(2) YA This timely and lyrical verse novel offers a heart-wrenching, unflinching look at the underbelly of the music industry and its exploitation of those who dream of making it big. Three best friends, all talented singers and girls of color who dream of a life outside of their small, mostly white Pennsylvania town, slip away to Newark and find their way into the orbit of Sean "Mercury" Ellis, the "King of R&B." Merc encourages their ambitions and takes them under his wing. His promises of fame and fortune not only fuel their dreams but also their insecurities, which Merc is able to capitalize upon as he begins to morph from a smooth, crooning mentor into a sinister, controlling abuser. Charles (Like Vanessa, rev. 3/18, and others) takes on the difficult topics of emotional manipulation, sexual exploitation, and abuse. These vulnerable young women's stories are, sadly, not uncommon [see also Tiffany D. Jackson's Grown, rev. 9/20, and Sharon G. Flake's The Life I'm In, reviewed on page 87], but their tight bond as friends continues to offer hope in the midst of sacrifice, broken promises, secrets, and lies. The writing at once urges readers to relish the verse and catapults them toward a breathless, satisfying conclusion.

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

(2) YA In 1959, seventeen-year-old Mazie suddenly finds herself with the funds to leave Nebraska and spend six weeks in New York City pursuing her Broadway dreams. At first she's overwhelmed and lonely, living in the big city at a boardinghouse for "theatrical young ladies" and ­learning the auditioning ropes. Repeated rejections make her question her singing and dancing talents, not to mention her appearance ("I come from...solid Nebraska stock"). Crowder's novel takes readers on an enjoyable trip back to a golden age in theater, providing an inside look at the business while name-dropping hit songs and shows and introducing readers to a little-known piece of history: industrial musicals, shows sponsored by companies to advertise their products. In her last week in the city, Mazie finally lands an understudy role in an "industrial" traveling across the Corn Belt to promote a new tractor. ­During the ­ten-show run, she winds up with the lead, gets to visit her family (and former boyfriend), and learns about herself and what really matters in life. Crowder believably weaves in complicated romance--for both the protagonist and a few queer secondary characters--but the focus is on Mazie's determination to prove to herself and others that she's got what it takes to succeed, an inspiring example for anyone with a similar dream.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Isabel Muñoz. The opening scene in this account of a remarkable friendship puts the ugliness of segregation front and center. In 1937 in Princeton, New Jersey, African American contralto Marian Anderson was welcomed by an all-white audience (including Albert Einstein) but was refused hotel accommodations after her performance. Einstein invited Anderson to stay at his house, thus offering author Rose the opportunity to provide insight into the Jewish physicist (who fled Nazi Germany) and his commitment to racial equality. Muñoz's cartoonlike illustrations effectively convey emotion. An author's note provides more information about both subjects.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Little People, Big Dreams series. Illustrated by Melissa Lee Johnson. This picture-book biography focuses on the blind musical prodigy's rise to superstardom. Per the series's formula, Vegara breezes through some highlights from the musician/composer/singer's life and career, from signing with Motown at eleven to being named the United Nations' 2009 "Messenger of Peace." The cheery cartoon illustrations are a good match for the accessible text. Back matter includes four photos, a simple timeline, more biographical information, and two recommended books.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) Illustrated by Leo Espinosa. Denise tracks Moreno's rise from young Puerto Rican newcomer to New York City to Hollywood starlet and, eventually, 1962 Oscar winner (the first Puerto Rican honoree) for her iconic role in West Side Story. The engaging narrative emphasizes that Moreno's success was the result of talent, hard work, and some luck; along the way she fought against the industry's entrenched racism and sexism. Retro-style illustrations capture Moreno's exuberance, and a timeline follows her inspiring professional career through 2020. An author's note and list of selected sources are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paola Escobar. López follows the singer's short but influential career from childhood to young adulthood, emphasizing her Mexican American family's support and her natural talent. The tone is upbeat and focuses on Selena's devotion to family, her success, and her impact on Tejano and Latino music; events surrounding her murder are mentioned only in the back matter (leaving the main text feeling somewhat unfinished). After an illustrated timeline, López provides "A Little More About..." related topics including some history of Tejano culture, Tejano music, quinceañeras, and the Texas towns where Selena grew up. Escobar's warm, stylish illustrations have a southwestern vibe. Quotations in the text are unsourced.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) 4-6 This follow-up to This Is Just a Test stars Lauren Le Yuan Horowitz, sister of the previous book's protagonist. In 1984 suburban Virginia, Lauren is starting sixth grade secure in the "Royal We" of herself and her best friend, Tara. Auditioning for the school musical, Lauren--a talented singer who nails her "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" rendition--is disappointed to be cast in the ensemble while Tara snags the lead. The show is about a 1950s "All-American Town," and according to the drama teacher, Chinese and Jewish Lauren doesn't fit the part. Casual racism and microaggressions abound through Lauren's day-to-day interactions with friends, community members, and even '80s pop culture (i.e., squirming her way through Sixteen Candles). Her growing love for country music (with an extended vignette about mistaking Patsy Cline for Jewish) helps boost her confidence, as do new friendships with her ensemble-mates. A side story about Lauren's paralegal mom contemplating law school--and our protagonist's bratty reaction--leads to support and understanding. Lauren's two peppy grandmothers, in continual competition for matriarchal domination, are back, providing generational wisdom and snappy comic relief. A button-making business, a Sun In hair mishap, a Hula-Hooping janitor--all add levity and scene-setting detail to this entertaining and thoughtful coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Morrison. This impressionistic picture-book biography of Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) consists of a series of rhyming couplets following the iconic singer through her life. Weatherford employs a clever and resonant device: each poem has a one-word title that is spelled out just as it is in Franklin's most famous song, "Respect." So, "B-L-E-S-S-E-D" introduces a very young Aretha, the pastor's daughter, as she "says a little prayer each night"; "D-E-B-U-T" sees the fourteen-year-old cutting her first gospel album; ­"G-R-O-O-V-E" shows her "rocking R&B"; ­"P-R-O-U-D" finds her singing at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Naturally, the book culminates in a poem titled "R-E-S-P-E-C-T": "The Queen of Soul blessed us with a golden legacy. / But she would probably call it, 'the gift that God gave me...'" The book's trim size is roughly that of a record album, and illustrator Morrison takes full advantage of its expanse. Rich oil paintings place the singer in a variety of ­venues, from recording studio to civil rights protest to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The arresting title page, referencing the song "Freeway of Love," shows a pink Cadillac about to drop the pedal and go, go, go. Appended with an author's note giving specifics about Franklin's life and with a discography of her biggest hits.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

(2) YA In this modern-day take on the classic film Roman Holiday, K-pop superstar Lucky meets Jack in Hong Kong. Though Lucky uses a fake name, Jack (secretly a part-time paparazzo) figures out who she is--and knows he can land a full-time job if he sends the scoop to his boss. The problem: he's falling for Lucky, and she for him. Lucky and Jack are both charming, funny narrators with serious chemistry.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(4) YA Badly behaved country-music superstar Clay is going on tour for the summer; eighteen-year-old Annie, the talented daughter of two deceased famous singers, is his opening act. Their alternating narration reveals that they're each wrestling with past tragedies but are nevertheless drawn to each other. Though the story's trajectory isn't terribly surprising, Clay and Annie do have chemistry, and details about their lives as celebrities add interest.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA Rising senior Sophie wants to convince Megan Pleasant, a famous country singer from her Illinois hometown, to play a fundraising concert for the high school's marching band. Sophie enlists help from her four best friends as well as from August, the cute new guy in town, to track Megan down. Her quest anchors a well-paced novel that's fresh, complex, and romantic--and packs an emotional punch.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rod Brown. The author recalls her father telling the story of how her famous grandfather, the singer Paul Robeson (1898–1976), "stopped a war." In 1938, his singing for the soldiers on the front lines of Teruel temporarily halted the Spanish Civil War ("The battlefield grew silent. No shots were fired"). The story's humanity is underscored with paintings by a sure hand.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(1) YA Sixteen-year-old Bri attends a public arts high school and dreams of being a rapper like her late father. After winning a rap battle in her neighborhood, doors start to open--but at a price Bri isn't sure she's willing to pay. Thomas's sharp, even piercing, characterization includes a remarkably well-rounded cast. A richly woven love letter to hip-hop, with Bri's lyrics and her thought process behind them included throughout.

Reviewer: Christina L. Dobbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Morrison. This look at the pioneers of rap music begins with canonical African American poets and ends with the women who rapped first: "Female MCs break it down: Salt-N-Pepa and TLC. / Queen Latifah sports a crown, reigning like royalty." The rhymes suffer a bit without a backing track, but the art, spiked with graffiti motifs, hits all the right notes. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: You Should Meet series. Illustrated by Alyssa Petersen. Emerging readers meet Broadway phenomenon Lin-Manuel Miranda in this accessible level-three easy reader. Accompanied by straightforward cartoon illustrations, chapters explore the role of influences such as hip-hop and Latino culture in Miranda's work while also emphasizing the support of his friends and family and his own hard work. Back matter includes facts about Puerto Rico and Broadway and a screenwriting activity.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) 4-6 Lyrical language and vivid descriptions bring the eerie world of Blightsend alive in this haunting fantasy. Delphernia struggles to endure a life underground and alongside the sea, which she has been told since childhood will swallow her if she sings. Sinister villains, golden birds, a prince with a tortured soul, a young queen, and a strangely magnetic girl round out the cast of this spellbinding tale.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ben Costa. Following events in The Road to Epoli, undead-skeleton/bard Rickety Stitch and his sidekick, the Gelatinous Goo, continue their quest to discover Rickety Stitch's identity, this time venturing down the deadly Middle-Route Run. Vibrant colors, movement-filled panels, fantastical creatures, deadpan humor, and exuberant protagonists combine to create an entertaining adventure story in graphic-novel format.

Reviewer: Jessica Costello

(2) YA A chance meeting in Central Park leads to intimate relationships among three nineteen-year-olds, each struggling: up-and-coming singer Freya has lost her voice; gay college student Harun is closeted to his Muslim family; and Nathaniel's hiding his true reason for visiting New York. Intermittent flashback chapters deepen these compelling backstories. Forman's latest novel offers a stirring reminder of the great risks of isolation and the immense solace of human connection.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Wylie blows a musical-theater audition but is then inspired to start an a cappella group. In the process, she overcomes her stage fright and learns hard lessons about friendship. The first-person narrative is interspersed with tween-y text messages. With the feel of television's Glee, this breezy read has just a hint of romance among the middle-school dramas.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 This picture book inspired by Ella Fitzgerald's friendship with Marilyn Monroe centers on an instance in the 1950s when Monroe's influence supposedly helped black Fitzgerald be allowed to perform at a popular NYC venue. Evoking the nightclub's glitz and glamour, the bright-colored, graphic illustrations on thick pages are the draw here. Short bios of both women and a photo conclude the book.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr