflecting on ending up with Uncle Scott and Manny, Tig says, "It's like how abandoned animals stop trusting humans. They go wild and crazy and when they're rescued it takes ages for them to calm down, to love and be loved again." Smith sensitively delineates Tig's gradual road to recovery and love, and an uneasy one it is: Tig smashes the new television, purposely drops a hammer on Manny's foot, and tells Uncle Scott his house is a dump and he's garbage. A major plot twist adds poignancy and drama. Tig does come to love Uncle Scott and Manny, who are steadfast in their love for each other and for her. A good match with other recent stories of abandoned children, such as Rudd's How to Stay Invisible (rev. 7/23) and Fipps's And Then, Boom! (rev. 5/24).

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA Sharkita is always waiting for the other shoe to drop, although her life finally feels like it is on the right track. Her mom is now employed and sober, and Kita has been reunited with her two younger siblings, Lamar and Lilli. Letting her guard down slowly, she tries to be a regular middle schooler hanging out with friends and even trying out for the twirl squad. Unfortunately, the stability of her family begins to unravel, and a series of events lands the siblings in foster care once again. After an assault leads to her hospitalization, Kita finds she needs to summon her courage to start over, and hopefully this time will be different. A heart-wrenching tale of family disruption, this story is one of adaptation and resilience. However, the trauma of separation that the protagonist is forced to endure fills her with anxiety. Despite the efforts of such helpful adults as the new assistant principal, she constantly attempts to put on her bravest face to protect the fragile snippets of peace at home. Winston's (The Braid Girls, rev. 7/23) story will resonate with some while offering others a window into a life of abuse and upheaval.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(1) 4-6 It's summer, and ten-year-old Jojo and her three sisters have to entertain themselves because their romance-novel writer mom has a book due ("Mom on deadline was not nearly as fun as Mom not on deadline"). Banished outside, with their new friend, Theo, they make the most of their books, art supplies, and snacks. Things get more interesting, however, when a fairy turns up. Roland, "small and greenish and personlike," is demanding and very grubby. The story turns off-kilter and cheeky as we realize that Roland and his world are simultaneously real and a product of Jojo's storytelling imagination. (There's also an authorial voice that breaks through occasionally.) Cue trouble in fairyland and kids to the rescue. Bouwman pulls off this energetic slipperiness with such confidence and brio that we almost don't notice that the underlying story is one of bereavement, as the girls are coping with the death of their grandmother. The writing is a complete delight of originality and specificity: "It was an odd kind of flapping, not the sound that bird wings make in our world, but the sound that wings without flesh or feathers might make--sort of like twigs swooshing quickly through the air. But more creaky, like wicker." Reliably funny, never once twee, clever in the way of kids and fairies, and authentically moving.

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

(2) 4-6 After the death of Nan, the grandmother who had been her guardian, eleven-year-old Mo begins a series of letters to Nan in a notebook. She relates the difficulties of her next steps: an uncle is unwilling to care for her; a foster parent gives her up, overwhelmed in part by challenges including her stress-induced bed-wetting; another placement that looks like it might work out has its own obstacles. A family cookbook (stolen but later returned) makes Mo wish she had meaningful recipes of her own, and the cooking project the book inspires grows into a food website. She uses that platform to solicit other people's recipes--and to put the word out that she's in search of blood relatives. Mo, imperfections and all, is a winning heroine surrounded by flawed though mostly well-meaning adults, and her hopes, even those that are long shots, come from an understandable desperation for family and stability, which makes it easy to root for her. Secondary characters are fully realized, with personalities coming through in the interspersed recipes' directions and commentary. To be read with snacks at hand, and perhaps also some tissues.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA In this absorbing novel, a Nigerian Canadian girl navigating tumultuous circumstances learns to trust friends and family. Suspected of fraud, her parents have become fugitives; Summer first lives on her own and then at the homes of friends, looking forward to the legal "true freedom" that will come with her approaching eighteenth birthday. Her outward aloofness and attitude that she can handle being abandoned and betrayed belie her longing for a stable home. When a social worker discovers her situation, Summer is sent to live with a cousin, Olu, whom she barely knows. Olu is only two years older than Summer; a popular singer in Japan, she now resides in Toronto. The relationship between the cousins is fraught with tension as Summer continues to rebuff Olu's attempts to support her, and she learns that Olu has consequential problems of her own and plans to return to Japan. A traumatic incident with a family member precipitates a period of reflection that leads Summer to make a life-changing decision and to realize what matters most. Onomé's skill at conveying the complexity of teenage emotions is notable. Her sympathetic portrayal of Summer as a teen who, because of past experiences, is guarded in her relationships with adults and sometimes with peers is both authentic and believable in a resonant coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Lonely, neglected Leeva Thornblossom's greedy parents believe her job is to make them rich and famous. Since this hasn't happened yet, they require Leeva to follow her Employee Manual and perform such duties as washing dishes and cooking the books for the town of Nutsmore, where her mother is mayor and her father is treasurer. Versatile author Pennypacker (Clementine, rev. 1/07; Pax, rev. 3/16) has written a book that is by turns outrageous and wise, funny and touching, fantastical and true; Cordell's sketches contribute to the levity. Although forbidden to leave the Thornblossoms' property, Leeva begins her exploration of the outside world by sneaking to the library next door, where she befriends the kind librarian, Pauline Flowers, and her nephew. Under Mrs. Flowers's direction, Leeva begins reading books to answer her question, "What are people for?" Leeva's social circle and her understanding of the world expand exponentially, and eventually she and her new friends (and a badger) play a role in ridding the town of the adult Thornblossoms and returning all the money they stole. By story's end, Leeva knows exactly what people are for: "Everything that happens is better when someone else shares it with you."

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) YA "Most people didn't live in hollowed-out trees behind their middle school," but twelve-year-old Raymond does. A seventh grader at River Mill Middle School in North Carolina, he had lived in a rented trailer with his feckless parents three miles from school. But one day he comes home to discover that they have abandoned him, and now here he is living in the woods with his dog and doing his best to fly under the radar. He saves food from cafeteria lunches, does nighttime dumpster dives, and sometimes has luck fishing. He does have a new friend in Harlin, who in an act of kindness chooses as a bingo prize a sleeping bag for Raymond instead of the NASCAR tickets he'd wanted. Gradually, Raymond finds a circle of caring people (and a coyote) in his orbit: Lexi, his first girlfriend; Stigs, a former army surgeon who lives in a cabin nearby; and various teachers who don't let Raymond remain invisible. The third-person narrative allows for fully realized secondary characters who play important roles in Raymond's life and, ultimately, in his rescue. Rudd's straightforward, meticulous prose perfectly captures the daily routines and occasional drama of life in the woods. A worthy match for My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet the book Raymond checks out of the library toward the end of the novel.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(1) YA For many immigrant families, the American dream is a journey paved with countless obstacles; this struggle plays out in the lives of three Taiwanese siblings in Tang's graphic novel. The story begins in 1981 when the Lin family, undocumented immigrants from Taiwan, arrives in Los Angeles, allegedly for a vacation. But soon ten-year-old Feng-Li (who adopts the American name Ann) and her older brother Ke-Gng (Jason) and sister Jia-Xi (Jessie) find out that the move is permanent, and their father is not staying with them; a month later they learn they will need to fend for themselves--their mother must return to China after her visa is not renewed. They work to adapt to American culture: Feng-Li strives to make friends in school; Ke-Gng searches for his identity while joining a clique of Chinese American teens that pressures him into smoking, skipping class, shoplifting, and worse; Jia-Xi studies for the SATs and looks for a job but falls prey to an insidious scam. Vibrant colors and expressively drawn faces capture the dynamic ups and downs in their lives. Intense dilemmas punctuated by humorous moments dramatize the challenges faced by each character. Tang weaves themes of family, racial stereotyping, cultural adaptation, sacrifice, peer pressure, sexuality, bullying, and survival into a poignant and triumphant story of perseverance and resilience, presenting a remarkably honest depiction of an Asian American immigrant experience.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) YA Growing up in the slums around Mumbai, India, seventh grader Minni has been raised to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, but she can't keep quiet when she spots injustice. She dreams of going to college but keeps bumping up against the realities of poverty that make that nearly impossible. The narrative focus is on Mumbai's unstable, often non-potable water supply and the lack of indoor plumbing in Minni's neighborhood. When her brother spies the “water mafia” siphoning water illegally, he is sent away for his safety, while their mother goes to the country to recover from a serious illness. This leaves Minni to obtain water and boil it, take on her mother's job as a maid, and struggle to attend school full time. Her own sleuthing leads to a shocking conclusion about corruption and Mumbai's water resources. Bajaj's suspenseful novel peels back the curtain on modern-day class and caste inequities and how they create a cycle of poverty that spirals through generations. Minni's thirst for what's right steers the novel toward an optimistic conclusion in which one person can bring about big changes.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022