(2) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old boys Frank McCoy and Stanley Summers live on Ford Island, a naval base in the middle of Pearl Harbor. They have become fast friends, bonding over a shared interest in comic books. Frank's family recently moved to Hawaii from the mainland, where he is hoping to leave behind not just memories of a traumatic incident but the constant worry and fear that plague him as a result. When Frank doesn't stand up for Stanley during a fight with bullies, it causes a rift in their friendship. Nevertheless, they are both invited to the USS Utah the next day, December 7, 1941, which places them in the thick of things during the attack on Pearl Harbor. While both boys survive the horrific events of that day, they confront a great deal of death as well as mayhem and internal demons. Frank comes to terms with his fear, while Stanley -- whose mother is Japanese -- is already being targeted for harassment. Frank's family is relocated to California shortly afterward and the boys bid a sad farewell, but not before Frank passes a draft of a story for their comic book to Stanley. The novel concludes with the opening scenes of their finished comic book collaboration, published many years in the future. Short chapters and fast pacing with lots of dialogue and action make this an easy recommendation for Gratz fans (Grenade, rev. 11/18; Ground Zero, rev. 3/21; and others). An author's note with additional historical and background information is appended.

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

(2) 4-6 In this novel set in 1973, all seventh grader Melanie wants is to be one of the popular Shimmers. As her best friend, Vicky, seems to be having more success achieving that goal than Melanie is, the sudden appearance of a new friend is welcome. New classmate Dorit was born in Israel and has moved from place to place, and she and Melanie discover they have a lot in common. In fact, each has a parent with symptoms of what the author's note identifies as PTSD -- Melanie's mother from a car accident and Dorit's father from fighting in the Six-Day War. The Shimmers are less than compassionate, and in an attempt to impress them, Melanie crosses a line in what she shares about Dorit and her family. The start of the Yom Kippur War believably heightens emotions, while Melanie's growing understanding of the Watergate scandal mirrors issues of trust among Melanie and her peers in this tale of friendship dynamics that doesn't reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.

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

(2) 4-6 Seventh grader Simon and his family are new to Grin and Bear It, Nebraska, an unusual town located in the National Quiet Zone, a center for scientific research that restricts radio transmissions. There's no internet, and even microwave ovens are prohibited. They left their home in Omaha because, as Simon tells it, his family is odd, with a mother who is an embalmer and a father who plays the sackbut ("It's a kind of trombone"). These initial details are only the beginning of what builds into a gallimaufry of eccentricity. One neighbor has an emu farm; Simon's new friend, Agate, has siblings named Jade, Jasper, Coral, Onyx, and Mica and a large supply of witty radical T-shirts. There are funeral-home disasters, escaped wildlife, and plans for an elaborate prank choreographed by Simon and Agate. Hidden in all this jokey mayhem are small hints of a dark backstory. Why has the family relocated? Why can't Simon be in a room with just one exit? When it is revealed to the reader that Simon was the sole survivor of a school shooting in his previous town, the tone of the story shifts abruptly, inviting a reread to view the tale in a new light given our insight into Simon's past. This novel takes a considerable narrative risk and would be an excellent catalyst for discussion.

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

(3) PS A young child introduces puppy Ollie, who lives in the child's head. When Ollie gets "happy-excited, it's fun." But sometimes Ollie gets too excited, which makes the child upset. Children will recognize that Ollie is a stand-in for big emotions: "If he gets too excited, scared, or upset, he can't listen to me. His FEELINGS control him." Gravel's uncluttered digital illustrations forgo background detail to focus on the two main characters. When Ollie becomes too revved up, the child helps Ollie manage his feelings: "I sit down and take a deep breath. Long, slow, and gentle." By book's end, readers and listeners will feel recharged, as well.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) 4-6 When Trace, who has terrifying flashbacks to the car accident that killed his parents, researches a school history project at the New York Public Library, the ghost of a tearful little boy fixates on him. The project leads Trace to the horrific 1863 burning of the Colored Orphan Asylum and to connections with his life. This suspenseful and well-paced offering strikes a solid balance between ghost story and school story, past and present.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) PS Illustrated by Charles Santoso. A lion father is proud of (read: obsessed with) his well-manicured lawn. When a dandelion brazenly sprouts, Daddy races to get rid of the eyesore...but his little cub, Sweetie, has already befriended (and named) the "flower." Dyckman's well-paced text digs into the comedic contrast between Daddy's stressed-out hysteria and Sweetie's unhurried calm. Santoso's cartoony digital illustrations enhance both the humor and the loving father-daughter relationship.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) YA Illustrated by Libby VanderPloeg. "Your life is only ever happening right here, right now." Gates makes the case to tweens and teens that mindfulness is a way of life and the simplest path to health and happiness. Her chatty guide includes chapters on the practices of mindful breathing, yoga, and meditation, all with easy "try it" activities; "five-day mindfulness challenges" at the end should help readers translate these new skills into a lifestyle. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Stacy Peterson. This self-help book offers a "toolbox of mindfulness practices" with directions for meditation exercises, visualization techniques, and other strategies for handling emotions, stress, and negative thinking. Stewart's persistent "MINDFUL ME" branding is distracting, and her tone can be preachy. That said, her descriptions ("Meditation is like a personal pause button") and the black-and-white illustrations are both kid-friendly, and the topics (technology, social media) are timely.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Savvy: Stress-Busting Survival Guides series. Illustrated by Veronica Collignon. With Karen Bluth. Emphasizing mindfulness and directed at tweens and adolescents, these upbeat self-help books include meditations, physical exercises, crafts (e.g., an anti-stress ball), recipes (a single-serve "Treat Yourself" cupcake), suggested music, organizational tips, and more, all illustrated with photos and pastel-colored art. Appropriately, each volume ends with lists of symptoms requiring professional help, referral organizations, and suggestions for supportive adults. Reading list. Review covers these Savvy: Stress-Busting Survival Guides titles: Happiness Hacks, Me Time, and Stress Less.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Savvy: Stress-Busting Survival Guides series. Illustrated by Veronica Collignon. With Karen Bluth. Emphasizing mindfulness and directed at tweens and adolescents, these upbeat self-help books include meditations, physical exercises, crafts (e.g., an anti-stress ball), recipes (a single-serve "Treat Yourself" cupcake), suggested music, organizational tips, and more, all illustrated with photos and pastel-colored art. Appropriately, each volume ends with lists of symptoms requiring professional help, referral organizations, and suggestions for supportive adults. Reading list. Review covers these Savvy: Stress-Busting Survival Guides titles: Happiness Hacks, Me Time, and Stress Less.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Savvy: Stress-Busting Survival Guides series. Illustrated by Veronica Collignon. With Karen Bluth. Emphasizing mindfulness and directed at tweens and adolescents, these upbeat self-help books include meditations, physical exercises, crafts (e.g., an anti-stress ball), recipes (a single-serve "Treat Yourself" cupcake), suggested music, organizational tips, and more, all illustrated with photos and pastel-colored art. Appropriately, each volume ends with lists of symptoms requiring professional help, referral organizations, and suggestions for supportive adults. Reading list. Review covers these Savvy: Stress-Busting Survival Guides titles: Happiness Hacks, Me Time, and Stress Less.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Told in alternating chapters of first-person accounts by five very different sixth-grade students, this story reflects real-life dilemmas and academic stress. Personal problems in each narrator's life combine with the pressures of impending high-stakes tests to bring the kids together in an unlikely alliance--with a plan for acing the exams. With much to say about standardized testing, the story should resonate with middle-school readers.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Margarita Surnaite. Gates leads readers through very simple steps for mindfulness meditations, with emphasis on breathing and listening. A clear text with occasional rhymes effectively distills the practice into kid-friendly terms ("Flex your arms, and squeeze tight. Now let it all go, and be loose like spaghetti"). Surnaite's digital illustrations in a soothing, cool palette show anthropomorphized animal-children acting out each step.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jeremy Bondy. Clara is mostly a happy and funny child, except for her "very BAD TEMPER." Her outbursts result in losing friends until a wise-cracking, sunglasses-wearing bird teaches her to meditate. Now, Clara can "decide how to respond" to problems. This picture book is full of useful tips on reactivity and mindfulness, but the cartoony art and belabored speech-bubble jokes do the worthwhile content no favors.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Anni Betts. Separated into five sections titled "Be Calm," "Focus," "Imagine," "Make Some Energy," and "Relax," this high-interest volume offers child-suited mindfulness exercises. Though there are redundancies across the thirty "mindful moments," clear, simple language and bright cartoon illustrations make each one accessible to the elementary-aged set. Useful for family sharing or therapeutic settings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) YA When Otis's first love Meg returns, a summer of romantic tension ensues while Otis tries to keep up with swimming; help friend/unofficial coach Dara, an amputee, through her own struggles; and deal with the reignited grief over his younger brother's death in Meg's home. As Garner's debut powerfully mines the depths of loss, it also charts the terrain of healing that follows, leaving readers with hope.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(4) YA Frannie just learned that her estranged, now deceased mother had a mental illness; Louis suffers significant anxiety over his twin being a double amputee. After years of long-distance friendship via an online support group, the pair decides to meet. In alternating chapters, these thoughtful teens detail dual road trips. A flimsy magical-realism element detracts from their pleasant but predictable emotional journeys.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) YA He's just returned from a tour in Afghanistan with one less leg and survivor's guilt. She's counting down the days until she can leave her "blink town" for art school. Nineteen-year-old Josh and eighteen-year-old Skylar find solace in each other's company and develop a complicated relationship. The intimate, vivid dialogue and multilayered characters immediately draw readers into this emotional story.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) YA With brutal honesty, Elena Dunkle recounts her life with anorexia: her food-hiding strategies; her suspicion of people trying to help; her time in and out of treatment centers; and how not eating felt like a lifeline, even as it destroyed her body and life. The details are sometimes excruciating, and there's hope but no easy fix. A valuable approximation of one anorexic's in-the-moment mindset.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) YA Reber offers practical and inspirational advice for teens on how to reduce stress (Chill covers time management, organization, getting help, journaling, exercise, nutrition, and more) and how to set and achieve goals (Doable includes information on defining your goal, recognizing obstacles, and dealing with setbacks). Reber's tone is just right for her audience, and her tips are helpful and clearly explained. Review covers these titles: Chill and Doable.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander