(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. In this first-person novel in verse, Burg (Serafina's Promise, rev. 9/13) imagines the life of the groundbreaking environmentalist from age eleven through adulthood. Rachel possesses a heightened awareness of nature and makes close observation of the plants, birds, and animals in the surrounding fields and woods. When a teacher praises her writing, she vows to become a writer of fiction. Many obstacles thwart her success, including multiple family crises, so she shifts her career ambitions to studying science. While the limitations on women in the field keep her from capitalizing on all the skills and scientific knowledge she acquires, she is persistent and publishes articles, pamphlets, letters, reports, and books -- laying the foundation for a global movement of environmental awareness and action. Burg's lyrical language keeps the focus on Carson's love of nature and raises many questions that prompt the reader to think critically; e.g., "Why is science considered / the realm of men? / Are we not all people?" and "When will man realize that he / is a part of nature, not its master?" Along with interspersed "Field Notes," Blackall's occasional black-and-white illustrations of plants and animals aptly suggest a kind of nature journal.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(3) 4-6 Young Grace is plucked from her family to serve Master and Missus in the "Big House." When she bravely resists and speaks her mind, Grace's family flees the plantation and seeks refuge in the Great Dismal Swamp. This story in verse pulls readers in through dialogue and imagery, illuminating the horror of slavery and the real history of the Great Dismal Swamp sanctuary.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(2) 4-6 Serafina lives in modern rural Haiti. Food is scarce, and her mother is pregnant again. Serafina longs to attend school and become a doctor like Antoinette Solaine, who tried unsuccessfully to save Serafina's baby brother, Pierre. Woven into the spare first-person free-verse poems is the history of Haiti and Serafina's family. Rich details of everyday life add texture to this emotional, fast-moving tale. Glos.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(2) 4-6 Vietnamese American seventh grader Matt has two passions--piano and baseball--and one secret: he feels responsible for horrific injuries his little brother sustained in Vietnam during the war. Matt's painful memories are adeptly captured by the fleeting but powerful images of Burg's free verse. Working through his past, Matt comes to understand that remembering can open the door to hope.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009