(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Slonim. Soft oil paintings in impressionistic style suit this peaceful book well. The plot is slim--a boy goes with his father from a seacoast cottage early in the morning in hopes of spotting a deer (they do)--but the text is appropriately quiet, and the mood of natural wonder and being at one with an animal has universal appeal.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(2) YA In 1849 Massachusetts, Addie follows mysterious old Nokummus to her island home. There the truth about Addie's family emerges: Addie's mother left her Chappiquiddic tribe to marry Papa, but died soon after; "Mama" was really her stepmother; and Nokummus, her grandmother, has always hoped Addie would become a tribal leader. Collins creates a thoughtful, capable protagonist in the midst of one engrossing scenario.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(2) YA In eighteenth-century Venice, orphans Anetta, Rosalba, and Luisa are students of Antonio Vivaldi. Fretful, kind Anetta fixates on rules; impetuous Rosalba plots a romance; and Luisa exists at a remove, stirred by music alone. Collins expertly delineates the subtle psychological damages inflicted by such a cold, albeit lavish, existence--set against a well-researched evocation of a vibrant period of musical history.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Graham. "I am a dancer each morning / as I shimmy out of bed..." This paean to movement uses spare, sophisticated, lyrical text to describe a child's vision: "Sometimes I am a dancer / to a silent throb / that makes me / spin and sway / and try to fly." Painterly illustrations in muted hues display the various expressions of movement.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) PS Illustrated by Dee Huxley. When Hildy, who is "so angry," hides, her whole family gets in on the hunt. The text, told from the family's point of view, is lighthearted, as reinforced by Huxley's images of faces feigning concern that they will never see Hildy again. Incongruously, the unsettling illustrations of frowning/scowling Hildy in hiding suggest something darker than a child's mischievous bid for attention.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA This tale in free verse concerns a girl in a fictional island society, sent to the "fattening hut" to prepare her for womanhood. As Helen learns of the ritual genital cutting awaiting her, she determines to escape. The ending strains credibility, and the author's decision to place this real-life issue in a fantasy setting is odd, but the story, with its flowing language, is engaging, the protagonist sympathetic.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 It's the Depression, and Mary Francis's family has split up: she and Gram and her dad went East for his job; her mom stayed in California to oversee her brother Leland's movie career. The story's elements aren't well integrated, particularly twelve-year-old Mary Francis's ability to have out-of-body experiences, but the family's eventual success at staying together is heartening.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam