(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by Eva Apelqvist. Rundberg's pair of 1880s detectives -- twelve-year-old orphan Mika from Stockholm's Public Children's Home and police detective Valdemar Hoff -- investigate the disappearance of a wealthy family's teenage daughter, Beatrice. "Children disappear all the time," says Mika, hearing of the case; Valdemar's answer, "I hardly need to tell you that some lives are valued more than others," voices a theme inherent in the series' earlier books, but that here takes on deeper, darker meaning. The pair realizes that Beatrice is pregnant and hiding from her parents, who want to dispose of the unwanted baby by sending Beatrice to the "Dark Angel" when it's time to give birth. Rundberg brings the Moonwind Mysteries full circle: the Dark Angel, having haunted the series from its first pages, emerges from the shadows as a person for whom "the unthinkable [has] become a habit." In a "brilliant...not to mention insanely dangerous" plan, Mika and Valdemar close in on the villain. This entry -- like the previous installments (beginning with The Night Raven, rev. 9/23) -- is exceptional: for its dry, witty humor and compelling plot; its characterizations, at once engaging and deeply respectful (Mika is indomitable: perceptive, adamant, compassionate, and vulnerable); and especially for the gravitas at the heart of its crime solving, an awareness of a deep inequity that resonates well beyond the stories' historical and geographical setting. Swedish noir for the young.

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

(2) 4-6 Translated by B.J. Woodstein. Eleven-year-old Marcus lives in Stockholm, but his mom's job as a voice actor means he's spending the summer in Malmo, a city in southern Sweden. At first Marcus is nervous around his tough new neighbor, Mikkel (or is he saying "Me kill"? It's hard for Marcus to understand his dialect) -- a kid covered in tattoos. But after Marcus proves himself in a skateboarding contest (and a gnarly skateboarding accident), Mikkel declares them "blood brothers." They spend the summer together, getting "tattooed" (with pen) by Mikkel's teenage brother, sneaking out to an amusement park in Copenhagen, and eating lunch with Marcus's babysitter, whose very presence he resents. The only thing missing is his dad, who stayed behind in Stockholm. When Marcus came out as a trans boy, his dad didn't take it well -- and now he worries that telling Mikkel might mean losing him, too. Jagerfeld is a master of quirky character details, from Marcus's dad's bicycling "diaper" (really cushioned bike shorts) to his mom's nude mime routine. Narrator Marcus's observations are laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes wise, as he reflects on his experiences as a trans person with confidence that no one knows his identity better than him. The trans storyline covers familiar ground, but Marcus's thoughts about his identity and the pain he feels in the face of rejection are movingly and satisfyingly portrayed.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by A. A. Prime. In this sequel to The Night Raven (rev. 9/23), young detective Mika has reason to suspect that some of the children at her orphanage have taken to thieving. Instead, she discovers they've been taken under the wing of an elegant, savvy performance artist, Henrietta, who has promised them an ideal home at her distant estate, the Apple Farm. First, though, they will help Henrietta with her knife-throwing show at a gala dinner where a priceless Japanese gemstone will be exhibited. When Mika meets Henrietta, even she feels the pull of the promise of a real home and agrees to help her -- until, with a little reading of the newspaper and quick, critical thinking, Mika realizes that "something doesn't quite make sense." This second Moonwind Mystery has a more somber tone than the first, perhaps because, although the book is set in 1880s Stockholm, the orphans' precarious futures and heartfelt longing make for a vulnerability that rings true here and now. Rundberg vividly conveys the part that hope plays in feeding the soul. At the same time, this is a wonderfully eventful mystery, with unpredictable plots, schemes, and a successful get-out-of-jail attempt engineered by a team of juvenile explosive experts -- not to mention indomitable Mika and her sidekick, unkempt and unorthodox police detective Hoff.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by A. A. Prime. This English translation of Rundberg's lively historical mystery, set in 1880 and winner of several prestigious prizes in its native Sweden, is something to celebrate. Twelve-year-old Mika has lived all her life in Stockholm's public orphanage; she's its child-minder and maid-of-all-work as well as a server in a local pub. She is exceptionally spirited in her humor, kindness, courage, and perceptiveness, and when her astute observations attract the attention of police detective Valdemar Hoff, he enlists her help in a murder investigation. Could a copycat murderer be imitating a man who was recently executed, the serial killer known as the "Night Raven"? This is a captivating murder mystery, and more. Mika's awareness of her disposability--"I'm an orphanage kid...and a girl besides...I have to pay attention to detail all the time because my life depends on it"--is only one of the ways Rundberg sheds light on the most vulnerable. At the same time, his prose is quick, earthy, and comic: Hoff's hands are "as big as toilet lids"; he smells like "an old horse blanket"; and the rhapsody of the coming spring is noted by "the smell of thawing latrines." Joyous, funny, suspenseful, and serious--an unusual and winning combination for middle-grade readers. Let's hope its three sequels appear in Prime's English translation, too.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) 4-6 Translated by Julia Marshall. Illustrated by Ester Eriksson. Eleven-year-old Cricket keeps a journal describing her turmoil after a bout of chicken pox that kept her home from school for two weeks. During that time her best friend deserts her for "the horse girls," a cliquish set of mean girls who ride horses after school and tease her mercilessly. Additionally, her beloved aunt is hospitalized; she discovers letters from a man her mother loved before Cricket's father; and the only classmate who is kind to her suffers from an unrequited crush. Cricket's voice is strong, sometimes funny, often filled with pain: "When I think about the fun Noa and I used to have my chest hurts as if my heart is an overcooked potato about to become mash." Eriksson's ­prolific art, with strong black lines and distorted images, extends the sense of discomfort and anxiety that permeates the protagonist's writing. The horse girls, for example, are pictured with actual horse heads digging up Cricket's secrets from a graveyard. Originally published in Swedish, the novel successfully conveys the challenges both of navigating school and friendships and of making sense of a perplexing adult world.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 Translated by Julia Marshall. Illustrated by Stina Wirsén. During one year in the life of Swedish middle-grader Hattie, she survives a protracted period of violent bullying, alienates and then reconciles with her best friend, and rehabilitates a rescue donkey (which her ­well-meaning father bought her instead of the longed-for horse). But none of these plot strands follows an expected arc, nor are they narrated in a typical reassuring tone. Hattie incites the bullying herself by slugging classmate Alfie and breaking his nose, launching an escalating payback series of attacks. Wise interventions by parents and teachers are fruitless; the deep pleasures of revenge are too potent. The kids finally work it out for themselves in an effective scheme that would not be recommended in any anti-bullying program. Hattie lies, sulks, and steals. Is she presented as dysfunctional? No, just real. What keeps all this buoyant is a rambling, funny, fearless omniscient narrator who skitters away from sentimentality at just the right moment. "Hattie thinks a lot about Jesus and all his donkeys. Life is so easy for some people. If you're Jesus, having a donkey is no trouble; people clap their hands whatever you come up with. But if you're a rotten little Hattie, it's another story." Pen and wash illustrations in a loopy, squiggly style suit the tone completely. This is the perfect offering for readers who have graduated from the Dani books by Lagercrantz and Eriksson (All's Happy That Ends Happy, rev. 11/20) or who resonate with Hilary McKay's brand of bracing hilarity (Saffy's Angel, rev. 7/02).

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) 1-3 Translated by Julia Marshall. Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. As fresh, funny, and real as ever, this seventh volume of the series sees the two firm friends Dani and Ella separated by circumstance. First Dani is sick in hospital with pneumonia. Then she travels to Italy for her father's wedding. The cast is bigger here, as Dani meets the Italian side of her extended family, and the setting is wider, as she is dragged along to see the sights of Rome. (The Sistine Chapel is "old ceiling paintings.") The plot contains several suspenseful crises and one good surprise. But the heart of the story, and its appeal, remains in its emotional authenticity and in the subtle shifts in the girls' relationships with their families, schoolmates, and each other. The text's short chapters are filled with perfectly chosen details. The scratchy black-and-white drawings convey subtext in their composition. Dani's relatives bunch together on a picturesque bridge, energetically chatting away in Italian as she stands apart, gazing into the water. The pictures also add texture and depth to the settings--a hairy dog, a pile of scratchy branches, smooth cobblestones, the nubble of a knitted sweater. In this child-centered take on sightseeing, the Colosseum is sketched in a few lines; the window of a toy store, much more detailed. Once again, this Swedish author-illustrator duo demonstrates the rich potential of the early ­chapter book.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(1) 1-3 Translated by Julia Marshall. Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. Dani (My Happy Life and sequels) and her grandma plan for Dani to travel by train to visit her friend Ella. Disaster strikes when nobody meets Dani at journey's end. With gentle humor and strains of resilience and kindness, both writer and illustrator treat Dani with total respect throughout her distress. Adults are realistically flawed, and things don't necessarily work out, but all characters are portrayed with compassion and understanding.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) 4-6 Translated by Julia Marshall. Illustrated by Kitty Crowther. This Swedish import is an unvarnished portrait of old age. In the hospital with a broken leg and a failing heart, Grandpa is furious and foul-mouthed. His only ally is his affectionate and admiring grandson, who helps carry out an elaborate secret breakout. Every emotional effect is fully earned, and the final beat is deeply affecting. Full-page colored-pencil illustrations match the text in being simultaneously homely and honest.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by William Low. Freedman (posthumously) tells the story of the seventeenth-century Swedish warship Vasa, from its tragic sinking on its maiden voyage to its eventual recovery and restoration as a museum piece. Freedman's clear prose conveys facts and paints a picture with equal skill. The winning combination of engrossing narrative with Low's atmospheric, evocative illustrations should appeal to fans of shipwreck stories, history, and undersea archaeology. Bib.

Reviewer: Russell Perry | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) YA Translated by Laura A. Wideburg. Swedish teen Steffi has remarkable musical talent but is endlessly bullied at school. When she meets elderly jazz musician Alvar, she draws strength and inspiration from his rich history and their companionship. Lövestam offers an offbeat portrait of an intergenerational friendship forged through a shared passion for music. American readers may be interested in the similarities and differences they notice between Swedish culture and their own.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) YA Ladybirds series. British teen Kat's summer trip to her aunt's home in Sweden isn't quite what she expected: it's on a remote island...with no cell service. But introspection and quiet do Kat good as she learns what--and who--really matter. Though the story treads familiar coming-of-age ground, Kat's burgeoning relationship with cute Swede Leo adds romantic intrigue to this breezy standalone in the Ladybirds series.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Catherine Stock. Carolus Linnaeus (née Karl Linné) pioneered a classification system for living things that is still in use today. In this imaginative portrayal, Linnaeus's enthusiasm and dedication to systematic and organized investigation of the natural world come through. Sanchez takes readers step-by-step through Linnaeus's process. In Stock's lush illustrations, the plants and animals of Sweden and the world surround Linnaeus from infancy to old age. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(4) 4-6 STEM Trailblazer Bios series. Six more (two are women) contemporary scientists, engineers, and inventors are featured in this continuation of the series that capitalizes on the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics objective of today's curriculums. Adulatory profiles touch on childhood, education, and the subjects' breakthrough accomplishments. A colorful, easy-to-read format features photos and "tech talk" sidebars with quotes from the "trailblazers." Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following STEM Trailblazer Bios titles: Facebook Founder and Internet Entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg, Mars Science Lab Engineer Diana Trujillo, Minecraft Creator Markus "Notch" Persson, Nintendo Video Game Designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Theoretical Physicist Stephen Hawking, and Urban Biologist Danielle Lee.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 1-3 Translated by Susan Beard. Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. Tomte Grump (The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits) is sad when his new bee friend leaves, but then a storm drives the forest animals into his home and he's no longer alone. The wedding of rabbits Binny and Rory and Grump's magical dance with a fairy complete their Midsummer festival. Soft, detailed colored-pencil illustrations accompany this lovely book perfect for reading aloud.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) YA Engelsfors Trilogy series. Translated by Anna Paterson. After a brutal demonic showdown, only four Chosen Ones remain. Now these burgeoning teen witches are even more dedicated to mastering their magical skills in order to stop the end of the world. As before, the trilogy-ender's pace is somewhat meandering and angst levels are high, but watching the Chosen Ones come together as a team of truly formidable heroines is worth the wait.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(3) K-3 One World, Many Countries series. These serviceable overviews for report writers are liberally illustrated with sharp photos. An introductory chapter in each book often highlights a holiday or festival (Turkey features a particularly fantastic photo of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar). Four chapters then focus on land, government and cities, people and cultures, and daily life. A "Global Connections" page is usually devoted to a social issue. Fast facts are appended. Maps, reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these One World, Many Countries titles: Russia, Ireland, France, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Turkey.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Translated by Evelyn Ramsden. Four siblings and their absentminded father rent an island cottage and have episodic adventures both merry (attempts to teach a raven to say "go to blazes") and melancholy (loss of a pet). The translated dialogue is full of silly Pippi Longstocking–like logic, although the Melkersons' lives are far more prosaic than Pippi's. Should appeal to fans of classic family stories, or recent approximations such as The Penderwicks.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(3) 4-6 Translated by Jill Morgan. Illustrated by Ilon Wikland. In this wish-fulfillment fantasy originally published in 1954, a neglected foster child in Stockholm discovers that he is the long-lost son of the King of Farawayland. There Mio finds happiness but must embark on a dangerous quest. Child-pleasing details and adventures move the plot along, but the tone is permeated with Mio's need for his father's love, imbuing the book with melancholy longing.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. A father announces to his young son that he's old enough to be shown the universe. A sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous journey ensues, with the boy seeing the universe in a snail and a thistle while Dad insists the universe is the stars in the night sky. Homey illustrations of their small Swedish town contrast with more sweeping spreads of the starry night.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano