(2) YA When an overnight ICE raid in 2019 Brooklyn leads to her mother's arrest, seventeen-year-old Rania and her eight-year-old brother, Kamal, are left behind. Soon after, they are moved to a shelter, where they meet affable teen Carlos. The trio escapes and takes to the road through New England, initially in search of Rania and Kamal's estranged uncle. Rania and Carlos slowly forge a strong bond, as Carlos shares the story of his perilous journey from Mexico to escape gang threat and Rania relives fragmented memories of fleeing Pakistan after her political journalist father was murdered. At a temporary sanctuary synagogue, they are forced to make difficult choices in their search for a safe haven. The tightly wound plot creates an underlying tension as the young characters' situations constantly unravel. The story reflects the lives of many undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers forced to flee their homes in search of safety, zeroing in on the threat of retribution for dissenting politics. Budhos aptly conveys how the draconian U.S. immigration policies instituted in 2018 cruelly separated children from their families, and incorporates references to iconic art and poetry to reflect on the loss of home, on love, and on family.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 4-6 In 1971, the "grand new experiment" of school integration means that twelve-year-old Jamila and her two best friends will attend junior high across town. Feeling like outsiders in their predominantly white Queens, New York, neighborhood, the mixed-race tweens are excited to finally "fit in." But the reality is not what they had expected. Jamila's narration is authentic-sounding as she navigates transitions, friendships, and family expectations. An author's note provides historical context.

Reviewer: Sujei Lugo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(1) YA This biography begins with the D-Day landing, then flashes back and follows Capa and Taro through the development of photojournalism, including their documentation of the Spanish Civil War. Carefully selected and positioned photographs create parallel narratives to the biography, adding depth to the fervor of Taro and Capa's intense relationship, political beliefs, and art. Timeline, websites. Bib. ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(2) YA Muslim Bangladeshi immigrant Naeem has fallen in with a reckless high-school crowd. He lands in police custody and is presented with an unsavory choice: pay the price for his crimes and break his parents' hearts, or spy on his own neighbors and thus betray his community. Budhos thoughtfully explores the complex and sometimes conflicting intricacies of a bicultural identity in this slow-boil tale.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(1) YA Aronson and Budhos explore the sugar industry's origins, tracing, among other elements, the crop’s growth in popularity and the transatlantic slave trade, then providing broader twentieth-century context. This is fine historical writing: an epic story on a broad canvas that never loses sight of individual moments of human drama; the volume also boasts a thoughtful marriage of words, pictures, and design. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(3) YA Three immigrant girls from different backgrounds--but with the common bond that their mothers work as maids and nannies--navigate eighth grade in a wealthy New Jersey suburb. Alternating between each girl's perspective, this novel highlights the prejudices and social tribulations the characters face individually and together. Budhos admirably explores the subject of immigration in this emotional story about self-worth and friendship.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(2) YA Immigrant teenagers living in the United States are featured in fourteen conversations and six testimonials. The book is distinguished by Budhos's literary style (she has published a novel for adults about the immigrant experience) and unapologetic subjectivity ("Herman, I saw, was a chameleon"; "What I like about Maria is. . ."). The book includes black-and-white photos of its often troubled subjects. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2000