(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

(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

(4) K-3 Sofia Martinez series. Illustrated by Kim Smith. The early chapter book series about enthusiastic seven-year-old Sofia Martinez and her family is now available in Spanish (Spanish phrases were peppered throughout the previous English editions). Sofia's heart and cleverness is endearing but not really enough to raise the stakes in the lightweight stories. Bright color spot art captures Sofia's energy. Writing prompts and discussion questions are appended. Spanish texts not evaluated. Review covers these Sofia Martinez titles: A oscuras, Cantante súper estrella, and La receta secreta.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) YA After a tragic day on a lake--when Lark must choose between saving either Alec, the guy she likes, or Annabelle, an almost-five-year-old she knows--Lark's life splits in two. In one version, Alec is in a coma; in a parallel reality, Annabelle is the one hospitalized. The Sliding Doors premise, though occasionally difficult to follow, offers a unique perspective on grief and loss.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) 4-6 Yes No Maybe So series. Readers help Sitara (Tara), an Indian American girl who dreams of Broadway fame, choose between auditioning for a community theater show and helping her parents' sweet shop cater a Bollywood actress's wedding--all while three boys vie for her attention. A diverse cast of characters and significant cultural markers distinguish this fun-filled new choose-your-own-adventure-structured series.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) PS Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff. Kiely declares on page one "I am famous": she's a model, actor, singer, and dancer, and everywhere she goes she has throngs of adoring fans (never mind that they are her family members). When her spectacular performance at Grandpa's birthday party ends in a mishap, Kiely learns that love is greater than fame. A warm family story starring a vivacious, self-confident (and then some) African American protagonist.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nikki McClure. With terrific enthusiasm for his subject, musician-author Meloy uses rhyming verse to tell Seeger's story, paying equal tribute to the singer's musical and activist efforts. The text is by turns clever, cute, and exhausting. Bannerlike gold bands emblazoned with song lyrics festoon McClure's striking cut-paper art in black, white, and gold. Recommended listening and notes are appended. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by David Litchfield. Neri's pleasantly nostalgia-drenched picture-book biography explores Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's meeting of musical minds. Although it's not especially lyrical, the quite-lengthy text is laid out like verse, and this, compounded by the outsize book's almost-square dimensions, creates the look of song lyrics on a record sleeve. The heavily retro vibe is reinforced by plenty of visual motifs that leave readers feelin' groovy. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018