(2) K-3 Illustrated by Keisha Morris. This joyful depiction takes readers throughout the creative design and construction processes, from imagining and planning all the way up to large-scale buildings. Simple, rhythmic text features girls developing skills with small projects before moving on to the big and complex, adding knowledge and hands-on experience with new tools and materials as they go. Setbacks happen, frustrations and failures are acknowledged--and then seen as opportunities, "because failure isn't final. / It's where new ideas are made." Morris's cheerful, inclusive art was created with digitally collaged tissue paper. The contrast between the textured paper and the projects' sharp lines is eye-catching and adds another layer of connection to the text. The girls of this story imagine, learn, try, and persevere until they've built something new, beautiful, and useful. This ode to girl power should inspire tinkerers and future builders alike.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(3) YA After her girlfriend moves to Texas, Angie begins sophomore year "alone. Truly. Deeply. Painfully alone.” A road trip in an RV across Ohio--inspired by her sister, who was killed in Iraq--gives Angie perspective, confidence, new friends, and a new love interest. Angie bravely confronts bullies, grief, and even stage fright in this bold, suitably rebellious follow-up to Fat Angie.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Fat Angie's mother ignores her, her classmates bully her, and her beloved sister is presumed dead in Iraq. So Angie is surprised when beautiful new girl KC Romance treats her like an equal and a friend--even a love interest. Charlton-Trujillo's choppy third-person narration is unique but distancing, allowing readers to observe Angie's traumas and successes but not fully experience them.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA As seventeen-year-old Mickey buries her father, her estranged older brother Danny reappears, forcing her to recall the incidents leading up to the death of his best friend six years before. Fluid prose and palpable descriptions buoy this tale of sibling tension, blame, sorrow, and coming of age (though multiple overt references to The Outsiders get to be a bit much).

Reviewer: Abby Harper Kingsbury

(3) 4-6 After a car accident leaves her prone to seizures, Chula feels anything but strong. Her father enlists notorious Mexican prizefighter El Jefe to fight the local champ, winning money for the cash-strapped family. The hard lessons about strength Chula learns from the boxer are painful but authentic. The south Texas setting is portrayed realistically, including details of intolerance, language, and culture.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl